Hawks owner to sell team because of "racist" email

[D.o.s.]

The same sort of comment on cultural mores could be applied to Levenson's 'cultural sensitivity' as to why white people weren't buying season tickets.

[clover]

The same sort of comment on cultural mores could be applied to Levenson's 'cultural sensitivity' as to why white people weren't buying season tickets.

Ha--yes.

[Ogaju]

I'm also curious what it is about Luol Deng the basketball player that equates him to a guy who will sell counterfeit merchandise out of the back of a shop.  What's that even mean, especially when modified by "not in a bad way"?

I've been wondering this too.

The first thing I can think of is maybe he means you hear his name, look at his stats, and you think you're getting an All-NBA strong lockerroom leader,  just a little beneath the LeBron/Durant/Carmelo tier (like a prime Paul Pierce or Danny Granger  maybe), but what you're really getting with Deng is a player who is closer to Jeff Green.

You're looking in the store window and think you're getting a Paul Pierce model player, but what you're really getting is a Jeff Green model player.  He sells himself like an alpha dog All-Star, but he's really a #3 player at best.  But I don't mean that in a bad way, because Jeff Green is a classy guy and a good basketball player.  He's just not going to be the All-NBA veteran leader you think he's going to be.

That would be my guess on how it was meant, something along those lines anyway.

I don't think it had anything to do with his skills.  I think it was solely about character.  Like "deng sells himself as this great team player and locker room guy, but he isn't when you look deeper."

Agreed. And since Deng was born in Africa and lived in Africa in his youth, the argument could be made that Ferry was trying to be culturally sensitive in attributing that character in part to the different cultural mores re: honesty of his home countries (So. Sudan and Egypt). Not saying that's a good approach, just that it is context by which his whole statement could be considered.

The conclusion that Ferry was implying that African-Americans, or all African-Americans, cheat is however wholly unfounded. (Deng is British.)

Well, wait a minute -- Deng is as British as Olajuwon is American.

This tit-bit was in a scouting report, and I don't know how deeply scouting reports dig into player background,  but it is likely that the scouting reports probably dug up some fabrications in the whole Luol Deng story. It is not unusual for the media to write all kinds of feel good story about players from other lands that are often fabricated or exaggerated. The SID departments of the colleges run with these stories and the players lap it up and enjoy the free pub. Maybe scouts went to dig into the background of this player they are about to throw millions on and found the feel good stories weren't true. The author of the assessment in the scouting report should explain exactly what he meant.

[D.o.s.]

That's a scouting report from earlier this year, when Deng was considering signing with the Hawks.

[LooseCannon]

Well, wait a minute -- Deng is as British as Olajuwon is American.

I think there is a difference between Deng moving to the UK when he was five and spending much of his formative years being molded by British culture and Olajuwon moving to the US to go to an American college.

[Ogaju]

that scouting report surely disagrees with you, and I would reckon they did a lot more digging into the guy they were about to offer millions than you have done.

Perhaps the Olajuwon comparison was a bit extreme, but there are virtually thousands of African kids that move to UK when they are young and still maintain to a large extent their native African culture and heritage.

[Roy H.]

that scouting report surely disagrees with you...

The cryptic and stereotypical / racial / racist scouting report?

[LooseCannon]

that scouting report surely disagrees with you, and I would reckon they did a lot more digging into the guy they were about to offer millions than you have done.

Perhaps the Olajuwon comparison was a bit extreme, but there are virtually thousands of African kids that move to UK when they are young and still maintain to a large extent their native African culture and heritage.

The problem isn't claiming that Deng has character flaws, the problem is the blatantly racist implication that maintaining African cultural ties causes character flaws and that an honest black would have cut those ties.

[Finkelskyhook]

Another tremendous opportunity for Silver to make a complete hypocrite of himself.

[Eja117]

Hey if Michael Jordan is caught on tape saying horridly racist things about white people what do you suppose will happen?

[Neurotic Guy]

As others have said... I'm not sure it's racist.  I mean... Think about this...  I live in Seattle.  There is a massive population of Asian folks out here.  There's a reason why the Seattle Mariners spent money on Iwakuma shortly after Ichiro went to the Yankees.  As someone who attends a lot of games, it's hard not to notice the difference in fanbase when iwakuma is pitching.

Yeah, if you're making a decision that's based on making more money, then the decision is obviously not being based on race.  It's called conducting business, and by definition can't be racist.

I am confused by this.  If you make a business decision to not allow blacks to eat at your restaurant because the whites in the area don't want to eat with blacks, I'd say that is both a business decision and a racist one.   Having prejudicial thoughts, or drawing conclusions based on racial bias are not racist acts.  But using your power as a business owner to scheme to exclude a specific race because they are bad for business is racism defined.   Not sure how you could possibly conclude that making a business decision by definition precludes racism. 

[Waew]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/09/us/atlanta-hawks-racism-claims/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Hawks GM Danny Ferry allegedly described Luol Deng as a "two-faced liar and cheat"

"He has a little African in him," Ferry said, according to a letter from a team owner

Deng says he's disappointed and disturbed by the comments but proud of his heritage

Ferry says he was repeating comments from other sources that don't reflect his view

The general manager also described the player "as a two-faced liar and cheat," the letter says.

[saltlover]

I don't understand why "racist" is in quotes here. 

[Waew]

I don't understand why "racist" is in quotes here.

people are divided on whether its racist or not.

[Ogaju]

I guess Deng does see himself as African after all despite all the attempts by the press to label him British.

Nice to see Magic Johnson chime in and ask for Ferry's resignation or termination.

TRIVIA: What weird connection does Danny Ferry have with the Los Angeles Clippers?