Posted on 06/14/2013 12:22:58 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Yes, the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks are in the Stanley Cup finals and Game 1 was a historic moment in NHL history. With the Blackhawks making the finals they are plenty of t-shirt vendors looking for a quick payday by coming up with ideas. You can drive up and down any well trafficked area in the city and there will be a vendor selling (legal or illegal) merchandise.
The point is, sure people are looking to make money off of a team that is now 3 wins from another Stanley Cup but some are doing it in the wrong fashion.
With their last Stanley Cup win back in 2010 there was nothing different with the consumers, who were snatching up anything Blackhawks. The problem is one website is trying to take advantage of a horrible tragedy by putting their own spin on things.
The website is called “Cubby Tees” and has plenty of Chicago based shirts for purchase. For the record I refuse to link the website here because they don't deserve an ounce of advertisement from this blog. Some of them are quite creative and connect their respective teams with the design that is offered. However, one shirt that should not be sold or even made is the one to that is shown in this article entitled “Chicago Stronger”.
Back on April 13th (sic; 15th?) a horrible tragedy took place at the Boston Marathon where 3 people died and many were seriously wounded. After this happened a creative idea was brought forward with a t-shirt that was entitled “Boston Strong”. This was about the city of Boston coming together in such sadness and anger to stay with each other through the difficult time which an entire city suffered. Here is the description of their shirt directly from their website.
“You may be strong, but we’re stronger. The 2013 Stanley Cup Finals are an epic battle of two great teams, great franchises, great fandoms and possibly the two best sports cities on the planet. Two of the NHL’s Original Six and two of the last four cup-holders will clash when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Boston Bruins. Following the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing, the nation rallied around Beantown and its “Boston Strong” motto, which has since been appropriated by its sports teams. We love Boston and support/admire its people, but don’t believe that the homicidal lunacy of two disturbed locals has rendered its teams invincible. This is about hockey, this is about O-6 pride, this is about the Cup. Chicago is the City of Broad Shoulders – our town burned down, our winters are legendary, our Cubs have floundered for a century, yet we endure. Other cities may be strong, we’re stronger. The Bruins are strong, our Blackhawks are stronger.”
Now going deeper into their website they also have a Facebook Page in where they posted the shirt and this caption.
“The Stanley Cup Finals are set -- an epic battle between great franchises and the two best sports cities on the planet. Mad props to the team, town and people of Boston; we admire your strength…but we shall prove stronger. This is about hockey, this is about O-6 pride, this is about the Cup. GAME ON!”
That t-shirt was never created, developed and sold in relation to a sporting event. This was about the injuries and death those people and their families suffered and still dealing with the pain each and every day. But this company decided to put the dollar signs in the forefront.
Cubby Tees is feeding off the tragedy and looking to fill their pockets with dirty money essentially. I would hope many would not buy a single shirt off this website no matter the team or what shirt would look good. To sell this shirt is a down right stupid.
A few Boston fans addressed the stupidity on their page and a reply from the owner was this.
“Of course the "Boston Strong" concept might have been more original if it hadn't been "stolen" from an army recruiting slogan and might have been more moving if it didn't remind everyone of Lance Armstrong's Livestrong fraud, but hey if you think it's wicked creative, enjoy.”
To make this statement is just down right insulting. Again this company if I can call it that, is making money off a slogan that was intended for the people of Boston. Not some sports game or series that has no bearing on people’s day to day life. The Boston Shirts had proceeds going to a charity that was created for the Boston Marathon Tragedy. Instead, this company is putting money in their pockets and think is a great business move.
I want to apologize from the majority of Chicago people to the people of Boston, in which; we don’t like the shirt, we won’t buy the shirt and we don’t condone it.
As for Cubby Tees, if you had an ounce of class or soul you would remove the shirt from your website and stop making a profit off something that could and has happened in any part of the world. Remove the shirt and have an ounce of respect for those people. I have contacted Cubby Tees and as of this posting I have not gotten any response. I will update this post if I do receive a response on their reasoning behind this insulting shirt.
With this shirt, it isn’t about making a few dollars but it’s insulting not only the City of Boston but people across the world who donated their time, money and efforts to help those in need on that day.
Cubby Tees do the right thing and take the shirt down because there is no reasoning to keep selling it, unless your company bases itself on greed and insults.
So far, it looks like it does.
Howie Carr list ping
Hey, Chicago had the fire so they should be able to use the word strong. Hell, they have to survive over 500 murders a year for years, that should make them strong. Since, when is the word strong tied to tragedy and can not be used for sports teams. Silly, politically correctness.
I’m a huge Hawks fan and a native Chicagoan and this is just tasteless and wrong. Shame that a couple of jackasses can tarnish an entire fan base.
Before Boston and NJ Strong there was Vermont Strong - after the Tropical Storm Irene Flooding.
Wonder how far we can go back looking for the "strong" theme.
Before “Sparta Strong” there was “Athens Strong”
Before “Athens Strong” there was “Mesopotamia Strong”.....
I think those “Boston Strong” t-shirts are just plain stupid. I drive by a vendor that had them out on a street display 2 days after the bombing. It’s nothing but a lame cliched slogan.
Thank you! And, btw, that “jersey strong” slogan was around for a long time before Sandy hit. I never knew what it was about, but I was seeing it on bumper stickers for years before the storm. I always thought it was for some gym or fitness chain, but I never did find out for sure.
Googling now it appears there’s a soccer club by that name, don’t know if it was borrowed from them, but I guess it belongs to everyone now.
The way these people advertised their shirt is certainly in bad taste, how about just a nice “go blackhawks” or something?
You are right, I thought the same thing. Strong? Unarmed bunch of libs that cower and call the cops and then allow themselves to be frog-marched out of their houses by cops in riot and combat gear. Strong, my a$$.
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