Fresno State Bulldog used as the logo for large gang

Ranked 16th in the current BCS standings, the Fresno State Bulldogs are experiencing their greatest success in years.  For most schools this would be nothing but good news, but in Fresno, the success shines a light on a gang problem that has plagued the town for more than a decade.

A recent report from the New York Times detailed the rise of the gang, which shares the university's nickname of the "Bulldogs".  It's more than just a shared nickname however.

The gang has co-opted the football team and the logo, apparel, and merchandise related to the team has become a symbol for the gang.  It has also caused serious misunderstandings that have had fatal consequences.

Rival gang members will get violent with people wearing gear featuring the bulldog of Fresno State, assuming automatically they are associated with the gang.  The article specifically points out the case of Stephen Maciel, a father of four who was gunned down by rivals of the Bulldogs in a parking lot.  Maciel had no association with the gang and was simply wearing his teams' colors.

The area has had to take serious action.  Fresno State gear was banned at elementary schools and high schools.  A ban on Georgetown Hoyas merchandise soon followed as they too sport a bulldog as the mascot.  Eventually all pro and college sports merchandise were banned in schools to prevent any sort of gang related crossover.

Fresno State even went as far as discussing a name or logo change to avoid association with the gang.  Fresno's police chief Jerry Dyer was directly opposed to such an idea.

"There was considerable discussion at that time about whether or not they should change the logo or the mascot away from being a bulldog because of the fact that we had this Bulldog gang in Fresno that had become notorious," Dyer told the Times.  "My advice was absolutely not.  Do not touch the logo.  How dare these gang members think they can hijack the mascot from our university?  It you change it, the gang wins."

The gang reached it's height in 2006 and at that point the police began a crackdown on the Bulldogs.  The crackdown was dubbed "Operation Bulldog" and by the time it ended in 2010 it had let to over 12,000 arrests. 

The gang still remains in Fresno, but because of the actions of the police they've been forced to spread to places like Oregon, Montana and Wyoming.  According to the report, the Bulldogs gang comprises 75 percent of inmates in Fresno county jail.   

The gang violence never reached football games, with many of the players remarking that the gang members were their biggest fans.  While smaller now, the Bulldogs still maintain a large presence in Fresno and as the football team becomes more popular, the gang gains exposure by association.

To get the whole story you can read the article from the New York Times here.