… AND THE NBA’S RESPONSE TO HIS RACISM
Los Angeles Clippers’ billionaire owner Donald Sterling is among the ugliest racists you’ll ever encounter. He’s ugly aesthetically (which he can’t help) but the depths of his misguided contempt for other people based on their skin color is truly hideous.
And that’s something he can help …
Those who follow the National Basketball Association (NBA) have known about Sterling’s racism for years.
“I wanna know why you think you can coach these niggers,” he allegedly told Villanova head coach Rollie Massimino in 1983.
Massimino promptly withdrew his name for consideration for the Clippers’ head coaching position – and the franchise continued what would wind up being a league-record thirty year run between playoff victories.
“They smell, they’re not clean,” Sterling said of blacks in 2002, according to sworn testimony.
A 2009 lawsuit filed by former general manager Elgin Baylor accused Sterling of articulating a “vision of a Southern Plantation type structure” for the Clippers – one in which “poor black boys from the South” played for a white coach.
Sterling’s non-basketball companies have also faced federal allegations of discrimination. In 2009, for example, he paid out nearly $3 million to settle discrimination claims filed by black and Hispanic tenants.
In that case, federal prosecutors offered evidence “indicating that African Americans and Hispanics were not desirable tenants and that (Sterling and his wife) preferred Korean tenants.”
Sterling’s racism reached a point of critical mass this month, when the website TMZ published audio recordings of his racist rants to a girlfriend.
In response to those comments, NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling for life from the league – meaning he is not permitted to attend any NBA games or practices or set foot inside any NBA facility. Silver also fined Sterling $2.5 million – and is trying to force him to sell the Clippers’ franchise (which is valued at nearly $600 million).
There is precedent for banning or suspending owners on the basis of racist comments. Marge Schott – the late owner of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team – was repeatedly suspended by Major League Baseball (MLB) for racist remarks. Accordingly, we believe the NBA is well within its right to issue a ban and fine Sterling for conduct detrimental to the league.
But can the NBA really force Sterling to sell an asset he owns over offensive comments? If three-fourths of NBA owners agree, apparently so – although Sterling has vowed to fight any forced divesture of his ownership in court.
We don’t watch the NBA. Never have … never will. It bores us, to be perfectly honest. Accordingly, we don’t really care what happens to Sterling – or his team (which is currently locked in a tight playoff battle against the Golden State Warriors).
We do, however, think NBA owners should pause and consider the implications of forcing an owner to sell his franchise based on offensive comments. That strikes us as taking legitimate outrage over Sterling’s racism a step too far.
Whether Sterling deserves a lifetime ban is up for debate – but at the end of the day that decision is clearly up to the NBA.
Forcing an owner to sell his asset just because we disagree with his speech? That’s another matter …
100 comments
It seems to me that freedom of speech has been replaced with speech of political correctness
I have zero sympathy for Sterling, however at the same time I don’t understand how one’s views spoken or published are grounds for one to have to sell their business interests
If we live in a free market society, then let the market decide what the dude does with his business
Players don’t have to play for him, fans do not have to go to his games and the media assholes have plenty of other topics to blast over the airways
In the past I recall a few “religious” leaders who expressed some strong negative views of other races/cultures. I don’t recall any of them being banned, exiled or forced from their pulpits
Do you really think if Majic Johnson or Michael Johnson said this about whites the NBA would have banned them for life and made them sell their teams?
Not a chance.The players would have boycotted and the NAACP would not allow it.
Double standard on free speech in this country today that Obama has helped perpetuate.
Indeed a slippery slope when we can be forced to give up our business because others don’t like what we say.
Sterling is a sic old man and what he said was wrong.HOWEVER where do these gustapo/Obama tactics end?
Good old Sandy – Obama – Obama – Obama. You are a JOKE.
Thank you for the kind words Fidel! Or is that Hugo from the grave? :-)
You filthy, OWS types are deviant socialists and the good and decent people in this country will not surrender to your Alinski tactics and hateful ideology.
Next!
Well, it is in the NBA constitution that he agreed to that the owners can force a sale. If he did not have a problem with it when the owners, which he was one, voted to allow this, what leg does he have to stand on? BTW, I don’t think 2/3rds for the sale as Mark CUban said, this is a very slippery slope.
So Marge Schott can go on national television and praise Hitler and get a slap on the wrist, but this asshole has a private conversation with a gold digging tramp and he’s eviscerated? It’s sad that there are people like Sterling, but it’s even more pathetic that there are people like his girlfriend that is willing to stir up controversy like this. Magic Johnson has been wanting to buy the Clippers for some time now, I smell a rogue.
