Black Basketball Players Booted Off American Airlines Flight Over Blanket Theft

(Photo Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Ever stolen a blanket from a flight?  Ever been tempted to sneak one of those rather thin and slightly too small fabric offering in your cabin bag before you disembark after a flight?  

 But what happens if you haven't been tempted to pinch one of those useless blankets, you're given one by a fellow passenger, you are black and on an American Airlines flight?  You'll probably get kicked off the flight!

American Airlines has been forced to apologize to two black professional American basketball players who were, indeed kicked off one of their passenger aircraft in Dallas after a member of cabin crew accused them of stealing blankets.

An airline spokesperson, Joshua Freed said on Tuesday that Memphis Hustle guard Marquis Teague, in the picture above)  and forward Trahson Burrell boarded the flight bound for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Sunday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.  Two first-class passengers gave the players their blankets as they headed to their seats in coach. But a black flight attendant accused them of theft and forced them off the plane.

Joshua Freed says the airline apologized to the players at the airport and also flew them to Sioux Falls later that day - first class.