*I was going to blog about Obama's 3.8 trillion dollar budget tonight, and about the republicans chirping about our children's future. (Like they really care.) But then I got an e-mail from a regular reader who wanted to know what I thought about a little problem that they are having up at one of our suburban high schools. (His alma mater no less)
Oh boy, how do I present this one? Alright folks, it's like this: It seems that some of the black parents of the high school basketball team are pissed because their kids aren't getting enough playing time. As a result, they are threatening a lawsuit.
I don't know; my racism meter isn't going up with this one. Why would a coach jeopardise his chances of winning by not playing his best players? So he thinks the best players happen to be white. Hello black people! You aren't the only ones who can play basketball. Have you ever heard of a fellow named Larry Bird? I am sorry, I smell an overly protective parent with this one. Of course I don't live in the area, so I am not familiar with the every day racial dynamic up there. But man this seems like a stretch.
Story by Mike Cabrey and Christiaan DeFranco
"FRANCONIA — A group of North Penn parents, angry over their kids' lack of playing time on the boys basketball team, will seek action from the school board as early as Monday and will file an anti-discrimination lawsuit if the board doesn't meet its demands.The group, led by Eric Stephens, wants North Penn coach Ron Hassler to both start and give significant minutes to five black players — Sheldon Stephens, Blair Alston, Thomas Scott, Dexter Shy and Janeus Somers — for every game the rest of the season.Otherwise, the group will name Hassler, the North Penn School District, principal Burton Hynes, athletic director Don Ryan and possibly others in a lawsuit alleging racism."Why not name everybody? ... They're all complicit," Eric Stephens said Friday night after North Penn's 53-36 loss at Souderton. "The black players have not been given anything approaching a fair opportunity to play this season.
All we want is fairness."Somers' family is not on board with the other parents and would not be involved in a suit."I've been coaching 26 years and, believe me, I put the best players out on the floor," Hassler said. "It has nothing to do with race."I love every player on this team, they're all great kids," Hassler said. "There isn't one kid I wouldn't take home to spend a weekend with my family. ... I feel really bad because there are kids being put in a situation they shouldn't have to handle and make decisions about."Hassler, whose brother Robert is the district superintendant until he retires Feb. 15, added that on North Penn's JV squad, for which he also determines who starts and who doesn't, six black players get the majority of the on-court minutes over four white players.
On Thursday, the Stephens-led group already made its demands for the varsity squad known in a meeting that involved principal Hynes, Ryan and the players in question. They had a similar meeting with assistant superintendent Curtis Deitrich. If those playing-time demands weren't met in the Souderton game Friday, four of the players (all except Somers) were planning to walk off the court in protest.Stephens even contacted NBC 10 News, which sent a reporter and film crew to the game. But the plan was scrapped after Hassler caught wind of it and told his players that anyone who walked off would be dismissed from the team." [More here]
Hmmm, not exactly the Greensboro Four are they. I don't know, if I were the parents of these kids I would be telling them to keep hitting their books and not the backboards. I am guessing that they will have a much better chance at an academic scholarship than an athletic one. But that's just me.
Sometimes my man racism likes to f%*k with me. He dresses someone else up to look like him and sits back in the cut to see what I will do. He wants to see if I will take the bait and chase his look-alike. Sorry "R", I have been chasing you long enough to know when it's really you. I am not going to chase your decoy. I am getting too old for that. I have to pick my chases wisely.
Thanks for the story Walter.
*Pic from the North Penn Reporter.
61 comments:
I were the parents of these kids
thank god you didn't breed
Field,
This is why your blog has so many record breaking views. So take that middle finger you flipped up, stick it in butter, and sit on it. Cause bro, it ain't anything you are writing about. It's a few key regulars and a handful of anons. Not sure I would be braggin; man.
Oh the trolls... That's what you get for allowing stupid white people to post their continuous shit on your blog.
26 years and he is just now showing a racist slant?
-fo/farman
You mean thank God they cannot breed.