Excellent post.I keep hearing about the NBA Constituition? Obama has shredded our Constitution. This will backfire on the NBA. Sterling is worth billions-owns 45,000 apartments in LA. Bought the Clippers for 15 million and IF he sells it, he will get a billion.Sterling is a Democrat and we know how they operate.Look for individuals and the league to be destroyed.
Sterling is a registered Republican, and unless you have stood next to him in the voting booth, you don’t know how he voted. Like most businessmen his contributions are likely based on access to power, more than anything else.
Obama has NOTHING to do with this, and your nutty insistence that he does, says more about you than Obama.
If Sterling signed a contract and he violated it, he should suffer the consequences as prescribed by the courts. Actors use to have ‘moral clauses’ in their contracts in the old days.
The government is not trying to take his business away from him, take off your tin foil hat.
You’re right, we can blame a lot of shit on Obama but not this. I think it has everything to do with Magic Johnson.
I blame Bush.
You are late to the debate loser.Grand Tango and others showed us yesterday that he ONLY gives money to state and national DEMOCRAT political candidates.
See what happens when you spend a day watching soap operas and campaigning for Tom ‘born in 1951 OR 1952’ Ervin?
Obama has everything to do about this.He has perpetuated an environment of race hatred since elected for political and gain and to divide this nation.If it makes a lib like you feel better he has succeded.
Unlike MLB which has an anti trust law,the NBA does not.Sterling does NOT have to do a damn thing no matter what the Obama and the owners vote.
..and as others pointed out, yhat was a decade ago. 2002, now a REGISTERED REPUGLICUNT!
Many a Republican has donated to a Democrat for ‘business’ reasons. Hell, most of them donate to BOTH candidates in the same race.
He is a registered Republican and anyone that hates blacks and Hispanics that much, is NOT going to support the Democratic party except to line their own pocket.
Having a black man in the White House is an outrage to Sterling and his ilk. No matter what Obama did or did not do, they would portray Obama as evil/illegitimate/Muslim/Kenyan/take your pick and do everything to undermine him.
It is the Sterlings and the “Sandy Shaggers/Grand Tangos of the world that keep harping on race. If you aren’t the bigot in the picture, then why the hell do you blame ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, ANYWHERE on him?
The NAACP was set to honor Sterling and Sharpton this week in LA.
As far as ‘harping’ on race, Mr.Bigot, I am not the one that decides to lead the evening news shows with this story nor am I the one that makes the decision to put this story on the front page of the news paper when millions can’t find jobs, 1 in 5 are on food stamps,Kerry is calling Israel South Africa
,gas prices have doubled and we have surrendered to the muslim brotherhood and Russia while Lois Lerner and the IRS have used their power to destroy Christians and conservatives and Americans were killed in Bengazi and Clinton says ‘what does it matter’ while using Executive Powers to shred the Constitution.
Liberal bigots like you that feel better about yourself because you voted for the anointed one and don’t give a shit about this country are the ones that hide behind the race of this pResident to try and advance a socialist agenda and why 60% of this country believe him to be a LIAR and NOT TRUSTWORTHY anymore.They disagree with him on EVERY policy issue.
Next!
Sadly we will never know but I wonder what a Condi. Rice or Herman Cain would have faced as the first black POTUS. The liberals who jump on every slight of Obummer and his cronies would be very silent in that case.
Yep.Good point.
So what you are saying is you do not think Democrats would have stood up for Mr. Cain and Ms. Rice when redneck Republicans made derogatory racist comments about them. I hope and think you are wrong about that.
Eh, probably not… http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/04/30/mayoral-candidate-allegedly-says-this-is-gonna-be-a-fin-n-town-but-her-party-affiliation-might-be-bigger-news/
What about the “leader ” of the NC NAACP calling Sen. Scott an uncle tom????????? I rest my case.
I’m still not convinced that it wasn’t the Clinton who started the birther movement. We can all agree that it was their supporters, but that sort of thing doesn’t just develop out of thin air and there are a LOT of people that have gone on record attesting that they have first hand knowledge that it started around Hillary’s 2008 camp.
As a “liberal”, I have a problem with a citizen being told what he can or can’t own. I realize there is some franchise wording with NBA that gives league the authority, but how do they “ban” this man for life from attending games or having any involvement. And how do they have the right to say this owner HAS to sell his team. I know they say their are agreed to documents, but do we really want this? And I have zero respect for this little bitch that leaked the tapes and spread her legs for his money.
