New Era Custom Made Caps for Bloods, Crips and Latin Kings

If I were the Yankees/Steinbrenner, I'd do something about that. I'm not sure if they can, but I'd sue to get those off the street. What team would want their caps associated with these jackasses?

 

I doubt that New Era makes those in the factory. New Era makes a sh*tload of money off those officially licensed baseball caps, and MLB would end their licensing deal pretty damn quickly if New Era were making these things on the production line...

 

disgusting.

 

I'm going with A-Train, I think they are knockoffs made to look like New Era caps, no way a company with so much to lose would do this.

 

That Latin Kings fitted is extra fresh.

Don't really care for the bandana pattern.

 

I can't believe they would do that.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08242007/news/regionalnews/dressed_to_kill.htm


DRESSED TO KILL
FURY AT 'GANG' CAPS SPURS HARLEM RALLY

By SAMUEL GOLDSMITH

August 24, 2007 -- Angry East Harlem activists took to the streets yesterday, demanding that New Era baseball caps designed with the colors and symbols of three notorious gangs be pulled from shelves.

The protesters say the headwear, which they claim evoke the Bloods, Crips and Latin Kings gang colors, will add to the violence that already plagues their neighborhood.

"Young people who don't know the meaning of these hats will fall prey to gangs and wind up beat up, shot or worse," said Johnny Rivera, who led the group of 20 protesters to apparel stores along Third Avenue near East 107th Street.

Peace on the Street, a martial-arts academy dedicated to reducing gang violence, also sent letters to New Era denouncing the hats.

"It is a scandal that corporate America is profiting on the blood of our kids," said Stan Koehler, director of Peace on the Street. "New Era is a major fashion statement for kids, and they don't realize that wearing the wrong color combination can be fatal."

New Era has been making Major League Baseball caps for more than 80 years. In recent years, their flat-billed caps have become a staple of hip-hop culture.

Phone calls to New Era headquarters were not returned yesterday.

Rivera first discovered the caps while shopping with his son for back-to-school gear last week.

He offered to buy his son a black New Era baseball cap with a gold Yankee logo and embroidered crown. The 11-year-old explained to his then-clueless father that the hat was "a gang thing," and wearing it would put him in danger.

"This is not something I was aware of as a 45-year old father buying a hat for my 11-year old kid," he said.

His son pointed out two other New Era-brand Yankees hats, both white with red or blue bandannas wrapped around the sides, that he said represent Bloods and Crips.

"Bandannas represent gang flags," said Brian Martinez, an NYPD detective involved with Peace on the Street. "New Era is making it really convenient for gang members, because now your flag is part of your hat."

Retailers along Third Avenue were caught off guard when the pickets crowded outside, chanting, "New Era gear promotes gang fear."

At Tom, Dick and Harry's on East 106th Street, manager Isaiah Hill pulled the gang-themed caps from the shelves.

"These guys are right," said Hill. "This is a very dangerous fad that could cause serious violence."

 

bet they are flea market made and sold.

 

Wow, looks to be real. Stupid move on New Era's part.

 

I can't find them on their web site. I wonder if they already pulled them.

 

Well, the story doesn't necessarily make it legit. I still think it's fake but the story gives it more credit. Like somebody said, they're probably flea market knockoffs. They still need not to be sold.

 

you'd think they would at least make a bunch of different colors so it wasn't so obvious they were making gang hats.

 

their site doesn't do much, i have 2 hats from them, either are listed on their sites, and i am sure they are real since i got them from modells.

 

If a New Era exec approved the production of these hats, he should be fired immediately. The company should also put up a nice donation to a charity for ending gang violence.

 

Sweet, I can finally represent on the streets...

 

I, for one, was kind of hoping a bunch of suburban white boys who think they are Gangsters would be all over this and the problem would kind of take care of itself.

 

Are gangs really that big of a demographic that they have to make specific caps marketed towards them?