The Lamest League

I just read a news story that was galling, shocking, funny, and nauseating. All at the same time. Seems that there is a group in Georgia forming a basketball league just for American born, white guys.

They should have waited a couple months and printed this as an April Fools Day joke. Apparently it is not joke. Eeeek!

Clearly this is creepy separatist idea. Is it racist? Perhaps.

But the other issue is that it is an argument from weakness. It’s a surrender. We can’t compete, so we have to make up our own league. Who wants to watch that?

More than that, who wants to play in it? Any decent player wants the best competition they can find. Even a superior foe who will beat them. Why? To have a chance to improve. If you always play weak opponents, you get weaker. You don’t get better.

I have watched a huge amount of youth basketball the last few years. Most of my time, I watched a virtually unbeatable team. They took on all challengers. They went up against teams made up of the best, select players in the state. On those occasions, they usually lost, but put up a courageous fight.

Black players—bring ‘em on. Taller players—bring ‘em on. Better players—yeah, them too. What is this but an admission you can’t compete. What’s next, high jump events for short guys? Or horse racing for retired offensive linemen?

But, this is out of Augusta, Georgia, the home of one of the most segregated golf club memberships in the country.