Spursfanpeacemaker Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Is the media or NBA trying to get rid all of Hawks GMs or what? Atlanta Hawks GM Makes Joke About Angry Black Women At Fan Event Patrick Redford 53 minutes ago Filed to: ATLANTA HAWKS 23.8K 1273 Photo: David Goldman/AP Before a game against the Miami Heat on Dec. 7, Atlanta Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox fielded questions from a group of about 200 season ticket holders and club members at a “Chalk Talk” event. As would be expected of any meeting of a group of diehard fans and a team executive, this one got slightly contentious, with fans offering their opinions on what the Hawks need to do. Season ticket holder Clarenton Crawford, by his account, made his displeasure with coach Mike Budenholzer known, and offered to renew for two more seasons if the organization hired Mark Jackson instead. Another fan spoke about the need for a veteran point guard. And at one point, a member asked Wilcox why the Hawks’ best players were playing fewer minutes than they were at the start of the year. According to Crawford and another source who was present, Wilcox, who is white, tried to diffuse the tension with a joke: “I know you guys may be angry with me, but I’m used to it because I have a black wife and three mixed kids, so I’m used to people being angry and argumentative.” (In a statement released to Deadspin, Wilcox said, “At an early December chalk talk, I made a self-deprecating comment at my own expense regarding my family, which is multi-racial. This joke offended Mr. Crawford and his wife and for that, I apologize.”) Crawford, who is black, said he and his wife Deborah were “livid” after the end of the meeting, particularly due to the team’s recent history. (Two years ago, Wilcox’s predecessor, Danny Ferry, make racially disparaging remarks about Luol Deng on a conference call; in the ensuing NBA investigation, then-owner Bruce Levenson was revealed to have sent an email implying that white fans were more valuable than black fans. Ferry resigned his post, and Levenson sold the team.) On Dec. 16, Crawford decided to email Hawks CEO Steve Koonin to voice his concerns. Crawford wrote that he and his wife were offended not only by Wilcox’s remarks but by his having turned to a white team employee with whom he was holding court to ask if his joke was okay. Koonin responded eight minutes later, but failed to address Wilcox’s joke: Crawford was unsatisfied and pressed Koonin, asking if Wilcox would face any discipline and telling him that he planned to “be an activist in this matter.” Koonin attempted to call Crawford on the phone after this, missing him because the Crawfords were out of town for the holiday. Eventually, they arranged for a sit-down meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 3 along with Hawks senior VP Nzinga Shaw, whom the Hawks hired as the NBA’s first diversity officer in the wake of the Ferry and Levenson scandals. By Crawford’s account, Koonin apologized on Wilcox’s behalf, and Shaw said that she’d been counseling Wilcox. Additional reporting by Deadspin staff. Know anything? Drop us a line at tips@deadspin.com or patrick@deadspin.com. http://deadspin.com/atlanta-hawks-gm-makes-joke-about-angry-black-women-at-1790833283 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h4wkfan Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Is this a legit article or satire from the onion? This is the dumbest thing I've seen so far in 2017. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spursfanpeacemaker Posted January 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Just now, h4wkfan said: Is this a legit article or satire from the onion? This is the dumbest thing I've seen so far in 2017. Not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBASupes Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 That wasn't a big deal. It wasn't funny but it wasn't offensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member hawkman Posted January 6, 2017 Premium Member Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Wilcox is a basketball executive who was talking to season ticket holders at a Hawks related event. He changed the narrative by not sticking to basketball. It's nobody's fault but his own. No other organization seems to have these problems. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post High5 Posted January 6, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 I have a great sense of humor and even I'm offended by this. No one should ever joke about hiring Mark Jackson. 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNorthCydeRises Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 7 minutes ago, Spursfanpeacemaker said: Not sure. Not sure? Where did you get this from? Post the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBASupes Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 2 minutes ago, hawkman said: Wilcox is a basketball executive who was talking to season ticket holders at a Hawks related event. He changed the narrative by not sticking to basketball. It's nobody's fault but his own. No other organization seems to have these problems. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Popular Post sturt Posted January 6, 2017 Premium Member Popular Post Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Peachtree Hoops seems to believe it's a legit story. But I believe the racists might actually be the ones who presume that he must be asserting that black wives and mixed-race children are characteristically angry. To the contrary, I for one didn't read it that way. Rather, I read it as "because some people can be antagonistic toward mixed-race families, I’m used to THEM being argumentative." 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spursfanpeacemaker Posted January 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Just now, TheNorthCydeRises said: Not sure? Where did you get this from? Post the link. http://deadspin.com/atlanta-hawks-gm-makes-joke-about-angry-black-women-at-1790833283 This came out like an hour ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 1 minute ago, High5 said: I have a great sense of humor and even I'm offended by this. No one should ever joke about hiring Mark Jackson. Yeah but Mark will tell you himself that he is the greatest coach out there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member hawkman Posted January 6, 2017 Premium Member Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 1 minute ago, High5 said: I have a great sense of humor and even I'm offended by this. No one should ever joke about hiring Mark Jackson. Okay now that was funny! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators lethalweapon3 Posted January 6, 2017 Moderators Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 NOPE. Not Today. NOPE! ~lw3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Lol...only us...but honestly leave us alone Crawford and stop starting crap for us our organization has been through enough. If you're offended the f*** you don't come to the games just go out and look for steotypical shit against ur wife elsewhere...dis some bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ropadope Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 4 minutes ago, High5 said: I have a great sense of humor and even I'm offended by this. No one should ever joke about hiring Mark Jackson. Quality work :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Sothron Posted January 6, 2017 Premium Member Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 3 minutes ago, sturt said: Peachtree Hoops seems to believe it's a legit story. But I believe the racists might actually be the ones who presume that he must be asserting that black wives and mixed-race children are characteristically angry. To the contrary, I for one didn't read it that way. Rather, I read it as "because some people can be antagonistic toward mixed-race families, I’m used to THEM being argumentative." That's how I initially read that as well... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ropadope Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Thomas said: Yeah but Mark will tell you himself that he is the greatest coach out there. Mama, there goes that man.... Edited January 6, 2017 by Ropadope 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DS5 Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 1 minute ago, High5 said: I have a great sense of humor and even I'm offended by this. No one should ever joke about hiring Mark Jackson. Seriously, who the hell are these season ticket holders? Mark Jackson??? And I didn't realize how whiny one could sound over an e-mail. We can't even make jokes without people crying? And I understand that we have some ultra sensitive people here, and I know that a joke can have ill intent. Wilcox's joke was that...just a freaking joke. Move on. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Popular Post Sothron Posted January 6, 2017 Premium Member Popular Post Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 I also have to say...a white guy with a black wife and three mixed kids and you have "fans" accusing him of being racist? I mean...are you f$%^ing kidding me here? Wow. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 1 minute ago, Ropadope said: There goes that man.... You forgot MAMA!!!! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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