[Microbetter]

If you have a sports team whose fans are mostly white and you try to diversify by trying to attract more minorities, that's ok. But if your fan base is mostly black and you try to attract more affluent, or corporate whites, then you are a racist. He should of had a private meeting to discuss this matter.

[recon1]

Atlanta Hawks controlling owner Bruce Levenson has self-reported to the NBA that he sent a racist e-mail in August 2012 and will sell his interest in the team.

Levenson reported the e-mail to the NBA in July, almost two years after it was sent but while the league was deep in litigation over the now-completed sale of the Los Angeles Clippers. The investigation was ongoing when Levenson decided to leave the team.

The e-mail, to Hawks President Danny Ferry, details Levenson's belief that the Hawks' fan base was too heavily African-American. (Scroll down for full text of the e-mail.)

"I wrote an e-mail two years ago that was inappropriate and offensive," Levenson said in a Hawks news release Sunday morning. "I trivialized our fans by making clichéd assumptions about their interests (i.e., hip hop vs. country, white vs. black cheerleaders, etc.) and by stereotyping their perceptions of one another (i.e., that white fans might be afraid of our black fans). By focusing on race, I also sent the unintentional and hurtful message that our white fans are more valuable than our black fans."

Levenson was one of the strongest critics among owners of Donald Sterling, the Clippers owner who was recorded making racist comments and quickly banned for life from the league.

This email was marketing 101.

[R.P. McMurphy]

Wow some people need to step back, stop being such sensitive little b#tches when it comes to race issues. Nothing at all racist about that statement simply a business observation. We hear this all the time almost on a daily basis with the blacks crying. Not enough bruthas playing Qb, getting coach jobs, ownership etc . What's the difference?

[eidolon]

Any sports owner that is over 60 years old, could be outed as a racist at some point.

[R.P. McMurphy]

This "business model" is used probably alot more than people think. Is it racist? =no , is it profiling? = yes and nothing wrong with profiling just means you are aware and don't have your head in the sand. For ex I used to work part time as a bouncer for a few years. And it was discussed "in code" you could say since people get offended too easy. But the clubs know if a club gets too dark then issues follow. Women feel uncomfortable , pissed off wait staff and bartenders serving up high dollar overpriced "baller" drinks to dudes with wads of cash and not getting tipped, fights, shootings , cops etc. Bad for business then all the good customers of all colors get scared away and you even start getting the talk from law enforcement about tighten this up or we will take further action. Then you gotta start wanding at the door, telling the dj to tone it down with the hip hop and none of the gangster garbage. Even Chris Rock a well respected black man in his community acknowledged it in his "niggas fukk everything up" bit which is hilarious and so true....grand opening ...grand closing lol.

[Cuse0323]

He knew exactly what he was doing. As he turned himself into league offices. Maybe a fast way for him to sell

Absolutely has to be.

Nothing he said was unreasonable. Basic stuff but some will run with a few lines and take it out of context.

He probably just realized it's a lost cause and he can't improve upon the brand of the team. He said nothing racist.

[Cuse0323]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/08/opinio...hawks-bigotry/

A great article...calls him a hypocrite yet contradicts herself throughout. I love this line..

"And more important, they are shrewd businessmen who understand that in today's global economy, a company that doesn't not have the cultural intelligence to build a diverse customer base will fail."

I think he was trying to do that. It just happened to be the other way around so that's unacceptable, of course!

[R.P. McMurphy]

Funny story was working one night doing a "white linen party" which is where mostly black folks probably 90% anyway get all dressed up in their white duds and have a party. Anyway they would always do it on a Sunday night. So bar is dead pretty anyhow except for their party. The bossman would ask a couple of us security guys to come in and work it. Now after already working a couple of them myself and knowing overall they weren't too bad my boy I'm working with who is a pretty large black man who is no punk looks at me his first night working one and says "bro I gotta tell you as a black man I'm even feeling a little uneasy and on edge tonight"

[GUMMO77]

[R.P. McMurphy]

Just read that article Cuse good grief. Typical how so many people's perception of racism is so sensitive and often full of hypocrisy. Guess it's been working all these years tho pretty good so just keep going back to the well and playing that race card to try and get ahead. I don't care how much white guilt these writers or our rotten media try shoving down my throat I'm not buying! If this were flipped obviously and it were a black owner or gm stating we need to get more inner city kids of color in here it's too white. Espn would probably run a heartfelt 20/20 story on it asking what's wrong with our society and how can we fix this "problem" and devise a plan to get more black kids into games. Smh

[EaglesPhan36]

I think they got it wrong. Ferry should be gone. Owner should stick around. Ferry seems like the real racist in all this with his horrid comments. Owner was telling some truths.

[TwoWays]

Magic Johnson tweeted that Danny ferry should be gone. This guy..lol. This fckn environment we living in with letting little bitches like Johnson interfer in other peoples business is laughable.

[Big Bear]

Look everybody hates everybody.

this is a win at all cost shit or get off the pot society we live in.

fukk the whites and the blacks. If we want to be successful we must be more like the asians.

