This morning, BCB reader lemon20pie posted about the racist T-shirt being sold by outside vendors near Wrigley Field.
The outrage expressed here was heard all the way to the ballpark. I know a number of you emailed Cubs media relations director Peter Chase on this issue, and the Cubs had also begun to investigate this early this morning, and these T-shirts will no longer be sold.
Thanks to Peter and the Cubs for getting involved and proactive and putting a stop to this, and thanks to all the BCB readers who also got involved.
0 recs | 66 comments
Here's the e-mail I received from Peter Chase:
On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 6:31 PM, Chase, Peter <pchase@cubs.com> wrote:
Outfuckingstanding. Great job Cubs and great job lemon20pie bringing this to our attention.
gary varsho - April 18, 2008
Here's a letter...
From the editor of the article regarding the t-shirts. I wrote him a letter telling him about the response from this community and Peter Chase, here is the response.
“Peter,
Thank you for passing that along. I was able to get in touch with Peter Chase, get details and put a story together for the web site tonight and for Saturday’s paper.
I got dozens of e-mails today from fans—with the sentiment running about 50-50 against the shirt/against me. Many from the anti-shirt side said they also contacted the Cubs.
It was great to see so many people take action and even better to see the Cubs do the right thing so quickly.
Thanks, again.
Gordon”
I will definitely pick up a copy of Saturday’s paper, again, good job everyone.
Peter the Cubbie - April 19, 2008
I got the same email just now
I’m glad we could get this resolved, awesome team effort guys.
Peter the Cubbie - April 18, 2008
No idea
what happened with the formatting there. Try again:
pchase@cubs.com> wrote: Phil, Thank you for your e-mail. The Cubs found the t-shirts to be offensive and confronted the issue directly. You’ll be happy to know that as of this afternoon, all sales of the shirt were put to a stop. Thanks again for your concerns and for taking the time to write. Peter Chase”>Insert text of the quote heregary varsho - April 18, 2008
I've sent an email to the bugreport address...
... about this formatting issue.
Al Yellon - April 18, 2008
I've noticed this weird formatting when...
...I type in some leading spaces in the hopes of indenting text to set it apart from the rest of my comment. When I take the leading spaces out, everything goes back to normal. I usually use preview mode so that’s how I was able to play around with this and isolate it.
ballhawk - April 18, 2008
Send that to the bugreport address.
That way they can know what’s causing this. Thanks.
Al Yellon - April 18, 2008
There is also
a headband that says “Horry Cow” that I find offensive as well.
northofwrigley - April 18, 2008
I think this was being sold by the same vendor.
It’s likely also been stopped.
Al Yellon - April 18, 2008
Now this.....
makes me proud to be a Cubs fan!! My hats off everyone involved, and to the Cubs front office, for taking a stand against stupidity.
ctcoff99 - April 18, 2008
GOOD JOB BCBers!
I am proud to be apart of this community. It is good to know we are not only loyal Cubs fans, but stand-up persons. I’m glad to see this was stopped.
Dan
dtpollitt - April 18, 2008
Now if only Peter can work the same magic on Marty Brennaman... ;-)
Congrats BCB on a job well done!
ballhawk - April 18, 2008
Just learned about this issue
Thanks you folks for your proactive actions on this.
It’s quite a bummer stuff in anyway…
dragonsfanatic - April 18, 2008
Good on the Cubs for this!
n/t
MN exile - April 18, 2008
Makes me prouder than ever
To be a Cubs fan and part of the BCB and SB Nation community. Well done gentlemen.
Bump Bailey - April 18, 2008
lemon20pie- thank you!
..Great efforts towards solving an embarrassing and offensive issue.
Perfect example of how to make a difference.
Very proud to be part of BCB tonight.
JB 23 - April 18, 2008
Great work.
Thanks, lemon20pie, for bringing up the issue, and to everyone who e-mailed about it.
This is awesome.
Cool Hand - April 18, 2008
I sent a reply to G. Wittenmyer
About this situation as well, I’m sure he’ll be happy to know that these shirts will no longer be sold.
Peter the Cubbie - April 18, 2008
Extremely Loud, Sustained Applause
for everyone who stood up and voiced their opposition.
bluebythebook - April 18, 2008
And, let's send thank you emails too.
There’s no such thing as expressing too much gratitude. And it is wholly deserved.
bluebythebook - April 18, 2008
Well if the marketing people listen
How bout getting Lou and Hendry TO BRING UP MURTON since the overwhelming majority of us both by poll and post support that.
Works for me
Doggie Stalker - April 18, 2008
You're late to the party.