As much as people might cry and whine about this, if we follow the example of “Saint” Ayn Rand, then the NBA is 100% right. There is a clause in every franchise agreement that if an NBA owner damages the NBA “brand” then the league is within their rights to force a sale (subject to 3/4s of the other owner’s agreeing that the brand has been damaged).
Freedom of contract. VIVA PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. This is not socialism. This is not facism. This is capitalism at work!!!! Sorry, Willy, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Either you agree with capitalism, private contracts and the market place of ideas, or you are a hypocrite like most others here on the site.
He does NOT have to sell no matter what the owners vote is.The NBA is not governed by anti-trust laws.
This will be tied up in court for years-like Obamacare.
This is not an issue of anti trust or anything related to Obama care. There is a francise contract and NBA “constitution” that lays it all out. There may be some legal wrangling, but it will likely be decided fairly quickly. Take a look at what happened with the Dodgers.
Guy that owned Dodgers was broke and involved in nasty divorce.This guy has billions and will not have to sell.If he wants his family to keep the team, they will.
Good old Sandy – no matter what the topic and no matter what the day he somehow brings Obama and Obamacare into the discussion – idiot!
lol! And right on cue one of the hi$%er youth for Obama shows up with the daily talking points from the Kremlin in DC.
You are correct, society has little respect for contracts are property rights any more.
But neither do pols either, it’s getting to be a free for all.
When you can’t count on someone not taking your shit, things start to become brutish.
That should extend to racist asshole too as long as they aren’t hurting anyone.
And I have zero respect for this little bitch that leaked the tapes and spread her legs for his money.
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The moral to this story is “watch your perimeter” – he had it coming.
When you have everything.. but you’re old as fuck, and you get a young hard body with your millions, you’d better watch your back!
Culture trumps strategy.
This isn’t a freedom of speech issue. This is a consequences of speech issue. He should have been gone long ago.
Now I guess we can get rid of Obama and Holder for their racist comments.My God do you recall what Obama said about his WHITE grandmother?
Pack your bags Sharpton,Farraconman ,Jesse Jackson and Rev.Wright.This is a ‘consequences of speech issue’ and SCBlueWoman says you should have gone long ago.
Go ahead and toss Harry Reid in there.
Thanks.Harry Reid,Nancy Pelosi and Debbie Washingmachine Schultz.
Shelia Jackson Lee, Charlie Rangel… one of my favs…
“A few years ago, (Barack Obama) would have been getting us coffee.” — Bill Clinton to Ted Kennedy
I am confident that if such a statement was made, it was in the context of “wow, race relations have come a long way in this country”.
Had it been made by you or the other two people who voted you up, it would not doubt have been said in the context of disgust and regret.
Did you hear about the two girls drinking beer on the beach?
They got sand in their Schlitz.
Is it ok to trash Boehner yet? I remember everyone was like “awwww… ” when he was all snot nosed and weeping.
Excuse me, you are an idiot. There have been no racist remarks by Obama nor Holder or the rest. You should shag yourself.
I do shag,Just not with ugly, lib women that are always blue. :-)
Something tells me you don’t have to worry about that too much.
“I do shag . . . ”
Careful you do not get your feet tangled up in your sheet!
Wonder why Holder didn’t throw the book at Minister King Shabazz?
Well, my Grandmother was a typical BLACK WOMAN.
Your mom was my favorite part of The Jefferson!
Good old Sandy – Obama – Obamacare – blah blah blah blah. You are nothing but a megaphone for WorldNetDaily!
blah blah blah….you intellectually bankrupt fraud…you have not posted ONE comment about the topic of this thread…ya just do what you usually do…ATTACK those that have a different opinion than your sorry arse! :-)
Any thought on this subject or hate got your evil tounge tied?
Was the topic of the thread Obama and Obamacare? That is all that you’ve posted about in between slinging some racist slop on here. “ATTACK” – look at your own damn posts you pitiful loser!
He is the owner of a franchise, which is bound by a contract and league bylaws. As such, he can be forced to sell if he fails to live up to that agreement. He will still walk away with hundreds of millions of dollars.
He paid $13 million for the Clippers, now worth estimated $785 million. He’ll make out like a bandit.
I feel so sorry for him.. haven’t the rich suffered enough?
I agree with the NBA commission to expel him from the NBA games and as an owner. NOW, having said that. I believe that the commission should suspend any player that says anything racist. Hate to say it but the black players are as racist as this guy and I would say they have said far worse. So lets enact this policy and suspend anyone that says anything racist.
