It’s time for #RallyTogether to die and for #BurnOn to take its place

#RallyTogether is washed up.

Once an elite slogan in Major League Baseball, the hashtag just doesn’t inspire fervor anymore. It used to be an Ace; now, it’s relegated to mop-up duties. It comes out flat whether you type it or say it out loud, and god knows nobody ever shouts it.

The problem is that being an Indians fan feels kind of flat right now, too. There hasn’t been much that all Indians fans can agree on lately. We actually do need something around which to #RallyTogether; Ironically enough, getting rid of the old hashtag might be the easiest way for the team to generate excitement for the coming season.

No, I don’t expect anyone to listen, but #BurnOn should be the next social media motto for the team.

Why #BurnOn makes perfect sense for the Indians

1. It’s the title of Randy Newman’s song that plays during the introductory credits of Major League. It’s burned into the collective subconscious already.
2. The undercurrent of sarcasm in the line keeps anyone from taking it too seriously. #RallyTogether started with a fun earnestness about it, but now it just feels hokey. The song is referring to the Cuyahoga River catching fire multiple times throughout its history. It’s not really something that Cleveland can be proud of, per se, but it speaks to the character of the city. It strikes me as capturing the essence of what the Browns were after when they missed the mark with “Hardland of America”. A god damn river burst into flames over and over again as the city charged ahead into economic ruins. The people that stayed despite all of that are the ones that burned on, you know?
3. It matches the moment in which the franchise finds itself. Despite the flat feelings that follow a near-miss of the playoffs; despite trading away, once again, a Cy Young winner; despite dealing with ownership that is now actively belittling fans of the team while accepting undeserved awards; despite this and more, the players and fans continue to believe in this window of contention. I think you need to be a little crazy already to avoid going entirely insane as a fan of the Indians, and in that way we continue to burn on as fans.
4. It doesn’t look like any organization, movement, or reclusive subculture is currently using the hashtag/phrase.
5. It sounds cool and is fun to say.

Could there be copyright concerns? I’m not a lawyer (we should all be thankful) and that’s not my problem. If I had to guess I would think that merchandising might be the only potential issue. However, if I’m Randy Newman and I was okay with the song getting used for a movie (compensation details notwithstanding) then I would guess something could be worked out for the slogan to be used for the real team.

I’ve considered a few other options, but none of them fit the team, the city, and the fanbase as well as #BurnOn. Plus, if things really go south and the Indians decide to burn the whole thing down, we get to be snarky as hell about it.

I just can’t think of a different phrase that better encapsulates the experience of being an Indians fan. It was true back when Major League was a hit movie, and somehow it’s even more true today. So, for 2020, let’s #BurnOn.