posted by Sam Richards
So this guy, Don “Moose” Lewis, wants to start a basketball league for white guys because, among other reasons, white guys need a place to play that “traditional brand of basketball” that they know and enjoy. (That photo to the right is what the roster would look like.) It’s easy to scoff at Moose, and not just because of his nickname–because on the face of it this seems blatantly racist. But my thinking is that the issue is more complex than it first appears–and this is why I want some other people to weigh in on the matter.
Moose says “he’s filling market niche,” that there are plenty of (white) guys to don’t like the upscale tempo of basketball that is played professionally today and they should have a chance to complete in venues where they can earn a living. And there are lot of people who would (and should be allowed to) pay money to watch them play. Good point, Moose. Unfortunately for Moose, there are undoubtedly black and brown men (and women) who want to play “white ball” and so they’ll also have to have a chance to show their (white) skills in the slow lane, so to speak?
Maybe I could overlook this moose-sized oversight if Moose didn’t reveal his hand by saying the following:
“With players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands, and going through the motions of playing the game, fundamentally sound [W]hite players are a vanishing species…Fans have spoken to the AABA asking to restore on court sanity to the game of basketball. Their pleas are our mission. Only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league.”
First off, the name looks like ABBA, that notoriously white band from the 1970s. 
Bad sign. Second, his words sound more like the standard white racist stance on black and brown people and less like a businessman responding to a market need.
Nonetheless, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and imagine that there are people out there who want to watch a slow style game that only native born white people know how to play. If so, then rock on to his bad self and let’s get to the tip off. Just don’t throw the ball too high…since the white brothers can’t….well, you know….jump. Here’s Moose explaining himself:
I think this one is treading on thin ice, but not necessarily inherently racist.
Things like "Miss Black Penn State" are acceptable because they fill a niche that the "main" event doesn't have. Black people are seemingly absent from most pageants, so it makes sense to start something that helps include or highlight that underrepresented group. Professional basketball seems to be an area where whites are currently underrepresented, so it could make sense to start a "white" basketball league.
That said, the legitimacy of this league stops there. "Moose" is clearly a racist from his comments, alluding to his opinion that blacks only bring violence and insanity to the court, where white players are sophisticated and civil. He sounds like a crotchety old racist complaining that "they" are moving into his neighborhood. Putting a ban on all non-white players crosses the line for me.
A similar league which allowed anyone to try their skills at "white" basketball could be fine in my eyes, but the exclusive admission and opinions on which this one is founded seem questionable at best.
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Furrbaybay Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 10:58 pm
I think you hit it right on the head with the Miss Black Penn State example. I was trying to think of a way to represent what I was thinking and that was perfect. I do not always understand why sometimes a school's standards are lowered to fill a quota for a racial group, but if white players are truly underrepresented in a league I think they should have an opportunity to play somewhere else. However, they are only underrepresented because they cannot compete. That's why they have Canadian football and the minor leagues; to develop players and have a place where the less talented can still do what they love. Something similar could be brought up in basketball, but there is no reason for a racial restriction. This guy isn't just anti-black, he's anti-immigrant and pretty much everything else. I feel like he got snubbed earlier in his life after being brought up by racist grandaddy in a town no one's heard of. I can only imagine what is going to happen to this guy's precious antique store when people hear it. It is scary that people still think this way though. But it is stories like these that people can use as examples of how not to act, because this guy just looks stupid.
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akeem10 Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 3:57 am
I definitely agree with what you said. This is absolutely an act of racism. Its 2010, people need to realize that such an act should be considered a blasphemy and taboo. These days of segregation in such events are over. I understand that white people are under represented in leagues like the NBA. But that is not an excuse to have an "all white" league. Not only should any people of colors be upset, but also every immigrant should also be insulted by this outrageous league. There are so many sports out there that blacks do not dominate, but you will never see an "all black" hockey league. If these white players cannot make it to the NBA or the D-league, then they should not be playing in the first place. I just sad to see that such an idea will even cross someone's mind in today's world.
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This sort of thing has got me thinking…. Does anyone actually think they are racist? Or is it up to other people in society to point out to them that they are racist? I really don’t think this guy sees himself as racist, but it wouldn’t take much debate to determine this is a fairly prejudiced business venture. And I doubt this gentleman is in the KKK, but I wonder if KKK folks think they are racist. I suppose people in the KKK would acknowledge they are racist as they are pretty polarized, but I would bet a majority of people who are racist, just plain don’t see it (unless they are extremely racist).
For example, people like Rush Limbaugh who said, "Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it." or democratic Senator Robert Byrd who was in the KKK. I’m guessing neither of these gentlemen believe they are racist, but really I’m not sure how you could think they weren’t intolerant. These two are two of many examples of people who legitimately think they aren’t racist, but clearly are.
One of my parents friends was talking with me and she was talking about how ‘black culture runs things today” She was talking about fashion, dancing and lingo coming from what she considered, ‘black culture’. The conversations just showed how much of a problem she had with black people, but if you were to ask her, she would have never believed that she was racist. Another example was when I was talking with this guy, he was talking about how many minorities are on public assistance programs. He legitimately thought 95% of the people on these programs were minorities. He also didn’t think he was racist. I suppose both of these examples came from selective perception on their part, nevertheless they were racist.
As far as this video, in the interview, this guy genuinely doesn’t believe he’s being racist. How can he not see that this business idea is directly promoting racism? The only people who are going to see this event are going to be racist fans. This is a giant step backwards as far as progress, yet this guy doesn’t see it at all. If he wasn’t racist, he could step back and see how obviously intolerant this idea is. It almost reminded me of people who say, “I’m not racist, I have black friends”.
I would be curious to see what other people think—maybe I’ve just had experiences different from everyone else? Or maybe because it was where I grew up, in an area where there wasn’t much racism at all?
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Npeffer Reply:
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:35 pm
I can't speak for all racists, but the KKK does not acknowledge that they are a racist group. Their justification comes from the Bible, where after the Tower of Babel incident God split up the people into different races and languages. The KKK says that the re-mixing of these races is against God's will since he intended for them to be separate.
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sss5237 Reply:
March 4th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I think he does see that he the whole concept is racist and i think that is what he is playing with. I think thats the controversy he wants and needs for this league to work because he's playing on the emotions of people who hate this idea, who secretly or subconsciously like this idea, and who outwardly think this is a good idea. I think that people who do actually subconsciously harbor prejudices towards people of color are beginning to realize that black people, after being kept down for so long, are finally beginning to reach their full potential, because when it comes down to it, we all have potential, it's just what we do with it and factors around us that influence us. i think for alot of people who've never seen the black man on top, this is hard to understand and hard to see as a good thing. To them this seems like our culture is being taken over, and is changing in a bad way when in actuality our cultures our finally integrating and things are changing for the better.
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When I read the article about this white only league, I was not in the least bit mad about the obvious racist elements in it. I started to laugh actually. I don't know, if I was some white guy who actually wanted to join this league, I would feel some type of way. I would not be proud at all. It is like you are admitting that you cannot cut it in a better league, and you are taking what you can get. I would not want that type of player on my team anyway. I want the player who strives to get better and who can adjust to any situation at any given time. And if that involves playing a more up tempo game, then so be it. It is no secret that the NBA is dominated by black people. We were not even ALLOWED to play the game at one point, and now that we took it over, you want to make an all white league? I would be EMBARRASSED as a basketball player to even consider such a thing. It is like a slap in the face to your basketball skills in my eyes. And there are A LOT of people who enjoy watching the fast paced NBA of today, just check the ratings.
How would you even prove that somebody is full Caucasian anyway? The way the world is today, NOBODY is probably full Caucasian anymore. America is one big melting pot, and to say that in order to be in an "All-American" league, you have to be full Caucasian is like going back to the 1940's. It is just crazy to think that minorities are dominating something so much that this idea is even being brought up! If you would have asked somebody if they needed to make an all white league back in the 1950's they would have said "We already have one!"
I do not know how anyone can read about this and NOT say this guy is racist. He is ever so subtlety saying he wants an all white basketball league because black basketball players are far more inferior to white basketball players. I have seen a lot of black basketball players play with "fundamentals" just like I have seen many white players who are adequate at "streetball". White people have had a VERY big head start in terms of EVERYTHING, so now that minorities are catching up, you go and do something else to hold minorities back? And to sit there ansd call the league "ALL-American" but only say White-Americans can join is just sad. America is an equal opportunity place, and this is not giving and equal opportunity to everyone. It is very bigoted.
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ryanscherer Reply:
March 4th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
You make a good point about how a white person would feel if they join this league. Yeah, they are playing a "different" style of basketball, but in reality they really are pretty much saying "I just don't have the skill to play with the big boys." What person in their right mind would go around town proudly saying that they were a star in the AABA? They would get laughed at right to their face. There is no way that this league could catch on in America. Why would people spend their money to see, simply put, inferior talent play basketball. I would rather sit at home and watch guys like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant play on TV then go watch an AABA game, even if tickets were free.
