The Initial Launch Of Cleveland Guardians Merchandise Is Postponed Amid Lawsuit

Not so fast, Cleveland Guardians, as the initial launch of Guardians merchandise has been postponed.

Per Cleveland.com, retailers were told that sales would begin at 9:00 a.m. on Monday. They were notified shortly before that the launch had been postponed. They were not given an explanation for the postponement and a new date hasn't been set.

Cleveland.com's Joey Morona says a spokesperson for the Indians has declined to comment. The postponement likely stems from the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team filing a trademark lawsuit against the team for trying use the same name.

“We have been and continue to be confident in our position to become the Guardians,” the Indians said in response to the lawsuit. “We believe there is no conflict between the parties and their ability to operate in their respective business areas.”

In the lawsuit, the roller derby team says they gave the Indians the opportunity to buy the naming rights to the team. The Indians came forth with a four-figure offer, which was declined quickly by the roller derby team.

The Indians originally announced the changing of their team's name on Dec. 13, 2020. On July 23, 2021, the Indians officially announced their plans to become the Guardians. The decision came after the Washington Redskins became the Washington Football Team. Both made the switch after the names and logos were accused of being racist.

The name honors the Guardian statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge. The Indians previously retired the iconic "Chief Wahoo" logo after the 2018 season.