Can an NBA team be too white?

[Deberg_1990]

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish...lves-too-white



Are Minnesota Timberwolves Too White?


Minnesota Timberwolves fans may notice something different about their team this year. In a league in which American-born black players made up 75 percent of roster spots in 2011, the Timberwolves will have an opening-day roster comprising just 33 percent black players (five out of 15).

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, this year's squad will be the league's whitest since the 1980s Boston Celtics.


Is that a problem?

Some civil rights leaders in Minneapolis think so. Tyrone Terrell, chairman of St. Paul's African American leadership council, told the Star-Tribune that he thinks the unbalanced roster could be seen as a ploy by the ownership to sell the team to a majority-white fan base.

"How did we get a roster that resembles the 1955 Lakers?" Terrell said to the Star-Tribune. "I think everything is a strategy. Nothing happens by happenstance."

Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn called the allegations "patently false."

Indeed, while the team lacks as many African-American players as most other squads, the Timberwolves are still quite diverse. Five of their ten white players were born outside of the United States.

Brandon Roy, projected to be the team's only black starter, says the color of his teammates doesn't faze him.

"It's just basketball," Roy said. "I never really had to feel like I'm the only black guy out here. I've played on teams that maybe had all black guys and the feeling is just the same when I'm out there on the floor playing with these guys."

Ron Edwards, a longtime Minneapolis civil rights advocate, told the Star-Tribune that it was "somewhat disturbing" when he saw a game last season in which Wes Johnson was the only black player on the floor for the Timberwolves. The composition of this season's roster has prompted Edwards to react even stronger.

"It raises some real questions to me about what's really intended," Edwards said. "I think, personally, that it was calculated. Is this an attempt to get fans back in the stands? Minnesota, after all, is a pretty white state.''

Edwards added that the Timberwolves' roster decisions are a "nullification of diversity and a reversal of history."

Kahn said the Timberwolves targeted two black players as free agents during the summer. But Portland matched Minnesota's offer to Nicolas Batum, and Jordan Hill opted to re-sign with the Lakers at less money for a better chance to win a championship.

"What if Batum and Hill were here?" Kahn said.

[ModSocks]

Tyrone Terrell, kindly go **** yourself. People like you are part of the problem.

[dirk digler]

If they don't want to suck then yes.

[blaise]

Tyrone Terrell seems like a bigot.

[Rain Man]

So it's a strategy to make the majority of the league black, and not happenstance? Because as Mr. Terrell points out, nothing happens by happenstance (which, if true, makes one wonder what strategy led to the creation of the word 'happenstance').

Methinks there are bigger battles for these gentlemen to fight beyond the fact that black players are merely significantly overrepresented on the roster and not drastically overrepresented.

[siberian khatru]

[ModSocks]

Tyrone is so full of fail. He indirectly labeled the entire state racists by claiming that the fan base will respond to an all white team.

It seems like he forgot that some of the biggest and most idolized stars that state has had in the last 10 years have been black.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Tyrone is so full of fail. He indirectly labeled the entire state racists by claiming that the fan base will respond to an all white team.

It seems like he forgot that some of the biggest and most idolized stars that state has had in the last 10 years have been black.

I remember when Culpepper would throw to Moss and the stadium would be dead silent, and then they'd all start cheering when Gus Frerotte threw it to Jim Kleinsasser.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I remember when Culpepper would throw to Moss and the stadium would be dead silent, and then they'd all start cheering when Gus Frerotte threw it to Jim Kleinsasser.

I know this is a joke, but this brings up an interesting point.

Why do Packer fans yell "KUUUHHHN" everytime he catches a 2 yard dumpoff and waddles for 3 yards? That's not racism, but they clearly like the guy because he's big, fat, and white just like them.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by SNR

I know this is a joke, but this brings up an interesting point.

Why do Packer fans yell "KUUUHHHN" everytime he catches a 2 yard dumpoff and waddles for 3 yards? That's not racism, but they clearly like the guy because he's big, fat, and white just like them.

or when Chief fans cheered for Boomer Grigsby

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by SNR

I know this is a joke, but this brings up an interesting point.

Why do Packer fans yell "KUUUHHHN" everytime he catches a 2 yard dumpoff and waddles for 3 yards? That's not racism, but they clearly like the guy because he's big, fat, and white just like them.

My theory is that people like to yell names with an 'oo' sound. (Is that a soft u or a hard u, by the way?)

You go to a Springsteen concert and the fans yell, "Bruuuuuuuuuce". REM fans don't yell, "Michaeeeeeeeeee".

You watch a Giants game and when Cruz catches a pass they yell "Cruuuuuuuuz". They don't yell, "Niiiiiiiiick" when Hakeem catches a pass.

Packers? "Kuuuuuuuuuuhn", not "Staaaaaaarks".

When Elvis Dumervil makes a sack, Broncos fans yell, "Elway!" because they're stupid, so that doesn't really count, but they should be yelling "Duuuuuuuum".

If Matt Cassel's name was Stu, he would be popular, because fans would want to yell, "Stuuuuuuuuu."

Seriously, if you want your child to become a popular entertainer, you would be well served by naming him or her something with an 'ooooo' sound.

[Old Dog]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

If Matt Cassel's name was Stu, he would be popular, because fans would want to yell, "Stuuuuuuuuu."

I've heard people yell for Marc Castle, but it's more like, "Looooooooooser".
Is that close enough?

[ChiefsCountry]

Guess they need to trade Love and Rubio.
Posted via Mobile Device

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Guess they need to trade Love and Rubio.
Posted via Mobile Device

Exactly.

Wes Johnson was our starting 2 last year, and sometimes played the 3. He sucked ****ing shit. That's why we got rid of him and signed Andrei Kirilenko, who will be much better.

Also, this Tyrone Terrell guy apparently lives in Minneapolis, but doesn't realize that the city isn't any more white than any other midwestern metropolitan city like Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, etc.

The Star Tribune article by Terrell is utter bullshit. I'm glad everybody is blasting this asshole.

[Rausch]

Only if you're cheering for them...