But how was this benign t-shirt doing anything of the kind?
Posted on 02/02/2016 9:03:40 AM PST by Jack Hydrazine
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The Sacramento Kings scrapped plans for a T-shirt giveaway at the last-minute on Monday after DeMarcus Cousins reportedly objected to them.
The shirts were part of the Sacramento Kings' celebration of the Lunar New Year in February. The shirts depicted a purple monkey symbolizing the year of the monkey in the Chinese New Year in the team's color.
The giveaway seems to have been unfortunately planned as Monday was the first day of Black History Month. Referring to African-Americans as monkeys or lower forms of primates has been considered racist, and a shirt with a monkey on the first day of Black History Month appears to have raised concerns in a league that is predominantly African-American.
Teams across the NBA are looking for ways to reach out to a growing Chinese middle class as the league tries to expand its borders. Part of that outreach includes events around the Lunar New Year, like the ones the Kings tried on Monday.
The Golden State Warriors' approach doesn't prominently involve a monkey and instead is a re-imagining of the team's logo with Chinese characters added inside the team's circular logo.
The Kings decided relatively late in the night to make the change as the shirts were laid out in the arena, then removed shortly before fans entered Sleep Train Arena on Monday. Milwaukee Bucks analyst Marques Johnson said Kings star DeMarcus Cousins voiced his disapproval.
After the game, Kings President Chris Granger said there were concerns the shirts could be offensive, so the team opted to be cautious and remove them.
This is not only the year of the monkey, but the year of the Fire Monkey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_(zodiac)#The_Fire_Monkey_.E2.80.93_1956.2C_2016
Any coincidence that our Impostor-In-Chief is going to get us into WW3 very soon and this particular Chinese year? Plus, he’s gunning to become world tyrant by being appointed as Secretary-General of the UN.
SWEDEN’S ARMY CHIEF WARNS OF WORLD WAR 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2CXwbuPyQs
BREAKING: RUSSIAN ICBM FORCES PLACED ON HIGHEST ALERT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYkZCOPS-8I
UNLIMITED WAR POWERS MAY BE ON THE HORIZON AS CONSTITUTION BURNS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13B_7XvbxrM
FORGET THE PRESIDENCY OBAMA WANTS TO RULE THE UNITED NATIONS BUT ONE MAN MAY STOP HIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqfbf0Ir-0Q
“After the game, Kings President Chris Granger said there were concerns the shirts could be offensive, so the team opted to be cautious and remove them.”
Offensive to monkeys maybe...
Racist negroes hating the Chinese ...
No bananas either.
No paper cups! It’s Arbor Day.
Chinese monkeys be racist.
Only "considered" racist???
Weird. They see racism in the most innocuous things. Then you hit 'em with an actually racist statement, and they hedge it.
The Monkey is ninth of the 12 animals in the recurring 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle. Every 12 years there is a Monkey year. (Interestingly, Monkey years are all multiples of 12 - from 12 AD, through 1200 AD, to now in 2016.)
In Chinese astrology, each year is associated with a Chinese zodiac animal sign and one the Five Elements: Gold (Metal), Water, Wood, Fire, or Earth. Both the sign and element of your birth year are said to affect your personality and destiny. Element-sign combinations recur every 60 years:
People born in a year of the Monkey are called "Monkeys" in China. Usually, if born in a multiple-of-12 year, like 1980, you're a Monkey.
However, Monkey years are generally dated by the Chinese lunar calendar (starting on Chinese New Year), so if you were born in January or February check below for whether you're a Monkey.
http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/monkey.htm
Pandering for eyeballs. At least it's not an eyesore like the NFL forcing teams wearing pink highlights all through Oct. in honor of "breast cancer awareness month," trolling for more female fans. ...and to make money selling pink paraphernalia.
Where was all this offensive stuff when I was growing up? I must have missed out on the lessons of pleading to be considered a victim in life.
WIMS = Woe Is Me Syndrome
Do the shirts do this?
Or is this another dog whistle?
But how was this benign t-shirt doing anything of the kind?
mick jagger is a monkey man
I might understand a bit more perhaps if it were “Month of the Monkey”, as opposed to YEAR of the Monkey. But it isn’t.
NBA has a large Chinese fan base. Could the Kings be setting themselves up for blowback?
But like any good Angeleno -- happy to see Sack-o-tomato embarrassed. Again
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