Clippers owner under investigation for racist comments

[Leftos]

But yeah, seriously, how in the world can you sue a man that is privately conversing to another? I know he's up to public scrutiny with his actions, but there should be at least a little privacy out there.

Who's suing him?

So the measures are ok, imo,

How is penalizing a guy 2.5 million for privately expressing of his thoughts and forcing him to sell his 700 million franchise fair?.

Most, if not all, the people participating in his franchise no longer want to be associated with him. Most of the NBA has declared that it doesn't want to be associated with him. The NBA is a private entity. The owners can vote to fire him and give him a severance package of upwards of 1 billion.

How would him remaining at the helm of the Clippers when nobody wants him there be fair?

If you're saying he should be offered the chance to step down on his own instead of being forced out, sure. If he cares about the franchise he's running and the association he's participating in and he's aware of the fact that nobody fucking wants him around anymore, he'll step down before the owners vote, if any.

Also, saying that he's being forced out just because of the private conversation is an assumption, and merely that. My guess, more like hope, is that he's now being forced out for all the shit he's done over the years, and that this is merely the excuse.

And yes, it is hypocritical of the NBA as an entity to do it now instead of 2006. I don't know what caused this change of heart. Was it social media and the bigger proliferation of the news? Was it Silver actually wanting to take action? Was it Silver trying to cover his ass? Honestly, I don't care. Good riddance.

[Mandich]

Most, if not all, the people participating in his franchise no longer want to be associated with him.

Yes but why hype it now? Why force him out now? It's not like he wasn't a dick before. I'm not defening his actions, it's just so unfair,cowardly and suspicious that the NBA did it now, with measures being so drastic...I mean put what the Clippers players want aside, it's still his team. He pays them. It's easy to find players. Owners? Let's see.

If you're saying he should be offered the chance to step down on his own instead of being forced out, sure.

I'm saying it's a decision he should make on his own. The man has been an owner for 33 years. To take away the franchise he basically created over this is ridiculous.

Also, saying that he's being forced out just because of the private conversation is an assumption... he's now being forced out for all the shit he's done... and that this is merely the excuse.

And yes, it is hypocritical of the NBA

There you go.

He was set up(my opinion) because certain people want him out. Even if he wasn't set up it was overblown because certain people want him out. And now Silvers is a hero, the players are too(because of the idiotic silent protests that don't even have sense), they are treated unfair boo hoo. With all the money and fame the NBA(that includes Sterling) has given them,they really do act like spoilt little brats. Sterling is a dick and a moron,but it still doesn't change the fact this was overly harsh and unfair. Way to go NBA.

[shadowgrin]

I can't wait for the entire situation to be added as new features to MyGM.

[Leftos]

Most, if not all, the people participating in his franchise no longer want to be associated with him.

Yes but why hype it now? Why force him out now? It's not like he wasn't a dick before. I'm not defening his actions, it's just so unfair,cowardly and suspicious that the NBA did it now, with measures being so drastic...I mean put what the Clippers players want aside, it's still his team. He pays them. It's easy to find players. Owners? Let's see.

Because the NBA has a new commissioner, there was an excuse to take action against Sterling like there've been in the past, but instead of them not doing anything like the other times, this time they actually acted. Like I said, this could be retroactively punishing him for all the shit he's done in the past and that nobody ever bothered to punish him for.

[[Q]]

If this was a black man saying that about a white guy, I don't know if he would even get fined(I'm dead serious). Black people get away with so much thing ...

when in reality every single one of them is an expendable merchandise...

This was racist. Racist to Donald Sterling.

I believe the correct terms your boy used were "beautiful black bodies" and "poor black kid", not "expendable merchandise".

And this is why shit like this still exists today and will never go away.

I'm saying it's a decision he should make on his own. The man has been an owner for 33 years. To take away the franchise he basically created over this is ridiculous.

