Twenty-three year-old Jovan Miller of the Charlotte Hounds, one of only three professional African-American lacrosse players in the country, is refusing to play because of a  slogan, “#NinjaPlease,†being used by Major League Lacrosse’s sponsor, Warrior Sports, in a recent campaign. His boycott could jeopardize his future in the sport.
A few weeks ago, Miller began noticing his Twitter followers using the hashtag “#NinjaPlease.†It was being used by Warrior Sports as an advertising campaign slogan for its “Dojo” shoe. The company has since ceased using the slogan.
“It kind of alarmed me at first,†Miller told WCNC TV. “The actual meaning behind ‘Ninja Please’ is the ‘N-word Please.’ They put ninja in it to kind of disguise it.â€
Urbandictionary.com defines “Ninja Please†as a statement “used to replace ‘Ni**a please’… when black people are present.â€
“If I won’t wear the uniform, obviously I can’t play,†Miller told WCNC. “This doesn’t just affect me. I’m not just speaking for myself. I’m speaking for every black man or black girl who has ever picked up a lacrosse stick,†Miller said.
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