BALLLLLLIN'!

[The_Admiral]

http://chronicle.aug...ba_563760.shtml

The All-American Basketball Alliance announced in a news release Sunday evening that it intends to start its inaugural season in June and hopes Augusta will be one of 12 cities with a team.

"Only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league," the statement said.

Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver, who has publicly expressed his support for minor league teams in the past, said he would not do the same for this team.

"As a sports enthusiast, I have always supported bringing more sporting activities to Augusta," he said. "However, in this instance I could not support in good conscience bringing in a team that did not fit with the spirit of inclusiveness that I, along with many others, have worked so hard to foster in our city."

Don "Moose" Lewis, the commissioner of the AABA, said the reasoning behind the league's roster restrictions is not racism.

"There's nothing hatred about what we're doing," he said. "I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."

Lewis said he wants to emphasize fundamental basketball instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color." He pointed out recent incidents in the NBA, including Gilbert Arenas' indefinite suspension after bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room, as examples of fans' dissatisfaction with the way current professional sports are run.

"Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."

The Atlanta-based league, which will operate as a single-entity owning all of its teams, is looking for local contacts to pay $10,000 to become a "licensee" in one of 12 cities throughout the Southeast. Lewis said he has already received threats from people opposed to the roster restrictions and several cities have told him to stay out of town. Lewis said he has yet to hear from any one in Augusta.

[ESTONES6]

i wish this would happen... but it won't. even those the league is not racist, it will be pinned as being racist. Even though a league for only black players would be promoted and and encouraged, but because it's white players, the government and NAACP won't let it happen.

i don't think the Basketball would be as entertaining... but i would just want this to happen on principle.

[Lee.]

Hopefully one day, a player from the AABA will be able to break the color barrier and join the National Basketball Association

Oh, this isn't racist at all. Nope. Just a good old return to White, American Family Values.

[The_Admiral]

Duke: The League

[Jigga]

At least Rush Limbaugh won't be denied ownership in this league!

[slightly shotgunned]

You know what? Nevermind.

[slightly shotgunned]

i wish this would happen... but it won't. even those the league is not racist, it will be pinned as being racist. Even though a league for only black players would be promoted and and encouraged, but because it's white players, the government and NAACP won't let it happen.

i don't think the Basketball would be as entertaining... but i would just want this to happen on principle.

Just another example of the minority man keeping the white man down. Gather your white brothers and sisters Estone and rise up! You shall overcome!

[Sodboy13]

I love how the commissioner uses just about every code word in the book to say "we don't like them colored folk" without actually saying it. I look forward to the day when the league decides to allow blacks in, so long as they are "well-spoken" and not "uppity".

Dude is a screaming bigot.

[ESTONES6]

i wish this would happen... but it won't. even those the league is not racist, it will be pinned as being racist. Even though a league for only black players would be promoted and and encouraged, but because it's white players, the government and NAACP won't let it happen.

i don't think the Basketball would be as entertaining... but i would just want this to happen on principle.

Just another example of the minority man keeping the white man down. Gather your white brothers and sisters Estone and rise up! You shall overcome!

I don't know. It is just frustrating. I went to high school in the inner city, and went to college in a not so great area either... and it is frustrating seeing the differences concerning scholarship money, federal grants, and things of that sort.

i just have a hard time believing a whites only association would ever fly in society as opposed to a black only. the NAACP come to mind. And in college, there are numerous African American only, Asian American Only, or Spanish American only clubs, but no where can you find a Caucasian American only. The idea wouldn't even be entertained.

Now, i know i proly look like some crazy racist... which is far from the case... but it is one thing that really gets under my skin have to grab and claw through highschool and college.

[Sodboy13]

Yeah, black people have it so easy.

[The_Admiral]

And in college, there are numerous African American only, Asian American Only, or Spanish American only clubs, but no where can you find a Caucasian American only.

frat parties

[Saintsfan]

i wish this would happen... but it won't. even those the league is not racist, it will be pinned as being racist. Even though a league for only black players would be promoted and and encouraged, but because it's white players, the government and NAACP won't let it happen.

i don't think the Basketball would be as entertaining... but i would just want this to happen on principle.

It will be pinned as racist because it is racist.

"I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now.

For a start 'Moose' has his facts wrong

[Sodboy13]

i wish this would happen... but it won't. even those the league is not racist, it will be pinned as being racist. Even though a league for only black players would be promoted and and encouraged, but because it's white players, the government and NAACP won't let it happen.

i don't think the Basketball would be as entertaining... but i would just want this to happen on principle.

It will be pinned as racist because it is racist.

"I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now.

For a start 'Moose' has his facts wrong

I think Moose may have been talking about pro basketball rather than overall national demographics. But, you know, if more white Americans were good at basketball, more white Americans would be playing pro basketball. But they aren't, so it's pretty much just inked-up, coked-up dumbass Chris Andersen if you like your NBA games to have that touch of Aryan purity.

Also, this isn't Moose's first fly-by-night basketball rodeo.

[The_Admiral]

What was that league John Starks came out of? Wasn't that the 6'6"-and-under league?

[TFoA]

"Street-ball...Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."

If that's not racist then I've got some lakefront property in the Sahara that I'd like to sell you.

Saintsfan, I'm gonna give Moose the benefit of the doubt, when he says that white Americans are the minority, then he's talking about white Americans in the NBA: I think it's like 9-12% left in the NBA right now, & a there's a group of white players that feel as if they aren't getting a fair look because of their skin & generalizations about white basketball players.

But that being said, it's ridiculous. The NBA isn't segregated, & if it is segregated then it's keeping out basketball players that aren't the best. If it even gets off the ground, this league will probably be a failure.

[ESTONES6]

i wish this would happen... but it won't. even those the league is not racist, it will be pinned as being racist. Even though a league for only black players would be promoted and and encouraged, but because it's white players, the government and NAACP won't let it happen.

i don't think the Basketball would be as entertaining... but i would just want this to happen on principle.

It will be pinned as racist because it is racist.

"I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now.

For a start 'Moose' has his facts wrong

first off... the frat parties. you must be a little bit out of touch with college. Frats let anyone in, as long as they have $2-5 (what ever the door fee is)... so there goes that argument. as for the potential of being a "white only" frat. At my school, they don't allow it. They do, however, allow black only frats. that defines racism. Inclusion or Exclusion determined only by the race of the applicant. racism. Let me just re-emphasize that this is at my college ONLY. it may not be true at others.

Now. The white only league... i dont think THAT is the racist part. the racist part was when he said "Fundamental Basketball" and "sick of seeing street ball." That is clearly racist. Players like Pistol Pete and Larry Legend immediately come to mind to disprove the street ball argument. As for his fundamental argument... also can be disproved by players like Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant.

i guess i should have clarified. Based on my personal experience... i understand the need for affirmative action and why it has to be enforced because there are racist people in the world. I have had a close friend benefit from affirmative action. a position he received, as he should have, but was initially denied. But in the same hand, i personally have been on the other end of affirmative action. Me, being qualified for a position, but losing out to a lesser applicant, based on race.

That being said...i was defending the idea of the opportunity to have a group for whites only. would i want to be part of that group? no. But its the idea that in society we can HAVE black only, minority only groups or associations... but the idea of having white only groups is taboo in society.

PS: Jay Mariotti just used his "Face Time" on Around the Horn to talk about this.

[Saintsfan]

Hmmm maybe you guys are right about that quote, but I am not sure. (its not like white players haven't been in the minority in the NBA for a good long while!)

[JayJaxon]

Now the reasoning behind this is not very good. 'I only want whites in my league because they don't show off and they are not thugs' That is pretty much the message I got from that.

However, I think there would be nothing wrong with white American males doing something like this as long as there are other clubs exclusive to only other races. I think it's kinda funny that they are talking about doing this sort of thing in Atlanta and Augusta. In those areas, white American males really are a minority.

As much as I would love for people to look past color as a basis for doing things, we are sadly not there yet. I never have and never will agree with the double standard that all other groups can have organizations and clubs that excludes all other races. In the meantime, white males can't gather together in some places without the assumption that it's a Klan meeting. There are some things that some people need to understand:

1. African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians are no longer a 'minority' I grew up in Georgia, and Caucasians are the minority in many places.

2. Racial discrimination is out in plain view every day in the way of 'Insert race here Only' clubs, societies, scholarships, and fraternities. Some young African Americans are being taught that they will get slighted if they are forced to compete with whites for anything. Meanwhile, some whites are taught that if they are competing for a job with an African American, they will get slighted to fulfill a quota or requirement. This needs to stop, and the best way I think it can is to get rid of the 'race only' clubs.

3. Some African Americans are also taught that getting an education, working hard and avoiding trouble is 'acting white'. That is just plain stupidity.

4. Some Caucasians take the whole race issue way to far in the other direction. They try so hard to prove to the World that they are not racist, they will actually wrong their own race in order to get the message across. There is such a thing as trying too hard and I think whites are in that category sometimes. It's like they are trying to apologize for something they didn't even do. Now some African Americans are brought up to believe that they should get all they can from the 'white man' because the 'white man' took so much from them. And some whites are brought up to believe that they owe an entire race for something they themselves never did. The bottom line is, I'm 27 years old and I have never in my life owned a slave, and I have never met a black man that was a slave. the 1860's are over!

I always get a little riled up when the topic of race comes up because I can't believe people can still be so ignorant and so sensitive about it in 2010. I'm Caucasian. My best friend is African American and my wife is Mexican. Now that doesn't make me an expert on the subject but I feel that I really can look at it from both sides where others may not. I'm not a card carrying Nazi, nor am I sympathetic to the Sharptons and Jacksons of the World. Thanks for reading!

[ESTONES6]

yeah when he said "whites are the minority," clearly he was talking about the players in the NBA... not in the United States.

[The_Admiral]

The "frat party" post was largely facetious, Estonia, which was why I didn't bother capitalizing and punctuating it. Kind of a thing I do. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that excessive drinking and objectification of women is pretty much what your hypothetical College Whites club would have to consist of.