ZOMG SO RIDICULOUS WHAT A STORIED FRANCHISE HE CREATED SUCH A GREAT TEAM WHY SHOULD IT BE TAKEN AWAY???

before being handed the best PG in the league, his team only had 1 season over .500 in 30 years. He didn't create shit. He took something and ran it into the ground, over and over for 30+ years. As a real estate mogul, he's always viewed the team he bought for $12 million as an asset, as an investment, as his plaything. Nothing more.

and yes, I believe Silver didn't really do a whole lot here. Everybody had already hung Sterling and it was on Silver to make the final call on it. Players threatened with a strike/walkout during the biggest time of year for them and that would've been a huge blow not only now financially, but to lose trust & confidence of the players forever in your first year in power. It was the only move to make for Silver.


then there's this (before a weird rant that doesn't have anything to do with the situation)

phpBB [video]

[_Steve_]

The more I think of the ban, the less I like it. Let's make one thing clear: Sterling is an idiot and a racist.
BUT he told his stupid opinion in a private conversation. Millions of people did while fighting for freedom rights including the freedom of speech. Now we make a huge step backwards and strip a person of it's buisiness because of what he said in a private conversation...

[Stress Fracture]

I wonder why many can't understand that.

[JaoSming]

I am amazed at how personal everyone wants to make this. It is none of "our" faults that this happened, nothing to feel bad about, nothing to reflect on personal thoughts, it is all on the NBA, Sterling, and Silver. He agreed to the NBA constitution or whatever when he bought the team and he is being sanctioned through that agreement. Nothing illegal. His fucked mind and views became public, again, and posed a major detriment to the league and at the very least the Clippers. For the sake of the greater business he had to go.

If I find out through an illegal, mistaken, or any other non-legitimate way that someone is saying 'privately' that they really just want to strangle toddlers at a day care I send my daughters to, I'm going to stop sending my girls there. I don't give 2 shits how I got that information, but I have it, and I'm going to make a decision based on that, especially if a quick Google search shows past legal battles of this person threatening or supposedly hitting kids.

All I care about is the fucker is gone. I don't care if he makes a big stink with a lawsuit or just goes off into the wind, he's gone. If someone with his background or comments, private or public, tried buying a team it would probably be rejected (at least today it would be).

And if you feel bad about him possibly being forced to sell his team, he's probably going to make a huge profit on any investment, and probably have enough to make his own damn league. I ain't going to feel bad if the guy can console himself like this

[benji]

The more I think of the ban, the less I like it. Let's make one thing clear: Sterling is an idiot and a racist.
BUT he told his stupid opinion in a private conversation. Millions of people did while fighting for freedom rights including the freedom of speech. Now we make a huge step backwards and strip a person of it's buisiness because of what he said in a private conversation...

Freedom of speech has nothing to do with private relationships, you are not exempt from consequences of your speech being applied to your reputation let alone your status granted by those you signed a contract with.

Freedom of speech is about protecting you from the violence of the state's monopoly only.

[[Q]]

We don't have a complete freedom of speech as you just can't yell "fire!" in a crowded movie theater

[benji]

We don't have a complete freedom of speech as you just can't yell "fire!" in a crowded movie theater

Please don't repeat this myth.

It was an analogy being used to justify suppression of speaking against slavery. It wasn't true then, and isn't true now.

[koberulz]

http://www.popehat.com/2012/09/19/three ... re-enough/

[JaoSming]

Donald Sterling Reportedly Will Sue NBA If Forced to Sell Clippers

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2047 ... l-clippers

[_Steve_]

I'd do the same in his case.
I would also consider to fill a lawsuit against the person that published the details from that private conversation.
Privacy and the freedom of speech might protect a person against actions taken by the state. But (in Germany) it also protects a person indirectly against actions from private persons or non-governmental organisations.
On the other hand I'd stepped back the same time the shitstorm began.

[Leftos]

I'd do the same in his case.
I would also consider to fill a lawsuit against the person that published the details from that private conversation.
Privacy and the freedom of speech might protect a person against actions taken by the state. But (in Germany) it also protects a person indirectly against actions from private persons or non-governmental organisations.
On the other hand I'd stepped back the same time the shitstorm began.

Do the bylaws/constitution say that the owners need a legal reason to vote someone out? If not, even in Germany he'd have no protection. There's no basis for suing on privacy intrusion if they don't have to use the results of that intrusion to vote him out.