Yes farman, I am with you on this one, it sounds like he needs some shooters on the team. Did you see the score in the last game they lost?
respponseto915, you are either the clown from Philly or Canada with the serious man crush on moi. (If you are from Philly do not come near me I will have you arrested :))I don't really feel like checking who you are, it's really not that serious. Still, I am going to go ahead and delete your comments, not bcause of anything you said, but just because I can.
Anon. 9:15 pm, we welcome all views here, even trolls. That's how you learn about your neighbors.:)
I am in love with you FN and I live up the street. I wondered how long it would take for you to find me. You actually know me well.
But until you censor your blog, I will be here posting. Yes, you can delete me comments, but gosh, you work during the day, how will you then?
Just curious??
xoxo
If all these parents want for their kids is more time to play basketball, give the kids a ball and send them to the playground. Let 'em play all day.
But what the parents really want is a chance to brag that their kids scored the winning goal.
Pride concerns what you think of yourself. Vanity concerns what others think of you.
Even if the black players were more talented, it doesn't always make for the best team. Sometimes the most gifted players can also be the most selfish. A good team needs good chemistry, and sometimes a collection of individuals, no matter how talented, doesn't have the chemistry.
Check out Seven Devil Dead Blog. Very stimulating.
"No artificial additives or preservatives. May contain traces of nuts. Serve chilled. Product not suitable for small children or the intellectually backward. Ingredients: Indonesian (50%), Anglo (50%)"
Eurasian, talkin about nuts and children. you sound like a perv and I bet you like children, huh. Half indo and half Ango huh. You look like one of them crazy AIDS face lookin lizards. You crawl my blood dude.
those parents could have stayed in the black neighborhood and used their skills to make the school in the black neighborhood good enough for their kids instead of running after those white people and trying to make them let your kids take over the team they payed for to give their children a chance to play. black people need to stop chasing after white people and fix their own schools and neighborhoods.
You know, field, there's no shame in requiring one of those ID-ing mechanisms for your comments. It might cut down on the anonymous crazies.
Just a thought.
bitwtican,
Black folk have been in that district as long as white folk. Until a few years ago they would have been chasing farmers.
How strange. I have never heard of a coach who would rather lose than play his best players for any reason. Coaches are usually fanatical about winning at any price.
So, is it possible that black parents can be just as pissy and act just as spoiled about their kids extracurricular activity involvement as white parents?
Well I wasn't really feeling the racism angle until the coach said this: "There isn't one kid I wouldn't take home to spend a weekend with my family. ... "
That reminds me of that Justice of the Peace in Louisiana that wouldn't marry interracial couples but said he had Black people over to his house all of the time.
Why waste time with a law suit? Just put your kids in another school, perferably in the same league as that one, and then go back there and smoke their asses. On another note, our kids play too much f'n basketball anyway. The focus should be on their education and how they can benefit their families and the race. We need more doctors, lawyers and engineers, not rappers and atheletes.
AbuAmirah
The black players probably just suck. The black player's parents are just in disbelief that those white kids are better than their children at basketball. Because no coach would play sorry students over good ones just because of race. Not in this day in age. I'm plenty sure that there are many prejudice coaches in the collegiate and professional level but they're going to go with what wins because it benefits them. I'm sure this coach would do the same. But I'm with you though, the parent's encourage them to excel in something else like math or science.
Speaking of science, have any of you heard the story of Henrietta Lacks? The black woman who's cells never died. Her cells were the first immortal human cells ever grown; which helped to develop many of today's vaccinations, among other things.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Henrietta-Lacks-Immortal-Cells.html
Nina Simone said..
Speaking of science, have any of you heard the story of Henrietta Lacks? The black woman who's cells never died. Her cells were the first immortal human cells ever grown; which helped to develop many of today's vaccinations, among other things.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
One of my first lab gigs 20+ years ago involved using HeLa cells. Of course, the story I was told then was that they originated from a cancer patient named Helen Lane, but I learned in the early 90's that that story was untrue.
Nina, I just read about her. That is interesting stuff.
SS, thanks for that tid bit as well.
"You know, field, there's no shame in requiring one of those ID-ing mechanisms for your comments. It might cut down on the anonymous crazies.
Just a thought."
Yeah but RT what would they do without us? Go out and molest some kid, throw stones at little old black ladies, or deface a synagogue with Nazi symbols?