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Kyle Korver, Luke Walton, Kirk Hinrich, some super star names right there right. What Moose is suggesting is to make a league of only white American born players. What about Yao Ming, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Steve Nash all of these players would be left out of this league in an attempt to bring about a game more focused on the fundamentals? Steve Nash has amazing basketball IQ and fundamentals. And what about Jason Kidd who was born to one white parent and one black parent in the United States, would he not be able to play in this league? His suggestion may have not been the worst idea but, he would be leaving out all of those amazing athletes and ball players. I know it wouldn’t be leaving out athletes of that magnitude because it is a semi pro league but I still think that the All American Basketball Alliance is an absolutely ridiculous idea. An all white American born semi-pro basketball league is not exactly what a basketball fan would want to see.
To be completely honest if I wanted to go see a bunch of white guys run pick and rolls, the motion offense, and shoot some threes, I could just go watch any number of suburban high schools throughout the country. The majority of basketball fans that follow the NBA would agree that the unbelievable superhuman athletes throwing down ridiculous dunks and playing above the rim is an integral part of the game today that makes the NBA so much fun to watch. Moose claims that breaking the game down to the fundamentals would be good for the sport, which may be true but, putting limitations on who can play based on race is definitely the wrong way to go about it. In my opinion “moose” is being racist in his attempt to make this all white U.S. born league.
“Moose” says that a lot of the white players don’t like the up tempo game played today in the NBA and that they deserve a chance to make a living off of their skills. But what about the Chinese ball player who doesn’t like the speed of today’s game, or a Black player who doesn’t like the speed of the game. Why should white basketball players get special treatment and get another chance at playing “pro” basketball when there are so many other people of all races who could and can play just as well if not better fundamental basketball then white players. Although “Moose” says that it is just a business plan to fill a “niche” in the market, the reality is that he wants to support an all white basketball league, not a basketball league based on a different style of play and focused on the fundamentals.
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wow. I'm actually impressed that this guy thinks that he's going to get anywhere with this. He seems to be genuinely sincere that there are actually people out there who want to watch a bunch of white guys, who quite frankly aren't meant to play basketball run up and down a court. If he thinks that this is what is going to get more fans and follow his so called "niche" he's quite wrong. I don't know but I have seem quite a few basketball games in my day and I mean other than the crazy shots and close victories, I don't really enjoy them all that much. But the truth is I believe that a group of mixed race players is going to be much more interesting than a group of white only or black only for that matter. Yes, I understand that black men generally are better at basketball, at least thats what the statistics show and I also understand that generally white people are somewhat mediocre at it but making an all white team would just bore people to be honest. Yes maybe there are people who like watching white people play, but is there really enough of those people to make an entire league of it? Probably not. Another point that i'd like to make is if these so called white players aren't getting jobs because they can't compete with the black players… shouldn't that tell them something? They probably aren't good enough to play if they can't compete. Its not like they don't have any thing else that they could try to do with their lives to make a better salary and support their families.
I'm a little surprised that Moose thinks that this is a good idea. He really is going backwards like the other man in the movie. I mean I guess he has a point that there are some people who would prefer to do watch something like this and its possible that he really doesn't want it to seem racist he just wants white people to have a fair shot at becoming successful Basket ball players, but if they can't compete with every race out there and the best of the best they really shouldn't be basketball players. He seems to think that these people would want to watch this, personally I wouldn't want to watch it, and neither would most people. But then again, I don't see many white people playing very well, or at least well enough to get a lot of credit for it. Honestly though I would like to see the outcome of a league like this, watching it get like 0 viewers would prove to this guy that he's crazy. I respect that he's filling his "calling" or whatever, but an all white league is a little too far.
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klpski44 Reply:
March 4th, 2010 at 3:16 am
I agree with you in the fact that he is crazy for thinking that he will ever get this idea off the ground. White people do have a place in basketball however it is not in a league reserved only for white people to play in. I have been to many NBA games and have enjoyed white players who are very good at white they do, however there are just simply more black people that are good at basketball. This is just a fact that we are going to have to start accepting. He is also crazy for thinking that people are going to pay money to see anyone who has good fundamentals and bad athleticism play the game.
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I am not exactly how to side on this argument. I feel that the man has a few good points, but I also feel that he is somewhat racist in his voice and comments. Do I think the idea of a league that is more focused on the basics and fundamentals rather than high powered dunks and fancy plays is a good idea? Yes. It seemed to me that his way of defending his league was by calling out the culture and lifestyles of the prominently black athletes in the NBA. Just because of a few instances involving fights or guns revolved around black people recently does not mean that it is an all black problem. I am a fan of the NBA and when looking back on the history, there have been plenty of white people getting suspended, taking drugs, being controversial or getting into fights. Just look at Chris Birdman Anderson and Larry Bird. Both are great players who caused trouble on and off the court. Both are or were essential on their respective teams. Ultimately, the league isn't necessarily a bad idea, but the way "Moose" described it did not do him any justice.
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I too am not exactly sure how to side on this argument. While my initial response was that this would cause more harm than good, after reading some comments, I am pretty unsure of how to think. The person who brought up Ms. Black Penn State makes a perfect point. That may be okay, but this is not? I understand black women are underrepresented in pageants, but then again, white American men are underrepresented in the NBA.
I'm a pretty avid fan of basketball and I see his reasoning in regards to the style of play in the NBA. The NBA, from its origins until around the past decade, was a sport more dedicated to teamwork and strategy. Now, the NBA is a lot more focused on individual achievement and athleticism. So I'm a much bigger fan of college and high school basketball, where coaching and a system still plays a huge role, plus those guys play for the love of the game and not for a couple million dollar a year contract. I can see the type of basketball Lewis wants in this league and it makes sense because that's the type of basketball I find entertaining.
However, this kind of league simply cannot work. The main difference between our Ms. Black Penn State pageant and the new white basketball league is that this new league is for profit. Not only that, but it is to be nationally recognized. That simply cannot happen because there is too much controversy, too much political correctness, and too many sensitive people for it to happen. Oh not to mention, blacks in America have been persecuted and segregated and degraded since they got here and this idea simply looks bad, no matter if his intentions were good.
I understand his reasoning, but a league like this simply cannot be allowed to exist. It is not in the best interest of sports, regardless of what other people are doing and who they are excluding. Sports are nationally televised and it needs to be a source of inclusion and role modeling, not of exclusion.
Another problem is his idea that this is actually going to work. We are in a new era of basketball fan. I am an old school fan: I love guys who hustle, dive on the floor, play great defense, and share the ball. But fans also love to see guys who can jump from damn near the three point line and dunk a ball when their head is at the shot clock and they could probably hang from their elbow on the rim (Vince Carter, 2000 Dunk Contest anyone?) That is what brings in the money and the fans. A good businessperson knows this. This white league based on fundamentals or whatever probably would not go anywhere. If people want to watch that kind of basketball, they go to college games.
I think the biggest problem here is the name of this new league though. Anything remotely resembling ABBA makes my ears bleed.
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klpski44 Reply:
March 4th, 2010 at 3:23 am
The NBA has turned into a league full of selfish players who really have lost sight of what it means to play a team game. This is exemplified perfectly by players scoring eighty points themselves in a single game and forty on a regular basis. College basketball definitely has the upper hand in my opinion also it gives a player with teamwork skill sets a chance to excel. However I do agree that this type of league would never work, people who want to see and NBA game are going to go watch that type of basketball. And for people who want the NBA game mixed in with good fundamental play they will go see college games. There is simply no market for this brand of basketball, and the league would undoubtedly be a failure.
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To be honest, I can kind of see where Moose is coming from. Basketball, especially in recent years, has become a black dominated sport, and mediocre white players have a very tough time making in not only the NBA, but the college realm as well. I’m not a medical professional, so I do not know if there are physiological reasons to explain this, but the NBA just is not into decent white folk, but would rather spring for a young, high flying black person to ‘wow’ the crowd with dunks. The reason for this is because dunks are what the majority of the fan base wants. So, with that in mind, is it really wrong for Moose to please a different fan base by having a slower tempo, “white” style of game? The one thing I don’t agree with Moose on is a strictly white only league. There is a difference between and white only league and a white style of play league. Just as there are many high flying white basketball players excelling in the pros, I’m sure there are many black players who prefer to play a slower tempo game and would fit right in with the AABA skill-wise. Personally, I only watch college basketball, because the game is rounded and is not centered on trying to get a dozen or so of the best players to do dazzling dunks or blocks all game every game. The NBA used to be like this, but ever since our technologies have grown and nearly every game is on television, priorities of the sport have changed from the love of the game to strictly pleasing the crowd. I maybe watch 4 full NBA games a year, all in the playoffs, just because of the playoff atmosphere of any sport. As we talked about earlier in the semester, basketball is one of those sports that everyone can afford to play, so everyone should get a chance to do so professionally. If the market exists for a low tempo game, I say let it happen, even if its creators are insisting on it consisting of strictly white, American players. In fact, maybe the black community should respond by creating a black only league. They would likely have the fan base, and it would not surprise me at all if a good deal of the fan base consists of white people looking for what they view to be a super fast paced game that likely ends with very high scores. So, although I may agree with Moose that a niche exists in this country for a professional, lower tempo basketball league, I really don’t agree with his decision that it should be whites only. If both black and white players can play fast-paced basketball, I’m sure there are tons of black and white players who play “white ball.”
