Donald Sterling

[untbowler]

Sterling is a piece of crap, but the idiot Commish just opened a pandora's box, is he going to ban ever players that says something racist or homophobic, whether in public or private... he migjt just find he will lose 75% of the league.

[Coffee and TV]

Cause in your mind, anyone that doesn't agree with you is a racist.

Well in this case, yeah. It's almost that black and white.

[CMJ]

Jones straight up owned that.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Sterling is a piece of crap, but the idiot Commish just opened a pandora's box, is he going to ban ever players that says something racist or homophobic, whether in public or private... he migjt just find he will lose 75% of the league.

--

I agree.. Sterling is very disgusting... but this comment was in a private conversation and we don't know the full details of why it took place..... The penalty is very severe and it may cause problems with other owners and maybe players... ....and his (commish) relationship with them. . Remember the owners have the power to fire the commish.... Sterling's relationship with players is now probably gone.... but the commish went way too far in my opinion... Banning him from attending games seems reasonable but what I understand to be true is extreme... He likely would have to sell anyway without being forced to....

What is next ..... banning players for life ( of any race) that make racial remarks on or off the court.... even with family or girlfriends. ??

Edited April 30, 2014 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[TIgreen01]

Agreed on the slippery slope this puts the league on, but I'm not sure the league survives if Silver doesn't take the actions he took today. They said during the TNT broadcast of the Clippers game tonight that 4 of the teams playing tonight were going to refuse to play if a judgment wasn't handed down along these lines....and who knows where it goes from there?

Edited April 30, 2014 by TIgreen01

[Rudy]

Agree that this was a private, and likely illegally recorded conversation, it was not a league or even a public function. It isn't against the law to be a moron or a racist, as long as you don't violate any equal opportunity laws. I don't get why he thought this wouldn't get out. Pissed off wife, pissed off gold digger, he was screwed and he should have known it. Thought it was funny how the commission fined him and banned him. What's he going to do if he doesn't pay?

[emmitt01]

--

I agree.. Sterling is very disgusting... but this comment was in a private conversation and we don't know the full details of why it took place..... The penalty is very severe and it may cause problems with other owners and maybe players... ....and his (commish) relationship with them. . Remember the owners have the power to fire the commish.... Sterling's relationship with players is now probably gone.... but the commish went way too far in my opinion... Banning him from attending games seems reasonable but what I understand to be true is extreme... He likely would have to sell anyway without being forced to....

What is next ..... banning players for life ( of any race) that make racial remarks on or off the court.... even with family or girlfriends. ??

If those players have a history of housing discrimination and outright racism then maybe. Silver was in the uncomfortable position of having to punish for a decade old NBA " dirty little secret" coming to light.

It tickles me to see this compared to a one time incident of loose "pillow talk".

[Army of Dad]

If those players have a history of housing discrimination and outright racism then maybe. Silver was in the uncomfortable position of having to punish for a decade old NBA " dirty little secret" coming to light.

It tickles me to see this compared to a one time incident of loose "pillow talk".

Sterling had the NAACP awards to hide behind so that provided some cover for himself and the NBA until this tape blew the lid off his views and behavior.

[UNT90]

Well in this case, yeah. It's almost that black and white.

Ya think?

I was speaking of other issues of disagreement, but you knew that.

[UNT90]

Me too.

I mean, you ARE in LA. If anyone of us was in a position...

[UNT90]

This is so different than someone that grew up in a previous generation letting slip a slang name for a group if people, even though they had demonstrated throughout their life that they were anything but prejudiced.

As a matter of fact (and I haven't heard the whole tape) I don't think Sterling used even one of the racist buzzwords for which the media is so quick to vilify.

What he did was so much worse. He demonstrated that he wants nothing to do with anyone that isn't Lilly white, unless that person is a 20 something good looking piece of tail. He told everyone what a racist he is without once using any of the buzzwords. But he left no doubt about exactly what he is and how he thinks about black people.

I think in another period in time, Mr. Sterling would undoubtedly have been a plantation owner with a bevy of slaves. I think that is the way he somewhat views his ownership of the Clippers.

