NBA & Other U.S. Sports Organizations: "Weighing in on social prejudices and franchise owner commentary"

sports-notebook.blogspot.com . . . FOR MORE ANALYSIS, GO TO "MILE HIGH SPORTS RADIO," AM1510 or FM93.7, and to Denver’s best sports blogging team---milehighsports.com. SPORTS NOTEBOOK posts its columns Tuesday and Friday of each week. Ed., Publ., Marvin Leibstone; Copy & Mng. Ed., Gail Kleiner . . . NBA & Other U.S. Sports Organizations: "Weighing in on social prejudices and franchise owner commentary"---FROM recent comments made by L.A. Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, and by Dallas Mavericks boss, Mark Cuban, many analysts and fans have wondered if NBA franchise owners need a better rule book, one that updates how they should behave in the modern world, their serious disregard of which would always lead to dismissal from ownership and, depending on severity of misconduct, from all other aspects of the NBA. Sterling has surely been downgraded to that level that invites paparazzi and the nuttiness components of social media, immediate result, “Dude, you’re guilty,” and you may not be that at all. This surely lends incentive to other owners for maintaining joy of anonymity, for clinging to that far-off control perch, for staying behind that glass wall that no-one can see through. Of course, a to-do list for owners should begin with, “Keep your personal thoughts about sensitive subjects to yourself, especially those notions that can be interpreted as racism and are not,” and if you are a racist and you own a basketball team that provides wealth and happiness for whom you hate, see a psychiatrist immediately because you are definitely schizophrenic. Second, when flagged as a possible racist from inappropriate language but you are not a racist, then own up to your mistake, apologize, pay whatever fine you were slapped with, and provide commensurate contributions to those that were insulted. Third, if evidence that you are a racist is clear, quickly sell or give your team away, and exile yourself from the NBA, or accept the NBA commissioner separating you from your team and from the NBA. . . . As for Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, and his response to the Sterling affair, while his remarks carried words that at first blush could be interpreted as racist, the remarks were, on review, not that at all; they were meant to underscore a reality about all races, all nationalities, all religious organizations. Cuban was saying that among Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, Native American Indians, Asians, Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Muslims are many misfits, members of each that are downright scary and we should be wary of those that are. Yet Cuban seemed thoughtless when he referred to externals signaling possibility of danger, for instance, implying that he’d cross to the other side of a street when seeing the black man on a dark street wearing a hoodie, or the white guy in a leather vest and tattoos up and down his muscular arms. Here’s where sports contradict Cuban’s remark favorably, e.g., the N.E. Patriots Head Coach being famous for wearing a hoodie and so many NBA stars being covered in tattoos, all decent men on and off court. So, also for the team owner’s rule book, “Don’t stereotype.” That fellow wearing a hoodie could be returning from a gym and is on his way to night school, and the man of the vest and tattoos could be returning from all day volunteer work at a hospital, thinking of bringing flowers to his girl friend. Being misperceived, stereotyped when you are otherwise and decent, is an awful experience. Victims of this feel violated, robbed of dignity. So, unanswered questions prevail, “Should society forbid persons walking on dark streets from wearing hoodies, and should society force tattooed persons to wear clothing that covers the artwork?” “Definitely not,” is how most Americans would answer, rightly so. And, “Should we discriminate against the man or woman who experiences fear and decides to cross the street, and find ways to punish that individual?” Again, a ridiculous and impossible idea. Yet both questions point to existing moral gridlock, which society needs to undo by finding ways to eliminate stereotyping and the fear that it creates, and it shouldn’t take long for any American to realize that, in spite of a team owner’s poorly developed commentary and what may really be lurking within an owner’s heart that is despicable, the NBA, the NFL, MLS and the NHL and Major League Baseball, are probably at the forefront of institutions that the nation can rely upon for viewing lack of social prejudices and for learning how irrational hatreds can be dealt with and eliminated. END/ml.