With the news that the baseball team in Cleveland is apparently getting rid of its racist nickname and logo (though not till after another full season of selling Chief Wahoo merchandise), people are pondering the next name for the team. And thus remembering the Cleveland Spiders. The Spiders are best known for a remarkably bad 20-134 record in 1899, thanks to the team’s owners purchasing the team that would become the St. Louis Cardinals in 1900 and transferring of the Spiders’ good players to STL. But prior to that, the Spiders were usually good, winning a version of the NL’s playoffs in 1895, and sending six players to the Hall of Fame. Most notably Cy Young. While using a nickname last seen in the 19th century is not particularly adventurous, it would a fun way to restore the reputation of the original Spiders. Assuming, of course, that the Dolan family doesn’t ruin the reputation of the current team further.
Elsewhere…
- Giannis Antetokounmpo will sign a supermax extension in Milwaukee. For once the supermax worked as intended
- Coach K questions continuing the college basketball season, even as college football rewrites its rules so Ohio State can qualify for a conference championship game
- RIP Phillies and White Sox slugger Dick Allen, who should have been elected to the Hall of Fame long ago but was treated badly by the media since he was “an angry Black man”
- CBS and Nickelodeon to present a kid-friendly NFL playoff game, with Spongebob Squarepants
As ever, all sports subjects welcome.