A Design Mishap: New Era Pulls Texas Rangers’ Cap Over Vulgar Slang
The world of sports merchandise is no stranger to bold designs and creative collaborations, but sometimes even the most meticulous efforts can miss the mark. In a recent oversight, New Era, a well-known manufacturer of sports apparel,found itself in an embarrassing situation when it released a new cap design for the Texas Rangers as part of its Overlap 5950 collection. Unbeknownst to the company, the design inadvertently incorporated a vulgar Spanish slang term, forcing the company to pull the product from the market.
The Overlap 5950 collection was initially intended to celebrate all 30 MLB teams, with each cap featuring a unique design that superimposed the team’s logo over the writing typically found on the front of their jerseys. While the concept seemed innovative, the execution for the Texas Rangers’ cap fell short. Specifically, the team’s “T” logo was placed over the word “TEXAS” in such a way that it accidentally spelled out a vulgar term in Spanish when viewed closely.
The issue went unnoticed by New Era’s team during the design and production phases, and the cap was released for sale online over the weekend. However, it didn’t take long for eagle-eyed Rangers fans to catch the mistake. Once the error was brought to light, New Era swiftly removed the cap from their collection. As of Monday night, the link to purchase the cap redirected visitors to the Rangers’ online shop homepage.
Rangers officials were reportedly unaware of the design before its release, according to the Dallas Morning News. This lack of oversight raises questions about the approval process for such products. While the Rangers’ cap was the most problematic, other designs in the collection also had the potential to stir controversy. For instance, the Angels’ cap covered the “G” in the team’s name, while the Astros’ cap featured a logo that obscured the letters “T” and “R,” resulting in what appeared to be the word “ASHOS.” Despite these minor issues, the rest of the collection remained available for purchase.
This is not the first time New Era has faced a similar issue. Just last September, the company pulled an Athletics hat from its 9FIFTY Snapback collection after it was discovered that the writing on the front of the hat spelled out “A’SS.” While the hat was eventually removed from sale, some fans had already purchased it before the recall. This incident highlights the importance of thorough quality control, especially when dealing with designs that involve text and imagery that can be interpreted in unintended ways.
MLB officials declined to comment on the Rangers cap incident when approached by the Dallas Morning News. The situation serves as a reminder of the challenges brands face in balancing creativity with cultural sensitivity and linguistic awareness. While New Era’s intention was to create a unique and appealing product, the outcome was a costly mistake that damaged the brand’s reputation and left fans puzzled. As the company moves forward, it will likely implement stricter vetting processes to avoid similar mishaps in the future.
