As endorsements go, Danny Ferry could hardly find anyone better to vouch for his racial bona fides than Andrew Young, the former Atlanta mayor and U.S. Civil Rights leader.
In an interview with Zach Klein of Channel 2 Action News, Young said Ferry should remain as Hawks GM. Ferry is on indefinite leave after he read racially-charged comments about Luol Deng from a scouting report, a fact that surfaced during an internal investigation of the franchise in the wake Bruce Levenson's infamous racist email.
Young also told Klein he’s communicated with Ferry since the fallout and doesn’t believe Ferry is a racist.
"No more than I am," Young said. "That's a word that you cannot define, 'You are a racist.' You can't grow up white in America without having some problems. You can't grow up black in America without having some subtle feelings."
Here Young is echoing the sentiments I expressed back when Mark Cuban, in the wake of the Donald Sterling scandal, said we all have prejudiced thoughts. What matters more than Ferry's personal feelings about race (of which I have no insight) is whether he creates an environment in which the people who work with and for him are treated fairly and with respect.
It’s certainly big for Ferry’s reputation and future that Young has his back, but Ferry’s fate as Hawks GM will involve more than Young’s opinions. Ultimately the team’s new owners will have to decide if it makes financial sense to keep Ferry around. (Politics play a part, too, but only insofar as the franchise wants to maintain good relations with local leaders for when it inevitably asks for public money for one thing or another in the future.)
Ultimately money is a big part of the equation that will determine Ferry’s future with the Hawks. Like all sports franchises (and most businesses), the Hawks want to maintain a positive image with their customers. That consideration, which includes how Ferry’s current and future employees (players and staff alike) view him, is what matters most.
The increased interest in the Hawks and the universal praise Ferry has earned for helping to build the Eastern Conference's best team suggest the franchise could retain Ferry without hurting its cash flow. It seems much of the public animus is for Levenson and his partners, not Ferry, so it's plausible that Ferry can return to his job while riding the wave of positive vibes created by the sale of the team.
The endorsement of Ferry by Young is significant for Ferry but the feelings of Hawks employees and the general public matter more.
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