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Saturday Sports: MLB; Trump pushes for the Commanders to go back to their old nickname

Saturday Sports: MLB; Trump pushes for the Commanders to go back to their old nickname

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A lawmaker wants Utah Tech University to return to its old ‘Dixie’ name. Here’s what the school says.

Utah Tech University changed its named from Dixie State University in 2022. The old name had ties to slavery and the Confederacy of the Civil War South. A study found 64% of respondents outside of Utah related the term “Dixie” to racism. The proposed change ignited fierce debate, though, among residents who stood by the “Dixie” name and some GOP lawmakers who suggested abandoning that history amounted to “being oversensitive.“I hated when they bowed to the mob and changed the name. It will always be Dixie to me,” one person said. “The Legislature doesn’t comment to activist organizations like The Salt Lake Tribune,’ Rep. Trevor Lee said in an email to the Salt Lakeribune. The school said in a statement that in the three years since changing its name, “we have been on an upward trajectory.” “We are proud of the accomplishments and institutional successes that have taken place under our new institutional name,” the school said.

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A Utah lawmaker known for courting controversy has made it his latest push to reignite the debate over Utah Tech University’s name change — suggesting the St. George school should restore its previous “Dixie” title.

In a social media post late Monday night, Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, pointed to the Utah university in response to a national effort from President Donald Trump to force two professional sports teams to revert back to old names that refer to Native Americans.

Trump specifically threatened to block a stadium deal for the Washington Commanders if the NFL team doesn’t return to its old name, the “Redskins,” which many Indigenous groups view as racist. The president also later mentioned Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians, which dropped its “Indians” moniker in 2021.

Lee quoted a post on X about Trump’s efforts and argued that Utah should follow suit. He asked: “What are Utahns thoughts on changing @utahtechu back to Dixie?”

The name of the university, he added, “should have never been changed in the first place.”

By Wednesday afternoon, more than 180 people had commented on his post, many in support of his position.

“I hated when they bowed to the mob and changed the name. It will always be Dixie to me,” one person said.

Another wrote: “100% they hurt the community by changing it. Dixie State Rebels Forever!”

What are Utahns thoughts on changing @utahtechu back to Dixie?

It should have never been changed in the first place IMO. #utpol https://t.co/ZofrsmyIOc — Trevor Lee (@VoteTrevorLee) July 21, 2025

The Salt Lake Tribune reached out Wednesday to Lee for further comment. Lee responded in an email, “The Legislature doesn’t comment to activist organizations like The Salt Lake Tribune.”

Utah Tech University changed its named from Dixie State University in 2022. The old name had ties to slavery and the Confederacy of the Civil War South.

A look through the school’s old yearbooks shows athletes wearing the Confederate flag on their uniforms, students holding mock slave auctions and many pictures of people in blackface. The school’s old “Rebel” mascot, dropped in 2007, was a direct reference to a Confederate soldier.

The university’s board voted to change the school name after conducting a study that found 64% of respondents outside of Utah related the term “Dixie” to racism. The school also said students had reported that the name was hurting their chances in job interviews and graduate school applications. And students of color have said that the name made them uncomfortable.

The school said it wanted a new name to reflect its updated mission.

The proposed change ignited fierce debate, though, among residents who stood by the “Dixie” name — led by a group called Defending Southwestern Utah Heritage Coalition — and some GOP lawmakers who suggested abandoning that history amounted to “being oversensitive.”

Many said “Dixie” was not tied to slavery or racism, but rather the pioneering spirit of the southern Utah region. However, some 19th-century pioneers there were growing cotton, and a few of the area’s early settlers had slaves.

(Dixie College., “The Confederate 1966,” UA 009 Dixie State University Yearbooks, Dixie State University Special Collection & Archives) This photo from the 1966 edition of Dixie State College’s yearbook shows the school’s wrestling team.

After protests and delays, the Utah Legislature gave final approval to the name change, and Gov. Spencer Cox signed it into law.

In response to Lee’s post, Utah Tech University said in a statement that in the three years since changing its name, “we have been on an upward trajectory — demonstrated by our largest-ever student enrollment last fall, significant growth in philanthropic support and our transition to the Big Sky Conference in 2026.”

