Leonard Pitts: Is NBA dress code racist?

I am trying to feel Marcus Camby's pain. I am also trying to keep a straight face. I cannot do both.

Camby, for those who never read the sports page, is a very tall man who is paid $8 million per annum to play basketball for the Denver Nuggets. You'd think life would be good, but Camby is feeling put upon.

(snip)

Camby feels this is an unfair burden. He told a reporter that if the NBA wants to impose a dress code, it should give each player a clothing allowance. Did I mention that Camby is paid $8 million a year?

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/13762347p-14604585c.html

Fuck them. If you get $8M per year, you can afford to do without a clothing allowance.

By the way, what's racist about it? I didn't wanna take the time to register with the site, but I am curious.

Pitts is saying it isn't racist. But the claim by some NBA players is that it's targeting hip-hop.

Not sure what to make of it really. Have no sympathy for multimillionaires feeling squeezed by dress codes. But the idea that changing clothing changes behavior seems pretty weak. Congress dresses up. Doesn't work.

I got to the column through Google News without having to register, by the way.

My company certainly has a dress code (business casual or dressier) and I sure as hell am not paid $8 million a year. Or a decade.

naked occasionally. Not that anyone would care to look.

I'm sick of these bitchfests over a damn dress code while on "company business". Everyone else who receives a paycheck has to follow one, and usually at their own expense.

Brings up several thoughts...

These young men are professionals, and at the salaries they are making, which most of America will never see, should dress like professionals when they are representing their teams.

There is a time for wearing the strictly casual clothing, and it's not while representing the company one works for. And that is what I believe the NBA is addressing.

These athletes should also remember there is a generation of younger children who emulate what these athletes wear. I think a population of parents would be thrilled if these folks modeled in this type of attire.

However, some of these athletes wear these clothes (especially the shoes) as part of an endorsement package. Like to see how the NBA plays areound that....

The players are predominantly black, and what they think looks good when coming to the basketball arena is not what some tight ass suit like David Stern thinks looks good. Stern tells them dress up to come to games. Why?

Because the people who own the teams don't like the players who dress like extras in a Nellie Video, but they don't have the guts to make their players do by owner's fiat. They could, but they want the commish to do it for them, so he does.

It's like requiring students to all wear uniforms because you can't handle what your kid wears.

These are grown men, and they are the best at what they do in the world. They know they're being treated like employees, and they don't like it. Who would?

I am unmoved by all commentators who mentioned how much these guys make. Whatever they make is nothing compared to what the owners make. You don't get to be an owner unless you have about 500 million you can afford to waste on a sports franchise.


http://www.webcomicsnation.com/neillisst