tOffical all things Sterling thread

[gordontrue]

I don't think the owners are that scared of a precedent being set.

If you went into business with a bunch of guys and one of them did something stupid and it got out and became a huge PR nightmare, how would you react?

Would you think "Oh no, what if I do something stupid? What will they do to me?".
Or will you think "This idiot is endangering our business let's deal with it and move on".

These billionaire owners are a confident bunch. They don't ever expect to be the cause of a huge PR nightmare. IMO, they are pissed at Sterling and want him gone.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Does anyone else find it funny that the main 2 people in this story are sterling and silver???

Sterling silver FOR ALL!!!

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Was he in blackface?? just call him the Jazz singer!!!

 

[LambeauLegs]

Kareem Abdul Jabbar says Sterlings girl friend needs to be arrested

Wow an excellent blog written by Kareem that you all should read as he is right about everything he is saying. Read his thoughts then vote in the poll on if you agree with him. Hopefully you all have enough time to read through what he is saying to us all.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Donald Sterling?s Racism and the NBA - TIME

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Welcome to the Finger-Wagging Olympics

It's time to look at ourselves — and our collective moral outrage — in the mirror, says former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.







Moral outrage is exhausting. And dangerous. The whole country has gotten a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome from the newest popular sport of Extreme Finger Wagging. Not to mention the neck strain from Olympic tryouts for Morally Superior Head Shaking. All over the latest in a long line of rich white celebrities to come out of the racist closet. (Was it only a couple days ago that Cliven Bundy said blacks would be better off picking cotton as slaves? And only last June Paula Deen admitted using the “N” word?)

Yes, I’m angry, too, but not just about the sins of Donald Sterling. I’ve got a list. But let’s start with Sterling. I used to work for him, back in 2000 when I coached for the Clippers for three months. He was congenial, even inviting me to his daughter’s wedding. Nothing happened or was said to indicate he suffered from IPMS (Irritable Plantation Master Syndrome). Since then, a lot has been revealed about Sterling’s business practices:

• 2006: U.S. Dept. of Justice sued Sterling for housing discrimination. Allegedly, he said, “Black tenants smell and attract vermin.”
• 2009: He reportedly paid $2.73 million in a Justice Dept. suit alleging he discriminated against blacks, Hispanics, and families with children in his rentals. (He also had to pay an additional nearly $5 million in attorneys fees and costs due to his counsel’s “sometimes outrageous conduct.”)
• 2009: Clippers executive (and one of the greatest NBA players in history) sued for employment discrimination based on age and race.

And now the poor guy’s girlfriend (undoubtedly ex-girlfriend now) is on tape cajoling him into revealing his racism. Man, what a winding road she led him down to get all of that out. She was like a sexy nanny playing “pin the fried chicken on the Sambo.” She blindfolded him and spun him around until he was just blathering all sorts of incoherent racist sound bites that had the news media peeing themselves with glee.

They caught big game on a slow news day, so they put his head on a pike, dubbed him Lord of the Flies, and danced around him whooping.

I don’t blame them. I’m doing some whooping right now. Racists deserve to be paraded around the modern town square of the television screen so that the rest of us who believe in the American ideals of equality can be reminded that racism is still a disease that we haven’t yet licked.

What bothers me about this whole Donald Sterling affair isn’t just his racism. I’m bothered that everyone acts as if it’s a huge surprise. Now there’s all this dramatic and very public rending of clothing about whether they should keep their expensive Clippers season tickets. Really? All this other stuff I listed above has been going on for years and this ridiculous conversation with his girlfriend is what puts you over the edge? That’s the smoking gun?

He was discriminating against black and Hispanic families for years, preventing them from getting housing. It was public record. We did nothing. Suddenly he says he doesn’t want his girlfriend posing with Magic Johnson on Instagram and we bring out the torches and rope. Shouldn’t we have all called for his resignation back then?

Shouldn’t we be equally angered by the fact that his private, intimate conversation was taped and then leaked to the media? Didn’t we just call to task the NSA for intruding into American citizen’s privacy in such an un-American way? Although the impact is similar to Mitt Romney’s comments that were secretly taped, the difference is that Romney was giving a public speech. The making and release of this tape is so sleazy that just listening to it makes me feel like an accomplice to the crime. We didn’t steal the cake but we’re all gorging ourselves on it.

Make no mistake: Donald Sterling is the villain of this story. But he’s just a handmaiden to the bigger evil. In our quest for social justice, we shouldn’t lose sight that racism is the true enemy. He’s just another jerk with more money than brains.

So, if we’re all going to be outraged, let’s be outraged that we weren’t more outraged when his racism was first evident. Let’s be outraged that private conversations between people in an intimate relationship are recorded and publicly played. Let’s be outraged that whoever did the betraying will probably get a book deal, a sitcom, trade recipes with Hoda and Kathie Lee, and soon appear on Celebrity Apprentice and Dancing with the Star

The big question is “What should be done next?” I hope Sterling loses his franchise. I hope whoever made this illegal tape is sent to prison. I hope the Clippers continue to be unconditionally supported by their fans. I hope the Clippers realize that the ramblings of an 80-year-old man jealous of his young girlfriend don’t define who they are as individual players or as a team. They aren’t playing for Sterling—they’re playing for themselves, for the fans, for showing the world that neither basketball, nor our American ideals, are defined by a few pathetic men or women.

Let’s use this tawdry incident to remind ourselves of the old saying: “Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.” Instead of being content to punish Sterling and go back to sleep, we need to be inspired to vigilantly seek out, expose, and eliminate racism at its first signs.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time National Basketball Association champion and league Most Valuable Player. Follow him on Twitter (@KAJ33) and Facebook

 

[gordontrue]

That's the crux of my question. Can we be held responsible for what we say in private? I know that if I privately threatened to blow up a school or airport, and the person I was speaking to could go to the police and I'd be hauled away in a second. As a non-attorney, what constitutes privleged and private conversation?

There are definitely legal questions that the police and prosecutors would have to worry about.

But if that private threat became public and caused a PR issue for your company, your business partners wouldn't have to worry about those privacy issues, they could do what they wanted, especially if you signed partnership agreement stating such.

 

[gordontrue]

Assuming she did something illegal (I keep hearing arguments both ways), than I agree.

I back the NBA's actions against Sterling 100%, but I have no problem with her being dealt with according to the law. I don't think anyone thinks she's a hero or a saint here.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

O.K. I've just been observing from the periphery. Hell, I don't even have all the facts. Also, I'm moderate to moderate / liberal. So, I usually side with minorities, underdogs and the poor.

BUT:

This thing just feels like a politically correct witch hunt and foolish rush to judgement. It feels like it's gonna backfire somehow. It feels like some kind of absurd reverse racism that can be swallowed but not digested. It won't stay down. It will get puked back up...

Anyone else get this feeling?

Nada.

I get your point...imo the punishment was overkill w/o question. (I thought the fine would be 7 figures, but the suspension I thought maybe 6 mos to a year).

Bottomline...imo the NBA wanted this guy out, and Sterling gave them the reason. Still, 2/3 of the owners have to vote this action in, and that will be the telling story.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

A so called "precedent" against this kind of BS has already been set....albeit in another sport, and the Marge Schott fiasco back in the 90's.

When it comes to bigotry or racism there doesn't need to be any precedent for opposition +/or a counter action.

It just gets meticulously eradicated.

 

[shitsho]

I agree with Kareem. This is BS that everyone is pretending they didnt know about this before. Baron Davis told everybody in LA. Good luck getting her imprisoned. Any good attorney can get her out of jail time and her fine reduced.

punishable by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars
($2,500), or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one
year, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170,
or by both a fine and imprisonment in the county jail or pursuant to
subdivision (h) of Section 1170.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Nada.

I get your point...imo the punishment was overkill w/o question. (I thought the fine would be 7 figures, but the suspension I thought maybe 6 mos to a year).

Bottomline...imo the NBA wanted this guy out, and Sterling gave them the reason. Still, 2/3 of the owners have to vote this action in, and that will be the telling story.

they'll more than likely far exceed the 2/3.

 

[shitsho]

Racism stinks up this country. Good thing they are working on eradicating the smell from retarded racists like Sterling. Racists are the lowest form of scum on the earth. I'm just glad they finally caught the bastard voicing his opinions. I will fight for your right to speak your mind but I will also fight for the right for others to do the same and take actions that strip you of everything they can without it having legal consequences. This is not a legal issue. This is a private company matter dealing with one of their franchises.

 

[HammerDown]

1000000% agree with Kareem. And that's surprising because he's racist himself.

You bolded the best part.

We knew all along the guy was a racist creep. But now ALL THE SUDDEN he needs to be ousted from the NBA because of an illegally-recorded private conversation from his bedroom?

BULLSHIT!

Silver looks like a total fool. This is going to backfire BIGTIME on the NBA.

 

[HammerDown]

Assuming she did something illegal (I keep hearing arguments both ways), than I agree.

I back the NBA's actions against Sterling 100%, but I have no problem with her being dealt with according to the law. I don't think anyone thinks she's a hero or a saint here.

then Then THEN!!!

 

[shitsho]

I was talking with my wife last night and I was thinking that if Sterling fights this in court, it could very well lead to the country taking a long and hard look at the privacy of citizens. Technology is now at the point where everything we say and do has the potential to put out there for all to see. Sterling's comments cannot be defended, and I for one am glad to see him go. However, we may have opened up a hornets nest. As a nation are we going to have to redefine privacy laws? I'm not an attorney, but it will be very interesting to see if the Sterling issue is going to begin a discussion on what defines privacy in this country.

This isnt a privacy issue. He said something that was against the companies operating procedures. He owns a franchise in that company and exposed it to loss of revenue and prestige. All he can do is bring a lawsuit against the league if they try to force a sale of his team. He wont have a leg to stand on simply because it is not a legal issue. He will have to pay court costs when he eventually loses. Less money for his heirs when this all pans out years later.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I understand the privacy part of this...but I think it has little to do with normal everyday people unless you're doing something to trigger interest.

Example...one of the sub-contractors that does work for our company routinely cashes the check we pay him...apparently he then deposits into his bank. One day I get a call from said bank manager wanting to know if we knew this person, our affiliation, etc. I said yes, and asked why this line of questions...because he was depositing large sums of cash...a trigger.

In the case with Sterling...those same views from Joe Smoe mean nothing but the person is a bigot. From an NBA owner with the power to influence hiring, etc. it means a lot more. How this information was obtained fades a bit...I'm not a lawyer either, but Sterling has admitted it was him and Silver ran with it.

 

[Berkeley_Blues]

I know one thing for sure. Whoever recorded and reported Sterling had malicious intent.

My only questions are 1. What was the motive AND 2. Who was the Perp?

What is money? revenge? justice? power?

 

[shitsho]

I know one thing for sure. Whoever recorded and reported Sterling had malicious intent.

My only questions are 1. What was the motive and 2. Who was the Perp?

What is money? revenge? justice? power?

Doesnt really matter since he is retard but if reports are correct it was because his wife brought an embezzlement law suit against the bimbo. Revenge.

 

[Berkeley_Blues]

Doesnt really matter since he is retard but if reports are correct it was because his wife brought an embezzlement law suit against the bimbo. Revenge.

That makes sense...women and malice go hand in hand.

However, if there was malicious intent from an outside source, who wanted an NBA franchise and setup Sterline (entraped him) -- then you officially have a conspiracy and a big time story.

I'm not saying this is the case. But I am saying it is certainly possible given the way this went down. Time will tell.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

This isnt a privacy issue. He said something that was against the companies operating procedures. He owns a franchise in that company and exposed it to loss of revenue and prestige. All he can do is bring a lawsuit against the league if they try to force a sale of his team. He wont have a leg to stand on simply because it is not a legal issue. He will have to pay court costs when he eventually loses. Less money for his heirs when this all pans out years later.

That much is a given. We don't know the details to really determine if his privacy was breached. I'm not a lawyer, but anytime you're speaking with a company and they state the phone call is being recorded and you proceed, you're agreeing to be recorded.

If he said, this is off the record and she recorded it, it will be a privacy issue. If nothing was said about it being recorded and he doesn't realize he's being recorded, I think its a private issue.

But...within the NBA bylaws, it may not matter how the information was obtained.

 

[shitsho]

That makes sense...women and malice go hand in hand.

However, if there was malicious intent from an outside source, who wanted an NBA franchise and setup Sterline (entraped him) -- then you officially have a conspiracy and a big time story.

I'm not saying this is the case. But I am saying it is certainly possible given the way this went down. Time will tell.

There are always conspiracy theories and they are either valid or laughable depending on which team you are on. Sort of like the Birthers. Personally I would not have left the gathering of evidence up to a bimbo that sounds like she has problems remembering her birthday if i was trying to get me a NBA team by exposing him.