Nope, I think we do society a solid by keeping them here where we can keep an eye on them. Let them vent here.
Dang! he puts his "best" players in the game and they lose that bad...maybe everybody on the team needs some more time...practicing.
No - not racism to me either...but it does sound like those 4 parents are trying to get some type of athletic scholarship for their sons...if they are as bad in academics as than they are in basketball...they probably need to seek other avenues for getting their kids in college.
Peace.
~agape2010~
Agape2010, I feel you. Wow, no love for these parents. I can't say that I am surprised. I would love to get some more of the 411 from someone who lives in the area.
Brother Field.. The situation with the parents may be valid. **I used the words "may be" because I was not there**. I will tender a story along the lines of how I know a coach was racial. My son was a guard on Hampton Christian High School, Hamp.VA. The team comprised of three Blacks and the rest white. My son was never allowed to play when the other two Blacks were on the court. This was because the other two Blacks were a guard- like my son- and a center; both were superstars and could play and win with any mediocre white players. Now this was about ten years ago and being a private school the white parents wanted to see their kids on the court. To end, this coach may be winning with one or two super Blacks and other mediocre white boys that their parents want to see play. Needless to say this situation encouraged my son to get his primary focus on academics because even then we knew the NBA was not a goal to shoot for. Unfortunately too many Black parents have unrealistic hope in their kids centered around sports. Two years ago Bethal High Scool had a kid from your town of (Philly) and his mother was making that trip to see him play in high school..for every game. We do have the Boo Williams basketball area and attract kids from all over. Very sad there is no center to attract Black kids for science, math and other endeavors whereby they can have a place in society. This sports pursuit have done far greater harm to my race now than racism. One other tibit. Maybe the coach reward the player that are team oriented and follow the TEAM concept.
Brother Field.. The coach rewards the players that are team oriented.
[quote]I was going to blog about Obama's 3.8 trillion dollar budget tonight, and about the republicans chirping about our children's future. (Like they really care.)[/quote]
Filled Negro:
You are alright with me.
I don't care what anyone else says about you.
When it comes to the decision of ONE WHITE MAN who is a basketball coach at a freaking High School that no one else on this board has ever heard about as compared to the FEDERAL BUDGET who's budget holes that threatens to disrupt EVERY BASKETBALL GAME in the future (20 years)......my man Filled Negro opts to go on a racism chasing venture.
Hey Filled Negro - was anyone lynched in this bit of "Klansmanship"?
Think of how far we have come as a people and as a result how DESPERATE you have become? Instead of being hit by spark plugs as they exited the gym - you now must do advocacy based upon PLAYING TIME.
You know Filled Negro - your time is FREED UP only because you and other Progressive-Fundamentalists have failed to come up with the proper ENGAGEMENT MODEL to confront the forces of STREET PIRACY that are over running Philly and other places.
This is my challenge to AFROSPEAR for 2010!!!
Enlist your most talented bloggers to identify a 10 point frame work on how to ENGAGE THE force today that most frequently make "Black People Cry On The Evening News".
Your credibility rests in the balance.
A coach in a predominantly white school will use his best players regardless of their color. If North Penn sucks this season, the coach ought to be trying every combination . But with three decades experience, coaching in competitive PA, what coach is gonna throw games just to keep black kids off the floor? Everyone watches NCAA ball.
RT is your photo an actual picture of you?
")......my man Filled Negro opts to go on a racism chasing venture.
Hey Filled Negro - was anyone lynched in this bit of "Klansmanship"?
Think of how far we have come as a people and as a result how DESPERATE you have become? Instead of being hit by spark plugs as they exited the gym - you now must do advocacy based upon PLAYING TIME."
[un]constructive one, you cannot be serious. Did you read the post? Or did you just go off on a rant to hear yourself think? I.DID.NOT.THINK.THERE.WAS.RACISM.
HERE. (Of couse that is my opinion. Reasonable people can disagree. See what StillAPanther2 said for instance) Please tell me which company you work for so that I can dump their stock. You my friend, have a serious reading comprehension problem.
