A minor league baseball team in Orem, Utah, has cancelled a ticket promotion it called ‘Caucasian Heritage Night’ after a severe backlash from critics and fans.
The Orem Owlz, who play in the Pioneer League and are affiliated with the LA Angels, had planned the event on August 10, and said in their promotional material: “Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, German … or even Utahn! Whatever your background, celebrate it at the Home of the Owlz!”
But after fans discovered, shared, and criticized the existence of the promotion – particularly in light of the fatal shooting of nine black people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday – the Owlz opted to cancel. They confirmed the U-turn in a hastily written, and deeply eccentric, press statement.
Owlz cancel event http://t.co/vh1SrzGwJZ
— Orem Owlz (@OremOwlz) June 19, 2015
The statement read: “You may have read that the Orem Owlz had long ago scheduled Caucasian Heritage Night as one of its 38 promotions.
“Minor League Baseball, and the Orem Owlz, is about baseball, togetherness and family fun for all fans of all races, religions, and orientations. Our goal in this promotion, like any of our promotions, is to have fun and make fun of everyday normalcies. Our night was to include Wonder Bread on burgers with mayonnaise, clips from shows like Friends and Seinfeld, and trying to solve the vertical leaping challenge. We understand, in light of recent tragic events, that our intentions have been misconstrued. For that, we sincerely apologize.
“The Owlz are committed to all its fans, families and all fans of baseball alike - no matter who you are. The event has been removed from our promotional schedule effectively immediately.”
Whether the vertical leaping challenge would have been solved will presumably remain an unanswered conundrum.
Orem, a town in north-central Utah about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, has a population of about 90,000, and is nearly 80% white. Less than 1% of its residents are African American.
