tOffical all things Sterling thread

[MilkSpiller22]

As long as there is orange and grape soda in the locker room with watermelon flavored potato chips in the vending machine, I don't think anyone cares...

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Yes, it is. A conversation had with the expectation of privacy is no different whether it ends up being (most likely illegally) recorded or not. The guy's a scumbag, sure, but this was a private conversation and not likely to be something punishable at all.

I think you're looking at the legality. This is not a attorney-client, or Dr.-patient situation therefore not admissible...we're not dealing with a legal situation here. The NBA is a private league...How they choose to police their own in this case weighs heavily in the court of public opinion.

The other 29 (or whatever it is) owners may not be able to force him to sell the team because of these comments (public or private), but they can certainly dole out some type of punishment with regards to conduct unbecoming...it doesn't matter how the information got out.

Different sport, but the Colts owner was just arrested recently...of course that is a legal situation, but you can best believe the commish has been in contact with him about cleaning up his act. Same with Jerry Jones drunken escapades. The Debartolo owners got in trouble with some gambling issues...because the topic was gambling, the league had a larger hammer, they were forced to sell.

 

[JDM]

I think you're looking at the legality. This is not a attorney-client, or Dr.-patient situation therefore not admissible...we're not dealing with a legal situation here. The NBA is a private league...How they choose to police their own in this case weighs heavily in the court of public opinion.

The other 29 (or whatever it is) owners may not be able to force him to sell the team because of these comments (public or private), but they can certainly dole out some type of punishment with regards to conduct unbecoming...it doesn't matter how the information got out.

Different sport, but the Colts owner was just arrested recently...of course that is a legal situation, but you can best believe the commish has been in contact with him about cleaning up his act. Same with Jerry Jones drunken escapades. The Debartolo owners got in trouble with some gambling issues...because the topic was gambling, the league had a larger hammer, they were forced to sell.

It is a legal matter. Potential punishments and what qualifies for them are contractually agreed to. You can bet that any punishment that is not contractually ironclad will be fought.

The league has no power that is not contractually agreed to. They can't punish a team without a contractually valid cause. A private conversation is extremely unlikely to meet that criteria.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

The Doobster hasn't watched a NBA game all season long until yesterday to root for Golden State. Sort of worked like a reverse boycott. Maybe Donald Sterling isn't so dumb after all. As much as we all despise racism it's good for ratings.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

He'll sell. He'll be a dumbass if he doesn't sell after all of this. Just read he bought the Clippers for $15M and they're now worth over $500M. To give ya'll another idea of how money talks, the LA NAACP chapter gave Sterling a Man of the Year award, even though they knew about him being a racist, but apparently, Sterling wrote the NAACP a nice, big fat check. These players don't give two shits about what Sterling said, they only care about getting paid, which I have no problem with. Just don't be hypocritical about it......

If this blows up much further I think he will sell also.

NAACP...aside from this, what else has Sterling done for them to know he was a racist?

Players...no they really don't, not if you're on the team...but a hypothetical to throw at you...Clips can offer CP3 a max contract (for argument sake say $160 mil) and the Lakers can only offer $140 mil...I think CP3 would take less to play for the Lakers.

But a rank-n-file player that doesn't have the same kind of options is going to play for the Clippers...even with Sterling as the owner.

 

[starbigd]

Kobe just tweeted that there is no way he should be allowed to continue owning the team. I think the players take this a LOT more seriously than most of you here THINK they do. I also don't think they really knew he was a racist - its one thing to say a guy is racist, but then he's smiling in your face handing you money. Its quite another when he's making statements about you. I'm sure the players have heard rumors about EVERY owner. But once again, their focus is on basketball, not the owner.

Hell probably most of my bosses have been racists - one was actually a rapist and another was a sexual deviant - both are in prison now, but nobody criticized us for not walking out on the company.

 

[TexasExes98]

It is a legal matter. Potential punishments and what qualifies for them are contractually agreed to. You can bet that any punishment that is not contractually ironclad will be fought.

The league has no power that is not contractually agreed to. They can't punish a team without a contractually valid cause. A private conversation is extremely unlikely to meet that criteria.

The only thing the NBA can do is fine him the maximum amount of $1M. Sterling has that cash under one of his couches, that won't do anything. I think the owners can vote on suspending him from attending a few games, but that's about it. He's the OWNER! There really isn't much the NBA can do. It will be up to the fans and sponsors. Forget about the players stepping up, all they care about is the money.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

It is a legal matter. Potential punishments and what qualifies for them are contractually agreed to. You can bet that any punishment that is not contractually ironclad will be fought.

The league has no power that is not contractually agreed to. They can't punish a team without a contractually valid cause. A private conversation is extremely unlikely to meet that criteria.

I would think...actually I'm pretty sure the NBA has a code of conduct (contractually agreed to) that applies to ownership level...the Malouf bros found this out.

Hey...I'm not 100% sure what's going to happen here, but I expect the league handout some type of punishment here and then it will become a legal situation in earnest should Sterling fight it.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Kobe just tweeted that there is no way he should be allowed to continue owning the team. I think the players take this a LOT more seriously than most of you here THINK they do. I also don't think they really knew he was a racist - its one thing to say a guy is racist, but then he's smiling in your face handing you money. Its quite another when he's making statements about you. I'm sure the players have heard rumors about EVERY owner. But once again, their focus is on basketball, not the owner.

Hell probably most of my bosses have been racists - one was actually a rapist and another was a sexual deviant - both are in prison now, but nobody criticized us for not walking out on the company.

I agree - and I don't see how the Clippers can continue to exist unless he places the team into the hands of his wife and puts her on the board of governors - then becomes a silent partner

 

[JDM]

I would think...actually I'm pretty sure the NBA has a code of conduct (contractually agreed to) that applies to ownership level...the Malouf bros found this out.

Hey...I'm not 100% sure what's going to happen here, but I expect the league handout some type of punishment here and then it will become a legal situation in earnest should Sterling fight it.

Private conversations aren't going to fall under that code of conduct.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Private conversations aren't going to fall under that code of conduct.

You mean conversations that were meant to be private...most bad deeds start out in private and someone spills the beans making them public...we shall see how this shakes out. If no action is taken by weeks end I'll concede you were right on this.

 

[JDM]

A private conversation is still a private conversation if someone illegally records and leaks it.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

A private conversation is still a private conversation if someone illegally records and leaks it.

To a point that is correct and I agree, but when a person steps forward and tells the entire world about a private conversation he or she has had with another individual in a position like Donald Sterling's and is able to prove that he made such statements and those statements proves that he is a racist, then bad things are going to happen. Players can refuse to re-sign with the organization and you can't force players to sign with the Clippers. Fans can refuse to pay to see the games and you can't force them to come. Advertisors can refuse to market their products in your time slots and you can't for them them to pay for advertising either.

If all of three of those items happen to the point of epic failure of the team - then the organization can simply say - "Hey we will contract your team out of existence or you can sell now" Has anyone forgotten about contraction? If they have the power to contract non-profitable teams out of existence, then they can force Sterling out.

 

[JDM]

Third parties can do stuff, sure.

As long as sterling pays whatever his obligations to the league are, though, they can't do shit to him.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

So Jordan is outraged?

Hey Mike, ... How bout a little outrage from you when young black men get killed for you high priced sneakers.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Third parties can do stuff, sure.

As long as sterling pays whatever his obligations to the league are, though, they can't do shit to him.

I think they can - the NBA is exempt from the anti-monopoly laws and they could do that little thing they were talking about a few years ago call contraction. Especially if the players starts demanding trades and fans stop coming. That would be detrimental to the entire NBA and Donald Sterling could start losing money real fast. Then there is Mrs Sterling - we haven't heard her side, but she might get into the mix as well

 

[JDM]

They can't. And even if they could, I would be surprised if you had one single owner vote for it. They will not set that precedent. It won't happen.

 

[Wazmankg]

Everyone already knew that he was a racist asshole. Yes, they are absolutely playing this up to something it's not. No one is a bigger fan of Magic than me, but come on, Magic. Stop pretending like you're "hurt." You live in Beverly Hills, not Watts.

Hurt ? No. Insulted ? Damn straight and he has every right to be. He's frikken Magic Johnson and this ass wipe doesn't want his GF seen with him or bring him to basketball games because he's black ?

 

[starbigd]

I agree - and I don't see how the Clippers can continue to exist unless he places the team into the hands of his wife and puts her on the board of governors - then becomes a silent partner

She's just as bad as he is.......she's been sued for discrimination as well.

 

[cane_man]

Rivers refused a face to face with sterling. Hmmmm......


Amiwrong for hoping for a trainwreck with popcorn in hand?