The boom is real. Utah Tech’s fall enrollment was 13,167 for fall 2024 — 600 more students than the previous year. And the trend is expected to continue this fall, though it likely won’t hit the 16,000 projection school officials had hoped for.

The school also reported in fall 2022 that donations were up 33% from 2021 under the old name, from $2.7 million to $3.6 million.

“We are proud of the student accomplishments and institutional successes that have taken place under our new institutional name and are excited to continue offering premier active learning experiences that prepare our students to graduate ready to fulfill workforce needs,” Utah Tech wrote in its statement.

The university also reiterated in its statement that it hasn’t purged the “Dixie” name from campus.

“We have placed a renewed emphasis on honoring Utah’s Dixie, building community support and developing our identity as an open, comprehensive polytechnic university.”

A compromise was reached to name the university’s main St. George campus “the Dixie campus.” The school has also created a heritage committee to preserve the name’s legacy. And it continues in other places around the community, including at Dixie Technical College, which partners with Utah Tech University.

Several commenters on Lee’s post defended the name change. Michael Mower, a senior advisor to Gov. Cox, said he liked the new Utah Tech name.

Lee responded to him with an image that said, “Boo this man! Boo!”

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.

Another person wrote: “I always thought Dixie was a weird name because I don’t associate that area with Dixie. If the area was well known as Dixie, I would be in favor of changing it back. But it’s not, so I prefer Utah Tech.”

Several others, though, mentioned not only stopping at returning Utah Tech University back to its previous title. A handful of people also said Bountiful High School, in Davis County, should revert back to its “Braves” mascot and Cedar High School, in Iron County, should bring back its “Redmen” mascot.

The Utah Tech debate also isn’t the first time Lee has followed in Trump’s footsteps in recommending a name change. Last month, the Utah lawmaker — who pushed the bill this legislative session that banned pride flags at government buildings and in schools — suggested erasing the name of LGBTQ activist Harvey Milk from the boulevard named after him in Salt Lake City.

Source: Sltrib.com | View original article

‘Let people complain’: Terry Francona voices support for Guardians name change amid Trump call for return to ‘Indians’

Ex-Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters before a game in Washington that he was proud of Guardians owner Paul Dolan for pulling the trigger on the team’s name change in 2021. Trump shared a series of social media posts on Sunday that included his desire to see Cleveland’s baseball club and the Washington football franchise, formerly known as the “Redskins,” return to their previous team names. “I was really proud of him, because I don’t think it was real popular with a segment of probably the older fans that kind of, I guess, like Trump, ‘Why can’t it be like it used to be?’”

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Ex-Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters before a game in Washington that he was proud of Guardians owner Paul Dolan for pulling the trigger on the team’s name change in 2021. Getty Images

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Former Guardians manager Terry Francona is pushing back against President Trump’s call for his former club to revert to its old “Indians” nickname.

Trump shared a series of social media posts on Sunday that included his desire to see Cleveland’s baseball club and the Washington football franchise, formerly known as the “Redskins,” return to their previous team names which many considered offensive to Native Americans.

How to watch the Guardians: See how to watch Guardians games with this handy game-by-game TV schedule.

Francona, now the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, voiced strong support for the changes while speaking before a game against the Washington Nationals. Never one to shy away from sharing his opinion, Francona acknowledged such moves will always face criticism.

“Not everybody’s gonna be happy. That’s never gonna be the case,” he said to USA Today. “But I think as long as what you’re trying to do is respectful, you can go ahead and let people complain.”

Francona also praised Cleveland owner Paul Dolan for making the difficult decision to change the team’s name before the 2022 season.

“I wasn’t the one that had to kind of have the fortitude to do it,” Francona said. “Paul Dolan ultimately was the one that had to pull the trigger.”

Francona, who managed Cleveland from 2013-23 and led them to a World Series appearance in 2016, was present during discussions about the name change. He emphasized that the decision was made with respect in mind, despite knowing it would face resistance from some fans.

“I was really proud of him, because I don’t think it was real popular with a segment of probably the older fans that kind of, I guess, like Trump, ‘Why can’t it be like it used to be?’” Francona said.

The former Cleveland manager offered a pointed response to those who resist such changes: “There’s probably a lot of people in this country who don’t want it like it used to be. And if you’re white, you’re probably just fine. That’s not how it’s supposed to work.”

Cleveland’s front office appears unmoved by the controversy. Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told reporters Sunday that revisiting the name change wasn’t something he was “paying a lot of attention to.”

“We’ve gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and are excited about the future,” Antonetti said.

Source: Cleveland.com | View original article

The history of Native American sports name changes, from the Obama era to Trump’s latest comments

President Donald Trump has called for the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old names. Other professional teams have maintained names and logos through criticism and calls from activists who say they are offensive. Each team has indicated it has no plans to go back to names that were abandoned years ago in the aftermath of a reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd.Here is a look at how the issue has unfolded:In 2013, then-President Barack Obama told The Associated Press he would “think about changing” the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team. The Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms the following year after decades of protests and complaints that the grinning, red-faced caricature used in one version or another since 1947 is racist. The Atlanta Braves said they were reviewing the use of the tomahawk chop and chant, a discussion they started with Native American leaders in 2019. The Blackhawks banned headdresses at home games.

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President Donald Trump’s social media posts calling for the NFL’s Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old names has revived the conversation about Native American imagery in sports.

Each team has indicated it has no plans to go back to names that were abandoned years ago in the aftermath of a reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Other professional teams have maintained names and logos through criticism and calls from activists who say they are offensive.

Here is a look at how the issue has unfolded:

October 2013

Then-President Barack Obama told The Associated Press he would “think about changing” the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team.

“I don’t know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things,” Obama said.

Trump soon after posted to Twitter: “President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense.”

January 2018

The Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms the following year after decades of protests and complaints that the grinning, red-faced caricature used in one version or another since 1947 is racist.

“Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. He said the logo “is no longer appropriate for on-field use.”

The team said it would continue to sell merchandise with the logo in the Cleveland area.

Summer 2020

After several sponsors publicly voiced their opposition to the name Redskins, longtime owner Dan Snyder said in early July the organization would undergo a “thorough review.” Snyder had said multiple times since buying the team in 1999 that he had no intent of changing it.

Cleveland hours later said it was considering going away from Indians, the baseball team’s name since 1915. Manager Terry Francona said he was in favor of a change.

On July 13, Snyder announced the Redskins moniker was being retired after 87 years, dating to the team’s time in Boston. Later in the month, the organization unveiled plans to be known as the Washington Football Team for at least one season, and that name remained through 2021.

MLB’s Atlanta Braves and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks doubled down on their names. The Braves wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders they will “always be” known as that, while the Blackhawks said they would continue to use their name and logo because it honors Native American leader Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation.

The Braves said they were reviewing the use of the tomahawk chop and chant, a discussion they started with Native American leaders in 2019. The Blackhawks banned headdresses at home games.

In August, the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs followed suit, prohibiting the use of Native American headdresses, face paint and clothing at their stadium. They faced increased scrutiny over the tomahawk chop and chant around winning their first Super Bowl title that February.

December 2020

Cleveland owner Paul Dolan announced the team would no longer be called the Indians following the 2021 season.

“It was a learning process for me and I think when fair-minded, open-minded people really look at it, think about it and maybe even spend some time studying it, I like to think they would come to the same conclusion: It’s a name that had its time, but this is not the time now, and certainly going forward, the name is no longer acceptable in our world,” Dolan told the AP, adding he did not want an interim moniker like Washington’s.

Trump quote-tweeted a story about the change with the message: “Oh no! What is going on? This is not good news, even for “Indians”. Cancel culture at work!”

July 2021

Seemingly out of the blue, Cleveland unveiled its new name, Guardians, in a video posted to social media. They completed the season as the Indians before becoming the Guardians in November.

Cleveland’s new name was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices — referred to as traffic guardians — that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City.

October 2021

The tomahawk chop was front and center as the Braves reached — and won — the World Series, with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred endorsing the fan behavior, citing the support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, based in North Carolina about three hours from Atlanta.

“The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop,” Manfred said. “For me, that’s kind of the end of the story. In that market, we’re taking into account the Native American community.”

February 2022

After a lengthy process, Washington rebranded as the Commanders. Snyder said the change pays “homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation’s capital.”

Washington Commanders jerseys are displayed at an event to unveil the NFL football team’s new identity, Feb. 2, 2022, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, file) AP

“As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us,” Snyder said. “We continue to honor and represent the burgundy and gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.”

President Joe Biden welcomed the name change by posting a picture on Twitter of Commander, his recently acquired German shepherd puppy, in front of the White House.

“I suppose there’s room for two Commanders in this town,” Biden wrote.

Summer 2023

A group led by Josh Harris, which included Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, finalized the purchase of the Commanders from Snyder for a North American pro sports record $6.05 billion.

Harris and co-owner Mitch Rales, who grew up in the area of the team, used the word Redskins at their introductory news conference, sparking renewed chatter about the subject. Before the season started, Harris said ownership would not be going back to the old name.

Summer 2024

Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, threatened to block a congressional bill to transfer land to potentially be used for a new football stadium in Washington unless the Commanders and the NFL honored the former Indian head logo in some way. The original logo was designed by a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana.

After lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell, the bill passed in December at the eleventh hour, and Biden signed it into law in January. It gave control of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which agreed to a deal with the team in April to build there, pending city council approval.

February 3, 2025

After Washington made the playoffs and went on an improbable run to the NFC championship game with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, Harris said at his season-ending news conference that the Commanders name was here to stay, quieting speculation about another rebrand.

“I think it’s now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we’re going with that,” Harris said. “Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It’s really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.”

July 20, 2025

With the stadium deal not yet done, Trump threatened to block it if Washington did not go back to the name Redskins.

Trump on his social media site posted: “I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington.”

Asked about ways Trump could block the construction of a stadium where the team played during its glory days until moving to Maryland, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser shifted the focus to hammering out a deal voted on by the council.

“What I’m concerned about is we haven’t done our part, and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work, so that local businesses can get hired, so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders stadium,” Bowser said.

Source: Cleveland.com | View original article

DC official weighs in on Trump’s push to have Commanders change nickname back to Redskins

President Donald Trump threatened to put the Washington Commanders’ RFK Stadium site in jeopardy if they didn’t change its name back to the Redskins. The Washington, D.C., Council chairman suggested he would have “no problem” with a potential name change. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, who played for the Redskins, backed the move on Sunday.Daniel Snyder changed Washington’s team name from the Washington Redskins to the Washington Football Team before the start of the 2020 season amid a summer of racial tensions. The team eventually became the Washington commanders, and Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris, who said in April that the team would not bring back the Redskins name even with plans to build a new stadium in Washington, DC. “We’re kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, and not looking back,” Harris said.

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President Donald Trump threw a curveball into the NFL world over the weekend when he threatened to put the Washington Commanders’ RFK Stadium site in jeopardy if they didn’t change its name back to the Redskins.

Phil Mendelson, the Washington, D.C., Council chairman, suggested to 106.7 The Fan in D.C. on the “Grant & Danny” show he would have “no problem” with a potential name change.

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“He suggested the past DC opposition of the team moving back into the city while named Redskins had more to do with Dan Snyder than the name,” radio host Grant Paulsen wrote about Mendelson. “Suggested he would have no problem with DC welcoming the team back with the name Redskins now.”

It appeared to be the latest nod of support for the move since Trump fired off two Truth Social posts over the weekend about the nickname.

Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, who played for the Redskins, backed the move on Sunday.

“The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this,” Trump wrote first. “Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past.

“Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!”

Then, he threatened to put the Commanders’ deal to take over the old RFK Stadium site in jeopardy if they didn’t revert to the name.

COMMANDERS GENERAL MANAGER, DC MAYOR UNFAZED BY TRUMP’S COMMENTS ON TEAM NAME

“My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way,” Trump wrote in a second Truth Social post. “I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone.”

Daniel Snyder changed Washington’s team name from the Washington Redskins to the Washington Football Team before the start of the 2020 season amid a summer of racial tensions. The team eventually became the Washington Commanders, and Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris.

