Doc and the Clips

[MU82]

He's the owner.  What are they going to do?  Make him sell?  I doubt it, and I'm sure he'd make a ton of money selling his team.  Fine him $100k?  He won't care.  He seems like a terrible old racist, but he has a boat load of money.  If people stop going to the games or the players won't play for him, maybe they can threaten the teams value enough that he has to sell.  I feel bad for Doc and the players.

Well, MLB essentially made Marge Schott sell the Reds for very similar reasons. So it's not some out-of-left-field suggestion (pun intended).

As for another commenter's pleas for the mods to shut down the thread ... please. It's conversation and an exchange of ideas. We need more talk about this very important issue, not less.

[brandx]

I don't think it is strange at all.  I understand where you are coming from, certainly.  My point remains that this is not new news, especially here in So. Cal. People are principled to a point, but when it comes to getting big checks and an opportunity to play, well those principles tend to get forgotten.  In fact, I think that is exactly what you are saying if you aren't actually saying it.  

People will do a lot of things for the right amount of 0's behind it.  The local NAACP chapter out here admitted today that their organization accepted $10K to $15K contributions from him and they loved him as a result. I'm sure that's why the Democrats were going to reward him next month for the bundling fund-raiser honoree...money has a way of curing a lot of warts or making people look like "great guys".  

I guess we do agree that both sides can and will do whatever they feel at any time.

[brandx]

Uhm, I haven't mentioned black players at all, have I?  I said players, no identification beyond that.  smh

People have all kinds of reasons why they work for certain people, organizations, etc.  Money is one of those reasons.  There are organizations that I would never work for, ever, but I know a lot of people that would even though they don't agree with the products they sell or the news they push or what they stand for.  Why do you think that is?


Let me ask you this question Brand...say he doesn't sell the team because they can't compel him legally to sell the team.  Do you think that the Clippers will not be signing free agents moving forward?  Why do you think they will or will not be able to?  In my view, there will be players that will say absolutely no way.  There will be others, that will hold their nose and play.  Love to hear your opinion on it.

I think you are spot on - although I would phrase it differently. When there are only 450 NBA jobs available for players, it is not a matter of them holding their noses. It is that there are no other options and they should not have to give up their dreams and careers because Sterling is a despicable man. I don't know if he is a racist, although it seems pretty likely, but he is a terrible human being.

[CTWarrior]

I've haven't read every detail about this story, so forgive me if I'm missing something, and of course Sterling is a reprehensible person, but does anyone else have a problem with the fact that someone's private conversation (by that I mean a conversation Sterling did not expect to be made public) can be used in such a manner?  I'm sure we've all said things in private conversations that wouldn't put us in the best light.  I am in no way condoning what he said and I don't doubt that this guy is a colossal racist jerk, but it seems to me that comments made with an expectation of privacy shouldn't result in a guy being fined.  Marge Schott's comments about Hitler, if memory serves, were not private comments. 

Anyway, I do agree that this guy has no business running a business whose primary assets are African American employees, nor any highly public business for that matter.  I guess I also agree that the NBA should do everything it can legally do to force this guy to sell his team, but it seems odd to me that they could be able to fine him for comments made privately.

[ttheisen]

.......but does anyone else have a problem with the fact that someone's private conversation (by that I mean a conversation Sterling did not expect to be made public) can be used in such a manner? 

........................Anyway, I do agree that this guy has no business running a business whose primary assets are African American employees, nor any highly public business for that matter. 

First point - I agree, made me feel a little squeamish.

On the second point, why does this guy even want to own an NBA team?
 

[jesmu84]

I've haven't read every detail about this story, so forgive me if I'm missing something, and of course Sterling is a reprehensible person, but does anyone else have a problem with the fact that someone's private conversation (by that I mean a conversation Sterling did not expect to be made public) can be used in such a manner?  I'm sure we've all said things in private conversations that wouldn't put us in the best light.  I am in no way condoning what he said and I don't doubt that this guy is a colossal racist jerk, but it seems to me that comments made with an expectation of privacy shouldn't result in a guy being fined.  Marge Schott's comments about Hitler, if memory serves, were not private comments. 