Edited April 30, 2014 by UNT90

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

-- To me it seems appropriate for the commish issue a fine then ban him from games and other activities until the league owners meet and let them decide what to do with one of their own. If they force him to sell or whatever... fine... THEY should be the one to make the final decision about an owner... not the commish. It is about who decides, not what what was decided.

--- It would be interesting to know WHY this (private) conversation even took place.

Edited April 30, 2014 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Censored by Laurie]

unless that person is a 20 something good looking piece of tail.

quick edit for you.

also, it might just be speculative at this point...but I've heard numerous times that Sterling asked his female companion to record him as he believed he was becoming forgetful in his old age.

[untbowler]

Well I understand there is a history on Sterling that was public knowledge, yet all these now shocked and aggrieved players and coaches had no issues taking millions of his dollars, knowing he has had this history or racism, guess the Benjamin's help the players and coaches that are so offended go blind.

Typical. Sterling just needs to sell but think he will stand-off and not be rail roaded.

[UNT90]

-- To me it seems appropriate for the commish issue a fine then ban him from games and other activities until the league owners meet and let them decide what to do with one of their own. If they force him to sell or whatever... fine... THEY should be the one to make the final decision about an owner... not the commish. It is about who decides, not what what was decided.

--- It would be interesting to know WHY this (private) conversation even took place.

Check the link I posted earlier. Recording conversations is legal as long as one of the parties knows the convo is being recorded in the vast majority of states in the US (thank god). California, though, isn't one of them. Federal law also states only one party needs to know the convo was recorded.

Sterling travels a lot, so it matters where this conversation actually occurred.

EDIT: Oops, thought I had posted this:

http://www.vegress.com/index.php/can-i-record-calls-in-my-state

Edited April 30, 2014 by UNT90

[Coffee and TV]

I was speaking of other issues of disagreement, but you knew that.

Oh did I? Because I don't recall ever using that argument when people have disagreed with me before...

[UNT90]

Oh did I? Because I don't recall ever using that argument when people have disagreed with me before...

"Certain posters?"

Ya, you knew that. But keep on being you.

[Quoner]

Well I understand there is a history on Sterling that was public knowledge, yet all these now shocked and aggrieved players and coaches had no issues taking millions of his dollars, knowing he has had this history or racism, guess the Benjamin's help the players and coaches that are so offended go blind.

Typical. Sterling just needs to sell but think he will stand-off and not be rail roaded.

I'm enjoying the indignation of Chris Paul - a man who just a few years ago looked into Sterling's eyes and said "yup, this is the man I want to sign a contract to play for." The word was out on a what a piece of crap Sterling was (read those 2004 depositions if you want to get aroused in a limo sometime soon), and he still took the money anyway - then got Del Negro fired, whined about it, then re-signed when people agreed to stop blaming him.

Cliff Paul has to be fuming about all of this.

[Cerebus]

Sterling told Silver that HE was the one recording his own calls. I don't know if the girlfriend knew she was being recorded, so if anyone had their rights infringed it was her.

She also claims that she did not release the tapes. She was being sued by Sterling's wife for the gifts he gave her, but that was a shaky case and STERLING WAS PAYING HER LEGAL FEES ANYWAY. (wheels. off.)

The best conspiracy theory is that Paul Allen, who attempted to buy the clippers before, and who has holdings in a company that among other things RECORDS PHONES CALLS FOR CLIENTS, leaked the calls so that he could buy the Clippers when Sterling was forced to sell. I don't know if that is true, but I do want to see who is going to play who when Lifetime buys the wife's book rights and makes a movie of the week about it.

[golfingomez]

it does set an interesting precedent... especially when you consider in the last few years that Kobe let out a 'F*****' towards a ref ($100K fine) and roy hibbert's no-h*m* comment in a press conference($75K fine)

the next incident will be verrrrry interesting

[UNTFan23]

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10871033/los-angeles-clippers-owner-donald-sterling-cancer

[Green P1]