MLB officials denounce gangs, pull hats

[jaybird2001wi]

NEW YORK -- A lineup of team logo baseball caps denounced as tailor-made for gang members was ordered removed from store shelves by its manufacturer Friday after complaints from baseball officials.

"It has been brought to our attention that some combinations of icons and colors on a select number of our caps could be too closely perceived to be in association with gangs," said Christopher H. Koch, CEO of New Era Cap. "In response, we, along with Major League Baseball, have pulled those caps."

The three styles in question used colors and symbols linked to three gangs: an all-white cap with a blue bandanna, the trademark of the notorious Crips; an all-white cap with a red bandanna worn by the rival Bloods; and a black cap with a gold team logo and an embroidered crown, a symbol favored by the Latin Kings.

"We encouraged and now fully support the decision of cap manufacturer New Era to pull these caps and any others that feature offensive or concerning symbols," read an MLB statement.

The New York Yankees had joined an anti-gang group, Peace on the Street, in denouncing the hats.

Both MLB and the Yankees insisted they were unaware of the symbolism in the cap designs, with the New York team noting they were never given a chance to review the new hats until they were already for sale.

The team was "completely unaware that caps with gang-related logos and colors had been manufactured with the New York Yankees logo on them," said a Yankees statement. "The New York Yankees oppose any garment that may be associated with gangs or gang-related activity."

On Thursday, protesters demonstrated about the new caps outside several Manhattan stores carrying the merchandise. The stores were selling a version of the hats bearing the familiar interlocking "NY" logo of the Yankees.

Richard Garcia, a karate instructor who works with Peace on the Street to provide youngsters with alternatives to gangs, said he immediately recognized the hats' colors from his work with former gang members.

"My fear was that the wrong kid was going to wear the wrong hat in the wrong neighborhood and get hurt," he said.

New Era said it would increase its efforts to ensure it had a better working knowledge of gang symbols, names and locations. The Buffalo-based company has produced hats for Major League Baseball since the 1930s.

---

In my opinion, as a person who frequents bars with a large population of minorities, is that every merchandising company fails in curbing gang or stereotypical African-American affiliation.
I have seen a ton of "bad taste" baseball caps in these bars which have the old school Brewers logo in weird places on a baseball cap and in weird colors. I mean, does this sound as a shock to you all in brewerfan.net nation?
I hate to sound anti-PC, but the large majority of the minority population decides that it is cool to sport things that look "cool" to them because it has multi-colors and such. It doesn't just sit in MLB licensing, but in other sports most notably the NFL. I look at these jerseys and caps and they are licensed by their respective leagues and I think, historically, it is in bad taste. The so-called "thugs" that wear them have absolutely no appreciation for the history behind such jerseys or caps.

Bear in mind, I went to a Racine high school where a large portion of the minority would wear such jerseys as the "Atlanta Black Crackers" and also some Negro league jerseys and it really got on my nerves because they chose to live in the present day African-American stereotype of gangs, drugs and violence. It irks me because the individuals they chose to bear in their self-expression sacrificed a lot for their lives for some semblance of an equal society, yet they choose to do stereotypical minority things in life.
This is probably a thread that could potentially get me banned because I am voicing my frustrations on today's minority population (I am 24, and feel like I am 50 in regards to my experience with minorities). My older brother is a high school history teacher and he tries to convey the sacrifices of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Fredrick Douglass and it seems like it falls on deaf ears because of a frivolous fashion statement.

[DougJones43]

Boy. What a bold and courageous move on the part of New Era to take a public stance against gangs. It had seemed to me for a while that New Era was intentionally gearing their marketing toward, and creating products that would appeal to the thug/hip hop/gang culture, but I guess I was just imagining things. By the way, here are a few things I pulled off the New Era website:

 

 

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5479/street1tn5.jpg

 

 

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/3374/street2sv8.jpg

 

 

Personally, I'm really shocked that these hats got all mixed up in gang and street related lifestyles. Oops!

