LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling banned for life

[webfact]

LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling banned for life

LOS ANGELES: -- The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers professional basketball team has been banned from the National Basketball Association for life after a recording emerged of him making racist remarks.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Donald Sterling would be forced to sell his interest in the team.

And the league will fine him $2.5m (£1.5m), the maximum allowed.

Mr Sterling was recorded asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games.

He later said the recording "does not reflect his views".

In a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Silver told reporters that Mr Sterling's "hateful opinions... simply have no place in the NBA".

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27214758


-- BBC 2014-04-30

[chooka]

Agree no place for racism anywhere.

No place for Snoop Dogs remarks either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejxIUoJO4SU&feature=player_detailpage

[Ulysses G.]

He is an ignoramus, but he was having a private conversation and what he said is really no one's business. I would like to see him sue and emerge victorious in court, because I think what is happening to him is wrong. On the other hand, he seems like a real A-hole, so I'm not going to cry about it, if he gets screwed by the system.

[jamhar]

He is an ignoramus, but he was having a private conversation and what he said is really no one's business. I would like to see him sue and emerge victorious in court, because I think what is happening to him is wrong. On the other hand, he seems like a real A-hole, so I'm not going to cry about it, if he gets screwed by the system.

UG i buy your views to a point. But this will only be a legal matter if Sterling wishes it. The league is a private company, and many companies have policies in place for personal conduct. Public or private, if your personal conduct is such that it threathens the financial state of the company/organization, you can be terminated, or in this case, be made to sell the team.

Sterlings problem is that he agreed to the owners agreement. So if the owners agreement is that 3/4 of the owners can force a sale, then he will have to sale or litigate. And if litigation happens, then all this stuff will come out. I'll get some popcorn, some beers, and a comfortable couch. Because this will be one COLLOSAL trainwreck of a legal battle!

Also if Sterling decides to take it to the courts, you can expect the valuation of the company to drop like my networth did during my divorce No players will play for the clippers, the commish will allow termination of all contracts and the present players will leave. They will have a hard time finding free agents to fill the gap. He can espect a loss of a lot of people in the front office. He can sell the team now for as much as a billion, or litigate and sell it as at a firesale after all the key players have left.

Lastly the owners may eventually help keep the value of the clippers at a reasonalble level. The sell price of the clippers have a direct impact on the value of each of the respective teams, as the sale of your neighbors house has a direct impact on the valuation of your own house.

Still too early to tell, but as a life long laker fan and season ticket holder, I'm really digging this trainwreck and

lol I cant STAND sterling. the dude is a clusterf@ck and as a sandiego resident, i never forgave him for taking the team from sandiego. Altho i did see the business sense in it.

PS Please consider my post knowing that they are thoughts from a Laker fan. GO LAKERS!

Edited April 30, 2014 by jamhar

[cheshiremusicman]

He is an ignoramus, but he was having a private conversation and what he said is really no one's business. I would like to see him sue and emerge victorious in court, because I think what is happening to him is wrong. On the other hand, he seems like a real A-hole, so I'm not going to cry about it, if he gets screwed by the system.

Totally agree with your sentiments. This smacks of the 'Big Brother is Watching You Syndrom'. A 'private' conversation should remain 'private'. I feel sure, that nearly all of us could be accused at sometime in our lives of making remarks that could be construed as 'racist'.

If, and it's a big 'IF'; he had made these remarks at a public event, then I would agree with the ban, but not because he was secretly recorded, by someone having a private conversation.

Actions like this, can and will bring about the possibility of the removal of freedom of free speech and should not be tolerated by rational people of the world. There are already enough of the 'PC Speech Police' about in the world, without giving them more power to take action against 'innocuous private conversations'

Edited April 30, 2014 by Scott
Font

[spidermike007]

He is a fabulously ignorant man, and no doubt the village idiot, who happened to be in the right place at the right time, and made some courageous decisions to get where he is. Nothing he has ever said betrays an exceptional amount of intelligence. Quite the opposite. Granted he is a billionaire, and usually that takes a lot of intelligence. But, in his case who knows? The reality is that the league is populated by a lot of very, very talented black men. I believe over 70%. The league is supported by alot of hard working black fans, amongst others. And most owners seem to have an open mind about race, or at the very least are smart enough to not utter statements as ignorant as some of the things this creep has said. And the black population of the US has been through a lot of crap in their lifetimes. They simply do not deserve this. It is now 2014, and there is simply no room for this kind of behavior. Yes, it was a private conversation, but in my opinion that does not matter, because it shows the level of ignorance this man has, and the level of hatred and disrespect he has towards his players and fans. That is the real point here. A league like the NBA has to maintain an open mind to survive and prosper, and there is no room for owners as pathetic and lowly as Sterling. He is a pig. Get him out. I applaud Adam Silver for taking a courageous approach to this. I do not think Stern would have done it. He did not prosecute Kobe for the anal rape case. Nor did he go after Sterling when Baylor sued him for racist behavior years ago. Something needs to be done. He has been a boil on the face of the NBA for a long time. I love the idea of using these circumstances to finally get him the hell out of the league. I also love how disgraced the man has become. He deeply deserves that disgrace he has worked so hard to earn!

