"ya'll white guys are not tough enough"

Coach Chuck Evans tells it how he sees it to his hapless Worcester Wolves basketball squad :

Former head coach Chuck Evans has admitted discussing race with the team and has since resigned, although he denies being racist.

It is the first time details of the alleged two-hour exchange, which led to the British Basketball League club having to postpone all their December games, have been made public.

According to notes taken by the players immediately following the post-match analysis session on Sunday, November 22, Evans, a black American, blamed the team’s recent poor form on there being too many white players.

He is quoted in the players’ notes as saying: “I think I have figured out the problem with our team... looking at the last two teams that we have lost to Newcastle and Chester, they were mainly black guys and I just think we have too many white guys on the team who are not tough enough and too soft.”

He is quoted as going on to say: “I should have recognised a long time ago that you white guys are not tough enough. I’m just calling it like I see it.”

The players notes are here. Six white and two black players threatened to strike after the coach's two hour presentation and were then sacked by the club's owners.

.."bitch ass pass...that's my white guys for ya"

..."you see, you see, look at the two guys involved in making that turnover, two white guys, I'm not crazy"

..."Look at James Hamilton (African-American (Black) player from Chester) he just pushed you (Wolves Caucasian (White) player) out of the way... and said uhh, take that ****... and ya'll think I'm crazy, told ya'll I wasn't lyin"

..."**** this is basketball, I know the business, **** it, I'm gonna get fired at some point, whether it's form here, or my next job, so if I am, at least I'm gonna say how I feel about this ****."

..."See those three black guys (referring to three black player from Chester Jets that made a defensive steal from three white players from the Worcester Wolves), they just are tougher... took the ball, said gimme that ****, don't worry I will find a solution for this"

..."Look at my black guys (black player from the Wolves) their fightin, fightin for everything"

..."Look at this ****, look, boom, black guy (Shawn Myers, Chester Jets) dunking on our ass"

..."I just say it like I see it, baby, I can say what the **** I want to say cause I am the Coach, so I say it like I see it, this is basketball"

Now for all I know he may be right. Perhaps white men can't jump. But if a white coach said similar things about black players it would be all over the BBC - which report the story like this - and Guardian. Yet this ain't. As ever, I can't imagine why.



UPDATE - the Wolves are sponsored by the University of Worcester (formerly Dines Green Working Men's Club) - an organ of the State which hosts their home games. And apparently their players have been coaching in the local schools - who, to be fair to them, seem horrified that nothing they're teaching the kids about racism seems to apply should the perp be black and victim white.

From the comments on the story (emboldening is mine):

BBaynes, Evesham says...

9.49 am Tue 15 Dec 09

I am the Head Teacher at one of the schools where the (sacked) Wolves Players coached as part of the team's community outreach programme. My pupils admired and respected Vid and his team-mates. To my children, the players symbolised all that is good about sports. We were horrified when we first learned of the sackings two weeks ago. How could I explain or even justify this action to my pupils? How could I explain that their heroes had lost their jobs for doing exactly that which we teach them to do - standing up to racist bullies? In primary schools today we take a very strong line against any sort of bullying, especially that which is motivated by racism, and all of us at school were deeply disturbed to find that Vid and his team-mates had been punished for standing up against racism. Since hearing about this, I have emailed and written letters to the manager of the team, the chair of the BBL and anyone else I could think of, hoping that reason and common sense would prevail and that these players would receive justice, rather than punishment. Hopefully this article will now begin to correct the dreadful injustice that has been done to them!
And finally, I, too, am American, like Mr Evans, and I am deeply saddened that his views might be taken to be representative of all my countrymen. Vid and his fellow team-mates WERE (and continue to be) excellent basketball players (just ask any of my pupils), regardless of the colour of their skin, or their nationality - what a pity Mr Evans was too short-sighted to realise this!

I am the Head Teacher at one of the schools where the (sacked) Wolves Players coached as part of the team's community outreach programme. My pupils admired and respected Vid and his team-mates. To my children, the players symbolised all that is good about sports. We were horrified when we first learned of the sackings two weeks ago. How could I explain or even justify this action to my pupils? How could I explain that their heroes had lost their jobs for doing exactly that which we teach them to do - standing up to racist bullies? In primary schools today we take a very strong line against any sort of bullying, especially that which is motivated by racism, and all of us at school were deeply disturbed to find that Vid and his team-mates had been punished for standing up against racism. Since hearing about this, I have emailed and written letters to the manager of the team, the chair of the BBL and anyone else I could think of, hoping that reason and common sense would prevail and that these players would receive justice, rather than punishment. Hopefully this article will now begin to correct the dreadful injustice that has been done to them!

And finally, I, too, am American, like Mr Evans, and I am deeply saddened that his views might be taken to be representative of all my countrymen. Vid and his fellow team-mates WERE (and continue to be) excellent basketball players (just ask any of my pupils), regardless of the colour of their skin, or their nationality - what a pity Mr Evans was too short-sighted to realise this!

revanscook, Ashton Under Hill says...

10.09 am Tue 15 Dec 09

As an educator, one of our most important skills to pass onto our pupils is to stand up to racism. Therefore it was to my utter astonishment that these six players were sacked for standing up to a racist bully. We need to counter racism in our modern world so that we can live in harmony, regardless of creed, colour or background.

I salute these guys for standing up to racism and it is just unfortunate that there employers and the BBL did not applaud them for doing this as well. In my eyes they are the heros in this dreadful situation and I suggest the Worcester Wolves and the BBL should re look at there disciplinary procedures and give these men the justification that they truly deserve.

As an educator, one of our most important skills to pass onto our pupils is to stand up to racism. Therefore it was to my utter astonishment that these six players were sacked for standing up to a racist bully. We need to counter racism in our modern world so that we can live in harmony, regardless of creed, colour or background.
I salute these guys for standing up to racism and it is just unfortunate that there employers and the BBL did not applaud them for doing this as well. In my eyes they are the heros in this dreadful situation and I suggest the Worcester Wolves and the BBL should re look at there disciplinary procedures and give these men the justification that they truly deserve.
Apparently some of the schools have written to chairman Roger Clarke to ask for the players' reinstatement. And I do hope these educators rank reading, writing and arithmetic higher than 'standing up to racism' - because a) that's the primary function of a school b) it's a lot easier to stand up to anything if you're not illiterate and innumerate. Sometimes I worry they forget that.