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I am not angered by this guy at all. For all the people who say that he is racist and making a racist league, he is confessing that whites are no longer good enough to play in the NBA. Most of the players in the NBA are black these days, and it is a different style of basketball. Because whites do not have the same athletic ability as the blacks, they have to rely on the fundamentals more. That is a statement of fact. If blacks started playing hockey, they would dominate the league. Its no wonder all the track stars here at Penn State are black. It’s no wonder that all the football and basketball players here are black either. They are better athletes and that is fact. Whites play with the fundamentals. You can’t argue that. Look at all the freakish athletes in sports today, Lebron James, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Vernon Davis, LaDanian Tomlinson. What is the common thread? They are all black. That is indisputable fact. You can’t find the same freakish white athletes. You just can’t.
I find this funny because I have my own sports talk show for the student radio station. I even made a comment similar to this (good thing no one listens). I said that to bring back the older style of play, we need white player, who will bring back the fundamentals. Larry Bird was one of the greatest players of all time. Was he extremely athletically gifted? Not really by comparison of other black players. He got to where he was because he worked his ass off. He had one of the best work ethics in all of sports. He played with grit, hustle and the fundamentals. That’s why he was the best, not due to athletic ability. Before you curse me out that he had no athleticism, I know. He played in the NBA. He was a good athlete. But others were MUCH more gifted than he was.
My last point is this. This quy is simply creating a business niche. That is all. He wants to sell tickets and put butts in the seats. The game will be slower and stress the fundamentals. That is the bottom line. You may see even more hustle. We will just have to wait and see. Even here at Penn State there is “Mr. Black Penn State”. If blacks can have their niched special events, why can’t whites? Is “Mr. Black Penn State” racist then? You can’t have it both ways. If you want to say that “Mr. Black Penn State” isn’t and this new league is, then I can say that the pageant continues to highlight the division and differences between whites and blacks. Either have all of it or have none of it. That’s all I’m saying. And by the way, I am not racist, I just really say what’s on my mind.
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PSUraven Reply:
March 14th, 2010 at 2:13 am
I agree with this post completely. Now, first I should say this guy probably needs some screws in his head tightened. No fully sane white man would pursue such a project in the face of terrible race issues in the present day. Having said that, I do not feel that this would-be “league” is racist, even with it being as exclusive as it is (disallowing non-whites and non-Americans). However, from the quote presented in the story, Moose might need to work on his views towards equality. It is undoubtedly true that the best basketball players in the world are black. And the clear majority of NBA or NCAA basketballs athletes also are people of color. They are the best, so they earn their roster spots. There are definitely great white basketball players, but they do not compare with the overall athleticism and talent level. Moose’s idea of starting a white league may be crazy, but I do not think it is racist. As ekg5041’s post points out, there are such events as “Mr. Black Penn State” and many other clubs, organizations, or events exclusive to only black people. Therefore, a basketball league for only the less-gifted white basketball players is serving no prejudicial argument. I am not convinced that Moose will sell that many tickets, for the record, since the most entertaining and capable basketball stars of people of color. A slower version of the sport might lead to spectator boredom. Then again, there may be people out there waiting for such a development. I know I would not be in that group. But before I go off-topic, I will state that although Moose’s idea for an all-white league does not bother me, his comments pertaining to black basketball athletes certainly do. Generalizing the actions of carrying guns or attacking the game’s fans is unacceptable. To say that every black player is contributing to such antics is preposterous and downright immature. There could just as easily be a white NBA player hiding a firearm in his locker who has only had the luck not to be caught in the act. And attacking the fans in the stands? This has happened a mere couple of times (which is still too much by the way); the sample size for such a prejudiced insinuation is nonsensical. Moose definitely needs to wrestle with some of his views pertaining to black people. It appears that he has some racial skeletons in his closet that he let slip in one of his interviews. Even if his bogus idea for an all-white basketball league catches on, I am sure that many people would not respond well to it considering the proponent of it is a racist. I doubt we will see this league formed. Yet again, crazier things have happened.
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i dont think that filling a niche of an all white team is necessarily a racist issue, i more agree with the comment made that it is creating oppertunity for less advanced players to have a fair game. I do not agree with the "whites only" requirement of this team… it should be open to anyone who feels they cant compete on the level of the NBA. I would say that Moose's comments that african american players bring violence to the games is indeed racist. This concept, to me, is walking a very fine line between being racists and not. From what Moose said, it seems to be leaning more to the racist side of things. I also dont really understand why there is this negative connotation like African Americans are TOO good therefore tehy ruined it for everyone else. If you cant keep up then, dont play… or play in Moose's minor league.
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debateordie Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
I agree with everything you have said. I couldn't believe he said African American players brought violence to the games as well. I have never witnessed any violence in the game of basketball and that comment was completely uncalled for. I just think that was a made up reason to try to back up what he was trying to say. This whole idea is completely bogus and quite pathetic. The other thing he said really rubbed me the wrong way as well. He said that in his all white league the play would be more fundamentally sound. Which is also a false statement as well, I have played with many players white and black in high school and the blacks were all more fundamentally sound. After reading the article and the whole idea I feel like it is just a bitter white man who cant stand another race doing well in something.
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Yikes. Honestly, Moose’s points are absolutely racist, although perhaps his intentions are not. OK, maybe there is a demand for slower paced, non-exciting basketball. I think its absurd, but lets run with it. I think Moose could avoid the race issue and possibly fill that niche, if and only if he took race out of the argument. If I were tasked with fundamentally changing the sport of basketball, barring all nonwhites is not the argument I would have come up with. Maybe changing the rules? Take out dunking, ban jumping unless shooting, tighten up traveling, and boom, there you have it. Boring, slow basketball for white and black people.
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I actually find this quite funny. I think everyone knows that the NBA is dominated by black athletes, but do people ever wonder what the game would be like if it was dominated by white athletes? Apparently this Moose character has, and he is really striving to make his own “white” basketball league called the AABA. He claims that this isn’t racist, but to be honest with you it kind of is a little bit, but I wouldn’t get too worked up about it. He truly believes that this is all about business and that fans will really want to watch a slower basketball game, but lets be serious though, if he really thinks that the fans want to see a slow basketball game, and that he is going to make a huge profit off this brilliant, strictly business decision, well then he is shit out of luck.
First off, watching a slow paced game is one of the most boring things to watch. For instance, take the Penn State football team; yes they are a great football team and usually ranked in the top 25 most years, yes Joe Pa is the face of the organization and who doesn’t love Joe Pa, and yes a lot of our players get drafted into the NFL, but to be honest with you they are one of the slowest, most boring, and frustrating offenses to watch. Don’t get me wrong, I watch every game and I am a huge fan, but there offense truly needs a jump-start. The scores of the Big Ten always seem to be so low, and the game is so defense oriented. In the Big 12 or the Big East and even the Pac-10 the games seem so fast moving and to me they are way more entertaining. The point I am trying to make is that if Moose can successfully create the AABA it will fail miserably.
Just having the mindset that a slower paced game is what the fans want to see is just idiotic. People don’t want to see Kirk Heinrich bringing the pall up the court, stand there and call a play, execute the play in hopes that it might work, and if it doesn’t work he’s going to have to start all over again, call another play, and hope this one works this time… No, people don’t want to see that, it is extremely boring. People want to see LeBron flying down the court on a fast break and jumping from God knows where and dunking like no has ever seen before. Now that is exciting and that is what people want to see. The great thing about basketball is that the action never stops. This AABA really is a bad idea, but if the Moose wants to prove he’s not racist I think he should also look into creating the AAHA, the African-American Hockey Association.
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This is a very controversial topic, and to be honest I’m not sure who’s side I’m on and how I feel about the whole thing. I initial thought was wow could this man Don Moose be any more racist and discriminatory. But then as I continued to read and watched the video I kind of started to think that maybe this man is smart, he is trying to market this basketball team, and well since the team is for “whites only” he is generating so much buzz about his team just because of the name. Moose wants people to come and watch these men play, there has been so much controversy over this topic that of course he is going to get his wish and tons of people are going to come watch a team of all white males play basketball.
As I continued to read I also get the idea that Moose was saying that white men can keep up with the black athletes in the NBA. I don’t think this is true at all. Yes, a majority of the professional basketball players are black but some and white and the ones who are white as just as good if not some times better then the black players. How do white professional basketball players feel about this all white team. Do they think it’s a good idea? I think it gives white people a bad rap. Moose says he wants to restore sanity to the game. What does that mean? That statement seems racist as well, do black people not play the game with sanity or something? Also Sam I’m not sure what you mean by people watching a slower style game. Like I said before the NBA is made up of white and black athletes and the white players do not play any slower than the back ones. I do know what you mean though with your ending statement because white people can’t jump as high as black people. But does that even matter?
Whether Moose means to or not he is coming off as extremely racist especially after his comment: “With players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands, and going through the motions of playing the game, fundamentally sound [W]hite players are a vanishing species. Moose is acting and speaking like white basketball players are becoming extinct or something. Plenty of white males athletes and non athletes carry guns- he is being very discriminatory and judgmental toward black athletes in my opinion. I also agree with you Sam on Moose’s choice of words- he does sound like a racist and not like a business man. He should have planned out his speech and opinions a little smarter. I think he is annoying and I don’t like the idea of his all white team at all, everyone should play sports together and may the best man win.
