664 replies to this topic

[bnickle]

If Mark Cuban got cut off in traffic while he was doing a phone interview and muttered under his breath, "F---ing *insert slur here*," that would be bad, and he would be deservedly punished. However, I think most people would understand the context and the fact that there is no history to show that he actually has racist views, so he would be forgiven.

Sterling has an entire, documented history of statements and actions that show this to be part of a pattern of behavior, not an isolated incident. That's the difference.

So now we are allowed to target and set up people for holding opinions we don't like. Opinions that in this case he is spouting privately.


Let's do this to everyone this country. You know, just to show how bad we really are as individuals.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Well if not him, then someone else, so does it really matter much?

 

Probably not. There's just so many dichotomies to this. On one hand, Sterling should not own an NBA team. But on the other hand, he has in fact been an owner for years, and the NBA turned a blind eye to stuff like this before....in a way the league (by that I mean NBA HQ and other owners) are kind of deserving of this embarrassment.

[You Play to Win the Game]

So now we are allowed to target and set up people for holding opinions we don't like. Opinions that in this case he is spouting privately.


Let's do this to everyone this country. You know, just to show how bad we really are as individuals.

 

I get what you're saying... but his opinion is more than that. He's in a postion of power and has a ton of money... and his opinion in this case really represents intolerance. I'm not going to feel bad for someone like that, even if he was set-up in this case.

[bnickle]

All I'm saying is everyone in a position of power has opinions that if they get out will be offensive to some. It may not be racism, but something.

Again, Sterling is an ass and a horrible owner. Nobody will lose sleep if and when he sells. I just don't think his ouster should come this way. From this incident. It's extremely shady.

Again, I'm positive this could happen to anyone. You try long and hard enough you'll get dirt on anyone and hold power over them. Manipulate them, blackmail them, extort them, etc. Pick your poison.

[You Play to Win the Game]

All I'm saying is everyone in a position of power has opinions that if they get out will be offensive to some. It may not be racism, but something.

Again, Sterling is an ass and a horrible owner. Nobody will lose sleep if and when he sells. I just don't think his ouster should come this way. From this incident. It's extremely shady.

Again, I'm positive this could happen to anyone. You try long and hard enough you'll get dirt on anyone and hold power over them. Manipulate them, blackmail them, extort them, etc. Pick your poison.

 

I guess it doesn't bother me given how well documented his stance is. Say you had his house wired and heard everything the guy said... I'd bet the tape that surfaced would probably be one of the least offensive things you'd hear, considering. With Sterling, it's not like this little "trick" took much coercing at all. It's not like the lady asked some fancy worded question to trick him into soundling like a racist.

[mweb08]

I don't think many, if any NBA owners have as problematic of beliefs as Sterling. Being very racist toward black people is really really bad for an NBA owner.

[bnickle]

You also don't know how many times she tried to get him on tape saying something bad, or at least bad enough. Listening to the whole audio it certainly seemed like she may have been at this for some time. Sterling talks at one point, about her being so confrontational and keeping at it. It was almost like he was getting leery at points.


So you guys are alright if it comes out she had been at him for weeks or months trying to get some smoking gun evidence. That she had recorded him numerous times.

[Oriole85]

All I'm saying is everyone in a position of power has opinions that if they get out will be offensive to some. It may not be racism, but something.

Again, Sterling is an ass and a horrible owner. Nobody will lose sleep if and when he sells. I just don't think his ouster should come this way. From this incident. It's extremely shady.

Again, I'm positive this could happen to anyone. You try long and hard enough you'll get dirt on anyone and hold power over them. Manipulate them, blackmail them, extort them, etc. Pick your poison.

Not to get too specific here especially since Chris doesn't like us to talk about this subject, but you see this a lot in politics especially at the national level where the candidates saying things they instantly regret. They are in front of  microphone 24/7, you are bound to screw up royally at some point, in many of those cases, just a slip of the tongue. But in others, you see some vulgar namecalling. Like Weber, I don't think many if any have the type of beliefs that Sterling does. And in Sterlings case, it was already documented, you just didn't have a smoking gun quite like this.

[DJ MC]

You also don't know how many times she tried to get him on tape saying something bad, or at least bad enough. Listening to the whole audio it certainly seemed like she may have been at this for some time. Sterling talks at one point, about her being so confrontational and keeping at it. It was almost like he was getting leery at points.


So you guys are alright if it comes out she had been at him for weeks or months trying to get some smoking gun evidence. That she had recorded him numerous times.

 

Yeah. You said it yourself: he was going to do something like this eventually.

 

This isn't an official organization running an entrapment operation. This is a woman who most assuredly has heard these and similar comments repeatedly, and finally decided to record them. Unless she actually edited random words together, or edited away a ridiculously large amount of context (not that there could be any level of context to make this OK), or sat there with a cattle prod until he read from a script, there isn't much that would invalidate the tape as evidence of this horrible man's horrible views.

