The Donald Sterling Thread

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

Regarding the forced sell of the team, Silver made it seem like that it was completely in the boards power to do so, and that there would be no issue with them doing so, however all previous reports mentioned that they could do so, however it would be stretching the language of the NBA constitution to a point where it sets a bad precedent, the latter is in fact the case right? Of course Sterling will fight this, and then lose, but what happens after that?

I don't think Sterling has much of a fight. The NBA is a private enterprise and as an owner you sign a contract to whatever comes a long with that. Lawyers are going to lawyer and find loopholes, but I would imagine this fight will be swift ending. I think the biggest obstacle is Shelley Sterling. She owns half of the team, how is that going to work?

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Bro this is my point....if all the owners and stern/silver had the tape and no one else heard it, sterling would be court side right now. In other words everybody knew this guy was a racist and nothing was done until it became bad for business like others have said.

There are other Donald sterlings in the league right now but they're safe because they're not on tmz

I've been saying this since day 1.

This problem isn't going to go away.

 

[mr marcus]

Shelly getting doc blessing is some ********. That old hag is just as racist. Oh she's a victim cause she chose to stay by a man that keep a side chick on his side? Nahhhh they say this ain't the first side chick she has sued. Old **** **** her

 

[100027]

Bro this is my point....if all the owners and stern/silver had the tape and no one else heard it, sterling would be court side right now. In other words everybody knew this guy was a racist and nothing was done until it became bad for business like others have said.

There are other Donald sterlings in the league right now but they're safe because they're not on tmz

....And?  That means they did nothing?  They got rid of one dude.  They didn't get rid of every racist dude in the NBA or in the world.  But that's not how life works.  You don't win every battle at once.

 

[everysingletime]

It's not the league's job to get rid of racism everywhere in the world.

 

[scuse7]

I find it interesting that Shelly Sterling, who had her hand in the racial discrimination that went on w. the housing, was given the blessing by Doc Rivers to attend last night's game.

I couldn't believe that. It's clear as day she had a part in what happened during that housing situation.

Also, this is a very slippery slope. Banning people for things said in private. What happens if a star player trashes gays/jews/blacks in private, and then it is made public? Will they be banned for life? Not saying he doesn't deserve it by any means, but it certainly sets a precedent.

If this happened for all aspects of business, many people would be out of jobs.

 

[gotjz]

It's not the league's job to get rid of racism everywhere in the world.

Silly thinking. While it may not be the league's "job" to get rid of racism in the world, is it the job of humans? Is it the league's job to get rid of every racist in the NBA? If the NBA shows what type of brand they are, and what they truly represent.....could that result in serving as a model to the rest of the world/other businesses? Look at how things like the NBA drive culture.

 

[everysingletime]

I agree about the slippery slope thing. What if one day one of us gets fired because we got recorded talking **** about a boss we don't like. I know we've all talked **** about our employers out of work at one point or another. It's a slippery slope indeed.

 

[100027]

I agree about the slippery slope thing. What if one day one of us gets fired because we got recorded talking **** about a boss we don't like. I know we've all talked **** about our employers out of work at one point or another. It's a slippery slope indeed.

...you could have gotten fired for that today depending on where you work. If you said something racist you would almost definitely be fired.

 

[datznasty]

I agree about the slippery slope thing. What if one day one of us gets fired because we got recorded talking **** about a boss we don't like. I know we've all talked **** about our employers out of work at one point or another. It's a slippery slope indeed.

Um that can, will, and does happen. Go post some **** about your boss on your facebook and see what happens, inevitably a coworker of yours will snitch and you will be handled.

 

[rck3sactown]

cmon man


Icing on the cake would be, once management comes to you with your termination notice and you pull the freedom of speech card

 

[jjs07]

Shelly getting doc blessing is some ********. That old hag is just as racist. Oh she's a victim cause she chose to stay by a man that keep a side chick on his side? Nahhhh they say this ain't the first side chick she has sued. Old **** **** her

It's really crazy to me. This is why I've been saying all along that these guys don't give a **** about principle.

I couldn't believe that. It's clear as day she had a part in what happened during that housing situation.

Also, this is a very slippery slope. Banning people for things said in private. What happens if a star player trashes gays/jews/blacks in private, and then it is made public? Will they be banned for life? Not saying he doesn't deserve it by any means, but it certainly sets a precedent.

If this happened for all aspects of business, many people would be out of jobs.

Yup...and it's exactly why I think Sterling has a case if he does decide to sue the league for it's punishment. Don't get me wrong, I think he's one of the most despicable people associated with sports, but I don't think he's going to go away quietly. NBA put a band-aid on a gash that requires staples. I have a serious feeling that this will get very ugly and some other names will be dragged through the mud before it's all said and done.

 

[everysingletime]

It's not the league's job to get rid of racism everywhere in the world.

Silly thinking. While it may not be the league's "job" to get rid of racism in the world, is it the job of humans? Is it the league's job to get rid of every racist in the NBA? If the NBA shows what type of brand they are, and what they truly represent.....could that result in serving as a model to the rest of the world/other businesses? Look at how things like the NBA drive culture.

You clearly don't understand my argument.