[quote].DID.NOT.THINK.THERE.WAS.RACISM.
HERE. [/quote]
My friend Filled Negro:
YOUR written opinion in which you doubt that there is racism is TRUMPED by the fact that you POSTED THE STORY as a "SELF-CHUMMING" exercise to get the posters talking about what you love to talk about the most: (well second most):
Filled Negro Stack Ranked list of Self-Chumming exercises
1) Republican Skulduggery - Purpose: To Strengthen the Democrats
2) Racism Chasing - Purpose: To JUSTIFY the inferior state of Black folks as a FUNCTION OF "What the White Man HAS done, IS doing and WILL DO tomorrow IF we are TRICKED by the Black Conservatives to LOOK WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES and thus we fail to note the gathering of White Conservatives as they surround our fortress, preparing for the attack
If we are not careful they will ring Philly, taking up positions just as the Red Coats from back in the day did in:
* Upper Darby
* Yeadon
* Radnor
* Bryn Mawr
* Conshohocken
* Willow Grove
and the two bridges from Jersey
They will launch an invasion and tack back over the land that "WE" won via attrition and control that "WE" won via the peaceful vote.
I got you man. I see your point.
If a person like me was in charge of Philly during the pre-Revolutionary period I would have been blaming the poverty upon the "people themselves" and not looking at the exploitation that the high taxes paid to King George had to do in the matter. We would still be a colony.
I give it to you Filled Negro - you are far more perceptive and vigilant that I am. You know how the White man thinks.
I would have upon West Philly High, Strawberry Mansion or Gratz to see if there is a faction of Black players on these teams who SHOULD BE PLAYING but instead are NOT IN SCHOOL because they dropped out. In their case the OPPRESSOR is the sorry school-retention and graduation rates in their schools and the system in general. The system that once had a theme of excellence and pockets of incompetence now have it all reversed where excellence is the exception.
But I can't argue with you man. 5 Black players being potentially discriminated against by not being allowed to be the FACE OF THE SCHOOL on the basketball court because the coach voted for John McCain is a far more important issue than is a concern about what goes on in the problem plagued schools inside of the city.
I will have your following once I "get a clue" about what is popular with the progressive minded folks.
henrietta lacks was her real name and she did have cancer. she died in 1951.
her cells were used without her permission and code names were used to preserve her anonymity. the fake name or coding is commonly done in research.
today there are more rules about informed consent and re-use of tissue or other biosamples, as evidenced by NIH's new stem cell guidelines, but is still legal to obtain cells for one purpose and use them for another if they are de-identified.
however, calling them HeLa would not be considered a very robust de-identification.
the govt. has just issued a RFI for people to try and re-identify information that has been stripped of the HIPAA identifiers (name, date, address, acct. no.s, etc) to see if new regulations are needed.
Val said...
"Well I wasn't really feeling the racism angle until the coach said this: "There isn't one kid I wouldn't take home to spend a weekend with my family. ... "
That reminds me of that Justice of the Peace in Louisiana that wouldn't marry interracial couples but said he had Black people over to his house all of the time."
Mulling it over, I thought about that and the LA connection, too, at first. But what the coach didn't say in that sentence ought to be important: "There isn't one kid I wouldn't take home to spend a weekend with my family. ... ",
not
"There isn't one black kid I wouldn't take home to spend a weekend with my family. ... "
level playing field in kid sports is pretty much of an oxymoron. My sons were passed over constantly in Little League and they were both extremely good players, with strong, accurate throwing arms and great hand-eye coordination. Once we moved to New England, the coaches favored their own kids for pitching and/or first base. My sons were underutilized for their abilities and their teams (not just one but several) would often lose because the coach played his own kid over better players (not just my own). The eldest dropped out of baseball by high school. He was disgusted. The younger stayed with it but really was never given the chance to live up to his potential. I love sports and kids playing sports. It's the parents I can't stand.
I really think these parents need to worry about their children's academic prowess rather than the basketball team bullshit. If their children get good enough grades they will shine over many other hoop dreams students.
