A group of St Louis Cardinals fans is selling shirts with “Darren Wilson” on the back, in support of the police officer who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson.
Presumably inspired by the example of the fan who wore a shirt with the name on the back to game 4 of the NLDS, a Facebook group has been set up to notify fans of the items.
Called “We Are Darren Wilson” the group is sure to stir up already heightened tensions before the first game of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday in St Louis.
The site says: “Pick up a game shirt to support Darren Wilson (thanks for the inspiration Dan Ride!), available Saturday at Barney’s Sports Pub, 6027 Chippewa St, St Louis, MO 63109 (open at 11AM Fri-Sun)! Shirts are $20, local availability only. Wristbands are available NOW for $5 (non-local folks inside the contiguous U.S. states only, mail a check for $10 addressed to Darren Wilson to the same location & put in the memo WEAREDARRENWILSON wristband). Please note: We’re hand-painting the shirts with stencils. If a local supporter has access to a screen printer or shirt company with immediate availability to print these more efficiently, let us know (we already have the shirts)! Please comment below if you know you’ll be coming by for one and tell us what size(s)! If you’re not going to the game, watch with fellow supporters at Barney’s!”
The sales follow tensions between white Cardinals fans and Black protestors before the game against the Dodgers this week. The Cardinals had appealed for united between the supporters – but that appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
A Major League Baseball spokesperson responded to the shirts, saying: “The ‘Go Cards Darren Wilson’ shirts that were reported on were not authorized by any Major League Baseball entity. The group responsible for the shirt responded to Major League Baseball’s demands and agreed not to move forward making or selling products that use Major League Baseball team names, logos and/or any other marks or graphics associated with any Major League Baseball team. Major League Baseball has and will continue to take the appropriate action any time we find products made without MLB’s permission.”
