# Basketballs League - Are you fucking serious? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 3, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759 "2008-04-03T03:15:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/1 "2008-04-03T03:15:49Z")
I went to Wal-Mart tonight to support one of my favorite corporations. One of the local youth groups was there selling candy. This group works mainly with kids from the poorer section of town by starting sports leagues. The group had some of the kids out helping to sell the candy. I heard one of them say: > [@Ignorant Ghetto Child](#): > > Would youse alls like to buy some candy to support ours basketballs league? Are these people fucking serious? 1. It is a school night. I am willing to go out on a limb and say that a child that speaks like that is not getting an “A” in English; he should be at home studying. 2. A basketball league? The last thing these kids need is more basketball. I have been a substitute teacher in the school district these kids will one day attend. Basketball is not a problem for these kids. English, math, science, and history are problems for these kids. So why is it that every time a group does something for these kids it involves sports (and/or music)? 3. The candy is too fucking expensive. It is half the price inside. 4. People in this town already think kids from that part of town are ignoramuses who only care about basketball. This group’s actions are not helping - the group is just living up to the stereotype. If this group is going to go out selling candy, they should at least get the kids that can sound reasonably intelligent. Or, better yet, they could start a policy debate league. ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/2 "2008-04-03T03:21:33Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] 3. The candy is too fucking expensive. It is half the price inside. [/QUOTE] When I’m thinking of donating money to school children, the last thing on my mind is “Can I donate less money to someone else, or no one else, if I shop around?” ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/3 "2008-04-03T03:22:01Z")
You know that thing that you have inside that makes you feel kind of queasy when you know you’re about to say something stupid? You really need to pay attention to that more often. “Ignorant Ghetto Child”? Are you insane? I know where you’re coming from, but, for the love of God, why do you add things that are so inflammatory that people can’t help but respond to it negatively? Oh, well. It’s your funeral. Enjoy the pyre. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/4 "2008-04-03T03:28:10Z")
So you’ve decided to just stop pretending you’re not a troll now, huh? ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/5 "2008-04-03T03:35:41Z")
Taking bets on the length of this thread. I say four-and-a-half pages with a stern warning to **2.5"** that will be cited in the ATMB thread that gets posted when he’s finally banned. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/6 "2008-04-03T03:39:26Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] Are these people fucking serious? [/quote] I can’t speak to your specific school kid, but yes. There are legitimate charities like this. However, there are also kids who know this, and run a scam. Your call. > [@](#): > > 1. It is a school night. I am willing to go out on a limb and say that a child that speaks like that is not getting an “A” in English; he should be at home studying. Assuming this is not a scam, and is a real youth nonprofit organisation type charity, I support the fact that the kid is doing stuff within the bounds of the system we have, instead of trying to cut corners, or worse. The kid is learning to work towards a goal. > [@](#): > > 1. A basketball league? The last thing these kids need is more basketball. I have been a substitute teacher in the school district these kids will one day attend. Basketball is not a problem for these kids. English, math, science, and history are problems for these kids. So why is it that every time a group does something for these kids it involves sports (and/or music)? Because it is an activity that interests them, and one that might keep them too busy to go out and get in trouble. > [@](#): > > 1. The candy is too fucking expensive. It is half the price inside. The kids probably have to buy the candy at full retail. So to increase the levels of money the charity has, they need to “make a profit”. > [@](#): > > 1. People in this town already think kids from that part of town are ignoramuses who only care about basketball. This group’s actions are not helping - the group is just living up to the stereotype. If this group is going to go out selling candy, they should at least get the kids that can sound reasonably intelligent. Or, better yet, they could start a policy debate league. The kids may not be interested in joining a debate team. They _are_ interested in joining a sports team. Use their interests to keep them out of trouble, I would say. Obviously, your mileage varies. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/7 "2008-04-03T03:40:17Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] I have been a substitute teacher in the school district these kids will one day attend. [/QUOTE] The scariest thing I’ve read all day. The words “substitute” and “have” did help alleviate the fear somewhat. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/8 "2008-04-03T03:41:12Z")
> [@](#): > > You know that thing that you have inside that makes you feel kind of queasy when you know you’re about to say something stupid? You really need to pay attention to that more often. “Ignorant Ghetto Child”? Are you insane? > > I know where you’re coming from, but, for the love of God, why do you add things that are so inflammatory that people can’t help but respond to it negatively? > > Oh, well. It’s your funeral. Enjoy the pyre. The description is accurate. I prefer accuracy to sensitivity. > [@](#): > > ``` > So you've decided to just stop pretending you're not a troll now, huh? > > ``` I believe everything I posted. I will respond to any intelligent post that takes issue with what I wrote; however, I will not respond until tomorrow. I am going to bed. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/9 "2008-04-03T03:53:51Z")