Let’s do the right thing and ban Spike Lee for life.
And Dan Quayle.
I think the Ho’ this democrat hero was bangin’ was part African-American..you F*#kin idiot…He may be a stupid amd mis-guided @$$hole (like you and most of your followers)…but Racist is a very subjective term..and most Liberals, and Liberal-Tarians use it conveniently, never admitting their own racist tendencies…
What sucks is that this guy was obviously goaded into expressing his thoughts/beliefs in private by someone he was intimate with (and supported handsomely). She recorded this. Listening to the tapes it sounded like he felt like she was humiliating him in public.
NOW – he is obviously a racist – but he was speaking to a close confidant in private and that is where this gets dangerous. IN the end, he bought a franchise for 12mil and it is projected to fetch in excess of 525 mil. That is a pretty big target on his back so this entire deal was probably a setup and most likely a well-deserved one at that but he will feel no pain. And what about the player calling for an all black league. Didn’t they start the civil rights movement over all-black diners? Will only blacks be buying tickets to those games?
He should have kept his dick in his pants…. or his wife’s. Just saying.
They’ve been estranged for 4 years, I think they are beyond that part of the process and argument. His infidelity has nothing to do with an opportunisitc whore making a private conversation public.
Yes, he IS an opportunistic whore and has been his entire adult life.
No, I was talking about that pug faced bitch he bought the $1.8 million dollar house for. I forgot though, women should never be held accountable in situations like this.
They are both whores, not just the woman. Women AND men should be held accountable. They both suck in this situation.
No disputing that. He’s disgusting for his behavior and comments, but she’s equally if not more disgusting for spinning this whole controversy up. Furthermore, the public should be ashamed of themselves for acting like an angry mob. People really should get a fucking hobby.
No disputing that. He’s disgusting for his behavior and comments, but she’s equally if not more disgusting for spinning this whole controversy up.
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That’s what makes it so perfect – you wallow in shit, you stink.
Yes, you lay down with dogs… etc and so on.
I’m not going to waste any tears on the language in the contract he signed or the agony of being dragged through the scrutiny of E! television… of MTV… of the Daily Mail.Fuck him.
What she did is against the law in California but it not usually prosecuted.Problem she has is the civil case that Sterling will file (his wife already has filed a civil suit against her) now that he can prove he has been ‘harmed’ by the crime she commited.
Looks like she will soon be living at a Motel 6 or shelter.
What sucks is that this guy was obviously goaded into expressing his thoughts/beliefs in private by someone he was intimate with
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It’s business – you can be racist only as long as you can keep from being caught.
You can do drugs in your house as long as your wife or dealer doesn’t turn you in.
It’s hard to get away with shit…. the mob covers their mouths and talks with sprinklers running.
I think the most important lesson we all can learn from this Donald Sterling scandal is this: never trust a gold digging whore.
”vision of a Southern Plantation type structure” … like Glen McConnell, new owner of the College of Charleston’s Cougars
Or the Democrat Party Plantation…LMAO…
And what’s the difference between what Donald Sterling said and what Larry Johnson said? Both are racist as hell, yet there’s no out cry against Mr. Johnson.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/28/knicks-larry-johnson-calls-all-black-nba-league/
We all know why there’s no outrage over this, some just choose to pretend the witch hunt shouldn’t work in the opposite direction.
I tend to agree with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Yes.I was surprised by his comments.
Jabbar sounds like he is about as disgusted w/ the NBA as I am…I agree w/ him…
I PITY THE FOOL!
There are lawyers all over the country salivating over the chance to litigate this one. Bryant and Perkins get meaningless slaps on the wrist after beating their spouses and Sterling gets banned for life for disliking black people. I can see barring him from day to day operations, I can see the players walking on him (they won’t, too much money at stake…) but good luck winning this one Silver.
There are lawyers all over the country salivating over the chance to litigate this one.
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I love it. Let’s drag this fat fuck through the courts, and keep his face above the fold.
The real issue here is why the NAACP has chosen to honor Sterling on multiple occasions?
….because he’s RICH, BEEATCH!!!
If I were a rich bitch…. Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby ditch.All day long I’d biddy biddy bitch.
Where is the public outrage over this…. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/04/30/shaq-says-hes-sorry-for-mocking-man-with-rare-disorder-but-the-man-at-the-center-of-the-controversy-says-its-not-enough/
Slick, you calling Sterling “ugly”? Damn.
Forcing an owner to sell his asset just because we disagree with his speech? That’s another matter …
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I don’t think you thought this out – a contract may stipulate that a decrease in profit through a negative image produced by an owner’s speech… such that the entire organization’s image is affected by it, is a condition of termination of participation with other members.