[sheetswannabe]

That is golden.

[TooLiveBrew]

I hate to sound anti-PC, but the large majority of the minority population decides that it is cool to sport things that look "cool" to them because it has multi-colors and such. The so-called "thugs" that wear them have absolutely no appreciation for the history behind such jerseys or caps...

 

...they choose to do stereotypical minority things in life...

 

This is probably a thread that could potentially get me banned because I am voicing my frustrations on today's minority population (I am 24, and feel like I am 50 in regards to my experience with minorities).

First off, great work, DJ43. New Era just got plain caught, they didn't get caught unawares.

Jaybird - you're not being anti-PC, you're being racialist, or even worse, actually racist (though it honestly doesn't sound like you are). The only reason stereotypes like this exist is people making generalizing comments such as your post. It's not skin color, it's socio-economic status & personal choices. In my city, there are bunches of young white vagrant kids that cluster together on the sidewalks, sit around & drink and smoke weed (and other exra-curriculars), but I'd never start to say, "just like most white kids end up doing." It'd just be ignorant to say that, because it's simply not true. While you think you have a ton of experience in dealing with 'the minorities,' I think it sounds like you've merely had a lot of experience being annoyed by those you perceive as representing the 'typical' lifestyle of minorities.

 

Saying that, since you live in Racine (pop. < 85,000), you are now a qualified expert in all things "minority" is just plain crazy. I understand that Racine's got a significantly higher minority population, but I'd be willing to guess that a similar percentage of white kids were into the same priorities and lifestyles as the minority kids you cite. I don't mean to personally attack you, just as your comments were not meant to personally attack anyone, but they were blatantly stereotypical and definitely offensive. And I do appreciate your find of this story. Gotta love it when big business gets caught with their hands in the cookie jar, then denounces cookies. http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/smile.gif

[jwill535]

as a youngin i worked at Fan Fare in Madison when the the Astros got the new logo, the broken star. Well all the ganstas would come in looking for it, asking for the "broken five" which was in reference to the Gansta Desciples(combintation of Crips and Bloods).

[blatzlight]

Boy. What a bold and courageous move on the part of New Era to take a public stance against gangs. It had seemed to me for a while that New Era was intentionally gearing their marketing toward, and creating products that would appeal to the thug/hip hop/gang culture, but I guess I was just imagining things. By the way, here are a few things I pulled off the New Era website:

 

 

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5479/street1tn5.jpg

 

 

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/3374/street2sv8.jpg

 

 

Personally, I'm really shocked that these hats got all mixed up in gang and street related lifestyles. Oops!

Just to clarify, a "street team" is a group that does sampling and guerilla marketing on the street in urban areas - not some sort of gangster lifestyle. That is just the name of the job they perform for the marketing company. They are very effective to reach a younger target demographic as they do not respond well to traditional channels of marketing and advertising.

 

 

[gypcasino]

The only reason stereotypes like this exist is people making generalizing comments such as your post.

Really? The only reason? There's no truth in stereotype at all? So a larger percentage of minorities wearing sports clothing are actually fans of the team or player and not making a fashion statement?

[TooLiveBrew]

I didn't say there was no truth to them, just that they exaggerate due to people making broad-sweeping generalizations (which often include "It seems like..." or some variant thereof). The mis-truth comes from applying a small sample to an entire ethnic group (or in this case, lumping them all together into one uber-ethnicity: "minorities"). See my example of the army-fatigue-wearing clusters of young people begging on the streets.]

 

EDIT: blatzlight -- no doubt many, many companies employ "street teams," it's just that not all of them choose to display that nickname in dripping, 'tagged' font, with a guy flashing faux gang signs beneath it.

 

EDIT 2: I honestly lol'd when I noticed that New Era conveniently made the 'Hey, that's totally not a gang sign' the peace symbol. Talk about anticipating backlash... "No - look - he's flashing the peace sign!"