[jjgold]

Like I said who cares

If you don't like a certain race you should have the freedom to say it in public

Blacks are the most racist people in the world

[Deuce]

Nothing at all racist or bigoted in his email. Fukk the media. Fukk cnn, fukk espn. Fukk the NBA.

[jjgold]

Deuce on a roll

People that watch television are usually uneducated especially people watching sports

[R.P. McMurphy]

Is what it is but if you have a good pulse on society like I do you know what's up. Even good black folks and there are plenty know what's really up and just want out and the best for their families.. Just so frustrating the media types are the same ones in white America moving further into the burbs and on the edge of city limits or further out into the country to get away from all the crap and get their kids into whiter schools. Yet speak on these stories like "what does he mean whites are afraid of blacks" that's racist , how offensive rabble rabble rabble ( little South Park humor). We're fukked and the clowns leading this ship are pointing us right toward disaster let's face it.

[R.P. McMurphy]

Just real talk is all going on here with the Hawks guys. I'm all about keeping it real and got plenty of friends from all walks. Fact is not long ago had a talk with my niece about dating she's a teenager now and I layed it out for her. Told her it's really hard to find a genuine good guy period. However if you want the best odds stay away from black guys. There are good black guys but the odds go way down.

Sorry just the way it is not in my control it's a cultural problem and most are not raised with fathers and don't respect or know how to treat women and become real men. If she were to find that rare gem and bring home a black guy who was a gentlemen I would have no problem with it at all. So how is that racist? It's not just being informed and aware of your surroundings or a survival instinct. Love some of these dumb white broads these days that say well we're all people and all the same. Yeah sweetheart but Nissans and Chevys are both cars too....doesn't mean they are the same and have equal time, quality, and resources put into their development. Now have fun with all those babies!

[CWD]

are chris paul and blake griffin going to have problems sleeping again after hearing these comments ?

[thechaoz]

Yawn

[CWD]

i was watching numbers never lie on BET and they seemed pretty biased

[BCC585]

Magic Johnson tweeted that Danny ferry should be gone. This guy..lol. This fckn environment we living in with letting little bitches like Johnson interfer in other peoples business is laughable.

Johnson has officially become the Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson of the NBA.

[manny24]

Magic needs to shut tha fukk up for a minute

going to take Ferry's job away FOR WHAT??!??!??!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!

Tony Stewart taught a kid a lesson that ended his life less than 1 rent check ago and he's still racing

and folks at these race tracks are standing up and cheering on lap 14 now

wish i was kidding

fukkin disgraceful

i hope that boy's father can sleep at night

[King Mayan]

Deuce on a roll

People that watch television are usually uneducated especially people watching sports

Deuces tv is on Fox News 24/7 homeboy.

[AimePor]

But on the real we are all a little racist we just dont make it public.

Yes we are and the ones who refuse to accept this are even worse

[jjgold]

Magic Johnson one of the biggest racists in America

People laugh at his race

[manny24]

Deuces tv is on Fox News 24/7 homeboy.

coming from the polesmoker that's got the dial locked on the NAMBLA channel



unreal

2 subscribers you and Benny Mayan you deer antler snorting gym queen

[King Mayan]

Nambla???

Now I'm really worried for Ash$$$

Manny you need help lil homie..

[bigtymer56]

It's like the hateful life forces of Rifleman and Phillyflyers have come and taken over Sbr posters.

[jjgold]

Say what you want about blacks

Who cares

Anything goes

[tony_come]

Only a dumb person would want to buy the Atlanta hawks. Not a good business descision

[jjgold]

Atlanta is a dump of the city I would never live there

It's basically a black racist city

[Big Bear]

Yes we are and the ones who refuse to accept this are even worse

exactly. 99% of white people feel unsafe when they drive into a section of town and they look around and all they see is black people walking around on the streets.

for some reason black people are always walking around the neighborhood and congregating in big groups in the driveway sitting on front porches etc... sometimes even congregating in the middle of the road in neighborhoods. Its gives us black a bad name when we act like this.

its the culture for many though, so many black worried about keeping it real. its also why its easier for black people to get away with being drug dealers. If white people hung out in big groups in peoples driveways and walked 10 deep down the street with baggy pants and jerseys on then the cops would be on them like white on rice.

[AimePor]

exactly. 99% of white people feel unsafe when they drive into a section of town and they look around and all they see is black people walking around on the streets.

for some reason black people are always walking around the neighborhood and congregating in big groups in the driveway sitting on front porches etc... sometimes even congregating in the middle of the road in neighborhoods. Its gives us black a bad name when we act like this.

its the culture for many though, so many black worried about keeping it real. its also why its easier for black people to get away with being drug dealers. If white people hung out in big groups in peoples driveways and walked 10 deep down the street with baggy pants and jerseys on then the cops would be on them like white on rice.

I just think this is not racism but more sounds like stereotyped thinking

[GIVEMETHEMONEY]

The black players do not have to work for that team.

If they think they are smarter than a 10th grade education then they can go into business for themselves or choose another occupation!!

Just remember a lot of white owner provided the venue that gave a lot of black athletes the chance to become millionaires.

Quit your damn PC world about race. Good grief. This is the only country with a race issue problem!

Get over it people!