For instance – the Republican “family values” – shouting “fuck you!” in church, or masturbating in full view of his neighbors might be grounds in an ethics and morals clause for being fired, or getting fined, or kept off the golf course and his membership revoked.
It’s not “your” team.. you don’t “own” it – it’s like a house you live in as long as you abide by the contract you signed when you “bought” it from the bank… home owners associations can force you to sell your house even if you “own” it – if you sign a contract with conditions that give both parties “consideration” it’s a legal contract – unless it’s unconstitutional or illegal – prostitution, drugs, slavery… etc.
What a moron.You always this stupid?
1.Clippers were bought for 12 million and are worth a BILLION! Please show me a ‘decrease in profit’ because of Democrat Sterlings personal opinions?
2. I agree with your ‘family values’ argument and Republicans.A Democrat could do what you suggested because we all know that is who they are and it is accepted.
1.Clippers were bought for 12 million and are worth a BILLION! Please show me a ‘decrease in profit’ because of Democrat Sterlings personal opinions?
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the image could cause outrage and a boycott. Doesn’t matter if it costs the league 10 cents… or even if it lowers public perception “in the mind of the commission”… it’s all right there in the fine print.
2. I agree with your ‘family values’ argument and Republicans.A Democrat could do what you suggested because we all know that is who they are and it is accepted.
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right. Republicans do the same shit, but claim the high ground anyway – Jesus hates Republicans.
And yes, I’m always this stupid. Sorry.
You may right about ‘Jesus hates Republicans’ with the arrival of the Anti-Christ in 2008?
You are not always stupid.
Don’t give me any credit. I’m a bad risk.
Jesus obviously hates Republicans – not just that he sent a black (even half black is scourge enough) man to torment them for 8 years… but he sent the entire cast of the angry town extras from the film of Frankenstein’s monster to primary them….
When I stand beneath the mulberry trees at the top of the hill in the spring breeze, the rustling of the leaves above my head seem to coalesce into the far away screams of Republicans in eternal torments…
…I’m certain that the music piped into our mansions in heaven will be this same soothing sound… a salve for the wounds we have born in life under their merciless onslaught.
Damn! I had you figured different than ‘realdeal Deo’ (shame on you for mentioning Sara) Dummy, sicupstate, SCBlew and SCBlew1!
Hell for some.. a.’prison’ for others.Such is our plight as ‘angry town extras’.
Nah… I’m liberal through and through… got guns. Live in Texas. I fight. I shoot. I’d kill. 4 years military. Software engineer… don’t believe in prohibition… don’t trust anyone who squints while praying… am Christian… worked with green lasers scribing silicon wafers… machine control.. EE major.. Mestizo from New Mexico….
Your basic run of the mill liberal….
I like SCBlues, SCBlueWoman, TBG, shifty henry, Jay, Mike, idcydm…
but you should know… Republicans are scum. :)
Ok “fly” shit! What a clown! Fight,shoot and kill. Might I suggest you ‘squint’ once and awhile while talking to Jim Beam and Jack Daniels?
LMAO!! Texas? Mullins!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good call.. I have Gentleman Jack in abundance… though I don’t drink JB. El Patron for Tequila… all we Texans squint when there’s any sun at all – we secretly think we’re Clint Eastwood… squinting into the desert sun, twirling our cheap cigar so the smoke drifts into our face to further irritate our eyes… gun under our pancho.. imagining the clinking of our spurs when we walk…
…and don’t make fun of the clown… you have to sleep sometime!
What was that crap you were posting about someone ATTACKING others they disagree with?? You’re not just a pitiful loser you’re a stupid pitiful loser.
And now the trifecta of race baiting articles from Fits on the day…being an apologist for Sterling by way of sticking up for his right to still own the team.
mAnn Coulter defends Sterling
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/hannity/2014/04/30/ann-coulter-sounds-donald-sterling-scandal
Liar.
Coward.
Traitor.
Yep. She called him everything but a racist.
Nothing more than pontificating … all this will die a slow death in the courts.
I dont like or in any way justify this pigish jerk, and believe the sanctions were proper, but even if he wanted to buy a cheap ticket for the bleachers at another NBA game and waas denied, would that violate his First Amendment right to assembly?
Why own a team in the NBA if you feel the way this guy does? Seems like a rather dumb thing to me, but whatever.
Let him own it if he wants, the fans can decide if they want to help make his asset a less profitable one or not.