Murton is out of the lineup at Iowa tonight, and there are peoples saying he’s on his way to Chicago.
cwyers - April 18, 2008
Yikes! Just reading about this for the first time
and would like to also commend the BCB nation and the Cubs for doing the right thing and putting a stop to this foolishness.
It’s unfortunate that the rush to make a buck brings out the knuckleheaded stuff like these “quick strike” t-shirts- ie. run them off, make as much as you can and then hope no one complains.
Until we consumers simply stop buying this kind of junk, unfortunately there’s always going to be someone who wants to turn a dollar.
Hopefully the Cubs and his teammates have let Kosuke know that the VAST majority of Cubs fans find this kind of thing vulgar and hurtful.
Thanks for the post Al.
Zeke - April 18, 2008
Job very
well done by all. Thanks so much.
sue369 - April 18, 2008
thats awesome
im glad to hear that the Cubs took care of that.
mjk83 - April 18, 2008
that's pretty cool
but i hope the cubs organization always agrees with us re: what they find to be “offensive.”
joeschmitt - April 18, 2008
meh
i’m as anti-big government as the next guy. can’t say i’ll lose any sleep over the cubs squashing potential offensive t-shirts and maybe squashing one that doesn’t offend me.
billywan - April 18, 2008
nicely done
everyone.
i cynically assumed this would just have to be endured all year. thanks for proving me wrong.
billywan - April 18, 2008
Good job BCBers!!!!
willie mays hayes' gloves - April 18, 2008
If I had known the Cubs would take action so quickly...
...I would have done more than just express my outrage in a fanpost. In any case, thank you to all who contacted the Cubs directly. And thank you to the organization itself for dealing with this matter so swiftly and decisively. I am very, very pleased!
daver - April 18, 2008
yup...
... it was ALL BCB.
It has NOTHING to do with the fact that it was in a major newspaper this morning.
big_lowitzki - April 18, 2008
Of course that helped.
And the galvanized effort in the original thread to communicate our displeasure to Cubs brass also helped.
bluebythebook - April 18, 2008
OT- Sheets leaves the game with Triceps problem
who had April 18th in the pool?
LT - April 18, 2008
Great, Job!
Congratulations to all those who confronted this crap and for bringing it to the Cubs’s attention. The world needs people of courage like yourselves.
DudeVf11 - April 18, 2008
Just came here to say congrats to everyone
who worked to have this stuff end. Hopefully it’s over and done w/ now.
Jayo525 - April 18, 2008
Awesome!
I saw that shirt today and was shocked! Now if they will get rid of all the headbands, all of them! What’s next, SUMO shorts????
dlansfor - April 18, 2008
I second all the sentiments regarding this item
but when i was at the stadium today, it was ALL OVER. I saw multiple people wearing them, and more than a few street walkers hawking them. I think they realized what was going on and were trying to move the merchandise as fast as possible. So there will still be a few of these items being worn.
cubsonWGN4ever - April 18, 2008
Good work to all
not living in Chicago, “on the streets” so to speak, don’t get to see it first hand, Just yanks my chain when idiots do garbage like this only for the buck.
Dome is a Cub, a player, a human being, not a novelty.
Good job all.
Grockcubs - April 18, 2008
Well he's a novelty in terms of his ability, but you're right.
: )
northsider - April 18, 2008
Classless TShirt
I’m not into being politically correct, but that stupid tshirt certainly crossed the line into pointlessly rude territory. American players in Japan report fair and courteous treatment; surely we’re adult enough to return the favor. Besides, Fukudome is a CUB. That’s our team, and thank you to the organization for stepping in on this issue.
Mordecai Brown - April 18, 2008
Thanks Cub Nation....
For showing that the actions of a few do not repesent all of us. I’m glad that a few proactive individuals stood up to this and took action. Those folks are real Cub fans.
NOLA_Cub_Fan - April 19, 2008
outstanding.
Thanks Al for updating us on the developements of this topic and for giving us the platform to voice our frustrations on such topics as this. This is just another reason why BCB is the best Cubs blog out there and the best collection of true Cub fans out there. I saw this topic posted on other boards and for the most part, the majority opinion was “who cares” or “That’s actually funny” et cetera et cetera et cetera and so forth.
I actually felt much better about this topic after reading all the posts in that fanpost and that not everyone or “1 out of 10” didn’t care and that most were as angered about this as I was and that many took actions against this insensitive display of greed.
The best part too me about all this, is that Mr. Fukudome will undoubtedbly hear about us Cub fans who came to his support and showed are displeasure about it. We got your back DOme!!!!!!
