Vendors hawk racially insensitive duds

CHICAGO, May 16 (UPI) -- Some Chicago vendors said they are selling controversial "Horry Kow" T-shirts, despite efforts by the Chicago Cubs to ban the offensive merchandise.

The T-shirts, being sold outside Wrigley Field and online, show a drawing of a bear cub with slanted eyes wearing large Harry Caray-like glasses alongside the statement "Horry Kow," the Chicago Tribune reported Friday. Caray, who wore iconic huge glasses, had a signature play call of "Holy Cow!"

It is reported the shirts were meant to play off the popularity of Cubs Japanese right fielder, Kosuke Fukudome and also strike at the stereotype of some Asians mispronouncing "l's" as "r's."

Since the shirts popped up at the start of April, the Cubs said they managed to stop vendors who carry Major League Baseball items near the field from selling them.

A Cubs spokesman said the company that produces the shirts even said it would halt production of them.

The Cubs are faced with the problem that many vendors have stockpiles of the shirts and are selling them as usual.

"It's a novelty T-shirt. We're not trying to hurt or offend anyone," vendor John Weier told the Tribune.