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Don “Moose” is teetering on the line here of being racist. There’s a lot in that video that is said by him and the representative from the NAACP that I can agree with. Let’s start with Moose. First off, he does have a legitimate point when he says that white, American born basketball players are slowly disappearing from the NBA. I mean think about it, who is the last white American born basketball superstar? You have to go back 20 years to find the answer, which would be Larry Bird. There was a report about this issue on Sports Center not too long ago, and one stat that really stuck out to me was that there is not a single American born white man in the top 100 scoring leaders of the NBA.
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That’s saying something. Any white superstar today (Dirk Nowitzki is probably the most famous) is European. Even Steve Nash is from Canada. So, I can’t blame Moose for wanting to give white Americans the chance to earn a living playing the game they love. What I don’t agree with is his choice of words. I think if he expressed himself differently, I don’t this would become a racist issue. The quote that Sam posted in his article is a perfect example of this. He mentions, “players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands, and going through the motions of playing the game…” The gun statement is obviously directed at Gilbert Arenas, a black man, who just got suspended for the year for bringing a gun to the arena. The other part is talking about the incident a few years ago when a few members of the Indiana Pacers, all of whom were also black, jumped into the stands and attacked a few fans. However, what Moose needs to recognize is that these were ISOLATED incidents.
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Not every NBA player carries guns, and another brawl in the stands hasn’t occurred since that last one, which was in 2005. Another thing that bothers me is that he picked those incidents because the guilty parties were black, but not all white NBA players are what you would call upstanding citizens, either. Chris Andersen of the Denver Nuggets was in and out of trouble with the police for drug trafficking until a few years ago. Multiple NBA players, of every race, have been arrested recently for DUI’s and disorderly conducts. Lastly, I’m not sure I agree with Moose when he says that there is a market for the “white” brand of basketball. Say what you want, but American basketball fans have come to love the up tempo style with high flying dunks and alley oops that is common in the NBA. I don’t think this whole idea is racist, but I am pretty certain that it won’t be successful.
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Don Lewis’s idea for an all white basketball league is actually laughable in its simplicity. Not since the days of segregation has there been such a blatant call for a separation of the races. It is tempting to simply write off Lewis’s idea as an obviously racist plot by a backward man; however, the reality of the situation is that Lewis is using a fairly ingenious method to generate significant buzz over a largely insignificant basketball league. There are few other minor league sports organizations that can achieve national headlines even before they start. Lewis is playing the media angle and is even stating that this is the case. By reporting on this, news stations are really just fueling the fire that Lewis wants to create.
Lewis lives in Atlanta and is a former boxing promoter. Something tells me that he is not a stranger to race relations or modern explanations for what is acceptable. Yet, he has created a persona and a league that directly conflict with every bit piece of civil rights progress in the last 40 years. Thus, one can see that his motive here is not to establish a league founded on racial inequality, but to simply establish a league with zero costs for advertising.
If Lewis was truly planning on creating a legitimate organization that wanted fans to appreciate a different form of basketball he would not have ostracized a large portion of his potential audience. If this league is ever to get off the ground, you can rest assured that there will be a huge protest planned along with thousands of people that will want to be inside the stadium both protesting and generally observing. My guess is that once the league is created, Lewis would gladly allow black players that abide by the “slow play” rule. In fact, once the league is established, allowing black players to play would simply create a new media display that would undoubtedly get covered extensively by the same news station that condemned it. Such is the nature of the media in the United States.
Ultimately, I don’t think Lewis’s league will ever succeed, or even come into existence. The social environment in America will not allow it. However, it is interesting to see how easily a controversial subject can immediately garner considerable attention. All Lewis had to suggest was that black people would be excluded and news stations were doing interviews. If the goal of America’s public is really to eliminate racial prejudice, wouldn’t it be beneficial to simply ignore cultural stragglers looking for attention? The answer is yes, but the reality is not yet. These instances continue to grab the media’s attention because they tap into the need for controversy that America yearns.
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Ummmm yeah, this is by all means racist. This guy is creating a league for ONLY United States born, white male basketball players. What isn't racist about that? It's a less extreme form of segregation. It doesn't matter what he says to attempt to support his decision, whether his reasons are "business" related or not, the formation of this league is wrong and racist. However, this movement stirs up a few other questions in me, such as..the BET (Black Entertainment Television) station. Really? Is BET any different from this man creating a basketball league which will ONLY allow white males to join? Not at all. BET is a television station run by black people and made for black people, and stays in business under the assumption that people want to watch black people "entertain" them, as actors, singers, and whatever else it may be, without the–distractions, for lack of a better word–of whites and other groups of people.
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Hmmmm…this BET station is strikingly similar to Moose believing that people want to watch a league where only white people play basketball, whether these players are bringing the "fundamentals" back into the game, or simply the color of their skin. Pretty sure racism works both ways. So if BET can exist, why shouldn't this old white guy believe he can make an all white male basketball league without criticism? Obviously, both the BET station and this prospective league are both wrong, yet one receives this negative attention while the other is ignored. I don't get it.
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It seems as if in many different cases, racism still exists in our society, whether people choose to acknowledge it or not. Even though we have come a long way, we obviously haven't learned yet that "_______" only ANYTHING, be it leagues, television stations, scholarships, teams etc, is just plain WRONG. There is absolutely no difference between an all white male basketball league or a black entertainment television station, and making people of a different skin color sit in the back of the bus. It is racism in it's greatest disguise, but it is racism none-the-least. Moose may not realize it, and neither may many other supporters of this league and members of this league; However we must acknowledge this racist league's existence and choose to do something about it AND all other forms of obvious racism such as BET, we can't simply pick and choose which ones to criticize.
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If attention is what Moose wants, since he thinks attention will bring people to the stands, then attention is what he should get, in the form of newspaper articles revealing the evident racism behind his actions and within the rules generated to enter the league themselves, blogs, and television briefs. Anything that would draw enough NEGATIVE attention to Moose and his prospective all white male, United States born league to either disinterest people from being a part of such an event, or stir up enough energy within people to altogether stop the league from being formed.
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In my opinion this isn’t necessarily racist, well at least not the idea of it. I would like to make note that I do think the quote that Sam included from Moose was racist but I don’t think his plan is promoting to form this basketball league is promoting racism. I think that this is the type of situation that is racist just if you think it is. It is what you make of it. There is nothing wrong with forming an all American league, just as there is absolutely nothing wrong with forming an all African American or Asian league. Although I personally don’t think that this is a form of racism I can see how others might think it is. I also can understand how this might make other races mad because they feel excluded. To be honest, when I first started reading this I thought, Oh this is for the slower paced basketball players who usually can’t jump quite as high; white guys. I thought it was kind of degrading to white men actually. It sounded like white men can’t keep up with the current basketball league and that they need to move at a slower paced. Maybe they can’t keep up and maybe white men are slowly going to vanish from the professional basketball league. I’m giving Don Lewis the benefit of the doubt that he wants to create an environment for white men who are starting to feel excluded. In my head Moose is just creating a league where men can enjoy themselves and not be worried about being weeded out because their skills are not great enough. I am not quite sure about how I feel about paying for one of these tickets. I am pretty content with the professional basketball league that exists now and I think the pace of the game makes it exciting. I don’t think Don Lewis’ basketball league will be taken as seriously by the public at first if ever at all. I know that this is causing large controversy so maybe this league will never really be in full fledge action. I know that this league will be discriminated against if it does eventually exist. All in all I don’t think Don Lewis meant any harm but I did not appreciate some of his words. I just think he needs to filter his thoughts before they come out of his mouth. Maybe if he had promoted his plan in a different way and with different words it wouldn’t have been taken as racist. I think that if people think this is racist that they should just ignore it and not let it bother them because I really don’t think segregation was Don Lewis’ intentions.
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Well this is rather interesting. I had not heard about this before now. I would have to say that I do not agree with this at all. Yes I understand that the style of basketball has maybe changed, but I do not think only allowing whites to play to bring it back is the right answer. I think that it is quite interesting that he can sit there and say he is not racist. I am willing to bet that if someone were to come out with something similar to this and say that it is only for blacks that this guy would then call that person racist. Personally I do not think this is a good idea anyways. I am not too sure how many people would actually get into this. I think with the change we have gone through it may be considered boring to then go and watch a slower style.
I really like what the one guy said in the video and I also had been thinking it myself. He said that this is a step back in the wrong direction. I totally agree with that. In today’s world we are trying so hard to break this barrier between whites and blacks and are trying to get past all the issues there has been. We are trying to make a society where race does not matter. With making a league for all white people this is just discriminating and going back to how things use to be. I would personally be offended if I were a black person and someone said that I could not play because I was black and then apparently that means I can’t play that style of basketball. I think that blacks are just as capable of playing that style of basketball as white people are just as capable of playing the style that we have today.
I also do not really understand this guys whole point about how controversy is what he wants and that it will put people in the seats. I personally do not think people are going to just go because there is controversy..they will go because they interested in the event that is actually going on. Also, if it is controversial I also would not go support it if I didn’t agree with it.
