LA Times columnist suggests Donald Sterling buy hockey team to avoid blacks

Hey, you know the best way to battle unconscionable racial ignorance? With even more unconscionable racial ignorance!

So was the choice made by Sandy Banks – a columnist for the LA Times, having worked there for 30 years – in her piece about Los Angeles Clippers owner and professional dating advisor Donald Sterling, in which she made the following suggestion in her lede:

It’s time to retire Donald Sterling.

Let the real estate magnate and Clippers owner take his millions and buy a hockey team. Then he won’t have to worry about black superstars showing up for games on his girlfriend’s arm.

HA HA HA HOCKEY IS A THING WHITE PEOPLE LIKE BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY WHITE PEOPLE IN THE NHL.

Well, save for him:

And him:

Both of whom play in the city that Banks’ newspaper covers.

As did this guy, before he was traded to Philly:

Where he plays with this guy:

But perhaps Banks is saying that these players aren’t “star” players, which she referenced in her piece.

If only the NHL had “black superstars” … you know, like this guy:

Ah, but maybe she means a Magic Johnson level Hall of Fame player.

Geez, got us there.

We only have this guy, still playing in the postseason:

But maybe she means blacks don’t attend hockey games.

Save for this guy:

OK, full stop: We know that hockey doesn't have the diversity of the other major sports, and there are many factors behind that. Some are economic, which is why the NHL has sought to bring street hockey to cities for the last decade. Some are cultural, like prominent columnists in major newspapers writing that blacks don't have anything to do with hockey, so racist sacks of crap can find safe haven there.

Which is, you know, a problem.

Sandy Banks can be reached on email sandy.banks@latimes.com and on Twitter at @sandybankslat. Should you reach out, be nice, be respectful, do not be a jackass and misrepresent hockey fans. But, perhaps, gently correct her misconception.