[Ulysses G.]

Have you listened to what he actually said? IMO, it was very mild for an obvious racist. He admitted to admiring some black players and had few complimentary things to say about them. He did not seem very hateful, but, for some strange reason, was upset about his black girlfriend being seen with other black people. He has some racist views for sure, but he is not someone out to spread hate, which is lot worse to me.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[FritsSikkink]

Have you listened to what he actually said? IMO, it was very mild for an obvious racist. He admitted to admiring some black players and had few complimentary things to say about them. He did not seem very hateful, but, for some strange reason, was upset about his black girlfriend being seen with other black people. He has some racist views for sure, but he is not someone out to spread hate, which is lot worse to me.

I listened to the whole tape and he is a racist. The second problem is he is two faced. Acting like he admires Johnson and says to his girlfriend don't bring him to the game. That this doesn't bother you too much says enough about you.

Edited April 30, 2014 by FritsSikkink

[Ulysses G.]

A lot of people are two faced, but it is not illegal and neither is anything that he had to say. Going after someone so aggressively for such minor transgressions seems hypocritical to me.

[mdmayes]

He is an ignoramus, but he was having a private conversation and what he said is really no one's business. I would like to see him sue and emerge victorious in court, because I think what is happening to him is wrong. On the other hand, he seems like a real A-hole, so I'm not going to cry about it, if he gets screwed by the system.

I must disagree. This recorded conversation shows his true feelings on race. He is a racist plain and simple and his views has no place in todays society.

He is a man who would look a black man in the eye, shaking hands with one hand and stabbing the black man in the back with the other. It should be pointed out that this is not the first documented case of racism from this warped individual. The NBA did the right thing and bounced him right out of the league.

[Ulysses G.]

I must disagree. This recorded conversation shows his true feelings on race. He is a racist plain and simple and his views has no place in todays society.

Should all racists be rounded up and put in camps?

Probably 80% of the population have similar views about other races and religions. If we are going to go after anyone, it should be racists who are trying to spread their hatred and perpetuate violence, not some dweeb that does not want his black girlfriend to post photos of herself with Magic Johnson on YouTube.

[Showbags]

Would you want your girlfriend bringing some huge black guy to your home crowd for all to sneer and giggle about ?

Dont think any of it was racist, just did not want to be laughed at behind his back.....all understandable

[DP25]

Have you listened to what he actually said? IMO, it was very mild for an obvious racist. He admitted to admiring some black players and had few complimentary things to say about them. He did not seem very hateful, but, for some strange reason, was upset about his black girlfriend being seen with other black people. He has some racist views for sure, but he is not someone out to spread hate, which is lot worse to me.

I'm guessing he's insecure about people thinking his girlfriend is having sex with these men. Paranoid about people laughing at him. He's an old fat white guy and his hot young girlfriend is going to basketball games with all these black hunks, he probably feels like a fool and his friends are probably making comments to him. She's obviously with him for his money and everyone knows this.

[DP25]

And Magic in particular, is famous for sleeping with THOUSANDS of women. And he has HIV. I think it would make a lot of guys upset to have their girlfriend hanging out with him all the time

[empireboy]

Clearly the guy is a bigot, a misogynist, and in general just a nasty bitter old c#@t but he deserves the right to speak what ever he wishes in private.... do we still have freedom of speech or not?

[Frank James]

It's always gratifying to see a filthy rich old cretin get a public comeuppance. Now he will sell his interest at a huge profit, buy a few more hot young girlfriends, and live like a maharajah until he finally dies. Life is not fair. Evil thrives while good men go down.

Hope he sells to a Seattle group. We need the Sonics back. On second thought, NO, this team has always been sh-t, from when they were in Buffalo, then San Diego, then L.A.

[lomatopo]

He's obviously negatively impacted the value of the franchise as many sponsors are fleeing. But if he can hold out until the new TV contract is finished he should be able to get ~ $ 750 million (lesser franchises like Milwaukee recently went for 550 million) - he paid $12.5 million for the franchise. Given that the NBA wants to get rid of him he may ironically be in a position of power to get a higher price a la Frank McCourt.