I also thought it was quite ridiculous for him to make the remark about players carrying guns and attacking fans and so on. I find this to be the most racist part of the whole situation. He goes on to say that white people are going to restore the sanity of the game. Really? I think there are many white people that are just as likely to do that stuff as the blacks.
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Are you kidding me with this? I literally could not help but laugh as I read this article and watched the video clip. Does anyone else immediately think of Will Ferrell in Semipro? I really do not have a serious objection with developing an all white basketball league because I know it would be a flop. At the same time I also do not really see the promoter as being a racist because “Moose” seems to really think there is an audience for this league. If this guy wants to pour money into a league that is centered on white guys hitting mid range jump shots then let him develop the league. This is the land of the free, even if the history of segregation points to this not being a good idea. I myself would not endorse it or ever consider going to see a game but I would not stop this guy from developing something he seems to feel strongly about.
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Don “Moose” Lewis, is not only representing white people in a poor way, but giving a bad name to white athletes. As Sam says in his post, Mr. Lewis’s comments do sound like “the standard white racist stance on brown and black people.” The NBA Development league (the NBA’s minor league) barely gets any followers at all, basically because it is the players that cannot make it in the NBA. This proposed AABA league will most definitely be the least viewed and will eventually fail as a league. In my opinion the only viewers will be those “white racist” people, so I do not agree with Mr. Lewis when he says that there will be many people to watch these games. This league will be boring because obviously the entertaining and skilled white players are already playing in the NBA. They would have no reason to play in the AABA, especially because there would much lower incomes since there would be potentially no viewers or sponsors.
White athletes could very easily be upset by Mr. Lewis’s comments. They do not want viewers to separate athletes by their color. There are many great white players past and present that would vie for their positions atop the all time greats. When Mr. Lewis says that “that there are plenty of (white) guys who don’t like the upscale tempo of basketball that is played professionally today and they should have a chance to complete in venues where they can earn a living.” He is disgracing the white athletes by saying that they cannot compete with black athletes. I don’t understand why people would want to watch a slower pace game, or why athletes would settle to play in this league. Talk about being hypocritical, Lewis talks about black athletes just going through the motions, which sounds to me like a slower pace game.
Mr. Lewis made the comment,” With players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands, and going through the motions of playing the game, fundamentally sound white players are a vanishing species.”, when I first read his comments I was drawn to his side and I actually thought for a second that what he was saying actually made sense. But then I caught myself. Sure there have been a few incidents that the NBA has frowned upon, and maybe some of them have been involved with black players, but that has nothing to do with white and black players. Even though a majority of players in the NBA are black and a few of these bad circumstances occurred with black people does not mean that all black people make poor decisions, like the above mentioned players did.
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I was a little bit puzzled after reading this and after reading some of the other comments people had responded. Of course this man comes off as a racist bigot starting a team ONLY for white men. But it’s hard to tell what this man’s true intentions are. Is he starting this team because he just wants a team that doesn’t have any black people? Or is he starting up this team because in recent years basketball teams have been predominantly black, making it more difficult for white players to make to the NBA, so is he trying to help the amateur white players how never got a chance to make it to the top? Then again, he never stated that he was doing it to help out white players who haven’t had a chance to make it to the NBA, that’s just something that I sort of would have assumed had I not heard him give any reasoning for doing this. It’s just hard to say because the way he talks about this team makes him seem someone who’s racist who won’t admit it because obviously no one will sit there and admit that they made an all-white basketball team because they are racist.
The president of the Atlanta Chapter of the NAACP made a good point though regarding his behavior. He said that if it looks like, quacks like and acts like a duck, then it’s a duck. So if this man is starting up a team that excludes black players, it seems like he’s doing something that’s pretty racist. And it doesn’t really make sense when he says the reason for this is for marketing. His reasoning for doing this in the first place isn’t very convincing and it doesn’t seem like he has any intellectual reasoning for doing this, which makes it seem like he’s doing this as a racist. And what does it mean that he’s doing this because there are a lot of people who would want to pay money to watch an all-white team play? Is he implying that people would prefer to watch white basketball players rather then black basketball players?
The one quote that he said that made me finally realize that he just is a racist man who is absolutely ridiculous is when he said, “With players on other professional teams carrying guns, attacking fans in the stands, and going through the motions of playing the game, fundamentally sound [W]hite players are a vanishing species…Fans have spoken to the AABA asking to restore on court sanity to the game of basketball. Their pleas are our mission. Only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league.” I think it’s really offensive that he would say that the white people are going to restore sanity to the game. Does that mean that the black players are just out of control animals? He’s just digging himself into a hole and it’s pretty disgusting that he claims that’s the reason for wanting to make an all-white team.
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I don't think there is much of a debate to be had in this instance, Moose, and his proposals are inherently racist. Whatever the validity of his claims for their being a demand for slower paced, less exciting, less intense form of basketball, the inclusion of racial limitations to his argument automatically invalidates any proposal. Even if we are too assume his point are valid, there is simply no way that soicety would, should or could accept his ideas to exclude enture racial groups from competition. If he were to ignore race, and propose a new league for those of all colors seeking this new form of basketball, then providing he is correct in his assumption of interest, then his idea would be a perfectly acceptable issue to raise. However, he does mention race, he is racist, and his idea should be disregarded on these grounds.
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Although it seems as though Don Moose is only in it for the money, I think he has some un-surfaced tension regarding race in sports. It’s pretty obvious after going on live television not to promote one of his great boxing fights but a “whites” only basketball league. This only illustrates how some of our culture is so far behind in terms of racism while much of our culture is making strides. For example we have a black president but have a famous sports promoter that wants to promote basically segregation in sports all over again.
There have been countless documentaries done on blacks finally integrating into basketball in the 1950s and early 60s and now this only looks like a step back in the wrong direction. It’s a total cop out for Moose to say this is purely for entertainment. He obviously is an entertainer and always will be especially with the media but this time he has gone 1 step too far. As other sports now have very diverse populations in baseball, football and basketball we are now able to see little slices of the world in the sports we watch here in the United States. Even though basketball may have somewhat of a majority of blacks the NBA isn’t in anyway unfair for white players. In fact it’s completely the opposite. If foreign players or African American players are playing in the NBA than that’s good for them, they have proved that their good enough. Just as for whites it is good for them if they have proved themselves to be worthy enough to play in the NBA.
For Moose to say he is filling a “marketing niche” is just plain ignorant as I’m pretty sure he knows all too well what he’s doing. He may be one of the racist whites that doesn’t like watching basketball currently because of black players in the game. This guy has some serious history to catch up on such as integration of blacks and whites not only into the sports arena but culture as a whole. I don’t agree that whites should be able to have their own league just because they cant handle the “upscale” tempo that the NBA now has. Tough, Moose needs to learn a little bit about the concept of evolution in my opinion. The problem with his comments is that he went too far and put his whole hand on the table. Moose was obviously referring to blacks when he talked about players pulling out guns and attacking the stands. These incidents are true and don’t help the public perception of blacks in the NBA but by no means whatsoever does this represent them as a whole. In fact, the majority of NBA players have a lot of class and show it out on the court.
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I think that this is interesting, considering that just recently in class we discussed how race sometimes relates to sports, and we specifically discussed how race, especially being black, tends to show up in the sport of basketball. Although many people who play basketball happen to black, there is not any proven genetic disadvantage preventing white men from being successful in basketball as well. So this whole idea of an all white basketball team, requiring that both your parents be caucasian and that you be an United States citizen seems a little ridiculous and out of hand, not to mention a little racist. If this team is intended not to be racist whatsoever, and simply to give white guys who are mediocre basketball players a chance, then this would open the door for other people in various sports who aren't quite at the professional level to want their own teams as well. There is a reason that it requires a certain amount of skill to reach the pros; it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, not to mention extreme talent; and there are other venues where these white guys can play basketball. But if this has some root in racism, which I feel it does, then that would explain why this guy is so interested in creating a basketball team of only white guys when it is a sport often dominated by African Americans. To have such discriminatory guidelines is segregating the team, and is not only sending out a racist message against black people but against white men as well, saying that because they are white, they clearly will never make it to the pros, and have to settle for their own separate team. And what happens to the black players who have the same level of skill, maybe better, than the guys on this all white team, yet aren't quite good enough for the NBA? They get left behind, simply because of their race, which is robbing them of the civil and equal rights that their ancestors worked so hard for. If moose is so set on filling his "marketing niche", he has to expand his range of players, allowing everyone of that skill level to try out. And although this issue is very centered on white vs. black issues, Moose's team is also including all other races that are not "caucasian". This is saying that no latino, asian, mexican, etc. man or woman are allowed in his league, even if they are just as talented, if not more talented, than his white players. This whole idea is just wrong on any levels, and although people would probably still turn up for the games, those who knew the requirements for the league would be appalled and would hopefully not show as much support for this.