Anyway, I do agree that this guy has no business running a business whose primary assets are African American employees, nor any highly public business for that matter.  I guess I also agree that the NBA should do everything it can legally do to force this guy to sell his team, but it seems odd to me that they could be able to fine him for comments made privately.

Yea. that was brought up in the article I posted. Certainly a "squirmy" way to obtain the evidence.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Interesting to hear Mark Jackson's comments this morning.  He is asking Clippers fans not to go to the game tomorrow night to show their outrage.  Problem with that, it could be argued as self serving as it benefits Jackson's team to have fewer fans show up and neutralize home court.

I spoke to a few Clippers fans here at work and they are all going tomorrow night.  They cheer for the team and want to support the team. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

First point - I agree, made me feel a little squeamish.

On the second point, why does this guy even want to own an NBA team?
 

It's a possession for him.  Power, etc. 

[mu_hilltopper]

Agree .. and I'm surprised at the nuclear reaction.  I mean, I kept reading the transcript waiting for the n-bomb .. or talk about abortions or lynchings..  the language just seemed to be run-of-the-mill racist sentiment that old coots say.  

Not to forgive the language or sentiment, of course, but if you compiled a list of the top million vulgar quotes of the last few decades uttered by racists, what was said wouldn't be that high on the list.  On the uber condescending list, it would rank high, no doubt.

[brandx]

If Sterling IS a racist, and the evidence seems to point that way, I don't care. There are plenty of them around. Nothing I say will make him change his mind.

This is still a free country where a man can think as he pleases. I don't believe he has committed a crime.

But, the good news is that he is exposed for what he is and we are free to make him a pariah - both in the NBA and in the world at large. It's always better that this stuff sees the light of day and we have the evidence to judge accordingly.

[mikekinsellaMVP]

Interesting to hear Mark Jackson's comments this morning.  He is asking Clippers fans not to go to the game tomorrow night to show their outrage.  Problem with that, it could be argued as self serving as it benefits Jackson's team to have fewer fans show up and neutralize home court.

I spoke to a few Clippers fans here at work and they are all going tomorrow night.  They cheer for the team and want to support the team. 

Agreed.  Problem with a boycott is those tickets are already bought.  Boycotting doesn't take money out of his pocket.  Just don't buy concessions.  Don't buy merchandise.  Bring your "Not MY owner" signs.  And cheer like hell for your team -- they need to know people appreciate them even if their asshat owner doesn't.

[source?]

Just out of curiosity, did it sound to anybody else like the ramblings of an old guy whose mind is starting to go? Like maybe a decade ago he would have had enough sense to keep those kinds of opinions to himself but the filter is just gone now? I realize he may be just a horrible racist, but I almost felt sorry for the guy.

[MU82]

But, the good news is that he is exposed for what he is and we are free to make him a pariah - both in the NBA and in the world at large. It's always better that this stuff sees the light of day and we have the evidence to judge accordingly.

I like it when racists and other miscreants ramble on for this exact reason. It makes them the devils we know. I'd rather have the hoods lifted and know exactly who and what we are dealing with in all of these cases.

[mu_hilltopper]

Just out of curiosity, did it sound to anybody else like the ramblings of an old guy whose mind is starting to go? Like maybe a decade ago he would have had enough sense to keep those kinds of opinions to himself but the filter is just gone now? I realize he may be just a horrible racist, but I almost felt sorry for the guy.

Right on.  I mean, here he is, in a debate with his hot girlfriend who doesn't know her place! 

As men, we should relate. 

Minus the hot girlfriend, minus the billion dollars. 

What kind of wing-men are we?

[source?]

Right on.  I mean, here he is, in a debate with his hot girlfriend who doesn't know her place! 

As men, we should relate. 

Minus the hot girlfriend, minus the billion dollars. 

What kind of wing-men are we?

I don't feel sorry for him about his girlfriend (dude is married) or the racism (if he's a racist then he's a pos, and most accounts are he's a pos), but I've lived through a grandparent slowly losing their mind and it sucks. I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

[mu_hilltopper]

I don't feel sorry for him about his girlfriend (dude is married) or the racism (if he's a racist then he's a pos, and most accounts are he's a pos), but I've lived through a grandparent slowly losing their mind and it sucks. I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

And I didn't mean to belittle the point.  Both my parents died in their 60s with severe neurology issues.  ('topper.)  I'm likely going downhill as I type this.

