This is the first full season the Cleveland Indians have removed the symbol of Chief Wahoo from the team uniform.  But U of G Prof. Timothy Dewhirst and Art Gallery of Guelph director and U of G adjunct professor Shauna McCabe say the team may not be doing enough to rid itself of the controversial symbol.

Dewhirst and McCabe co-wrote an op-ed in the Toronto Star that critically examines an image that has appeared on the team’s uniform since 1940. They argue that the “sincerity of the team’s rebranding efforts remains questionable” because the Indians continue to profit from selling merchandise featuring Chief Wahoo.

The authors conclude that “Cleveland’s MLB team would be well served by no longer profiting from their offensive logo and to reconsider their team’s name as they rebrand.”

Dewhirst is a professor in the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies and senior research fellow in marketing and public policy at U of G’s Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics.