After 100 Hours Of Brainstorming, The Cleveland Indians Research Team Has Narrowed Their List Down To 1,198 Potential New Team Names

Release the list. That's my take on this one. Release the list. I didn't even know there were 1,198 sports team nicknames available on this planet, but the Indians research team came up with that many in just a mere 100 hours of work. So let's see what their big brains came up with! They have their list and now it's time to let the people chime in. Make it into a bracket and let's have a fan vote. Gotta have an Ohio zip code, in order to keep the haters and the trolls from making this whole thing into a mockery. It would only take 10 rounds, granted the first round would have over 550 matchups to choose, but still.

Alas, it appears the *Indians are going to narrow down the 1,198 options into a final list themselves:

What's the process here? I guess naturally you'd have to narrow the 1,198 potential names down to a clean cut top 1,000. Release a graphic like top college football recruits do. Then from there do you just downsize by half until we've got the final 2? 500, 250, 125, etc, etc.

Guys, what are we doing here? I don't know the proper way to handle a name change but I know this isn't it. What an outrageous statement made by the team. "We've got it down to the top 1,198". And here's the thing: I still haven't heard one like that I like. The frontrunners in the clubhouse (apparently a very large clubhouse if it has to fit 1,198 options) are the Spiders, the Guardians, the Municipals, and the Blues.

If it's the Spiders you can quote me right now, I am choosing a new team to cheer for. I will not be a fan of the Cleveland Spiders. Kids showing up the ballpark dressed as Peter Parker. I'd rather not watch baseball than be the laughing stock of the league. And I'd rather be the Cleveland Baseball Club than any of those. 

Plain and simple: it's gotta be the Tribe. We already got rid of the cartoonish Indian, and we can really emphasize that Tribe takes on the meaning of being a "team". A group of people all on the same side. The Cleveland Tribe. That's the biggest no brainer in the world. But I bet you that didn't even make the top 1,198.