To clarify, I'm talking about him suing the NBA if he's voted out, not him suing the girlfriend or TMZ or whatever.

[koberulz]

Donald Sterling Reportedly Will Sue NBA If Forced to Sell Clippers

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2047 ... l-clippers

How exactly can you force someone to sell something, anyway?

[shadowgrin]

There must be some loophole in the NBA constitution that Sterling knows and will use when he sues the NBA if they forced him to sell the Clippers.

He's the same guy that moved the Clippers from San Diego to Los Angeles without league approval, was fined by the NBA $25 million, he sued the the NBA for $100 million, and eventually both sides settled instead for a fine of $6 million.

He can't be running the Clippers like a dickhead for all these years without having an ace up his sleeve to ensure he always has control of the team.

[Spree#8]

Sterling's a lawyer himself, right? If he feels he has a shot, he won't go down without a fight.

And I have to say, I'm kind of glad to see this happen. Even setting the private conversation part aside, the hypocrisy of what's happening is becoming sickening to me. If Sterling's comments are hateful, disgusting and have no place in the NBA (which I don't even disagree with), how come this and this is all fine and dandy? If Sterling was black and had made the comments he did about whites, this would never have become a big story and nobody would have fucking cared.

How exactly can you force someone to sell something, anyway?

Even if you can't, I imagine Silver could take steps that would make it pretty pointless for Sterling to remain. Threatening to kick the Clippers out of the league, for instance.

[NovU]

Funny thing is that NBA conSHITitution is punishing Donald Sterling on a simple vague clause "the best interest of league" which can pretty much justify anyone to do anything.

Our German lawyer pointed to the right thing. At the end of the day, you can't prosecute someone for expressing an opinion in a private conversation. Especially when this was recorded illegally. Iirc, that cannot be used in the court as an evidence. This arouses another controversy whether the league can use illegal tape as a basis and evidence to punish Sterling. In its core, this is Sterling and his thought crime being punished.



This is not defense for Sterling but he isn't the worst kind of racists we've seen nor this is the worst we've heard from him. He himself is a jew and his girlfriend is a part black/mexican. He had no motive or intention to hurt any particular race group in the discussion. He simply wanted his girl to not embarrass him in public (on wrongful ideology). But got played, it seems his girl's intention was pretty clear, to lead him to say certain nasty things. Note that parts of what he said resentfully carried the truth in our world and are better things to be addressed, probably more than just focusing on how the scumbag has to be bastardized.

[Patr1ck]

Sterling did say black people were fabulous.

[benji]

Our German lawyer pointed to the right thing. At the end of the day, you can't prosecute someone for expressing an opinion in a private conversation. Especially when this was recorded illegally. Iirc, that cannot be used in the court as an evidence. This arouses another controversy whether the league can use illegal tape as a basis and evidence to punish Sterling. In its core, this is Sterling and his thought crime being punished.

Sterling isn't being prosecuted.

But (in Germany) it also protects a person indirectly against actions from private persons or non-governmental organisations.

That's not freedom of speech, that's imposing a duty on others.

[shadowgrin]

He simply wanted his girl to not embarrass him in public

Sterling only wanted what any man wants and that is for their woman to stop hanging around with other men who happen to be black and HIV positive.

Sterling did say black people were fabulous.

And one of them was Sam Cassell. Sam Cassell. Sterling had seen Sam Cassell naked and he called Cassell beautiful. Sam Cassell. How can a man who thinks a naked Sam Cassell is beautiful be even considered a racist!

[benji]

And one of them was Sam Cassell. Sam Cassell. Sterling had seen Sam Cassell naked and he called Cassell beautiful. Sam Cassell. How can a man who thinks a naked Sam Cassell is beautiful be even considered a racist!

[Patr1ck]

I meant in the recording.

[benji]

I think the NBA has gone too far now:

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is battling cancer, sources have confirmed to ESPN.com.

The news was first reported by the New York Post.

The Post, citing sources, reported that the 80-year-old Sterling has been battling prostate cancer for an extended period of time.