[JimH5]

This is a terrific thread, and I agree with the group that New Era knew darn well what it was doing, and just pulled back because of the outcry. In these racially charged times I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more attention.

 

On the racism front, I've found that it's much better to stop lumping people into groups and then make assumptions about all of the people who you've put into those groups. It's just lazy to do that.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I hate to sound anti-PC, but the large majority of the minority population decides that it is cool to sport things that look "cool" to them because it has multi-colors and such.

 

I know this isn't what you want to hear JB, but this sounds incredibly stereotypical and racist right here.

 

I recently took my daughter to Band Camp (I'm 33, for what it's worth), and I could say that the way I saw the kids there (predominantly white) dressed and acted was very disturbing to me.

 

Every group of people, whether the divisions are racial, age, financial......ANY divider, will have stereotypical traits and trends that will be distasteful to others. The key is to not assume that everyone from that group is like that.

 

I don't buy that because you go to bars that makes you an authority on knowing that the majority of black people act a certain way. I could just as easily say that it's the people that go to bars that act a certain way, or people under a certain age that act a certain way, and it wouldn't have anything to do with color.

 

I'm not defending New Era, they knew what was up, they knew what their targeted demographic was, and so be it. If there's a market for it, why shouldn't they sell to that market? It's not like they're selling guns and drugs. They're selling baseball caps. It's not their responsibility to make sure their caps aren't used in gang activities.

[TooLiveBrew]

They're selling baseball caps. It's not their responsibility to make sure their caps aren't used in gang activities.

While simply making a bunch of different colors isn't irresponsible, blatantly adding gang-colored bandanas certainly is reckless & dangerous. Any hat that's the right color and/or cocked far enough to either side can be made a blatant gang flag. New Era definitely doesn't need to add any fuel to that fire. I just hope no naive kid got hurt or killed, bc he thought one of them looked "neat" or "cool"

This is right in line to marketing cigarettes to kids, imho. Not the same, but similar.

 

[jaybird2001wi]

I didn't mean to sound racist. I guess I posted the thread shortly after leaving a bar where I found I was the only one of 5 white people in a bar full of about 150 people and the majority of the people I saw there were wearing said caps and jerseys.

I guess I need to explain myself a bit. I am not racist at all, and even have biracial relatives that I get along with just fine. Some of best friends back in high school were black and I never had any issues with them either.

I guess I just hate the way New Era and other companies have butchered every Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA and NHL logo on the planet and decided to pawn it off as "gang paraphernelia." Then I see people wearing jerseys that are absolutely atrocious looking after they butchered them too. The other night, I saw a guy wearing a white football jersey with Unitas', Montana's, Elway's and Namath's actual colored jersey numbers and their career stats on the sleeves. I just totally bet that guy is a diehard football fan who has respect for all four QBs and watches football intently.

I also bet that a guy who wears a jacket with every team logo in basketball wears it because he likes basketball and not as a fashion statement.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I also bet that a guy who wears a jacket with every team logo in basketball wears it because he likes basketball and not as a fashion statement.

 

I guess I don't see the problem with that. Most of our clothes are in one way or another, a "fashion statement", are they not? To each his own, I guess.

 

As far as your comment about not being racist, I'll take that at face value. If you say you aren't, I can believe that. The wording of your original post certainly came off that way, however.

[TooLiveBrew]

I guess I just hate the way New Era and other companies have butchered every Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA and NHL logo on the planet and decided to pawn it off as "gang paraphernelia." Then I see people wearing jerseys that are absolutely atrocious looking after they butchered them too. The other night, I saw a guy wearing a white football jersey with Unitas', Montana's, Elway's and Namath's actual colored jersey numbers and their career stats on the sleeves. I just totally bet that guy is a diehard football fan who has respect for all four QBs and watches football intently.

I also bet that a guy who wears a jacket with every team logo in basketball wears it because he likes basketball and not as a fashion statement.

