Youth Basketball League In Hot Water Over Racist Jerseys

An Ohio youth recreational basketball league has sparked controversy after one of its teams donned racist jerseys and played under a sexually explicit team name. The team was kicked out of the league, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer Tuesday.

The team called “Wet Dream Team” played three games in the Cincinnati Premier Youth Basketball League, which consists of boys in grades seven through 12 before the league was contacted. The players' jerseys displayed nicknames such as “coon” and “knee grow.” The players wearing those jerseys appeared to be white. The league was notified of the offensive names during the team’s fourth game, which the league ended early.

The team registered with the league as Kings Gill VB-R after the coach Walt Gill, and the Cincinnati suburb the team hailed from, Kings Mills, Ohio. Gill did not respond to International Business Times’ request for comment.

“We sincerely apologize to anyone that was offended by the jerseys. We offered to cover them up or change, however, the league saw fit to remove us and we have accepted that decision,” said Gill, through an intermediary, to WCPO.

League spokesman Ben Goodyear told the Enquirer that the league was unaware of the offensive names until the fourth game.

“[The league] was developed to provide the best possible basketball experience for the youth of our communities and their families,” said Goodyear. “Based on the information that we received, the actions and conduct of the team in question did not comply with our stated mission and expected standards and that team has, therefore, been dismissed from our league.”

A parent from the opposing team of Sunday’s game posted a lengthy Facebook message about the incident.

“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,” said Tony Rue.

The Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP admonished the community for not speaking up earlier in a statement on Facebook, but thanked the parents that pointed the jerseys out.

“This is quite offensive on multiple levels, when you have adults who allow their children to wear disgusting, divisive hateful, sexual and inflammatory sports uniforms in a recreational league. Having jerseys with your name on the back as a racial slur or something sexual is not clever or funny,” said the NAACP.