 

[aepps20]

IMO the NBA's response is mostly about protecting the league's image and keeping the sponsorship money flowing than racism. If the owners didn't see a real and tangible financial impact of this fiasco they wouldn't have allowed Silver to impose the kind of punishment he did. People may say this creates a slippery slope and that you can lose your team for private conversations, but NBA owners, like other business owners don't like it when the money gets messed up because another owner or other affiliated individual says or does something stupid that will have financial consequences on everyone. The true power brokers are the sponsors, and if they don't want their companies associated with certain statements or behavior they will withdraw their support which has a financial impact on the league. Keep in mind, Silver said that the names of sponsors will appear on jerseys in the future which supports the idea that sponsorship revenue is a major component of the NBA revenue model.

 

[everysingletime]

I agree about the slippery slope thing. What if one day one of us gets fired because we got recorded talking **** about a boss we don't like. I know we've all talked **** about our employers out of work at one point or another. It's a slippery slope indeed.

Um that can, will, and does happen. Go post some **** about your boss on your facebook and see what happens, inevitably a coworker of yours will snitch and you will be handled.

Posting something on a social network willingly is very different from being illegaly recorded during a private conversation.

 

[datznasty]

Have yall read the NBA's constitution? They literally waive their right to sue to be part of the association, he'd have to go to court just to vacate that clause.

And since it isn't a court of law to begin with but a Board of Governor's in an Association, the legality of the recording is irrelevant. Silver was asked that yesterday, response was something to the effect, "Whether said privately or publicly, they are his views and we condemn them."

 

[everysingletime]

I'm not saying Sterling shouldn't be held accountable. I don't want him in the NBA. But Mark Cuban has a point about the slippery slope. Where is the line drawn?

This sterling vs nba case is going to set a precedence for every illegally recorded conversation from here on out, for not just nba players but every American.

There's a reason why tape recordings without consent are illegal. It's to protect the Americans right to privacy. If Sterling loses when he sues - because he will sue - while yes, that's a win against racism it's also a loss towards our right to privacy.

 

[rell826]

I find it interesting that Shelly Sterling, who had her hand in the racial discrimination that went on w. the housing, was given the blessing by Doc Rivers to attend last night's game.

Doc Rivers and this Clippers team never had integrity which is why I'm stunned by them being applauded last night and praised in the media. They swallowed their pride for a paycheck from a man that has been openly bigoted for three decades. I still don't respect any of them.

 

[scuse7]

IMO the NBA's response is mostly about protecting the league's image and keeping the sponsorship money flowing than racism. 

Certainly true. There is no doubt in my mind that many players, owners, executives, or whoever knew Sterling was this bad. ****, I had read a ton about it before and knew he was a pig. There is no way people in the inner workings didn't know this.

I could be insensitive here (I'm white), and obviously this type of recording certainly is extreme and right in your face but Jamal Crawford saying he was waking up in a "bad dream" seems a little much to me. He's been in the league a long time, there is no ******* way he didn't know Donald Sterling was a racist pig.

 

[jjs07]

Doc Rivers and this Clippers team never had integrity which is why I'm stunned by them being applauded last night and praised in the media. They swallowed their pride for a paycheck from a man that has been openly bigoted for three decades. I still don't respect any of them.

The whole thing is a sham to me. Someone should ask Rivers if those people who were ACTUALLY discriminated against wouldn't have a problem w/ Shelly Sterling still being visible at Clippers games....

Rivers, just last year, was saying how "things were different" (in a good way) in the Clippers organization when questioned about working under Sterling. Then he has the ******* audacity to talk about resigning if Sterling's penalty wasn't up to what he thought was appropriate? Get outta here...

I really hope people can see the transparency in this situation.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Have yall read the NBA's constitution? They literally waive their right to sue to be part of the association, he'd have to go to court just to vacate that clause.

And since it isn't a court of law to begin with but a Board of Governor's in an Association, the legality of the recording is irrelevant. Silver was asked that yesterday, response was something to the effect, "Whether said privately or publicly, they are his views and we condemn them."

seriously, people still aren't getting this?

This isn't a court of law, it's a private organization the "precedent" is irrelevant.

 

[jjs07]

seriously, people still aren't getting this?

This isn't a court of law, it's a private organization the "precedent" is irrelevant.

This is when I when people say Magic Johnson or Oprah are interested in buying the Clippers. They are about as close to buying the Clippers as you and me.

Sterling isn't going to go quietly and the NBA and other owners better be careful. This is just the beginning of what promises to be a real ugly summer.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Every lawyer I've read on this agrees that Sterling is ****** if Silver gets the votes.

Like I said before, judge's almost never overturn the decisions of arbitrators. Ask A-Rod.

 

[aepps20]

SCuse I agree. I'm black and grew up in Wyoming. I've seen and experienced my fair share of racism. I think the fact that Sterling was so open with his comments shook people. Racism is easier to cope with when it happens to someone else or in another time. I think the players knew about his past, but when you see a guy as often as they did him and he was by most accounts relatively friendly to them, maybe they thought he had changed or in the case of the housing discrimination issue, he only had issues with certain types of minorities which they may have believed their wealth and status exempted them from membership.

 

[dmxfury]

People keep referencing his past but shouldn't we ignore and look at this situation in a vacuum since the NBA didn't want to establish a line of past actions/comments and connect to the recent leaked tape...? I still think that was/is a mistake on their part. It would make their stance and case seem much stronger and quiet the worry about a single, private, leaked conversation being a reason to revoke ownership