Totally agree with you on that underscored section, jaybird. And I love your sarcastic blue! http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/laugh.gif

 

[DuWayne Steurer]

They're selling baseball caps. It's not their responsibility to make sure their caps aren't used in gang activities.

While simply making a bunch of different colors isn't irresponsible, blatantly adding gang-colored bandanas certainly is reckless & dangerous. Any hat that's the right color and/or cocked far enough to either side can be made a blatant gang flag. New Era definitely doesn't need to add any fuel to that fire. I just hope no naive kid got hurt or killed, bc he thought one of them looked "neat" or "cool"

This is right in line to marketing cigarettes to kids, imho. Not the same, but similar.

 

Nowhere near similar. Cigarettes give you lung cancer. A hat sits on your head. That hat, on it's own, can do nothing but be worn. It is unfortunate that the actions of a few justify stereotypical responses.

I'll tread lightly here, as I don't want to get political, but I really, REALLY fear for the future freedoms in a country where clothing manufacturers have to "Take Responsibility" because some people choose to use certain colors or logos to signify their allegiance.

[TooLiveBrew]

Nowhere near similar. Cigarettes give you lung cancer. A hat sits on your head. That hat, on it's own, can do nothing but be worn. It is unfortunate that the actions of a few justify stereotypical responses.

I'll tread lightly here, as I don't want to get political, but I really, REALLY fear for the future freedoms in a country where clothing manufacturers have to "Take Responsibility" because some people choose to use certain colors or logos to signify their allegiance.

I made my point to carefully include the hats which displayed the gang-colored bandanas. Wearing that in the wrong area will kill you way quicker than lung cancer. The multi-color versions of hats fall right in line, imho, with your categorization, not the ones that actually display real gang-banging flags.

[DougJones43]

I'm not defending New Era, they knew what was up, they knew what their targeted demographic was, and so be it. If there's a market for it, why shouldn't they sell to that market? It's not like they're selling guns and drugs. They're selling baseball caps. It's not their responsibility to make sure their caps aren't used in gang activities... I really, REALLY fear for the future freedoms in a country where clothing manufacturers have to "Take Responsibility" because some people choose to use certain colors or logos to signify their allegiance.

I don't think anybody is saying that New Era has any kind of legal responisibility in this matter, so it really has nothing to do with freedoms or civil liberties. Like you said, they saw a market they could attack (street/hip hop culture), and went after it knowing full well that this cultural demographic is heavily linked to gangs/violent behavior/degradation of women/etc.

 

And then to pretend like they had no idea that their merchandise was alligned with this stuff (when, in fact, they have overt "Street Teams" constantly researching this demographic in urban areas) is just morally reprehensible and lame, in my opinion.

[TooLiveBrew]

The three styles in question used colors and symbols linked to three gangs: an all-white cap with a blue bandanna, the trademark of the notorious Crips; an all-white cap with a red bandanna worn by the rival Bloods; and a black cap with a gold team logo and an embroidered crown, a symbol favored by the Latin Kings.

RoCo, these are the hats to which I made reference. That's just plain ludicrous - I honestly had to re-read that the first time I read the post; I couldn't believe a company could be so careless with human life (which is where the 'cigarettes' comment came in)

 

[DuWayne Steurer]

I couldn't believe a company could be so careless with human life

 

The almighty dollar dictates that many companies are.

 

We'll sit here all night and throw stuff back and forth, but I'll still believe that a hat is just a hat. I don't disagree with the principle that a very specific color/logo will get a person shot while wearing it in the wrong area. I still hold that that should never be the responsibility of a hat maker (And I don't think you were saying that anyways)

 

To go back to the other stuff.....the off color jerseys, the hats with the logos off-set, or on the side. That's just personal taste. Jaybird (and others) say that sort of stuff is "tasteless" or "bad taste". I'm sure there's something each of us wears that a person from another culture or background finds tasteless to them, but that's personal choice. I think these kids that dress like Goth sissies are tasteless, but to each their own.