I'm sure plenty of blacks in Atlanta could afford it, but do they like basketball enough to drop $20k-$350k on premium seats and suites?

 

Do whites like basketball enough?? What about Asians? :idunno:

They don't get a ton either.

 

There is a reason the Braves are moving from a 20 yr old stadium......

 

This is the bottom line for me... If you think you need more white people at the game, fine. That's your opinion. How he went about it has extremely racial undertones. It's not black peoples fault that white people don't want to come to Hawks games. Why should black people be "penalized" for that?

Are the Braves a racist organization?

 

No they only have a worker like Hank Aaron who is racist. Cant help he is the face of the franchise. But its ok for that.

This is the bottom line for me... If you think you need more white people at the game, fine. That's your opinion. How he went about it has extremely racial undertones. It's not black peoples fault that white people don't want to come to Hawks games. Why should black people be "penalized" for that?

 

 

I don't know if they need more white people or not. They need more people, and he e-mailed what he thought was wrong. I understand both sides, but man the world is an impossible place to navigate without making someone mad.

In nine pages of this, how have we glossed over the merchandising/concessions angle? Part of the whole idea of getting more white folks out to the games is the implication that blacks don't spend enough at the games once they're already in the arena.

In nine pages of this, how have we glossed over the merchandising/concessions angle? Part of the whole idea of getting more white folks out to the games is the implication that blacks don't spend enough at the games once they're already in the arena.

 

Im white and I dont spend money at games, too expensive. Why would anyone spend money at a game, a water for 4.00 or hot dog for 5.00. I can buy 5 packs of hotdogs for 5.00

You can buy a case of beer for the price of 3 at a game.

Should be talking about lowering the price.

No they only have a worker like Hank Aaron who is racist. Cant help he is the face of the franchise. But its ok for that.

 

 

Nobody on here has defended Hank Aaron. At what point are you going to quit defending Levenson?

Nobody on here has defended Hank Aaron. At what point are you going to quit defending Levenson?

 

Im not defending him, to me he was trying to get more people in the games that were white, he wasnt or at least I never read where he said he was trying to keep blacks from coming.

 

People on here did defend Hank Aaron, saying it was ok because he was raised way back then. I went back and read the 8 pages.

At first blush it would seem that way. However, there are a lot of teams whose product is not great but their season ticket sales are better.

 

12 teams had worse records. Only 2 had worse attendance.

 

I'm not denying that the owner's overall assessment is without merit. And I also agree that this is primarily a money issue for him. And I'm not going to go so far as to call him a racist, because as I mentioned before, he seems to belittle the racial attitude that he believes is present & causing a lot of his problems.

 

What I am saying is that him placing the blame mostly on his predominantly black audience is a mistake. Might it have something to do with it? Most certainly. But I don't see it as the #1 issue.

 

To me, the primary problem is a team that has been historically mediocre. In my lifetime, and very nearly your lifetime, the team has not made it past the 2nd round of the playoffs. I think I read 1967 was the last time they got beyond Round 2 & even then, I believe that had to do with a bye in the playoffs that no longer exists.

 

Checking the team's history of draft picks, I can see why they haven't had a lot of success. From 1990-92, they spent 3 top 10 picks on Rumeal Robinson, Stacey Augmon, & Adam Keefe (Adam Keefe a top 10 pick! :lol2::lol2::lol2:). They've really only had 1 player in my lifetime that was a star (Dominique).

 

In that same time frame, the Falcons went to the Super Bowl, led by a QB at the time who was electrifying. The Braves were in the playoffs a gazillion times, won a few pennants, won a World Series, and had certified star power in their pitching rotation for years.

 

So I do agree that this is a money focused issue for him. He wants to sell more tickets, just like every other owner. I just think his placing the blame primarily where he placed it is a mistake.

FROM KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR

 

Bruce Levenson, the soon-to-be former Hawks owner who sent the racially insensitive e-mail about the team's crowd demographics, isn't a racist, according to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Instead, he's a businessman, as Kareem explained in this thoughtful piece from TIME.

 

Rather than calling Levenson a no-context bigot, Kareem believes that, while making a few “cringeworthy” assumptions, the owner asked a few “entirely reasonable" questions.

After reading Levenson's e-mail, which was uncovered following an independent investigation into controversial remarks made by Hawks GM Danny Ferry, Abdul-Jabbar concluded that the owner was just doing his job.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24702668/kareem-abdul-jabbar-hawks-owner-is-a-businessman-not-a-racist

Im not defending him, to me he was trying to get more people in the games that were white, he wasnt or at least I never read where he said he was trying to keep blacks from coming.

 

People on here did defend Hank Aaron, saying it was ok because he was raised way back then. I went back and read the 8 pages.

 

Funny. I remember people explaining why he said what he said. Not that it was okay.

FROM KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR

 

Bruce Levenson, the soon-to-be former Hawks owner who sent the racially insensitive e-mail about the team's crowd demographics, isn't a racist, according to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Instead, he's a businessman, as Kareem explained in this thoughtful piece from TIME.

 

Rather than calling Levenson a no-context bigot, Kareem believes that, while making a few “cringeworthy” assumptions, the owner asked a few “entirely reasonable" questions.

After reading Levenson's e-mail, which was uncovered following an independent investigation into controversial remarks made by Hawks GM Danny Ferry, Abdul-Jabbar concluded that the owner was just doing his job.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Hawks owner is a businessman, not a racist - CBSSports.com

 

Oh, Kareem said it wasn't racist? Well hell, that changes it up for me. :lol2:

Funny. I remember people explaining why he said what he said. Not that it was okay.

 

Agree but no one asked for him to quit or leave. Blew it off as its ok since he grew up in that time.

Oh, Kareem said it wasn't racist? Well hell, that changes it up for me. :lol2:

 

Well its a black guy saying he sees it as some others did, a business thing. I dont think the guy is a racist at all, maybe what he said is percieved as being racist, but in all honesty I dont think he is a racist. And shouldnt be labeled as one.

 

I also dont think people on here who disagree and agrgue should be labeled racist either and I hope no one does that. Its awesome to discuss this stuff as it opens my mind up to things I have never thought about and enables me to see the other side of things.

Well its a black guy saying he sees it as some others did, a business thing. I dont think the guy is a racist at all, maybe what he said is percieved as being racist, but in all honesty I dont think he is a racist. And shouldnt be labeled as one.

 

I also dont think people on here who disagree and agrgue should be labeled racist either and I hope no one does that. Its awesome to discuss this stuff as it opens my mind up to things I have never thought about and enables me to see the other side of things.

 

All I have said is that the email is racist. I don't think he is a racist in the sense of Donald Sterling but I do feel like this email is just as damning. Regardless of his intentions the email reeks of an institutionalized thought process that is racially insensitive.