Harris said on Fox News Channel’s “Special Report” in April that the team would not bring back the Redskins name even with plans to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C.

“The Commanders’ name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building,” Harris responded to Bret Baier’s question about the Redskins name coming back as part of this new stadium deal. “So, the people that certain types of players that are tough, that love football, are delegated Commanders and Jayden [Daniels], for example, is a Commander, and they’re ranked.

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“And, you know, the business staff has gotten into it, and obviously, we’re in a military city here. There’s more military personnel than anywhere else, so we’re kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back.”

Source: Foxnews.com | View original article

PHOTO: Social Media Detectives Expose Donald Trump’s Cringeworthy ‘Washington Redskins’ Tweet That Aged Horribly

Donald Trump threatened to block the Washington Commanders’ stadium deal unless they change the name back to ‘Redskins’ In 2013, then-President Obama said he’d “think about changing” name of the Redskins if he owned the team. Trump tweeted the “President should not be telling the Redskins to change their name—our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense” in 2013. The Washington NFL franchise originated in Boston in 1932 and retained the name for the next 82 years, until then-owner Dan Snyder dropped it in 2020. They adopted the ‘Washington Football Team’ title for two years before settling on “Commanders” In 2022, the team will be known as the Washington Redskins.

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Donald Trump and Washington Redskins helmet (Photos via Imagn Images)

Social media detectives uncovered a 12-year-old tweet from President Donald Trump about the “Washington Redskins” team name, and let’s just say it aged like milk.

On Sunday, news broke that President Donald Trump had threatened to hold up the Washington Commanders’ push for a new stadium if they didn’t go back to the “Redskins” team name. Following decades of controversy, the name was dropped in 2020 after team sponsors threatened to stop funding the team.

Trump has been vocal about his preference for Washington to bring back the old team name, even though owner Josh Harris has been adamant about keeping the “Commanders” in place.

Amid the president’s push for Washington’s NFL team to bring back its old team name, however, alert internet detectives uncovered a 2013 tweet from Trump himself. And boy, does it ever make him look like a hypocrite:

There’s ALWAYS a tweet.

(Yesterday, Trump threatened to block the Washington Commanders’ stadium deal unless they change the name back to ‘Redskins’.) pic.twitter.com/LVTEYbsPNG — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 21, 2025

In 2013, then-President Obama said he’d “think about changing” name of the Redskins if he owned the team. Trump tweeted the “President should not be telling the Redskins to change their name—our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense”

#TrumpEpsteinCoverup pic.twitter.com/ZoeaLGyw7h — Sylvia Dahlby (@SylvieDahl) July 22, 2025

2013 Trump: “FOCUS on bigger problems, not Redskins name.”

2025 Trump: “Change it BACK to Redskins immediately.”

Pick a lane, man. Hypocrisy in 280 characters or less. 🏈🤡#Trump #Hypocrisy #WashingtonCommanders #Redskins pic.twitter.com/Qy0h0vTaTA — Lorenzo Maldonado (@TheRealLoDown) July 21, 2025

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Never mind all the problems the United States is facing domestically and internationally. The 79-year-old is too focused on forcing a professional football team to change its name. Just when you thought you’ve seen it all in the Trump administration.

The Washington NFL franchise originated in Boston in 1932. After one year with the “Braves” team name, it was changed to “Redskins” in 1933. The team relocated to Washington in 1937 and retained the name for the next 82 years, until then-owner Dan Snyder dropped it in 2020.

They adopted the “Washington Football Team” title for two years before settling on “Commanders” in 2022.

Donald Trump Can’t Expect To Win This Battle

Josh Harris (Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Harris and the Commanders’ ownership have repeatedly made it clear that the current name is here to stay. Donald Trump can keep pushing for the name change, but the President of the United States doesn’t have the full power to tell a sports team what they can and cannot do.

Also Read: Natasha Cloud Scores Big WNBA All-Star Payday While Fighting With Donald Trump

Source: Totalprosports.com | View original article

Source: https://www.vpm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2025-07-26/saturday-sports-mlb-trump-pushes-for-the-commanders-to-go-back-to-their-old-nickname

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