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This entire idea is ridiculous. First off, the thought of a slower paced basketball game would be no fun at all. The teams would need to play in high school gyms because they couldn’t create enough of a revenue for their team to actually have a stadium at all. Second if the white people want to play basketball at a slower pace, go overseas like many people in the NBA do when they cant hack it. But to actually comment on the idea that this grandma league would only be available to the white population, that may be the most outlandish thing about this article. How can someone say that only white people want to play a slower paced game. Not to take anything away from one of the greatest shooters of all time, but Reggie Miller stood about ten feet behind the three point line and hucked up the ball from there because he didn’t want to get rejected going to the hoop. Someone that could shoot like that would bring a ton of revenue to a league of shooters so to say that he couldn’t play would not only be racist, but it would be dumb for the league to deny such access.
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Watching this video made me laugh; it’s amazing to see Don “Moose” Lewis, a White man who looks like he can’t play basketball for his life, initiate something like this. I could see why he would mean business: it’s all for himself. I think by creating this league he thinks he’s doing something for White people.
The quote somewhat startles me. Surprisingly, I know the people he’s probably talking about. Former Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas carried a gun and played around with it with his teammates in the locker room, and current Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest attacked fans in the stands when fans were taunting his teammates while playing for the Indiana Pacers. If any of you don’t know, these aforementioned players are African-Americans. What does “going through the motions of playing the game”? Does that signify something horrible about Black people?
I think “filling the market niche” is a cover-up for a business of racism. This man’s serving such a small niche of racists that it shouldn’t be very significant in the grand scheme of things. This won’t revolutionize the game of basketball. Like Sam said in class, Black people are stereotypically and majorly better than White people in basketball not because of an “extra bone/muscle” or because of genetics, rather they play and practice more. There are White Americans like Jason Kidd, Chris Kaman, and Mike Miller and former players like Larry Bird, John Stockton, and Jerry West who could keep up with Black players. As the great Allen Iverson once said, “You’re talking about practice…?” It’s all about practice!
To be honest, this business will run to the ground. In addition to the NAACP man who spoke in the interview, many more Black people will rise up to speak about this issue. There’s so much racism going on in America that the creation of this league will add more oil to the fire that is already out of control.
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Although I did try, I cannot give this man the benefit of the doubt. Sure this is suppose to about a style of basketball, but it's obvious that Moose has some other intentions with this league. I don’t see why people of other races wouldn’t want to play a slower style of basketball. He also says he’s keeping it all white in order to draw attention and put people in the seats. If this were true I feel like excluding entire groups of people and gaining negative press is not the best way to go about it. If the league were truly about a particular niche than there would be no need to exclude people from enjoying it.
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I also tried to give this man at least a chance to explain why this would be a good idea. But I really can not think of a good reason that could hold up. Mainly I think we are a very diverse group of individuals that makes up the United States but still there is thousands of groups that want to separate the diversity that we have. The whole idea of sports and life is that we work together to hopefully achieve a goal. This is only possible if we work together as one instead of many. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as a group and start thinking about us, together.
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Moose’s case is both strange and interesting to me. Being white I guess I never thought about an all white basketball league. It does not really make sense to me to have any form of segregated leagues in any sport. I know that there were negro leagues in baseball decades ago, but those died out. I can clearly see how a lot of people are both against and offended by this notion. This does not mean, however, that I do not see what Moose is trying to get at. Professional basketball these days is dominated by black athletes, but being white, I am not at all offended by this. Every professional sport is big business these days, and it would be dumb for any professional team to not play the best athletes available. It does not matter to me that most of the best athletes in basketball happen to be black. Plenty of people will still fill the arena to see young stars like Lebron James and Carmello Anthony play.
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They are among the best in their sport. If there happened to be a white guy with the same skill set as these players, he would be a star too. The point of the article is though that Don Moose Lewis wants to start a league that plays a traditional blend of basketball. What does that even mean? Does that mean that it will be slower, and that you will not be able to dunk the ball? No more spinning slam dunks or alley-oops because these are plays that only black players have the athletic ability to complete. I am sure that that is exactly what the crowd wants to see. While there maybe a few people that this actually appeals too, I am certain the majority of fans will continue to attend NBA games to see the best of the sport. That is the reason that I think that the league that Moose has proposed has very little chance at commercial success.
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At best, it may draw interest because of the race issues that it stirs up. I feel like there are many people that will be opposed to the rule that only US citizens born of parents of Caucasian ancestry can play in this league. Having said this, I think that if Moose and others want to start this league and that this is the way that they feel that they can entertain fans than they should go ahead and do it. In the end, it all comes down to simple business. If there is a lot of support and a lot of positive interest generated by this league than maybe Moose had something right. However, I feel that there is a much better chance that this league will draw enough negativity that it will go belly up before the first tip-off.
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This is a pretty interesting article. The concept does seem innately racist, however, I wander if the sides were reversed if the views would be quite as strongly negative. Let’s say the NAACP sets up a basketball tournament that targets inner city African Americans who could otherwise be struggling with gang violence, or something along those lines. If all of the tournament’s participants and organizers are black and white players are not allowed to participate, would this be considered racist? I would imagine that a smaller percentage of people would think so. This scenario is a little different considering I really doubt anything other than making money is on Mr. Lewis’ mind, but for the sake of argument we’ll look at this. With entirely black lineups it’s easy to see the similarities between the two leagues. In the words of Dr. White, the NAACP president from Atlanta, “if it looks like, quacks like and acts like a duck, it probably is a duck.” Now I’m not here to defend this moose fellow, because most likely he is some bigoted prick, but there definitely are two sides to this argument.
The NBA and college basketball is not without its problems. The recent gun charges filed against Gilbert Arenas, as well as past instances, like Ron Artest leaping into the stands and assaulting a fan are certainly two examples of the poor mindsets of some of the leagues players. These acts are not the norm I realize, and there are great men inside the league that engage in wonderful acts of philanthropy, but the image associated with basketball players has been negatively affected because of the bad actions of a few individuals. This being said I’m sure some people out there don’t like to watch the NBA because they think it’s filled with these kinds of criminals. And for these people maybe the AABA league would be a welcome alternative. I mean who wouldn’t want to watch a bunch of slower less athletic whitey’s who can’t jump, opposed to Lebron James jumping from the free throw line and dunkin the shit out of the ball. At least the White guys would have solid fundamentals though. I wander however whether or not the all white league would even have dunking? Also I looked up the AABA, and on the Wikipedia it says that Moose is thinking about starting a reality TV show called "Snow Ball vs. Bro Ball", which I have to say is a pretty hilarious title for a reality TV show. But I digress. The whole issue is one that on the surface seems pretty straight forward and racist, but I would just remind people to not completely condemn such a league quite yet. Just wanting to play a different style of basketball is not necessarily wrong, and if Mr. Moore thinks that people would rather watch his slow ass brand of “snow ball” than let him sink his savings into this venture, that I’m sure is going to have trouble sticking around for too long.
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First of all, I think we all need to take a moment and laugh. Don “Moose” Lewis is a funny guy if he is trying to actually create a basketball league for only white people and claim that it is not racist. There is no way to spin it and have it not be considered racist to some group. Either you’re criticizing black people for their style of basketball or your making fun of white people by saying that they are simply not as good at basketball as black people are. This league can be many things but one thing it cannot be is nonracist. He says that he wants the league to be a slower style of basketball which I’m guessing means eliminating fast breaks and dunking. These are two things that are a more flashy type of basketball and I understand creating a league that prohibits these high paced styles of basketball but not all black players play a fast style of basketball. The fact that a black man who wants to play a slow style of basketball isn’t allowed in the league because of his skin makes Mr. Lewis’s idea racist.
One thing that is important to remember about Mr. Lewis is that he is a boxing and wrestling promoter and his job professionally is to bring attention to himself and the people he represents. He even admits that he is glad that it is controversial because it will bring more attention to the league. If he simply created a slower paced basketball league that included everybody, it would get no attention and nobody except the families of the players would come to the games. But by simply saying that the league is only available to white men, creates national attention and gets national press. Even if he eventually expands the league to include people of all colors, the initial attention he got by making it all white might be worth it because it will make people want to pay attention to the league.
I’m curious if an all white league is even allowed to legally exist. With all the anti-discrimination laws that have been put in place I wonder if he can legally create an institution that is whites only. The KKK is allowed to exist and I’m pretty sure that the KKK has laws forbidding certain races and cultures from entering their club. One difference between the KKK and this basketball league is that members of the KKK don’t make money, while Mr. Lewis is suggesting that these white men be paid enough to make a living off of the sport.
While the idea of a racist institution seems awful and it feels like it should be illegal, we must remember that we live in America and people have the right to hate any other group of people for no good reason. The KKK is allowed to exist and should be allowed to exist because they are free to believe whatever they want as long as it doesn’t interfere with the well being or safety of another person.
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I agree that Moose doesn’t believe he is promoting racism because he doesn’t think what he wants to do is racist, but this man definitely needs to get his terms straight because it is definitely a form of discrimination. Making this basketball team where the qualifications include being white born in the US with two white parents, and calling it a “niche” is far from it. Turning away black players from such a league is no different than not hiring someone at an office because they are black and only looking for white employees. “Niche,” or not, this all white league is a dumb idea and, like Dr. R. L. White, President of the Atlanta NAACP said, is a step backwards in our fight against racism.