You know, I work for a private university in upstate NY. The young black men chosen for the football team DO NOT have stellar grades. In fact, the players/students have very,very poor academic and verbal skills. In fact, this particular university had most of these young black men in a FIVE TO SIX year program. The players were given community service instead of basic academic studies or arts and sciences. There was very few opportunities for these players once they left the university (without graduating).
Get your academics on!
CF nailed field on field's trickery yet once again. filled does his usual trick of saying "I doubt it's racism" while knowing full well that the knee-jerk drones will say that it is indeed "racism".
The number one rule for black racists is this: when blacks don't do as well as whites on any count, then the reason is ALWAYS said to be "racism".
One of the drones even uses the tired out stupidity of saying that the white coach claims he's not a racist, so that proves he's a racist.
There's nobody more ignorant than you black racists. You are all such puppets.
I didn't post that above comment, as you all well know. Some cowardly white racist did.
I am a strong believer in always blaming "racism" for everything. That makes me feel better about my own pathetic life, in that it's not my fault. This blog is a great comfort to me.
did you post that one? you need to figure out a way to keep your name from being used.
what do you call a black man who chases white women? a social climber
get used to it, black women. Once they have money, they want to trade up.
Kim Skankdashian may be little more than a porn star and an attention whore, but black men will always think she's better than you. Hell, they even think that the fat-faced Chloe Skankdashian is better than you.
@Maria: I obviously didn't post either one. Some cowardly white racist did.
However, it is true that any ills that befall the black community are due to white racists. That is the legacy, and the effects will last for years to come. We need to stand up for the least of our own, even if they are criminals. We can't fall for the sly logic of CF about personal responsibility, as if it's some holy grail.
This blog is a great comfort to me.
CF
"Enlist your most talented bloggers to identify a 10 point frame work on how to ENGAGE THE force today that most frequently make "Black People Cry On The Evening News"."
First CF we have to identify this force which makes black people cry on TV and establish how it's any different than what makes any other kind of people cry on TV.
Your turn.
"which makes black people cry on TV and establish how it's any different than what makes any other kind of people cry on TV"
it's a black thing, you wouldn't understand - because you are a white anonymous pussy using my name. But that's okay, people here can tell the difference. You only make yourself look as stupid as you are, white pussy.
Once again folks
The only post by me was 10:17 am.
Field, looks like we have a psycho stalker on our hands.
This is the real uptownsteve with an updated profile.
Now shoo troll and get a life.
So sad.
Hi, I was the person who saw the story and sent it to field. I'll try to give a little more background on the school and local community at large to the best of my ability. As a white man, I recognize that I can only provide a partial and admittedly very incomplete portrait of the racial issues at the school, so I'll try to just stick to basic demographic data and a little about the politics of the school/school board right now.
I can't find any official demographic data on the site, but I guess to roughly ballpark it I'd say the school is about 65% White, 15% African-American, and 20% other.
While I was there between 2005 and 2007, there were no incidents that reached this level of publicity, and from my admittedly incomplete perspective things were for the most part good. Of course, there are several times when I may have seen teachers treat some students in a way that caused me to question their full reasoning, but there were no open incidents like this. There were very few African-American teachers (of the 20 or so teachers I had I didn't have any), and no African-American administrators. I feel I have exhausted my perspective in this capacity.
Now, there is a political level to this also, because the coach in question is actually the brother of the outgoing head of the school board. I'm not sure of how this will affect the outcome of the situation, but it creates a strange dynamic.
There has been talk of how this situation may be the result of favoritism based on how some parents make contributions to the booster club and such, which I feel could cancel out the "why wouldn't he play the best players to win" question to an extent. But yeah, he has been around for a long time and it sounds a little strange to me that he would either suddenly start doing something like this, or people would suddenly start to realize it.
It's a questionable situation for sure, and it sounds like it will continue, hopefully making the picture clearer. I'll try and talk with some people I know at the school now to see how the students and faculty are reacting to this and what the general consensus among students is regarding the situation.
The thing I have with the black community is why do we feel like we have to decide on one or the other? Other communities dont feel like they have to make a choice; they feel like they can do it all. I see so many middle class black professionals making the choice not to let their children play sports. This, I feel, is dertimental to the black community. If middle class blacks children would play, then a lot of the stereotypes could be broken down about thug mentality and so on. I want my children to excel at everything they do and I believe that they can.
