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Bucks President Feigin Apologizes For Calling Milwaukee "Segregated, Racist" Place
After Bucks President Peter Feigin last week made comments about Milwaukee being the "most segregated, racist" place, he sought yesterday to tamp down the controversy by praising the community, according to Spicuzza & Gardner of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. Feigin: "Milwaukee is a terrific community with wonderful people and I am proud to be a part of it. ... It wasn't my intention to characterize the general community as overtly racist." Spicuzza & Gardner note Feigin last week gave a "stark assessment of the community while speaking to the Rotary Club of Madison." Feigin was quoted as saying, "Very bluntly, Milwaukee is the most segregated, racist place I've ever experienced in my life. It just is a place that is antiquated. It is in desperate need of repair and has happened for a long, long time. One of our messages and one of our goals is to lead by example." Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said he had a "good conversation" with Feigin on Monday. Barrett said he told Feigin, "I'm happy that you're engaged in trying to improve our community." Barrett said that he believes the Bucks' leaders are "committed to working with him to address the city's racial disparities." Bucks co-Owner Wes Edens said, "The words he chose might have been a little different. All of the awareness of the situation is a worthy outcome of it." Edens added that the Bucks are "determined to help improve the city" ( <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2016/09/27/barrett-eager-work-bucks-after-most-segregated-comments/91162026/" target="_blank">MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/28</a> ). Feigin's comments drew little attention when first <a href="http://host.madison.com/wsj/sports/basketball/professional/bucks-team-president-peter-feigin-sees-re-energized-future-for/article_2edcf8d5-dcc5-51c6-a14e-ddbe432db1e0.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook" target="_blank">reported late last week by the Wisconsin State Journal</a> . Controversy emerged when they were picked up more recently by <a href="http://deadspin.com/bucks-president-milwaukee-is-the-most-segregated-rac-1787121559" target="_blank">Deadspin</a> , the <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2016/09/26/bucks-feigin-makes-blunt-assessment-of-milwaukees.html" target="_blank">Milwaukee Business Journal</a> and other outlets. For a sample of fan reaction in the market, see responses to a Twitter post from Milwaukee-based sports talk radio station W289CB-FM, which asked, "Will the comments from #Bucks President Peter Feigin stop you from buying tickets to games?" ( <a href="https://twitter.com/1057FMTheFan/status/780845882954711045" target="_blank">TWITTER.com, 9/27</a> ).
