Not specific to this incident, but what the heck is wrong with being considerate of people's feelings? That's not political correctness. That's courtesy and manners and respect.

From a business standpoint was what he said true and if not what part do you disagree with?

All feeling aside of how you feel, business wise was what he said right.

The real problem with ticket sales etc. that the owner simply ignored was the product he was putting on the floor.

 

He may have had some good points and some bad points, but the bottomline is if he put a championship caliber product on the floor I garuntee you he would sell more season tickets. No matter what color of skin the ticket holders have.

So there are no ethics in business? Do whatever you want as long as it is a "smart business decision"? Run off paying black customers because white customers have more money? No problem at all. Just doing what is best for the business... :idunno:

From a business standpoint was what he said true and if not what part do you disagree with?

All feeling aside of how you feel, business wise was what he said right.

 

Atlanta has never been a good sports town and the Hawks have never been a hot ticket. The Hawks have had some decent teams that always lose early in the playoffs if they make the playoffs. Their lack of success is more of the problem than the people who actually come to watch that sorry team. Who wants to pay that kind of money to watch a mediocre team?

So there are no ethics in business? Do whatever you want as long as it is a "smart business decision"? Run off paying black customers because white customers have more money? No problem at all. Just doing what is best for the business... :idunno:

 

Exactly.

 

He pretty much said the same thing as Sterling..I don't want those people at my games....but because he was talking about it in a business sense it's okay? I don't get it.

Atlanta has never been a good sports town and the Hawks have never been a hot ticket. The Hawks have had some decent teams that always lose early in the playoffs if they make the playoffs. Their lack of success is more of the problem than the people who actually come to watch that sorry team. Who wants to pay that kind of money to watch a mediocre team?

Thank you and you are correct. Atlanta has always been a horrible sports town. How many years have we seen Braves playoff games with thousand of empty seats at the stadium?

 

Still Basketball is a different animal, you don't need 30,000-40,000 people to fill the arena, all you need is a good product on the floor and the last time the Hawks had any excitement on the floor is when they had players with the names of Spud Webb, Wilkins, Blaylock and Mutumbo

Exactly.

 

He pretty much said the same thing as Sterling..I don't want those people at my games....but because he was talking about it in a business sense it's okay? I don't get it.

 

Completely disagree with the Sterling comparison. Sterling was mad about his girlfriend having pictures online and associating with blacks. Had nothing to do with ticket sales or the Clippers business.

To me this is like a bar that plays country music in a section of town that is mixed racially and isn't getting enough people in the door. The owner of the bar decides that it's too white and the music that is being played isn't "fun" and doesn't get enough people into the bar to dance and party. So he decides that it would help the biz if he hires a DJ to play pop and hip-hop which will bring a younger and more diverse audience i.e. more blacks into the bar. In his mind it will make it place to be seen and a place that pro athletes will want to come to which, in his mind, will draw the ladies and other fans. He'd do the same if he thought opening a Cuban bar would mean more ticket sales.

 

The white audience isn't supporting him and his family. He needs to do something. Blacks aren't coming because they hate country music.

 

How is that racist?

So there are no ethics in business? Do whatever you want as long as it is a "smart business decision"? Run off paying black customers because white customers have more money? No problem at all. Just doing what is best for the business... :idunno:

 

Your right, there are no ethics in business. It's all about the dollar. If it was for ethics most businesses would be out of business.

I never said anything about running off black customers, but in an economic sense it seems he was trying to get more whites to come because they are more likely to have more money. I'm sure they do studies and show economic charts for race and age.

 

Wal mart has no ethics and they do just fine.

Your right, there are no ethics in business. It's all about the dollar. If it was for ethics most businesses would be out of business.

I never said anything about running off black customers, but in an economic sense it seems he was trying to get more whites to come because they are more likely to have more money. I'm sure they do studies and show economic charts for race and age.

 

Wal mart has no ethics and they do just fine.

 

He opined that the whites weren't coming because the crowd was heavy black. If the whites aren't showing up for that reason in his mind (and he's probably right in the ATL), then the next logical step is to force the black number down. That means running off paying customers because of the color of their skin. If that isn't racism to the core, what is?

 

But screw it. If it means making more money, run off those pesky hard working black people. Just business.

 

And racism...

That means running off paying customers because of the color of their skin. If that isn't racism to the core, what is?

 

But screw it. If it means making more money, run off those pesky hard working black people. Just business.

 

And racism...

 

From the letter the owner wrote.

in an effort to make the arena look full (at the nba's urging) thousands and thousands of tickets were being giving away, predominantly in the black community, adding to the overwhelming black audience.

 

So I guess some of those pesky hard working people weren't really paying.

 

Maybe he wanted to stop giving away FREE tickets and find a way to get some money for it.

He opined that the whites weren't coming because the crowd was heavy black. If the whites aren't showing up for that reason in his mind (and he's probably right in the ATL), then the next logical step is to force the black number down. That means running off paying customers because of the color of their skin. If that isn't racism to the core, what is?

 

But screw it. If it means making more money, run off those pesky hard working black people. Just business.

 

And racism...

 

It was poorly worded but to call it racist is silly . In every fortune 500 company across this country there are discussions on how to reach different demographics. Some of the times it's age , sometimes it's race and sometimes it's gender. You would have to be naive not to know this is a common practice .

 

For example most businesses now are pushing to attract women consumers because a well known study in the business world being used says women will be controlling 80 % of all discretionary spending in the near future .

 

In this case a business owner looks at the demographics and median income in those demographics . He realizes he is not getting the desired business from the higher income demographic and in a internal memo is brain storming what the problems might be and how it can be solved. If there is proof he denied black people service or forced them out then I agree that would be racist . But brain storming how to get more money from a demographic in this case white people is just good business.

 

This was an internal email not meant for the general public and not run by the PR group.

 

The bigger story is the power struggle with the ownership and how this email was used as way for another owner to increase power.

From the letter the owner wrote.

in an effort to make the arena look full (at the nba's urging) thousands and thousands of tickets were being giving away, predominantly in the black community, adding to the overwhelming black audience.

 

So I guess some of those pesky hard working people weren't really paying.

 

Maybe he wanted to stop giving away FREE tickets and find a way to get some money for it.

 

I don't think gametime read the whole memo . If you just saw the excerpts on CNN I agree it came off much worse.

Not specific to this incident, but what the heck is wrong with being considerate of people's feelings? That's not political correctness. That's courtesy and manners and respect.

 

I would argue people are to sensitive today and allow words and phony rage to dictate behavior .