Regarding this issue, I dont see it as a racism issue. If their sons were that good, the school would not want them to lose, especially if they have boosters. They would play anyone who would help them win. And if it is a political issue, its a great time to teach their children how unfair life truly is and help them learn how to navigate it. If its about scholarship $ for athletics, there is always AAU leagues that can do that as well.
OT fn:
i nominate conan o for hfn
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/02/conan-paying-crew-severan_n_445721.html
@ maria: I noticed u sort of bypassed commenting on the blog. I hope u are not discouraged by the way some went @ u on the previous blog. May I suggest u take the hit , get back up, and keep doing your thing.I read some of your posts, we need as many reasonable voice on here as possible so don't be afraid to post comments re: Field's blog entries.
@Field : I figured you were trying to show the trolls that u are balanced, and not some overzealous racism chaser. By CF comments I guess it is safe to say that was probably wishful thinking.
it's a bit of fun making steve dance like a puppet on a string... dance, steve, dance
hey, JC! do you mean this thread? i posted that bit about the origin of those cells.i didn't have much to say about the team. i read the comments in the local paper and people seemed to be more supporting the coach, said the benched kids were sophomores, who have to earn a spot.
i didn't even feel the hits, tho i appreciate your concern. (someone recently called me 'fearless," made my day!
i'm on a deadline today but i have done a fair bit of posting on the essence thread, which is now has more than 245 comments. would love to get your take on a post...you'll see it.
again, thanks for the shout-out.
Hey UptownSteve Mini Me:
Why don't you stop your posting under his name?
It is hard enough dealing with the real "Shake Your Booty Steve".
I knew that the first post was not his based on the content.
[quote]@Field : I figured you were trying to show the trolls that u are balanced, and not some overzealous racism chaser. By CF comments I guess it is safe to say that was probably wishful thinking.[/quote]
JohnnyCrow:
What's your problem?
I stated the fact that REGARDLESS of Filled Negro's stated belief about the issue at hand HE STILL posted the story for the purposes of "Self-Chumming" people like YOU.
I still challenge Filled Negro to print out the Republican Party org chart and delineate the level under which the words or e-mail that is found to be OFFENSIVE by a person who resides BELOW this line are not WORTHY of receiving a post on any AfroSpear blog.
Do you see the strong hint of SUPERIORITY that accompanies Filled Negro's ability to promote a toothless White man who wears tube socks and lives in Montana as is forced to used "Hughes Net" satellite service for Internet connectivity to send his offensive material as a prime threat to the interests of Black people?
Walt, thanks for the up-close info on that story. I think it helps us filter it out a little better.
UTS, welcome to my world. :)
John Crow, thanks yawdie, it's hard out here sometimes.
"Do you see the strong hint of SUPERIORITY that accompanies Filled Negro's ability to promote a toothless White man who wears tube socks and lives in Montana as is forced to used "Hughes Net" satellite service for Internet connectivity to send his offensive material as a prime threat to the interests of Black people?"
CF,who exactly is your "toothless White man" a metaphor for?
Field, did you hear about the All White Basket Ball Team being formed by a White Coach!
Yes, our people should stop wanting to HANG around White people, when will we learn? and yes, OUR young people should be encouraged to NOT just depend on Sport's, to define who they are!
Field, you are NOT the Racist police, you don't know what these Black Parent's observed, this was NOT one BLACK CHILD, it was Four!
So, not ONE of those Black youth was good enough to be put out front? not ONE! so, the White youth were up front and the Black youth were made to LOOK Incompetent! did you miss something? because I did not!
I don't know what the Parent's are going to do, but, at least they spoke up! they had to look around and see FOUR BLACK YOUTH just sitting! now, put yourself in those FOUR PARENT'S place FIELD NEGRO! would the word RACISM come to mind?