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DennisD2010 Reply:
March 4th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I think you bring up a good point with labeling it more as discrimination as opposed to racism. To add to your idea of only letting white players in the league from two white American parents, I think that leads to a bit of a grey area. What if someone is white but can trace their ancestry to Africa or South America. Who is to judge what “white” is? Don Lewis? If Lewis cared about the TYPE of game more, he would institute a game with specific rules or height and weight requirements regardless of what color the person is. It is wrong for the Moose to associate black with a fast-paced type of basketball.
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melevans25 Reply:
March 4th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
I just wanted to clarify that it wasn't MY idea to only let white players in the league, this is what Moose is proposing..
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I am not usually one to call people out for being racist if they make a controversial statement, but for some reason this idea rubbed me the wrong way. An all-white basketball league just leads to another instance of segregation. Also, it is done purely on skin color, not on the size of the athletes or their abilities. He also sounds like an idiot when making the statement about professional players “carrying guns, fighting in the stands, and being lazy.” You can pretty much hear him saying, “Those nice, sweet white boys would never cause the uproar that these black professionals are.” I really don’t understand how he can make that statement, especially if he is trying to promote this upstart league. Lastly, there are plenty of basketball players who don’t have the overall athletic ability to play at the next level, no matter what ethnicity they are. Why should un-athletic blacks or other people of color be barred from this league?
In both Pee-Wee football and youth basketball, I have seen there be restrictions on the sizes of kids and a separation of leagues because of it. For example, some football leagues are actually two leagues, with one being for smaller kids and one for bigger kids. This is done for not only safety reasons, but also competitively as well. Something like this would make more sense than a league with restrictions on race. There is a reason NBA players are “professionals.” They do something, or some things, extremely well. Whether it is shooting, defending, passing, rebounding, or other skills, they excel at these things and it is the reason they are in the NBA. Now, it helps to have more raw athletic skill. This is true for any sport. It makes you a better defender, more of a threat to score, and a better rebounder. For Moose to say that having just white players play would be a better brand of basketball is just dumb. Why would people pay to watch a product that is lacking in quality? It would be like saying there should be a football league where lineman can’t way more than 200 pounds and quarterbacks can’t have the arm strength to throw the ball more than 30 yards.
Another thing that bothers me is that the league is for people who aren’t athletic enough to play in the NBA. But Moose restricts these people to one race: white. There are plenty of basketball players, even in the NBA, who “play like” white guys. They pass really well, they shoot really well, and they don’t’ ‘wow’ anyone with there athletic ability. Players like Reggie Miller come to mind. On the other side, there are white players who are very good athletes and can jump out of the gym. So who’s to say that a black guy that shoots really well and plays “white” basketball couldn’t fit in this league and play the same way as everyone else?
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After hearing the story about Moose wanting to start the all white basketball league I was a little bit surprised. Surprised that someone would even try something like this and think that it was not going to be so protested that it would not be allowed. The idea that Moose has is not a bad idea however it could use some tweaking. For instance he should open it up to any person who is interested in playing this style of basketball, after all there are black people that cannot make it to the NBA also. If he did this, the league would face much less scrutiny than it currently is. The fact that he thinks this league will be a hit among fans however is absolutely outrageous, the reason NBA players are paid so much is because that is what fans want to see. If people wanted to watch middle-aged mediocre athletes play they can see that at any neighborhood recreation center on any given day. Watching one of these games might be interesting for a couple minutes however would definitely lose it’s luster very quickly. The NBA is a very tough road for White Americans considering they make up only about half of the league, however most of the players who cannot make it take their talents overseas. I think Moose’s league would have a tough time attracting these players since overseas teams often pay attractive salaries and have top-notch amenities. Also it seems like this would be a little objectifying to play in, it seems like he is trying to make a joke of sorts with this league, and it would almost be embarrassing to play in.
I do admit that there are some white players that have amazing skills and do not get a professional shot. Take Gerry McNamara for instance he had an amazing ability to shoot long three point shots and was also a good leader and point guard, however he was never able to break through in the NBA. While Moose in considering players like this with this league, I think he forgets that there are black players that meet this very same fate. If it is nostalgia that Moose wants with this league he should try having the players wear short shorts or taking away the three point line, these would be much better ways of bringing back old times to the fans than restricting non whites. Overall I think that this is a pretty stupid idea the way that Moose presents it, personally I think is crazy for thinking that this idea will be successful. This league is nothing that anyone should worry about however because it will probably never make it. Either the heat by race organizations or the lack of fans it will undoubtedly have will bring it down eventually.
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HA!, this guy is a joke. Listen here Moose. It is blatantly obvious that this guy is extremely racist. After reading the statement about NBA players carrying guns and fighting in the stands it was pretty damn clear. Everyone will be able to see through his smokescreen. Although he may be trying to hide that fact by saying it is for the white players to be able to make a living, there is no hiding his true intentions. His underlying statement was that the well behaved white players who are role models should have their on league. And he thinks the people of color in the NBA are all drug selling, lazy, gun toting gangsters. In a league dominated by players of color, with the majority of the players being colored, the chances of someone getting in trouble being colored is also going to be high. Simple math. Someone check him into the nearest mental hospital. I mean basketball is dominated by people of color, that is a fact. That goes for other sports as well. Sometimes maybe you feel bad for the less athletic white boys since they cannot always compete, but this is the way it is, and I am not complaining. But there is no need for another league of all white players. Face it, that would be extremely boring. No one would even watch that league when they can watch exciting players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the NBA. The players of color are the only reasons to watch the games, and even then I find the NBA rather boring. If there were no colored players in the NFL, I probably would not have turned out to be the hardcore Tennessee Titans fan that I am (*cough*Chris Johnson*cough*) Go ahead, let the man dream, the fact is that it will never happen, and even if it did happen, no one would watch it. This was a disgrace to hear what he had to say, and I hope nobody every takes anything he ever says again seriously. Let us go start the "less athletic" league" and expect it to become popular. What the heck is he smoking. Colored players dominate most sports, take them to new levels, and make them worth watching. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is probably the best thing that has ever happened in the sports world. Maybe he can redirect his effort into keeping people of color from taking over hockey. Because we all know, if more people of color played hockey when they were younger, they would be dominating that sport as well. I cannot believe this guy was 100% serious. White basketball league? I mean really?
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This response is going to be racked by opinion, but truly and honestly, I can’t believe this shit. I mean really, I can’t stop laughing at the fact that this is actually happening. I realize that the point could be brought about that there is a demand for niche market programs, but this certainly does not seem to be the case. Moose’s blatant racist remarks aside, who the hell wants to see an all-white basketball league? Fundamentally sound? Priceless.
Look all I’m saying is that if you’re going to try and open something for a specific market, you better be sure that market actually exists. Not to knock the athletic talents of my own race, but nobody wants to watch a league where the players are simply worse and slower. What’s the point? People barely give a shit about the WNBA for the same reason, what makes Moose think any differently?
Sorry this just really bothers me. It has taken our country a long time to reach the point of relatively racism free athletics. Compare us to European soccer, which some of us may remember from one of Sam’s earlier blog posts; we have come a long way. I just don’t think because a few players in the NBA have become less that acceptable role models we should start taking huge leaps backward. Moose is right about one thing, the NBA needs to get its shit together. Players need to be reined in for unacceptable behavior, and should be obeying by stricter rules of conduct. However I refuse to believe that its problems are caused by the fact that the majority of players are black. Take the NFL for instance; while the population may not be as overwhelmingly black and brown as the NBA, it is still easy to say that blacks and browns make a up a large portion of the players. That being said, they don’t exactly have the same hooliganism (for lack of a better word) that is apparent in the NBA. It’s not the color of the players skin, it is the attitude instilled in them by the league they play for and their coaches. It’s the nature of the sport if you will; NFL is a highly disciplined league (not that some players don’t have issues), where as the NBA has some things it could improve on.
I have no problem with people doing things that some may construe as racist for marketing reasons, such as Moose’s alleged reason (case in point, an African American beauty pageant). I do have a problem with people doing things like this when they can barely try to sell it with a straight face. On the other hand, I do love my basketball fundamentals!
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I never thought of such a thing. As stated, many people would not and should not pay to see these men play. I was wondering what kind of audience they would draw, or if they would bring a crowd at all. I guess this is mostly because most of the top players or most popular players in the NBA are not white (the vast majority). So what attracts the large audience seems to be what Moose is turning away from. Maybe it is not for the audience, but for the players. I am curious about the demand for this style of basketball. Apparently, there is one if he thinks this a good idea. Anyways, if they want to play a traditional brand of basketball that is cool but maybe they should not say it is just a white thing. Promoting exclusivity, I think, is what CAN make this racist. If it all about the way the game is played then race should not matter. And I understand the "niche" idea, but calling it "white only" is wrong. Maybe it will naturally attract a mostly white folks, but you cannot say others are not allowed. The door should be open because once you close you have to find a reason to explain why it is. Usually there is not a valid one or one that does not seem racist. Moose does not seem to validate the closing of the door, either.
I really did not like the quote from Moose. It is never fair to generalize. What I mean is that Moose is saying something like "oh ALL of today's NBA players bring these problems". Wrong. And unfair. I also was confused when I read the quote because I thought it was about the style of playing, but when issues like "guns" and "attacking fans in the stands" was brought up I did not get the feeling it was about style anymore.
