The Atlanta Braves have decided against a new logo that was deemed offensive by many. The team has announced they will not use practice hats with the logo of a "screaming savage" on it. The logo was mocked by many as being a culturally insensitive caricature of a Native American.
The Braves' infamous "A" logo has become a cultural icon over the years. They recently decided to bring back the "screaming savage" logo that had been the official Atlanta Braves logo from 1967 to 1989. The mohawked image first made an appearance in 1954 during the Braves' days in Milwaukee. Yet, the resurgence of the logo created an uproar, so the team is now backtracking on their original decision.
The Braves team president John Schuerholz insists that the change in logo is not a backing down due to outside pressure, but more because the image was leaked early.
"While the "screaming Indian" logo was one of five proposed designs, the Braves said a decision on the design had not been made before the potential hates were leaked," Schuerholz said.
While the Atlanta Braves claim to have never intended to use the controversial logo in the first place, it had appeared in a number of sports catalogs already, while also being shown on the New Era catalog website. It is clear the decision was made on a pure PR stand point after the bad press that was given about the logo decision.
The new logo hats will remain the traditional "A" embroidered on a navy baseball cap.
"When we made our decisions, we tried to contemplate. We tried to be creative. We tried to carry on the theme of our organization. It is part of the continuum of the uniform look we have. We've never had one that looks like this during spring training," Schuerholz said.
It is traditional practice that a team will change up the normal logo during spring training. It can spur merchandise sale and get the fans excited for the approaching season. However, the Braves version of change did not work out too well in their favor. The keeping of the traditional logo is a smart choice.