(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
Fans of the MLB’s San Francisco Giants seem to have gotten an unpleasant surprise in their most recent trip to the team’s merch store.
Recently, reports came out that the Giants have been selling merchandise featuring a city nickname that locals absolutely cannot stand. The gear apparently has the name “SAN FRAN” written on the front and has actually been selling pretty well.
The black version of the SAN FRAN shirt has reportedly sold out online already. But local culture experts are admonishing the team for selling it at all.
Apparently, the nickname “San Fran” is universally loathed by actual San Francisco residents for being a nickname given by people who are completely unfamiliar with the city. Polls have even shown that it is the most-hated nickname used for the city by San Francisco residents.
As you can tell by some of the comments to a recent SFGate.com article on the issue, residents are practically up in arms over the gear:
“Just as bad as ‘HotLanta’. No one from Atlanta says that,” one user replied.
“Ha it would be like the Cubs selling shirts with “Chi town” or “Chicagoland,” wrote another.
“San Antonio folks feel your pain whenever “San Antone” is uttered,” a third user wrote.
But with the shirts selling out fast, it’s clear that it was the right move to make from a money-making perspective. Although with the team struggling in their playoff race right now, it’s probably not going to be a part of a particularly memorable season.
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