My last thought rests on the idea of going back to the "traditional" way the game was played. I can kind of understand this. I mean the game has changed a lot. But, I did not attribute this to race or think that the way to get back to the tradition was to have a "white only" league. I wonder if Moose considers such players as Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan can play the "traditional" game. Or does this style go back before their time. What about Abdul-Jabbar? He began playing in '69? Also, I do not remember these players bringing the problems Moose found in today's basketball. I am just trying t figure out what this style of game that he wants is exactly. I think I would need to better understand Moose's idea and goals.
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It's kinda sad that despite all the progress we've made in the way of Race Relations that someone can still spout this sort of stuff with a straight face. I mean, there's absolutely no coming back from those kinds of statements. Obviously I'm well aware that racism hasn't gone anywhere just yet, but it's a shame to see it so publicly flaunted. On the bright side, after this has been released, it's hard to imagine he'll have very many viewers. I can't imagine that many people are going to be interested in advertising with a racially exclusive sports league. Which begs the question, where exactly was he hoping this would go?
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When you first read this article your first inclination is to cry racist and to label this man as ignorant and hateful. I do think this man is ignorant, but I do not think he is hateful. This man is trying to solve the problem of his player’s inadequate skill by blaming it on race. It is like he is starting to make a second string basketball team, but instead of calling it that, he is calling it "an all white team". This man is only buying into a stereotype that all black people are good at basketball. Instead of having an all white team, maybe have a team with certain height and weight restrictions to make the game more “fair”
Another Issue that I think this team will have is that no one will want to watch a team that is less skilled and less competitive. This all white team is basically being made because some people feel they can’t compete with the skilled NBA players; but their skill is why they are so popular. People are not going to buy tickets to see this white team play, unless the tickets are cheaper or there are no good movies out. No one goes to watch the second string teams play, people want the competitiveness and the skill.
When He try’s to justify his team by claiming he is just filling a nice, I don’t think he is thickening about how this will make other people feel. This team is excluding people based only on color. This is something that people are born with and cannot change. There is even the requirement that both of the player’s parents must be US born citizens. I do not know what “nice” he is trying to fill, but it seems like a racist one. The NAACP is upset about this, and I feel they have a right to be. No one likes to be excluded, especially on a subject as sensitive as race.
Finally, I wonder what would be the reaction if an all-Asian team were to be created. I do not think people would be as offended if Asians, or another minority group such as American Indians wanted to create such a team. I think since there has been so much tensions betweens blacks and whites in the past, doing anything to segregate people brings back memories of resentment. Blacks were segregated for so long, they do not want to feel as if we are digressing in our progress towards equality. In sports, people are picked on the basis of the skill, not on the color or there skin, and I still think this is the way it should be. Sports should not be based on color, but skill and enjoyment.
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I’ve been a basketball fan all my life and I don’t really find this racist. I watch the NBA because it displays the best players the world has to offer. I don’t think of skin color, but rather skill level. However, I find it interesting that my mom who has been in the business world for over thirty years thinks the NBA is racist. She feels that how is it fair that in the business world it is alright to have affirmative action, but in the NBA or any other professional sport for that matter, it is dominated by mostly black players. I have personally no problem with it now (since I realized my dreams of becoming a professional basketball player are hopeless). I realize that black athletes are usually better than white athletes since they’re more prone to having an athletic build. Yet in professional sports, why is it alright to not have a quota of different races represented?
I think Don “Moose” Lewis is just trying to profit from a controversial business. He realizes it’s a debatable topic, but he’s looking to make money. He doesn’t honestly care what people from the NAACP think. I agree with Lewis in the fact that the NBA has gone too far. Players have become too flashy and are out of control. I hate going to the courts and playing a pick-up game with black players that think they’re Kobe Bryant when in reality they can’t hit a shot if they’re life depended on it. I also realize that black players are more prone to pass to other black players than to white ones. They probably think that because I’m white I don’t know how to play basketball and because they’re black they obviously do. However, I’ve been playing all my life and I’ve beaten black players countless times. A majority of black players think they should be on AND1 Mixtape Tour and they have amazing handles. The game of basketball was built on fundamental skills. Sure I like to see flashy play and nice moves as much as the next guy, but that’s a whole different kind of game. Most black players play street ball as opposed to organized ball because they like to alter the rules. That’s fine, but I personally like the way basketball was originally invented. I feel like this white league won’t display as much talent as talent as the NBA, but the game play will be fundamental and basic.
Although I don’t see this proposed idea as racist, I definitely can see why some black people can be offended. There are no sports out there where people of a certain race aren’t allowed to play. This game will be segregating black players who might want to play. It isn’t fair that they’re immediately turned down because the color of their skin. However, the world is an unfair place and if Don “Moose” Lewis wants to start this league, so be it.
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As a person that loves Basketball, there are many things that are wrong with this. The first thing is that statistically, African Americans are better then Whites at basketball. A clear example is the NBA, where the last purely White icon in the NBA was Larry Bird. Keep in mind though, that the NBA is NOT a black league. And while there are players like David Lee and Chris Kaman, who are All-Stars in their own right, they do not match up to the stature of Larry Bird. Does this mean that th NBA is racist, NO….it just means that other players are marketable. Bird was a very marketable figure. Also, yes, the game has changed, due to the influence of hip-hop, hence tattoos and such. However, if a white player felt that they was uncomfortable then they wouldnt have played. However, the "tradition" of the game hasn't changed…the rules are the same, the premise (throw the ball in the basket) is the same as well. Flashy things (like dunks and crossovers) come with the times, where people get bored of the "old-school" style of play and want some flashiness. And players have adapted (an example is the dunk contest, something not "fundamental", but you have participants like Chris Andersen, Tom Chambers (who won once) and Brent Barry, who have participated). And one cannot say that players are not fundamental. The San Antonio Spurs play the MOST fundamental basketball in the League today. The con with playing fundamental basketball is that it is boring to watch. The lowest rated NBA finals in history were the ones the Spurs were in. However they get results.
With his comment about "players fighting in the stands (2004) and bringing guns to the arena", my question to you would be, "What if it was Kirk Keinrich or David Lee?" Just because one player does something, does NOT mean that the entire race has done it. And if you really want to look back at history, lets talk about each aspect. Kurt Rambis (Former LA Laker) got into so many fights in his career, Shawn Bradley as well. So to generalize a situation over a few incidents is wrong. He says that the NBA players are not good role models…..however…an athlete should NOT be a role model. I know it sounds a little far fetched, but an NBA player or any sports player are idolized but should NOT be seen as role models.
I just feel that he was wrong in his statement. If he IS serious about this league I can guarantee you it will not be successful, not because there are all-white players, but because a lot of the flashiness would be gone. This is 2010, not 1960. Get with the times.
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After reading this article, it seems that the man is racist, but not necessarily just because of his idea to start an all white basketball league, but more because of the comments he made. Although funny, and pretty ridiculous, the idea of an all white basketball league by itself could be viewed as similar to other race affiliated programs. Although, it would discriminate against anyone who isn’t white, I guess in comparison it is no more racist than events like the “Miss Black Penn State” pageant which was mentioned in a comment above. However, I personally don’t see why it is necessary for an all white basketball league to be enacted when white players could play in the professional league and I think that Lewis’s intentions in creating the league are in fact racist. It hard to believe that after all the effort made in the past to join together segregated sports, that today people are trying to create all white teams again.
However, where I find Lewis to be offensive and very racist is in his comments made concerning his reasoning for starting the league. To say that players, and I assume he is talking about black and brown players here, carry guns and attack fans in the stands is a stereotypical, racist comment which in essence is generalizing all black and brown players as gun carrying, violent people. If he truly is starting up the basketball league to make money because he believes there would be a market for all white sporting events, although I think I’d have to disagree, then he shouldn’t be justifying the league, with racist comments such as the ones he made. I think that by saying such things, his racist mentality is clearly shown, regardless of how much he tries to claim that his reasoning for starting the league is not racist.
I also like how on the video, the representative from the NAACP stated that he hoped that Americans would show that they won’t endorse this type of racism in America. I equally hope that Americans wouldn’t support such obvious discrimination today, however I have to wonder. Although the racism present in America today is nothing compared to what it used to be, it obviously still exists, just in subtle ways. Therefore I would be curious, and anxious to actually see how many people would support an all white basketball team, that openly discriminates based on race and citizenship. I would love to say that there would be very few supporters, but if a man such as Lewis is willing to go through all the trouble of starting an entire minor league team, so that white players can play by themselves, then I wonder how many people actually would attend or watch the game.
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WOW… that is the first word that came to my head while reading this article and watching the video clip. It is 2010 and Moose is acting as though we still have segregation. I can see his point of filling a niche, but I think he isn’t filling it correctly. I suck at basketball so I know where his concern is for people who are not great at the sport, but not all these people are white. I am positive that there are plenty of black and brown people who suck just as bad in basketball as most white men and women. I honestly think Moose is creating this league to antagonize racism. I think he is a true racist and creating this league to make racism in America more prevalent and abundant.
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