It will be interesting to see if the favored Clips can close out the Warriors in their first-round series.

Here are some of the Instagram photos that set Mr. Sterling off. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2614336/Obama-wades-Clippers-row-racist-comments-attributed-Don-Sterling.html

Believe it or not, the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP was set to honor Mr. Sterling with their Lifetime Achievement award on May 15, 2014.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-naacp-donald-sterling-award-racist-tape-controversy-20140427,0,2263229.story

Awkward.

Still not as nutty as anti-gumint' rancher Cliven Bundy's comments, which has all his Tea-Party supporters, along with Faux News, ducking for cover...

"Cliven Bundy's a-wondering about these people," said Bundy, referring to himself in the third person. "Now I'm talking about the black community. I'm a-wondering. Are they better off with their young women aborting their children? Are they better off with the young men in prison? Are they better off with the older people on their sidewalks in front of their government-issued homes with a few children? Are they better off, are they happier than they was in the South in front of their homes with their chickens and their gardens and their children around them, and their man having something to do? Are they better off?"

Edited April 30, 2014 by lomatopo

[TheyCallmeScooter]

The Thought Police are working overtime on the real issues, the ones that matter, the divisive faultlines that those who play biopolitics so love to remind us of - "Tolerate diversity!" - "You know how humans are different?" - "Make sure you tolerate each other!" - 4.5 million children orphaned in Iraq but it's not important, that's not divisive.

I'm not sure I've ever recovered psychologically from seeing Janet Jackson's exposed breast for half a second on TV. So indecent. Not the colour of her skin - as we all know, or at least we have been told - there's nothing "wrong" with "being black". I mean, it's not their "fault", is it? No, the trauma I suffered was because Janet Jackson was a woman.

The National Coalition on Television Violence estimates that an American child will witness 8,000 murders & 100,000 acts of violence on television by the time they finish elementary school. As the sons of American mothers were creating 4.5 million orphans in a war fought on an insulting pretext shown to be a lie, American mothers and wives lost their mind at a far greater indecency, Janet Jackson's exposed breast.

"You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane."

- Orwell

[ClutchClark]

He is a fabulously ignorant man, and no doubt the village idiot, who happened to be in the right place at the right time, and made some courageous decisions to get where he is. Granted he is a billionaire, and usually that takes a lot of intelligence. But, in his case who knows? The reality is that the league is populated by a lot of very, very talented black men. I believe over 70%. And the black population of the US has been through a lot of crap in their lifetimes. They simply do not deserve this. It is now 2014, and there is simply no room for this kind of behavior. Yes, it was a private conversation, but in my opinion that does not matter, because it shows the level of ignorance this man has, and the level of hatred and disrespect he has towards his players and fans. I love the idea of using these circumstances to finally get him the hell out of the league. I also love how disgraced the man has become.

You are sure a vindictive kind of guy, eh? You love to see this man destroyed for having an opinion but then it seems less about his opinion than just the fact you hate him.

So a man is no longer allowed to have his own beliefs in the privacy of his own house with his own girlfriend in a private conversation according to you? I can guarantee a guy with the level of hate and vindictiveness you are showing for this guy does NOT want to give the thought police that much authority.

Does he have hatred towards his players and fans? I heard him say his girlfriend could have sex with all the black guys she wanted...if thats hatred, then I want some.

Can you show me where his black players make less money than white players or have suffered some type of loss by the color of their skin? If not, then you have no case.

What was that statement Charles Barkley said a few years back? That alot of black people are racist too?

The difference being that whites don't get all worked up in a tizzy when the racism is directed towards them... They shrug it off. Seriously, who cares if someone doesn't like you because you are white or fat or poor? Who cares? Are you that thin skinned?

And lastly, what do you mean the black race has been through alot of crap in their lifetimes? Affirmative action has been around since the 70's. At some point you need to quit allowing people to play the victim card because it does them a disservice.

[lomatopo]

Can you show me where his black players make less money than white players or have suffered some type of loss by the color of their skin?

He did win an ugly, protracted case brought against him by NBA great, and longtime Clippers GM, Elgin Baylor, for unfair termination and discrimination.

quotes:

Baylor also claimed that his salary had been frozen at $350,000 a year since 2003 while “the Caucasian head coach was given a four-year, $22-million contract.”

That coach was Mike Dunleavy, who became the team’s general manager when Baylor left. Dunleavy, too, became embroiled in litigation with the Clippers to collect the remainder of the money owed on the contract after the team fired him in 2010. The Clippers accused Dunleavy of defrauding the team; an arbitrator awarded the former coach and general manager $13 million in 2011.

Mr. Sterling has also paid a lot of fines related to his treatment of minorities in the properties he rents.

In 2009, Sterling paid a $2.725 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department accusing him of systematically driving African-Americans, Latinos and families with children out of apartment buildings he owned.

They don't call him Slum-Lord Billionaire for nothing.

Vortex of Outrage Has Long Trailed Clippers’ Owner

Donald Sterling Has a Public Record of Bad Behavior

LOS ANGELES — When Kim Hughes, then an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers, was found to have prostate cancer on the eve of training camp in 2004, he learned what it was like to work in Donald Sterling’s world.

Hughes wanted to postpone surgery. The disease ran in the family, usually slowly. But after Coach Mike Dunleavy encouraged Hughes to get another opinion, the second doctor urged Hughes to have surgery quickly. When Hughes contacted the Clippers about his health insurance coverage, he was told the surgery was not covered. If they made an exception for him, they would have to do so for everyone.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-elgin-baylor-donald-sterling-20140426,0,877251.story

[Dogmatix]

His girlfriend has a touch of tar brush. Very hypocritical of him.

[zydeco]

He is an ignoramus, but he was having a private conversation and what he said is really no one's business. I would like to see him sue and emerge victorious in court, because I think what is happening to him is wrong. On the other hand, he seems like a real A-hole, so I'm not going to cry about it, if he gets screwed by the system. [/size]

UG i buy your views to a point. But this will only be a legal matter if Sterling wishes it. The league is a private company, and many companies have policies in place for personal conduct. Public or private, if your personal conduct is such that it threathens the financial state of the company/organization, you can be terminated, or in this case, be made to sell the team.

Sterlings problem is that he agreed to the owners agreement. So if the owners agreement is that 3/4 of the owners can force a sale, then he will have to sale or litigate. And if litigation happens, then all this stuff will come out. I'll get some popcorn, some beers, and a comfortable couch. Because this will be one COLLOSAL trainwreck of a legal battle!

Also if Sterling decides to take it to the courts, you can expect the valuation of the company to drop like my networth did during my divorce No players will play for the clippers, the commish will allow termination of all contracts and the present players will leave. They will have a hard time finding free agents to fill the gap. He can espect a loss of a lot of people in the front office. He can sell the team now for as much as a billion, or litigate and sell it as at a firesale after all the key players have left.

Lastly the owners may eventually help keep the value of the clippers at a reasonalble level. The sell price of the clippers have a direct impact on the value of each of the respective teams, as the sale of your neighbors house has a direct impact on the valuation of your own house.

Still too early to tell, but as a life long laker fan and season ticket holder, I'm really digging this trainwreck and

lol I cant STAND sterling. the dude is a clusterf@ck and as a sandiego resident, i never forgave him for taking the team from sandiego. Altho i did see the business sense in it.

PS Please consider my post knowing that they are thoughts from a Laker fan. GO LAKERS!

Owners' agreement? I seem to remember that Al Davis challenged the NFL on a much more serious matter (franchise relocation) and won a lot of money. It would be interesting to see if Stirling pursued this matter through anti-trust/conspiracy charges. This would be the case if the league/other owners forcing another owner to sell his team under duress and--as a result--reduced value.Donald Stirling just might end up with a lot of money out of this.

Edited April 30, 2014 by zydeco

[jamhar]

A lot of people are two faced, but it is not illegal and neither is anything that he had to say. Going after someone so aggressively for such minor transgressions seems hypocritical to me.

Minor to you UG,

evidently not minor to the players coaches and others in the league (and elsewhere)

[jamhar]

He is an ignoramus, but he was having a private conversation and what he said is really no one's business. I would like to see him sue and emerge victorious in court, because I think what is happening to him is wrong. On the other hand, he seems like a real A-hole, so I'm not going to cry about it, if he gets screwed by the system. [/size]

UG i buy your views to a point. But this will only be a legal matter if Sterling wishes it. The league is a private company, and many companies have policies in place for personal conduct. Public or private, if your personal conduct is such that it threathens the financial state of the company/organization, you can be terminated, or in this case, be made to sell the team.

Sterlings problem is that he agreed to the owners agreement. So if the owners agreement is that 3/4 of the owners can force a sale, then he will have to sale or litigate. And if litigation happens, then all this stuff will come out. I'll get some popcorn, some beers, and a comfortable couch. Because this will be one COLLOSAL trainwreck of a legal battle!