Thanks again Al.
lemon20pie - April 19, 2008
oh and...
SUCK ON THAT MARTY!!!!!
lemon20pie - April 19, 2008
Great Job....
lemon20pie for putting a stop to this before it got out of hand. It reminds me of the idiot that got a signed ball from Fukudome in the second day of spring training, only to try to sell it on E-BAY for his own selfish profit.
montecarlo - April 19, 2008
good job and thanks...
...to everybody involved, from lemon20pie for first bringing it up, to Gary Varsho for suggesting the emails, and to the Cubs for taking action.
LaddieRenfroe - April 19, 2008
All that wore in good job!
Enough said. That was unacceptable
fischisgod - April 19, 2008
So now.....
.....how do we get rid of the Kamikaze Headbands? I find that even more offensive than the tshirt.
carmen_fanzone - April 19, 2008
So True!
It was funny the first time but now it’s dumb. What’s next, some moron selling samuri bats, sumo shorts?
dlansfor - April 19, 2008
Is that offensive if "Kamikaze" is not written on it?
Understood most of you folks cannot read the kanji chatactors on it (and some of you wear it upside down ;), but what I found in recent Cubs fan’s pictures were “Hissho” (must win), Ichiban (#1), or “Fukudome Kosuke” on them. I don’t see Kamikaze ones even in Japan very often, other than at souvenir shops in Asakusa, Tokyo (exclusively for foreign sightseer).
BTW. unfortunately, this is upside down....;)
Anyhow, those headbands are pretty common until now here in Japan, for long time, not like “OLD” rising sun flag, and nobody here in Japan feels it’s offensive or military related. You don’t need to feel like it’s offensive.
This is pretty normal scene at high school baseball.
dragonsfanatic - April 19, 2008
Thanks for this.
It’s hard to understand things like the headbands when they’re completely divorced from their cultural context. Again, thanks for letting us know these aren’t crude or stereotypical sorts of things.
gary varsho - April 19, 2008
Thanks for this.
I did see some of the headbands with the “Horry Kow” writing on them and I hope those are also no longer going to be made.
The rest of them had positive messages, and based on this photo, I’d say they’d be OK.
Al Yellon - April 19, 2008
Thanks!
I had no idea that they werestill worn with pride. It takes a lot for me to get annoyed but for some reason those just got to me. I’drather see these then those “It’s Gonna Happen” signs. The famus guy who ran on the field years ago, I’ll never forgive! ;)
dlansfor - April 19, 2008
thanks
and pls follow the links above and wear them upside up….
dragonsfanatic - April 19, 2008
Thanks dragonsfanatic!
BTW, I would love to go to a game there, the fans looks very passionate and are really into it. I’ve been to 15 MLB stadiums and a lot of them seem too corporate. I went to a soccer game in Italy during my honeymoon last year and wow, they were into every second of it!
dlansfor - April 19, 2008
right....
Even high schools baseball is always passionate, even in local towns….
dragonsfanatic - April 19, 2008
Thanks so much
Your voice is one of the most fun and enlightened on BCB, Dragon. Thanks so much for educating us on the headbands. I still don’t like them but it’s good to know they aren’t flat out offensive. The difference, for me, is that headbands in Japan are worn in cultural context. Here they are not. Nonetheless, it’s good to know they won’t offend Dome. I’ll give the fans a pass on this one—as if they asked me for one ;)
Emelie - April 19, 2008
You're welcome
Yes, we do have different cultural backgrounds, but we’d better to enjoy the difference – and we know we both have same passion to support Dome as a Cub now, and love baseball.
dragonsfanatic - April 19, 2008
I do too
Emelie - April 19, 2008
BCB rocks, Sun Times drives me nuts sometimes...
WOW! SunTimes saves the day! How bout the other venues on the net – BCB for example – that also mobilized to make this happen. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/903754,cubshirt041808.article
socalicubsfan - April 19, 2008
"Love is simple...
...Hate breeds those who think difference is the child of disease.” Taupin
chr15 - April 19, 2008
Elton John?
dragonsfanatic - April 19, 2008
Music by...
Sir Elton.
chr15 - April 19, 2008
New T-Shirt
Replace the racist one with “Marty Brennaman Is A Bitter And Jealous Old Woman”.
SecondSon - April 19, 2008
Agreed
n/t
Lou In Blue - April 19, 2008
And make him look like a cross between Marge Schott and himself?
northsider - April 19, 2008
"Speaking of fates worse than death..."
ba-dum-bum
bluebythebook - April 19, 2008
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