Sacramento Kings pull 'offensive' t-shirts from seats... seriously? Lighten the fuck up, Francis.

[Heeeeers Johnny]

No wonder this country is at war with itself...

Sacramento Kings Pull ‘Year of the Monkey’ Shirts From Seats

Observing two cultural celebrations at the same time can lead to controversy, the Sacramento Kings learned this week.

On Monday night, the team hastily removed free “Year of the Monkey” T-shirts for fans from arena seats after complaints that the giveaway was racially insensitive on the first night of Black History Month.

The Lunar New Year, an Asian festival that will start on Monday in the United States, is the highlight of the Chinese calendar. Each year is based on a symbol of the Chinese horoscope, and this is the Year of the Monkey, the ninth of 12 animals in the cycle. But the team’s effort to celebrate seemed misplaced to some at the start of the annual celebration of African-American heritage.

Images of workers removing the shirts from seats at the Sleep Train arena, where the Kings were playing the Milwaukee Bucks, were published on social media.

On Facebook, the former N.B.A. All-Star Marques Johnson, a television analyst for the Bucks, described an encounter he had on Monday night with DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings’ All-Star center, who objected to the shirts: “I walk into the building, and DeMarcus Cousins calls me over to an animated discussion he’s having with Kings operations people. He ask me, ‘Olskool, what you think about this T-shirt?’ Told him a little insensitive on 1st day of Black History Month. They pulled the shirts. ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/sports/sacramento-kings-pull-year-of-the-monkey-fan-shirts-from-seats.html

the offending shirt...

[img][/img]

[metroins]

1. Shouldn't have pulled

All humans came from monkeys and if they didn't pull, these shirts wouldn't be an issue.

[Heeeeers Johnny]

5. It's actually not a bad looking or poorly laid out design

I'm not even a sports or basketball fan, but I'd wear it without a second thought especially
if it was a freebie.

[tularetom]

7. I wonder what they plan to do with all those shirts

I'd take 1 or 5 of them in an XL.

[greyl]

10. (humans did not come from monkeys) nt

[LiberalElite]

2. I think this is an overreaction - and

as for being insensitive - what about the Chinese whose big holiday this is?

[tularetom]

3. Once again, political correctness triumphs over common sense.

The guys who whined about this did more to perpetuate a stereotype than the team could have possibly done.

[bigwillq]

4. Someone is always offended my something

PCness has gone way too far in many cases. It's making this country too soft and too sensitive. It's a freaking t-shirt. I agree: lighten up.

[Nye Bevan]

6. Good to see the really important issues being addressed (nt)

[linuxman]

8. LOL.

Whoever caused the stink seems to be the one with the problem. This person's first reaction to seeing a shirt with a monkey on it was "OMG, THEY MEAN BLACK PEOPLE!!!"

Very telling.

[romanic]

12. Pretty much.

Very telling indeed.

[erpowers]

9. Not Offensive

It appears to be a shirt celebrating the Lunar New Year of 2016. All I would ask would be is it really the Year of the Monkey. If I was told yes then I would not have a problem with the shirt.

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. Cute design

[DemocraticWing]

13. How dare the thousands-year old Chinese calendar coincide with another culture's holiday?

I can't imagine who looks at that shirt and thinks it's about Black History Month.

[Lizzie Poppet]

19. Agreed: anyone looking at that shirt and thinking it's anything to do with Black History Month...

...is just seeing what they want to see and getting themselves revved up for a sanctimonious rant.

Or does cultural sensitivity not extend to Asian cultures...?

[nomorenomore08]

14. An unfortunate coincidence, perhaps, but highly unlikely there was any malign intent. n/t

[CBGLuthier]

15. This just makes everyone who pulled them or thought they were offensive look stupid.

Really, really stupid.

“We all need a lesson in sensitivity,” the Kings’ president, Chris Granger, told The Sacramento Bee.



No, you need to stop doing stupid things and tell people they are being stupid.

[oberliner]

16. They were right to remove the shirts

It was stupid of them to have shirts with a picture of a monkey on them coordinated with a commemoration of the beginning Black History Month. Especially considering the fact that the majority of NBA players are African-American. I would imagine quite a few players have been called a monkey or something similar in a derogatory way at some point in their lives. There were plenty of other Chinese New Year themed giveaways that do not involve shirts with monkeys on them which were done at other NBA venues.

[Throd]

17. Unfortunately, I know you are serious.

[snooper2]

20. I was wondering if anybody who agreed would respond, figure no for fear of ridicule

monkeys...LOL....

At least it's Friday and a payday

[Bonx]

23. We just need to eliminate all images of monkeys

Better safe than sorry.

[KamaAina]

18. The real story here

is the Sacramento Kings making news.

[Glassunion]

21. Ahhh yes... Much like Godwin's laws, we cannot go a single day without self inflicted butt-hurt.

[LittleBlue]

22. To avoid offense, we have to suppress another minority's cultural celebrations?

Interesting. Chinese New Year is an actual celebration. The Chinese zodiac was old when most of western Europe lived in caves and huts. It isn't something concocted to cause offense.

Dumb.

[hfojvt]

24. next time do it for the year of the Tiger

nobody will object.