Timberwolves Too White?

Minnesota Timberwolves fans may notice something different about their team this year. In a league in which American-born black players made up 75 percent of roster spots in 2011, the Timberwolves will have an opening-day roster comprising just 33 percent black players (five out of 15).

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, this year's squad will be the league's whitest since the 1980s Boston Celtics.


Is that a problem?

Some civil rights leaders in Minneapolis think so. Tyrone Terrell, chairman of St. Paul's African American leadership council, told the Star-Tribune that he thinks the unbalanced roster could be seen as a ploy by the ownership to sell the team to a majority-white fan base.

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish...lves-too-white

Thats racist!!!! lol

i think i know where we might be able to trade Steve Blake to

If they win though...they'll be the latter day Utah Jazz (pun intended)...and they will get a lot of white fans. Minnesota is about as white as it gets, and it is demographically "good business" to have more Caucasian players on that team.

In any case, it's not a coincidence that a significant portion of white America doesn't care for the "blackest" pro sport. Or that you always have various right wing blowhards always bringing up Obama's love of basketball.

that is just ridiculous. for them to be calling that "racist" just wow

432J wrote::man10:

that is just ridiculous. for them to be calling that "racist" just wow

As long as you can play...you belong on the team. The NBA is a meritocracy, and that is the way it should be. But only a third of the roster being black? C'mon son.

Who cares what color their players are, the main thing the fans should worry about is how good the team is. And when healthy they're a playoff team.

kray28 wrote:

432J wrote::man10:

that is just ridiculous. for them to be calling that "racist" just wow

As long as you can play...you belong on the team. The NBA is a meritocracy, and that is the way it should be. But only a third of the roster being black? C'mon son.

i just think it is utterly ridiculous for that city council member or whatever to be pulling the race card and calling it racist.

like you said, if you can ball then you belong on the team

How is this an issue? I didn't even notice that. I just knew they have a very talented roster.... Isn't that all that matters?

Oh dear god!... So called "Civil Rights" leaders will stop at nothing these days..... are you f'ing kidding me.... Too White!

They have a Yugoslav, a Puerto Rican a couple of Russians and a Spaniard on that team.... if I was them I'd be offended to be lumped in with the likes of "mutt" Whities" like Love, Ridnour, Stiemsma and company....

pound4pound1 wrote:i think i know where we might be able to trade Steve Blake to

Winner

White men can't jump.
Budinger must be black.
6/15 now.

davriver290 wrote:How is this an issue? I didn't even notice that. I just knew they have a very talented roster.... Isn't that all that matters?

it should be all that matters

but of course the race card needed to be pulled

davriver290 wrote:How is this an issue? I didn't even notice that. I just knew they have a very talented roster.... Isn't that all that matters?

I was scrolling down and thought the exact same thing, even in the same words just before I read your post. It's quite a weird feeling thinking something and not even a second later seeing this on the screen.

Who was it here that once said:

"Black people hate snow"

This topic is hilarious. I saw it on around the horn yesterday. I never even realized they had that many white players. In all, it's good for the NBA. I wish there was some more diversity in the league. From a social science perspective, it's more appealing to my mind to see a blend of players in the league dominate equally. For instance when the And 1 tour was hot and being aired on ESPN, The Professor was instantly my favorite players out of all those guys. Was it mainly his skills that did it? Yeah, probably 80%. But his skin color made me watch him more...and root for him more. Here was a white kid from Oregon (playing with a bunch of MUCH older street cats) with some of the sickest handes I had ever seen. He was dope. And it wasn't expected. Kevin Love does the same thing for me. I've been waiting for a white guy to come dominate the league for a looooong time. We haven't seen an American born type since Bird. It's been way to long.

^ Check out Roos's post. There's a ton of diversity on that team. Just because their skin is all white, doesn't mean they aren't diverse.

Although I agree with the Love sentiment. It makes things interesting.

This is ridiculous. The race of a player is irrelevant. What really matters is how good the player is not their race. Now it's true that most of the elite players in this league are black, but there's also some really great non black players in this league. The Lakers have two of them in Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. Obviously the team we played last night was without perhaps the best non black player in the league in Dirk Nowitzki. Kevin Love is also another.

wonk wonk...