Braves execs said the tomahawk will remain on jerseys, but were noncommittal about fans doing the chopGETTY IMAGES
Braves Chair Terry McGuirk claims the team's name "unequivocally" will remain despite calls to change it, according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. McGuirk said, "We are so proud of our team's name, and our expectation is that we will always be the Atlanta Braves." Team execs said that the tomahawk "will remain on the Braves' jerseys, but were noncommittal about the future of the chop at Truist Park." McGuirk said, "The brand goes along with the name. The tomahawk logo on the jersey as a big piece of our iconography is here to stay. We are proud of it. We think our constituencies hold it in an equally high level of esteem." Braves President & CEO Derek Schiller admitted that the continued use of the tomahawk chop at games is being discussed. He said, "It's a topic that deserves a lot of debate and a lot of discussion and a lot of thoughtfulness, and that's exactly what we are doing." McGuirk added, "Let's state the obvious: We didn't invent the chop. It came with (former Braves player) Deion Sanders when he arrived from Florida State. Our fans adopted it." Schiller said the Braves name to him "means somebody who possesses courage, is a warrior." Schiller: "For me, it's held in high regard and it's esteemed by the Native American culture and it's powerful. It's very representative of strength and honor." Schiller added the team's sponsors have been "extremely supportive" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 7/12).
LOOKING AT THE CHIEFS: In K.C., Vahe Gregorian writes with the Chiefs' name coming under increased scrutiny, the "crux of the challenge for the franchise (and the community) going forward will be to honestly assess to what degree the name is inherently divisive and, accordingly, if it feasibly can be uncoupled from the behavior it evokes." Gregorian: "It’s a time to listen. To really listen. For the Chiefs, who have taken some-but-not-enough respectful measures along the way and are believed to be reviewing related matters now, and for all of us” (K.C. STAR, 7/13).
