Never underestimate the power of cheap custom tee shirts. They’re a simple, affordable way to send a huge message, and make an impact. Recently, professional athletes have begun wearing custom tees of their own design in protest of the Eric Garner case.
This past Sunday, Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush wore a long-sleeve, custom tee to protest the recent decision not to indict the officer who allegedly killed Eric Garner. The warm-up shirt bore the words, “I Can’t Breathe,” which were Garner’s last words.
And he’s not the only professional athlete to dissent. Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls also wore a custom tee with the words “I Can’t Breathe” before a recent game.
After seeing Rose’s shirt, superstar LeBron James also wants custom made tee shirts to protest, too, telling the The New York Daily News, “I loved it. I’m looking for one.”
“I Can’t Breathe” tees aren’t the only way athletes have been protesting police brutality against the African-American community, either. Davin Joseph, an offensive lineman with the St. Louis Rams, wore the words on his shoes recently. A couple weeks ago, several of his teammates also entered their game with the universal gesture signifying “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot,” to protest the decision not to indict the office who killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
“We all have, from an athlete standpoint, we all have a voice and I feel we can all be role models and lead by example,” said Bush to ESPN on his custom tee.
Such passive protests are, of course, not necessarily without recourse. Many professional athletic associations and leagues have dress code standards that they strictly enforce. This past October, the NFL fined San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick $10,000 over his headphones.
That being said, it probably would not be in the best interest of organizations like the NBA and the NFL to fine their players for their custom tees, which express their views in non-disruptive ways. If they do, they may inadvertently send the wrong message. Find more on this here. Find out more at this site.