Also if Sterling decides to take it to the courts, you can expect the valuation of the company to drop like my networth did during my divorce No players will play for the clippers, the commish will allow termination of all contracts and the present players will leave. They will have a hard time finding free agents to fill the gap. He can espect a loss of a lot of people in the front office. He can sell the team now for as much as a billion, or litigate and sell it as at a firesale after all the key players have left.

Lastly the owners may eventually help keep the value of the clippers at a reasonalble level. The sell price of the clippers have a direct impact on the value of each of the respective teams, as the sale of your neighbors house has a direct impact on the valuation of your own house.

Still too early to tell, but as a life long laker fan and season ticket holder, I'm really digging this trainwreck and

lol I cant STAND sterling. the dude is a clusterf@ck and as a sandiego resident, i never forgave him for taking the team from sandiego. Altho i did see the business sense in it.

PS Please consider my post knowing that they are thoughts from a Laker fan. GO LAKERS!

Owners' agreement? I seem to remember that Al Davis challenged the NFL on a much more serious matter (franchise relocation) and won a lot of money. It would be interesting to see if Stirling pursued this matter through anti-trust/conspiracy charges. This would be the case if the league/other owners forcing another owner to sell his team under duress and--as a result--reduced value.Donald Stirling just might end up with a lot of money out of this.

And sterling won his case to move to LA.

I dont recall the all the players in the playoffs or any games threateing to boycott the games if the league didnt take a strong stand one way or another.

Minor, major is in the eyes of the beholder.

The players thought differently than you I'm guessing

And the owners who worry over the valuation of their investment (look at the sponcers that left the Clips) probably feel differenly also. My guess is that the owners think you can <deleted> up your own team as much as you like, but you start to taint the NBA brand name, or threathen the valuation of the of the other teams and they will take action. We will see if they do. Some of the owners have said thery have the votes they need to make that happen.

It will be interseting to see who votes to remove Donald from ownership and if they want that to be made public. My guess is that they will take the easy way out and agree to a transfer to Shelly if the Sterlings can come to an agreement to do that.

I got some extra popcorn today, and extra beers. The sh*tstorm continues

PS sorry about the typos if there are any. for some reason, the auto spell chekc isnt enabled on this puter. i'll fix that later

Edited April 30, 2014 by jamhar

[lomatopo]

It would be interesting to see if Stirling pursued this matter through anti-trust/conspiracy charges.

He could push it, no doubt. He is a Lawyer, allegedly not afraid to play hard-ball, but he'd drive the value of the franchise into the dirt. Better to acquiesce a favorable sale, then maybe rehabilitate his image.

I guess only J.J. Redick will stay on from the current roster?

Edited April 30, 2014 by lomatopo

[phantomfiddler]

The greatest sin in this world is hypocracy. Who here has never said a word that could be considered racist ? and let,s not forget what the people of the darker persuasion say about us ! A totally ridiculous situation, and an even more ridiculous conclusion

[jamhar]

The greatest sin in this world is hypocracy. ..........

I didn't read the rest

Nice trolling

[Ulysses G.]

A lot of people are two faced, but it is not illegal and neither is anything that he had to say. Going after someone so aggressively for such minor transgressions seems hypocritical to me.

Minor to you UG,

evidently not minor to the players coaches and others in the league (and elsewhere)

Do you really think that many of them don't say similar things when they are having a private conversation? I don't like anything that he had to say, but, as far as I am concerned, this really is about freedom of speech. If he had said it publicly, it would be a different matter.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[lomatopo]

this really is about freedom of speech.

As far as I am aware he has not been charged with any crime, nor has his right to exercise free speech been somehow restricted. I suspect any further running of his pie-hole is self-inflicted?

The NBA has skads of rules, regulations, by-laws and is immune from nearly all DoJ oversight. I am pretty sure the NBA Commissioner, and owners have bylaws which will survive all but a scorched earth assault?

Quote: Adam Silver (the NBA Commissioner) detailed Sterling's punishment of a lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine -- the "maximum amount" allowed per league guidelines

Maybe the ACLU will rush to Mr. Sterling's defense? (holding my breath)

Edited April 30, 2014 by lomatopo

[Ulysses G.]

As far as I am aware he has not been charged with any crime, nor has his right to exercise free speech been somehow restricted.

No he only got punished with a lifetime ban from basketball, a $2.5 million fine and being forced to sell his business, because of stupid remarks in what was supposed to be a private conversation. Freedom of speech is thriving in America.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Ulysses G.