(AP) -- According to a press release from the All-American Basketball Alliance, "only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league."  But don't worry! Don "Moose" Lewis, the "commissioner" of the new AABA, says the reasoning behind the league's roster restrictions has nothing to do with blatant racism.

From The Augusta Chronicle:

"There's nothing hatred about what we're doing," he said. "I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."

Lewis said he wants to emphasize fundamental basketball instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color." He pointed out recent incidents in the NBA, including Gilbert Arenas'(notes) indefinite suspension after bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room, as examples of fans' dissatisfaction with the way current professional sports are run.

"Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."

The Atlanta-based league, which will operate as a single-entity owning all of its teams, is looking for local contacts to pay $10,000 to become a "licensee" in one of 12 cities throughout the Southeast. Thankfully, Augusta, Ga., Mayor Deke Copenhaver has already declined the "invitation," which was probably printed with white ink on white paper:

(UPH) - My only problem with this is why didn't "Moose" choose the option of creating a more structured rule governing league?  A lot of the issues that he pointed out are a result of the NBA being too loose on player behavior on and off the court.  To go "all the way left field" and flat out exclude other races from this league is just wrong.  What's your opinion?