Tony Rue couldn’t believe the jerseys he saw at a recent Cincinnati rec league game. One kid was wearing a “Knee Grow” jersey and another was wearing a “Coon” jersey. One thing led to another and Rue went into news-gathering mode and made a Facebook post on January 7 that has officially gone viral now that Cincinnati news channels have taken notice.
Rue writes:
A Rec league or not, please explain how this is even remotely considered appropriate for a high school basketball game. From a team name referencing sexual conduct to offensive and racist nicknames. It was so inappropriate that the coaches of the girls teams that played before us quickly ushered the girls out of the gym so they wouldn’t have to see it. By no means are we perfect parents or assume our teenage boys are innocent and don’t speak of things like this, but I could never imagine allowing my teenage son to represent his school and league in this manner, let alone representing our family with such filth. While I applaud the representatives of the WCYBA league, I strongly question the judgment and character of the parents and league reps for Kings.
“Wet Dream Team” “Knee Grow(Negro)” “Coon(Another racial slur, and no your real name being Kuhn doesn’t make it any better.)” and “Dirp Dirp” just to name a few. Could you imagine being an African American high school kid and seeing these things on the jerseys of the team you are playing and how uncomfortable and unsafe they would feel?? Then a team page, again representing Kings League, with vulgar language. Beyond disrespectful. There is enough hate, bullying, and aggressive behavior in the world that these kids, parents, and schools shouldn’t have to deal with bigotry and lewd innuendos on jerseys and in team names in a school district represented recreational basketball league. This isn’t a typo, this isn’t a mistake, these are ideas that were thought of, discussed, agreed upon by adults and kids alike, printed on uniforms, social media accounts registered and manned and no one thought this was a bad idea or inappropriate?
We teach our kids to #standup and #speakup ( A Europe-wide campaign that was launched in January 2005 by the French Football player Thierry Henry following an increase in reports of racist incidents in football and all sport across Europe and he world. Together with Nike and other top European players, he protests against this continuing problem inviting football fans to voice their opposition to racism), and everyone involved in this team has done the complete opposite in every aspect of what they do. One of the symbols of the movement are two wrist bands interlocked, one white, one black as a show of solidarity that read “StandUp SpeakUp
I have attached pictures from the game and the teams Twitter page which ties in with another Kings team which uses the term “retarded” and calls another school district “a bunch of pussies”. The coaches involved in this team should not be allowed to be involved in youth sports ever again, these kids shouldn’t be permitted to be involved in these leagues, and the parents, how, as a parent, do you go to wash your child’s uniform and see “Coon” or “Knee Grow(negro)” and think nothing of it? There is no place for this in recreational, school, or any other level of sports. There must be accountability.
It appears this is a youth league comprised of kids who got cut from their high school teams. It’s not affiliated with the school systems so it’s pretty much a free-for-all.
WCPO reports:
Rue was there for his son’s recreational basketball league. A team of boys from West Clermont High School was playing a team from Kings High. The team’s aren’t affiliated with the school districts, other than renting space and having players who are students.
The Cincinnati Premier Youth Basketball League called the game before it was over because of the Kings’ boys’ jerseys.
As for Twitter action from @WetDreamTeam_, the account has been deleted, but there’s a very minor history for the squad that we can show you.
