Change is happening in Cleveland (the Indians are quietly phasing out Chief Wahoo)

THAT TOOTHY GRIN stretching out his cheeks. Those triangular eyes, the bulbous nose. And the ear, pointing to the big red feather on his head.

This is about one of the most popular and talked-about figures in Cleveland sports history. He was there when Jim Brown was bowling over tacklers and long before LeBron James was born. Hall of Famers such as Bob Feller, Satchel Paige and Roberto Alomar have kept him close to their hearts and minds. He has starred in Major League and Major League II. Without saying a word, he has spoken to and for the good people of the Forest City, promising a swell time -- and maybe even a win -- if they go to the ballpark. He is Chief Wahoo, of course. Since 1947, he has withstood a 40-year postseason drought (1955-94), a relocation when the team moved downtown from Municipal Stadium in 1994 and annual protests by Native American groups on Opening Day.

And he's still smiling.

But a growing number of people want to wipe that smile off the face of the franchise. They see Wahoo not as the jolly old soul of Cleveland but, as attorney Peter Pattakos of ClevelandFrowns.com puts it, "the only professional sports logo in the Western world that caricaturizes a race of people." They have come to agree with a Feb. 28 editorial in The Plain Dealer that called for his removal because "Wahoo contributes nothing to the performance of the Indians on the field and makes the team hopelessly backward in the eyes of the world."

MORE: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11574381/cleveland-indians-say-goodbye-chief-wahoo



I wrote CEO Paul Dolan about this last year, and added, that even as a long-time fan, I refuse buy or wear any team merchandise sporting the Wahoo logo or the word "Indians." Hope my correspondence was one of many received over the years.