As a result of years of pressure from activist groups, several years ago, the Cleveland baseball franchise announced they would soon be changing the team’s name.
Naturally, the team prominently
declared its commitment to the correct motivations, suggesting that unity and “community” explained their decision:
“We believe our organization is at its best when we can unify our community and bring people together – and we believe a new name will allow us to do this more fully.”
So after over 100 years as the Cleveland Indians, the team started play in 2022 as the Cleveland Guardians.
Well, if the numbers are to be believed, it’s possible that fans might not have taken kindly to the rebranding efforts.
Local TV ratings for the newly christened Guardians have dropped dramatically, with one
report placing the number at -30%.
That’s the third biggest decline of any team in the league, with only the moribund Oakland Athletics and rapidly fading San Francisco Giants reporting worse numbers.
MLB ratings overall have been generally flat, with even the Baltimore Orioles seeing a slight increase to this point in the season.
The Guardians however, have seen their numbers fall precipitously.