The problem with saying that “ignorant ghetto child” is accurate is that you have no idea where he/she lives. Beyond that, how do you define the term ghetto? Is it any low-cost housing? Is it low-cost housing populated largely by blacks? Does it have to be an area known to be selling drugs? Do the houses necessarily have to be in a certain state of disrepair? Ghetto is a term more inflammatory than descriptive, which would seem to contradict your preference for accuracy. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/10 "2008-04-03T04:09:19Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] 1. It is a school night. I am willing to go out on a limb and say that a child that speaks like that is not getting an “A” in English; he should be at home studying. [/QUOTE] You can’t extrapolate “intelligence” or “grades” from “accent” or “dialect”. True story: while I was at work at Walgreens one night a couple weeks ago, two black male youths encountered each other in front of my cash register. “Sup!” “Sup!” They spent a few minutes catching up, in what was to me barely comprehensible Ebonics. And then, one said to the other, “So, what are you majoring in?” And the other one said, “Architecture.” I swear on the life of my children that this really happened. And several of our employees are probably what you would characterize as “ghetto”, and I notice that their Ebonics accent comes and goes depending on whether they’re talking to me, Missus Whitebread Sundayschoolteacher, or to someone from the 'hood. It’s particularly noticeable with a young woman who is my daughter’s contemporary; when she’s talking to me, she’s just another teenager, but when her friends stop by the store, she speaks Ebonics to them. So you can’t go by how these kids sounded. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/11 "2008-04-03T04:11:29Z")
I think the OP has misunderstood the true purpose of the basketball league(s). Look at it this way: Would you rather pay too much for a candy bar so this kid can keep playing basketball, OR have the league go under, the kid join a gang, and take that money from you at gunpoint? Leagues like this are designed to prevent the latter scenario from playing out. Experience has shown they are more effective at this than Science or Math clubs. Not only that, but hey, the kid is actually out trying to sell something to earn money for something he wants, as opposed to asking for a handout or stealing. In a way, he’s learning a life-lesson by selling those candy bars. You _should_ support that. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/12 "2008-04-03T14:42:24Z")
**Lizard** , that would take intuitive leaps of logic that **2.5** is incapable of making. Just as he should cut those kids some slack, the Teeming Millions should cut **2.5** some slack. As is obvious, not every poster has two working brains cells to use when posting. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/13 "2008-04-03T14:51:04Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] As is obvious, not every poster has two working brains cells to use when posting. [/QUOTE] I do! One controls each finger when I’m typing… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/14 "2008-04-03T15:04:06Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] You can’t extrapolate “intelligence” or “grades” from “accent” or “dialect”. [/QUOTE] I completely agree with your post, and only want to do that annoying pedantic thing of suggesting you use a different vocabulary word. “Ebonics” was never a preferred term among linguists, AFAIK, it was a magazine/newspaper term that fell out of favor some time ago. Even the book which coined it rarely uses it, preferring “Black English” in most of it’s pages. The same argument takes on a more scientific bent if you use [African American Vernacular English, or AAVE,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_Vernacular_English) instead. I honestly don’t think this is a “politically correct” thing, it just identifies that dialect in a format more like other dialects are named: Southern American English, Standard American English, etc. ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/15 "2008-04-03T15:10:52Z")
Just another point: if the kid–who’s apparently an elementary schooler or younger, since he hasn’t attended “your” school yet–_does_ remain devoted to basketball and manages to become a professional, he’s going to be making _a lot_ more money than virtually any other job. I realize the odds of becoming an NBA ballplayer are pretty slim, but it _does_ happen. Support the fucking kid trying to do the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/16 "2008-04-03T15:21:17Z")
[QUOTE=mshar253] Just another point: if the kid–who’s apparently an elementary schooler or younger, since he hasn’t attended “your” school yet–_does_ remain devoted to basketball and manages to become a professional, he’s going to be making _a lot_ more money than virtually any other job. I realize the odds of becoming an NBA ballplayer are pretty slim, but it _does_ happen. Support the fucking kid trying to do the right thing. [/QUOTE] Actually, in my opinion, the infinitesimally small possibility that the kid will end up as a successful professional athlete is precisely the _wrong_ reason to support him. Hell, even at the college level only a tiny percentage of ballplayers go on to have pro careers, and for a kid still in elementary or middle school, the odds are tens of thousands to one against. I think it’s great to encourage kids to play sports, but the motivation behind it should be to encourage things like exercise, teamwork, responsibility, commitment, etc. It should not be promoted as a road to riches, and kids should not be encouraged to think of pro sport as a career path, especially if it’s done at the expense of their other education. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/17 "2008-04-03T15:35:44Z")
Was the OP’s quote supposed to be in AAVE? Because it sounded to me more like a miniature Joe Pesci. [sub]Is “miniature Joe Pesci” redundant?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/18 "2008-04-03T16:18:48Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] I can’t speak to your specific school kid, but yes. There are legitimate charities like this. However, there are also kids who know this, and run a scam. Your call. [/QUOTE] AFAIK, it’s most always an adult running the scam and conned the kids by waving money at them. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/19 "2008-04-03T17:30:17Z")
And people thought the fun would end with VCO3 banned 🙂 As said upthread, some of these are scams, some are legit, but either way, no one is making you buy the candy, and either way, someone is either doing something legally to make money as opposed to resorting to crime (or a real job 😉 ), or getting kids an activity to keep them from resorting to crime, so its really a positive, scam or not. And I’d guess if Wal-Mart allowed it, they may have looked into it and found its legit- the fake ones I’ve seen are usually on street corners- if they weren’t fake, a business would let them do it there and not have to risk getting hit by a car. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759/20 "2008-04-03T17:38:50Z")
[QUOTE=mshar253] I realize the odds of becoming an NBA ballplayer are pretty slim, but it _does_ happen. Support the fucking kid trying to do the right thing. [/QUOTE] Pretty slim? There are about 450 players in the NBA in a country of 300 million people. This is like advising someone to buy Powerball tickets as an investment strategy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketballs-league-are-you-fucking-serious/443759.md?page=2)