ISEEISEE
ISEEISEE, "I don't know what the Parent's are going to do, but, at least they spoke up! they had to look around and see FOUR BLACK YOUTH just sitting! now, put yourself in those FOUR PARENT'S place FIELD NEGRO! would the word RACISM come to mind?"
iseeisee, iseeisee, iseeisee. I live in an area where the entire basketball team is Black in a predominately black school. And there are black parents giving the coach hell for not playing their sorry ass playing kids.
Btw, the coach is Black and is getting all kinds of pressure from the fathers of these no basketball playing kids.
If this is a case of racism, then the coach is jeopardizing his job by losing basketball games. Not even Frank D would do that.
The Prophet
The subject is about WHITE RACISM, and yet, you chose to Compare a White coach with a Black coach, why is that? oh and YOU use the word Prophet! are you Challenging me? for if you are, I would suggest you think twice! and YES, I do SEE!
ISEEISEE
iseeisee, "The subject is about WHITE RACISM, and yet, you chose to Compare a White coach with a Black coach, why is that?"
Oh lawdy. You are missing everything. Those black parents are charging that black coach in my area with "favoritism". They might as well be calling him a racist or an uncle tom.
FYI, the black coach, like the white coach, is trying to win basketball games, not discriminate!
My name is "The Prophet". Do you think you are the only one who can "see?" There are many prophets on the planet and a true prophet would be embracing other prophets, not challenging or trying to compete with them. That's like challenging the work of God.
Like I said before, you need to pray more to relieve yourself of too much racism and adversity.
" Val said...
Well I wasn't really feeling the racism angle until the coach said this: "There isn't one kid I wouldn't take home to spend a weekend with my family. ... "
That reminds me of that Justice of the Peace in Louisiana that wouldn't marry interracial couples but said he had Black people over to his house all of the time"
Oh, so the coach said something gracious and it reminded you of a gracious (yet ironically insincere) statement by a racist.... so now the coach is a racist?
Gee, YOU are a racism chaser maniac.
I'm sure the Grand Dragon of the KKK once said "goodmorning, how are you?" to someone. And I've also said said that to someone. Gee, by your "logic" I guess I'm as racist as the KKK.
Hitler was a vegetarian. I guess all vegetarians are also genoicidal maniacs like Hitler, right?
The white supremist who shot up the Holocaust Museum believed Jews control the government...and on the same day Jerimiah Wright made a similar statement. So is Jerimiah Wright a white supremist? Is Obama also, by association?
You were REALLY overreaching there
I do think maybe the parents were over reacting...it is possible that they are just not the best players or maybe they're having issues with the coach that have nothing to do with race.
However, I would like to point out that African Americans have the same exact rights as whites do. The harsh racial slurs against them on these comments are unacceptable, and maybe you should think about what you post before you put it on the internet. African Americans have left a huge mark in society today, and those who refuse to see that need to stop living in the past. It's like any form of racism or segregation: whether it be towards African Americans, immigrants, homosexuals, or anyone, it just does not make sense anymore. The future is of a liberal mind (we have a half African American president for crying out loud!) and eventually equality WILL be had by all. You should stop living in a past where being different was unacceptable and look to a future of equality to all.
I like SunnysideUp's take on this...that if there is favoritism, this is a good opportunity to teach kids that life isn't always fair. It is hard to determine just what the issue is without knowing whether the coach communicates his expectations to his players adequately, whether players or their parents have asked what those teens could be doing to earn more playing time. Does the team surge ahead when those kids are on the floor or are there more turnovers and missed rebounds? Field- you are right not to jump to conclusions. In sports, there are good coaches and those who don't quite measure up. They are difficult to deal with, but when the coach isn't playing you, the answer is ALWAYS to make it CLEAR to everyone else that he ought to be putting you out there. ie work hard and be the best.
I've seen Hassler coach a couple of black players in the Lehigh Valley (not a real hotbed of basketball talent). One of them got a full scholarship to Drexel if I remember correctly and was a 4 year starter for them. He played with 4 white guys in high school, one was a redhead, two had brown hair and one was puerto rican. The team lost in the semi final of state playoffs. Kinda makes you wonder. All this color talk is really making me tired.
i live in the area of where this happened and most of you are wrong north penn basketball is racist the black players were good and so were the white kids it just happen to be that some of the black kids were better
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