Donald Sterling

[SoCalCoug]

So you are buying the mistresses story that Sterling actually asked that the conversations be recorded so that he could use them to "jog" his memory? That isn't to say I feel bad for him....I don't. He has been exposed for what he is and he should have to live with the consequences. However, her story isn't believable and seems to premeditated justification by a lawyer who was familiar with the wire tapping laws in California.

"Buying" the story is a far cry from acknowledging that an alternate explanation exists which might bear some investigation before someone goes off half-cocked (pun intended) and accepts the assumption that has been made by the public.

Sterling was fined millions of dollars years ago for keeping blacks out of some of his apartments. The NBA obviously tolerated that because they did nothing. It was only after TMZ released the contents of a private conversation that the NBA did something. They exacted the most draconian penalty possible because the players were outraged and they were looking at playere all over the league boycotting games.


But if one wants to examine what is worse, that's easy. Sterling's discriminatory housing practices were much worse than his private thoughts. Yet the NBA tolerated that because it didn't make it's way into the mainstream narrative and didn't threaten the league's relationship with it's players.

Sterling's housing practices, while pernicious, didn't directly affect the NBA. It's likely there are some limitations on what they can act on. These statements were directly affecting not just the Clippers, but the NBA. So they jumped on the chance.

I suspect there were many in the NBA who were happy to find a basis for getting rid of Sterling. But drastic actions like that require solid legal basis, and it's likely they just didn't have it yet.

[New Mexican Disaster]

Personally I have been very surprised at the amount of support I have seen for Sterling on Facebook and heard from other people around town. "He didn't even say the "n" word," one person said to me. I didn't know what to say.

[clackamascoug]

On Dan Patrick today, 39% of poll respondents say the punishment was too harsh. That shocks me more than Sterling.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I really don't know what DDDs problem is. I wish he didn't have to act like that. It is very offensive. It's cool though, I guess. I'm out. I know I won't be missed. Your snide comments are welcomed.

I know what his problem is. Send me a PM and I will fill you in.

[old_gregg]

I know what his problem is. Send me a PM and I will fill you in.

or fail to fill you in, as the case may be

[Jeff Lebowski]

or fail to fill you in, as the case may be

You seem awfully cynical. I hope everything is ok in your personal life.

[old_gregg]

You seem awfully cynical. I hope everything is ok in your personal life.

a high brow joke about the inadequate size of 3d's genitalia is not cynical

[SoCalCoug]

a high brow joke about the inadequate size of 3d's genitalia is not cynical

Hey, micropenises are nothing to joke about.

[Moliere]

I really don't know what DDDs problem is.

composed a PM but it was too long to send

[imanihonjin]

"Buying" the story is a far cry from acknowledging that an alternate explanation exists which might bear some investigation before someone goes off half-cocked (pun intended) and accepts the assumption that has been made by the public.



Sterling's housing practices, while pernicious, didn't directly affect the NBA. It's likely there are some limitations on what they can act on. These statements were directly affecting not just the Clippers, but the NBA. So they jumped on the chance.

I suspect there were many in the NBA who were happy to find a basis for getting rid of Sterling. But drastic actions like that require solid legal basis, and it's likely they just didn't have it yet.

I get what you are saying, but come on. There is almost no chance that Sterling asked her to record all of their conversations to jog his memory. That is absurd. The dude was a divorce lawyer and personal injury attorney....even in a semi-senile state he would have been smarter than that.

[DrumNFeather]

So now it comes out that Sterling has Prostate Cancer. I had wondered to a buddy if we'd see this incident make him go Paterno and just kick it before too much happens. So, perhaps even if he wants to litigate, he might die before it gets to that.

[Surfah]

So now it comes out that Sterling has Prostate Cancer. I had wondered to a buddy if we'd see this incident make him go Paterno and just kick it before too much happens. So, perhaps even if he wants to litigate, he might die before it gets to that.

I am not sure if that helps. In fact I think it may complicate the ouster since the team is owned by a family trust. The lifetime ban applied to Sterling not the rest of the family. So what happens if he is gone? Can the NBA owners then continue to force a sale for a team that no longer has an owner with a lifetime ban?

To this point, one of the rumors out there right now is that Sterling may use divorce to roadblock the forced sale. Some are speculating that the NBA wouldn't be able to do anything until the divorce and ownership of the team is settled.

[Green Monstah]

So now it comes out that Sterling has Prostate Cancer. I had wondered to a buddy if we'd see this incident make him go Paterno and just kick it before too much happens. So, perhaps even if he wants to litigate, he might die before it gets to that.

Isn't every 80-year old prostate just a pocket of cancerous mush? Lame attempt to garner sympathy, IMO.

[TripletDaddy]

Well now that he has cancer I'm going to give him a pass on all the racism.

[cowboy]

Interesting high-level primer on the legal landscape facing both the NBA and Sterling.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20140429/donald-sterling-nba-adam-silver-clippers-lawsuit-lifetime-ban/

One aspect I had not considered that could lead to more PR nightmares in the future:

There isn't an owner over 50 who grew up anywhere but CA and New England that hasn't used the N-Word in their lifetime. If they are from the South, they are probably still prejudiced. But the NBA won't do anything to them if they've just made racist statements, so the owners have nothing to fear.