If you're a strange person who wants to take a bizarre internet phenomenon to the next level, I've got great news for you.
NFL Shop no longer restricts the use of the name "Harambe" on customized jerseys. ESPN's Darren Rovell reported Wednesday that the NFL Shop had "blocked" the purchase of a jersey with a nameplate that reads "Harambe", a reference to that poor gorilla who was shot and killed in May after a young child fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Harambe's death spawned an absurd, surreal, relentless internet meme that prompted the Cincinnati Zoo to release a statement and even delete its Twitter account.
Turns out, the decision to restrict the word had nothing to do with the NFL. Fanatics, a company that runs online retail for all four major sports in the U.S., banned the word after an unnamed Major League Baseball official contacted the company with concerns. Fanatics officials quickly rethought their stance, no doubt having realized not to mess with the No. 1 rule of the internet: Don't be on the wrong side of history when it comes to Harambe.
By Thursday morning, the name was removed from a restricted list that includes profanities, derogatory slang terms, and for one dark day, the name of a deceased 17-year-old silverback.
As a service to the reader, we checked out the situation today on NFL Shop. All good.
May you rise again, sweet prince.