[mikekinsellaMVP]

I don't feel sorry for him about his girlfriend (dude is married) or the racism (if he's a racist then he's a pos, and most accounts are he's a pos), but I've lived through a grandparent slowly losing their mind and it sucks. I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

Agreed.  But it sounded more like pointed criticisms than rambling incoherence to me.  (it's certainly a lot more coherent than Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semitic diatribe.)

You do bring up an interesting point with age.  Throw in Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy's recent remarks, and you have to wonder if the "generational" factor comes into play.  Frankly, I've always thought that was a load of crap, but my devoutly Irish-Catholic grandfather held some world views that I'm not proud of.

[brandx]

Agreed.  But it sounded more like pointed criticisms than rambling incoherence to me.  (it's certainly a lot more coherent than Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semitic diatribe.)

You do bring up an interesting point with age.  Throw in Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy's recent remarks, and you have to wonder if the "generational" factor comes into play.  Frankly, I've always thought that was a load of crap, but my devoutly Irish-Catholic grandfather held some world views that I'm not proud of.

I think you may have a point. I see lots of older people that say really stupid, racist sounding comments. Yet they treat minorities in one-on-one situations just like they treat anyone else. I think for a lot of seniors, it's just what they were taught as kids is still somewhere in their heads. I don't really know if Sterling is this sort of person.


Bundy is a different animal. Doesn't believe in US gov't and still believes blacks do not deserve same rights as others. He is a follower of Posse Comitatus which was formed to prevent the Federal Gov't from being able to enforce freedoms for blacks in the south. Bundy is just the plain old garden variety of white supremacy racist.

[keefe]

then doc puts an ultimatum that either he goes or sterling goes. 

Yea, that'll work

[mikekinsellaMVP]

MU alum Charlie Pierce's take on Grantland:
http://grantland.com/features/donald-sterling-racism-nba-owner/

He hits on a few interesting topics, like the First Amendment, Bundy, Marge Schott, and even David Stern as enabler.  Highlight for me was former Cavaliers owner "Ted Stepien will trade you to Milwaukee for a pound of Usinger's sausage and a half case of Blatz."

[ChicosBailBonds]

MU alum Charlie Pierce's take on Grantland:
http://grantland.com/features/donald-sterling-racism-nba-owner/

He hits on a few interesting topics, like the First Amendment, Bundy, Marge Schott, and even David Stern as enabler.  Highlight for me was former Cavaliers owner "Ted Stepien will trade you to Milwaukee for a pound of Usinger's sausage and a half case of Blatz."

Charles is a sharp guy, but there were some obvious things he didn't say in that article that he would have if someone from the opposite belief system he holds dear was involved.  That's mostly true with Pierce's stuff, so I certainly didn't expect anything different. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Now this.....

http://nypost.com/2014/04/27/knicks-great-larry-johnson-calls-for-all-black-league/

[brandx]

Now this.....

http://nypost.com/2014/04/27/knicks-great-larry-johnson-calls-for-all-black-league/

Just spouting off. No one has ever confused Larry for being a genius.

Would be fun to see though. Where would they play since an awful lots of arenas were built with public money? The only players they could get are guys cut by the NBA since salaries would be tiny. Who would watch the games?

As I said, Larry is not the most clever guy around.

[brandx]

People will do a lot of things for the right amount of 0's behind it.  The local NAACP chapter out here admitted today that their organization accepted $10K to $15K contributions from him and they loved him as a result. I'm sure that's why the Democrats were going to reward him next month for the bundling fund-raiser honoree...money has a way of curing a lot of warts or making people look like "great guys". 

I see what you did there. Every inference you made is that he is a Dem. The truth is the opposite. LA County records show him registered Republican since 1998. There are no records ever showing him registered as Democrat.

And the only 2 Dems he ever contributed small amounts ($3,000 total) to were Gray Davis & Bill Bradley many, many years ago.

[mikekinsellaMVP]

Come on fellas.  It doesn't matter if it's painted red or painted blue -- at the end of the day, it's still just a painted piece of sh!t.