CFL fans scramble for souvenir shirts that promote league’s diversity

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This article was published 14/08/2017 (2446 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A diverse country calls for a diverse game – which is why it should come as no surprise the Canadian Football League has long featured players and coaches from various racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

It is those backgrounds the CFL is celebrating in response to the racial violence that unfolded in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend, with the release of new T-shirts reading “Diversity is Strength.”

On the back of the shirt is emblazoned, “A little of what we’re made of,” followed by a list of CFL players and personnel from a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds – including former Blue Bomber Obby Khan.

Following the events in Charlottesville – where hundreds of neo-nazis and white nationalists held a white power march and a 32-year-old woman lost her life – the decision was made to roll the shirts out weeks in advance.

Players and coaches wore them for the first time Sunday when the B.C. Lions visited the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The message clearly resonated with fans across the country, who’ve been trying to get their hands on the shirts ever since.

“The shirts really represent the cultural mosaic that is Canada,” said Christina Litz, senior vice-president of marketing and content for the CFL.

“Plus we wanted to be representative of all the amazing backgrounds that are in our league. We’re just so delighted our fans want to get a hold of these shirts and be a part of this message.”

Originally scheduled for a limited edition release in honour of Canada 150 in the fall, the shirts only made in onto the field Sunday due to a lot of last-minute work.

Litz had been listening to her car radio as news about Virginia came over the airwaves. She thought to herself that it ran contrary to what the CFL stands for and decided it would be a good idea to get the shirts to the two teams taking the field Sunday.

The logistics of pulling off the last-minute plan weren’t easy: Litz hired a baby sitter, drove to the CFL office in Toronto for the shirts, and then drove them to Hamilton, Ont., where a flight was rearranged so a CFL employee could get them to the stadium.

“Everyone bought into it. It was a no-brainer. We were all so motivated and felt so positive about it. We’re always prepared to do the right thing in our communities and our country,” Litz said.

Since the game people across the country have been reaching out to the league to ask about the shirts, including Blue Bombers President and CEO Wade Miller, who Litz said was one of the first people to contact her.

Due to Miller’s efforts, the Blue Bombers coaches will be wearing the shirts on the sidelines Thursday night when they take on the Edmonton Eskimos. A limited number will also be available in the Bomber Store on game day.

Only a small number of shirts were originally produced, but since the demand for them has been so overwhelming the league has scrambled to get more made. By Tuesday afternoon the shirts were up for sale online at clfshop.ca and more than 100 were purchased in the first five minutes.

Proceeds from each shirt will go towards a number of different charities and for every one bought, another will be donated to a local community through a CFL team.

One person who placed a big order Tuesday was former Blue Bomber offensive lineman Obby Khan, whose name is included on the back of the shirts. The Winnipeg resident, who played with the team from 2006 to 2012, was one of the first Muslim players in the CFL.

He ordered 100 to sell through his Exchange District restaurant, Shawarma Khan, since so many customers were asking for them. He says he plans on donating all the proceeds to charity.

“I’m pretty honoured and flattered. A real sense of pride took over me when I found out,” Khan said.

“The CFL is a microcosm of what Canada stands for. The game itself is a reflection of the country — our game is different, our rules are different, our values are different. We pride ourselves on being different and diverse.”

The CFL plans to make the shirts available to any player or coach who wants to wear them and they remain for sale online.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca