LETTER: Comparison of Donald Trump to Globetrotters isn’t a compliment
It is peculiar that Wayne Allyn Root’s Jan. 29 commentary (“Globetrotters vs. Washington Generals”) attempts to praise the Trump administration by calling them “the Harlem Globetrotters of politics.”
While the Globetrotters have consistently outplayed their lowly rival (the Washington Generals), they are not a professional NBA basketball team nor have they ever been serious game strategists. They play exhibition basketball and have specialized primarily in comedic antics since their inception in 1926.
Indeed, the Globetrotter website refers to their “brand” as a “worldwide entertainment powerhouse” and boasts of their past TV shows, including “The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine” variety show and “The Harlem Globetrotters cartoon show on CBS.”
Perhaps Mr. Root is not aware that, in 1934, the Globetrotters’ playful buffoonery spawned the creation of a similar team of basketball entertainers that still exists today: The Harlem Clowns (formerly The Broadway Clowns). So Mr. Root’s attempt to compliment the Trump administration ultimately amounts to his likening it to a team of basketball pranksters and its progeny of self-described “clowns.”
Moreover, Mr. Root’s analogy is awkward and ill-considered for an even more significant reason: During their 90-year history the Globetrotters team has been comprised almost exclusively of African American players. In stark contrast, Mr. Trump’s team of Cabinet nominees is thus far composed of one African American and 15 Caucasians.
