'Greater than' shirt is too much for some

RALEIGH -- Raleigh Wide Open has its limits: no cheap shots at Charlotte.

Kris Hixson found out the hard way.

Hixson, 33, who professes a deep love for his native City of Oaks, is not allowed to hawk what he calls his "pro-Raleigh" T-shirts, buttons and bumper stickers at the Raleigh Wide Open festival Sept. 5 and 6 that will christen the new convention center and celebrate everything Raleigh.

But Hixson's definition of boosterism is not what convention center officials have in mind. His T-shirts and other merchandise take a wonkish dig at Raleigh's Queen City rival, putting the mathematical symbol for "greater than" to sly use: "Raleigh>Charlotte."

Subtle, but not subtle enough.

Convention center officials rejected his application to sell the merchandise at the center's Raleigh World Wide Expo, an exhibit to be held inside the $221 million building as the celebration goes on outside. Out of applications from 250 vendors, Hixson's was the only one that was refused -- out of fear that powerful Queen City types might get offended, he says.

"I hated to, but he needs to understand it's in poor taste," said Michelle Boyette, the convention center's special events sales manager. She said center officials want only positive messages at the opening celebration.

"We might think Raleigh is greater than Charlotte, but that's not cool," she said, adding that Mecklenburg County officials have been invited to the expo.

"She says some legislators from Charlotte might be attending," Hixson said. "But I wanted to see if the legislators think it's funny."

The rejection hasn't stopped Hixson, who owns the I-40 Films commercial production company, from hating on Charlotte.

"If you're from Raleigh and move to Charlotte, something is wrong with you," he said. "Stay in Raleigh. Don't sell out."

He's even written a song. Of course, it's titled "Raleigh Is Greater Than Charlotte." One verse goes: "Because the women are much more beautiful and the musicians are much more talented."

He's working on a creating a YouTube channel (youtube.com/raleighvscharlotte), where he hopes to interview folks about why they love Raleigh. And he may expand on this "greater than" symbol idea.

"What if Cary wants to be better than Apex?" he said.

In the meantime, Hixson is stuck with $3,000 worth of "greater than" merchandise. To heck with it; he may peddle his stuff outside the convention center.

"I don't want to get arrested with pro-Raleigh paraphernalia at a pro-Raleigh convention," he said. "But I would go to jail for that."