[BSLMikeLowe]

The thing to remember here is that the NBA can't force Sterling to sell, even though his racist beliefs are clearly in conflict with a league whose players are overwhelmingly African American, as well as many paying customers. And the commissioner/owners likely can only go so far to try and coerce him into selling as well. For all we know, maybe the league has been trying to get him to sell for years, yet here we are.

 

EDIT: NBA owners may not be able to coerce him to sell, but this certainly could:

 

Sponsors sever deal with Sterling, Clippers

 

Used car dealership chain CarMax and airline Virgin America jumped ship as sponsors of the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday as advertisers pondered their partnerships with the team in the wake of racist remarks allegedly made by owner Donald Sterling.

 

State Farm and Kia both condemned the alleged remarks, and said they will suspend their sponsorship and advertising obligations, closely monitor the situation and assess their options.

[Oriole85]

Donald Trump weighs in (Washington Post)

 

He got set up by a very, very bad girlfriend, let’s face it. She’s called ‘the girlfriend from hell.’

 

Luckily, Trump added, “What he said was terrible and despicable and a very strong action is going to be taken,” so as not to be labeled the worst person in the world.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Donald Trump weighs in (Washington Post)

 

Like I was saying, NFL owners are no doubt taking note of this. Trump is outspoken and very polarizing....a loose cannon. No league wants someone like that among their ownership.

[Oriole85]

Like I was saying, NFL owners are no doubt taking note of this. Trump is outspoken and very polarizing....a loose cannon. No league wants someone like that among their ownership.

I don't think he's that serious, like his presidential runs. He knows how to manipulate the public. And he'll be able to take credit if the teams stays in Buffalo, "I was going to buy the team but since there's an owner committed to Buffalo, I will stick to real estate and The Apprentice."

[FlavaDave10]

Donald Trump weighs in (Washington Post)

 

Of course he would.

[FlavaDave10]

The NBA shouldn't force Sterling to sell, but with all these sponsors he's losing, I don't think they'll need to.

[BSLMikeLowe]

I don't think he's that serious, like his presidential runs. He knows how to manipulate the public. And he'll be able to take credit if the teams stays in Buffalo, "I was going to buy the team but since there's an owner committed to Buffalo, I will stick to real estate and The Apprentice."

 

You could be right. But it seemed like he really wanted to be in the NFL back when he owned the NJ Generals, at least that's what his USFL associates said in that ESPN 30-for-30 piece. It would certainly give him another platform for his ego.

[Oriole85]

You could be right. But it seemed like he really wanted to be in the NFL back when he owned the NJ Generals, at least that's what his USFL associates said in that ESPN 30-for-30 piece. It would certainly give him another platform for his ego.

Unlike most billionaires, who don't own sports teams, he already has enough of a platform. That's why I think he'll continue this battle and then drop it and claim victory (assuming they stay in Buffalo). He'll talk about how they would've been moved to LA, Toronto, or London if he didn't get involved; how he's always had an affinity for the people of Western New York then enjoy being in Bob Kraft's suite.

[Oriole85]

Donald Sterling's Wife, Shelly, Can't Decide If Her Estranged Husband Is Racist Or Not (Huffington Post)

[Oriole85]

The thing to remember here is that the NBA can't force Sterling to sell, even though his racist beliefs are clearly in conflict with a league whose players are overwhelmingly African American, as well as many paying customers. And the commissioner/owners likely can only go so far to try and coerce him into selling as well. For all we know, maybe the league has been trying to get him to sell for years, yet here we are.

 

EDIT: NBA owners may not be able to coerce him to sell, but this certainly could:

 

Sponsors sever deal with Sterling, Clippers

@TrueHoop Lester Munson reviews NBA Constitution, suggests 3/4 vote of owners could terminate Donald Sterling's ownership. http://es.pn/1nX2n1h

[SportsGuy]

I don't think many, if any NBA owners have as problematic of beliefs as Sterling. Being very racist toward black people is really really bad for an NBA owner.

Sure it is...but every NBA owner, or any person in a position of power, has likely done and said some shitty things to get there.

Things that would probably make you say..so and so shouldn't be in that position. That's Brandon's point. Everyone has something in their lives that can and will offend others.

My issue is, since this has been so well known, why go work for him? For years, black athletes didn't want to play in Boston because of its rep as a racist town.

Doc Rivers is acting like this is some surprise. This is one of the most unsurprising things we could have found out.

Should he have his team taken away from him? IMO, no....it's not illegal to be racist dickhead.

Put it this way....if Ray Rice did what is accused, that's worse than what Sterling said....yet, no one is saying to kick Ray Rice out of the NFL.

Donte Stallworth killed someone while driving drunk...and he got back in the league.

Sterling gets baited into saying his bs beliefs on what he felt was a private conversation and he should have to get rid of the team he has built? I disagree with that.

In other words, there are people out there who have done worse and gotten less of a punishment than what people want to give Sterling.