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| 'Caucasians' shirt sales jump after ESPN's Jones appearance |
Brian Kirby, who runs Shelf Life Clothing Co., told The Associated Press that added than 2,000 shirts accept been awash aback Jones sported one on Thursday while co-hosting the network's "Mike & Mike" show. At one point, Kirby said, cartage to his website was so abundant that the website crashed, and his internet host alone him.
"I haven't slept aback Thursday at 5:45 a.m.," Kirby said.
The site, which offers the shirts for $22 anniversary additional shipment and handling, has aback been restored. The aggregation about sells about 7,000 shirts in a year, Kirby said.
In contempo years, Native American activists accept put added burden on professional, academy and top schools teams to bead amulet names and images that they see as calumniating against American Indians.
Jones, who is black, reignited the agitation Thursday while co-hosting the network's "Mike & Mike" appearance — artlessly by cutting the T-shirt with the chat "Caucasians" in bright appearance while discussing NBA amateur and added accepted sports topics. His accoutrements generated fizz on amusing media, with some praising Jones' accommodation to yield the mascots agitation to a added audience. Others accused Jones of racism.
In a abstracted ESPN appearance Thursday, Jones said those who were affronted by his shirt should aswell be affronted by the Indians' Chief Wahoo logo. He aswell alleged the NFL's Washington Redskins aggregation name a slur.
"If you're quiet about the Indians, but now you've got something to say about my shirt, again it's time for introspection," he told ESPN's Molly Qerim in a video acquaint online.
Cleveland Indians agent Curtis Danburg beneath to comment. ESPN said in a statement, "As the appearance progressed, we acquainted Bomani had fabricated his point and had aboveboard discussed why he was cutting the shirt, and we capital to accumulate the focus to the capacity of the day."
Jones is a approved on ESPN Radio's "Highly Questionable" and host the podcast "The Evening Jones."
Kirby, whose aggregation is based in Cleveland, said the shirt has been accessible aback 2006 and parodies the Cleveland Indians logo. The chat "Caucasians" replaces the chat "Indians" and the Chief Wahoo appearance has lighter skin. A dollar assurance stands in abode of a feather.
"The irony is absent on some people," Kirby said. "It's not a shirt fabricated in anger. It's a shirt fabricated in a amusing way." Kirby said Jones is not a bell-ringer for the aggregation and wore the shirt on his own.
It's not the aboriginal time the shirt has generated discussion.
A Tribe Alleged Red, a Aboriginal Nation's Canadian cyberbanking music group, drew criticism in 2014 afterwards one of the deejays wore the Caucasians shirt afore a music anniversary in Ottawa.
Shelf Life Clothing aswell sells a shirt biting the Washington Redskins application the aforementioned blush and agnate logo with the words "Your Aggregation Name is Disparaging."
Indian Country Today biographer Sheena Louise Roetman, who is Lakota and Creek, said the fizz generated by Jones has brought the agitation over Native American mascots aback into the mainstream.
"It was nice to see anyone who is not Native American do this," said Roetman. "He has such huge platform."
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