Georgia brothers want to rename Atlanta Braves to 'Bravest'

ATLANTA - Marty and Chris Buccafusco have been Braves fans all their lives, but they think it is time to start cheering for a new team--or at least a new team name.

"We love this team," Marty explained.

The brothers launched an effort about two years ago to rename the Atlanta Braves to the "Bravest," in honor of firefighters. Their push has new momentum now with the recent decisions by the Washington Redskins to change their name and the Kansas City Chiefs to ban fans from wearing Native American headdresses and face paint.

"The country is clearly going through a moment of reckoning with race relations and its legacies of racism," said Chris Buccafusco. "If a fundamental aspect of being a fan, right, getting to dress up as your team, is wrong, that's because there's something wrong with the team name. And it seems to us that Atlanta and Kansas City and Cleveland and Chicago's hockey team are starting to catch on."

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In a statement, the Atlanta Braves said they do not plan to change the team's name:

“The Atlanta Braves honors, respects and values the Native American community. As an organization, we have always drawn strength from our diversity and respect for everyone. That will never change.

“We have had an active and supportive relationship with the Native American community for many years. Last fall, we furthered this relationship and pledged to meet and listen to Native American and tribal leaders from many areas, including the Eastern Band of the Cherokees (EBCI) in North Carolina. As a result, we formed a cultural working relationship with the EBCI and have also formed a Native American Working Group with a diverse collection of other tribal leaders to collaborate on matters related to culture, education, outreach, and recognition on an on-going basis.

“Through our conversations, changing the name of the Braves is not under consideration or deemed necessary. We have great respect and reverence for our name and the Native American communities that have held meaningful relationships with us do as well. We will always be the Atlanta Braves.

“As it relates to the fan experience, including the chop, it is one of the many issues that we are working through with the advisory group. The chop was popularized by our fans when Deion Sanders joined our team and it continues to inspire our players on the field.  With that in mind, we are continuing to listen to the Native American community, as well as our fans, players, and alumni to ensure we are making an informed decision on this part of our fan experience.

“Integrating learnings from our meetings with the Native American tribal leaders, we are working together to elevate Native American culture and language on a continuous basis. Activations include a permanent exhibit inside the ballpark honoring Native Americans, designing merchandise and other ways to support indigenous language, and partnering with Native American content producers to showcase the positive impacts Native American tribes and tribal leaders have had on our history and the community. Some of these activities are new and some have been on-going for a long time. We are committed to having a strong connection with the Native American community, which includes showcasing important past, present, and future aspects of their culture.

“Our efforts will be comprehensive and ever evolving, and always in partnership with the Native American community. As we work through this process in the coming weeks and months, we will continue to inform our fans on our progress and activities.”

The Buccafuscos said they are not Native Americans and do not want to speak for them in any way, but hope to spark a larger dialogue about the use of cultural symbols in sports.

"We want to hear from people," said Marty. "Engage with us. We want this message to be spread and we want messages back to us."

You can reach them through their website, BravestATL.com or through email at bravestatl@gmail.com.

The site also offers "Bravest" t-shirts and other gear and the Buccafuscos said once fans are allowed back in the stands, they plan to use the proceeds to buy Braves tickets for Atlanta firefighters and their families.

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