Nike Yanks 'Boston Massacre' T-Shirts After Marathon Bombing

NEW YORK (TheBlaze/AP) -- Nike Inc. says it has pulled its T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Boston Massacre" in the aftermath of last week's Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and left dozens injured.

The athletic company, based in Portland, Ore., said Monday that it took immediate action last week to remove the products.  The shirts were sold primarily at its factory store outlets.

ESPN's Darren Rovell tweeted the news late Sunday night, along with a photo of the shirt:

(Photo: Twitter/@darrenrovell)

The shirts, which feature blood-splattered lettering, in no way reference the horrifying attack last Monday.  Rather, they were primarily designed for New York Yankees fans.

The "Boston Massacre" phrase has been used to describe a pivotal late-season sweep by the Yankees of the rival Boston Red Sox in 1978, the season culminated in a World Series championship for the team.

Still, in light of the attack, Nike no longer sees the t-shirt as fit to print.

"We conducted this process as quickly as possible and are confident the product has been removed from distribution," Nike spokeswoman Mary Remuzzi said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.

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