Is the Donald Sterling incident being blown out of proportion?

[jobyts]

He said in a private conversation that he does not like some specific race of people. He did not make any jokes or derogatory comment about any race. He was communicating his race preferences to his girlfriend in a private conversation.

His racism part did not interfere with his NBA team hiring or any of that official in nature. (I'm specific about the recent incident, I'm not talking about a previous incident of him not renting his apartments to blacks or latinos.) From my (limited) knowledge, he has not done anything illegal.

How is that conversation worse than, say, you as a parent prefers your kid to marry from your own race? I think the media over-hyped the whole incident.

Also if they banned him for life long, why should he pay the fine?

 

[micromass]

How is that conversation is worse than, say, you as a parent prefers your kid to marry from your own race?

Are you suggesting that this isn't bad? (just asking cause it's not clear) Cause I consider this to be quite an awful statement.

But anyway, Donald Sterling seems to be a despicable human being. But I also don't really understand why he was banned for life for a private conversation. I'm very happy that racism has become so unacceptable. But this seems more like thought police.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

There are certain realities when you run a business where 90% of your employees are of a certain race.

I listened to audio and his comments were racist. He has a long history of it. That being said his predatory trophy GF is disgusting. He gets what he deserves on both ends.

He signed a contact with the NBA which outlines such punishments. If nothing happened I guarantee there would have been a huge protest/walkout from players. It would have damaged the NBA greatly. They had to act fast and hard.

 

[micromass]

He signed a contact with the NBA which outlines such punishments.

Is there any chance of seeing the specific contract and specifically which of the points in the contract apply to his case?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Is there any chance of seeing the specific contract and specifically which of the points in the contract apply to his case?

It would be nice if some news org would publish something. I'm not sure it's public information and if it were, it's likely a few hundred pages long :D

 

[ModusPwnd]

I wonder if such standards are held to the players and any racist or misogynistic remarks they make in private? I doubt it.

 

[micromass]

It would be nice if some news org would publish something. I'm not sure it's public information and if it were, it's likely a few hundred pages long :D

Too bad. I'm sure the NBA had enough legal grounds to fine him and to issue a lifetime ban, but I would have liked to see the specifics.

Anyway, I'm not a fan of the media's involvement in things like this. It does seem like something that is overhyped. I obviously do not agree at all to what he said. But should there really be such a media outcry for something that people say in private conversations? In the meanwhile, 100 of female students in a school in Nigeria are kidnapped and forced to marry radical islamists, and nobody talks about that! Talk about priorities...

 

[jobyts]

Are you suggesting that this isn't bad? (just asking cause it's not clear) Cause I consider this to be quite an awful statement.

But anyway, Donald Sterling seems to be a despicable human being. But I also don't really understand why he was banned for life for a private conversation. I'm very happy that racism has become so unacceptable. But this seems more like thought police.

I'm not suggesting this isn't bad. But the people or media reaction was way over. I agree with your points.

Say if there are two day care in town. One of them has a man as a care taker; the other one is run by a woman. Assume all other variable are the same. If you are looking for a day care for your daughter, which one do you choose? If I prefer the woman running day care for the same reason, does that make me a sexist? Probably yes, in a stricter sense. But I think most humans are that way.

 

[nsaspook]

Sound like a bad lovers spat of an old bigot, paid off wife and gold-digger girlfriend.

The guy is 80, a billionaire and his estate could easily fight it in court until he's dead so the tax bite could be reduced as an inheritance. He bought the team for 12 million and could sell for 600 million today but lose almost half in taxes. The NBA had better get ready for a battle if they want to take his toy. As far as I can tell owners don't have a morals clause in the contact so if the team continues to make money they have no grounds to take it away from him unless he did something illegal. (Like maybe the person releasing the recording did.)

 

[russ_watters]

I wonder if such standards are held to the players and any racist or misogynistic remarks they make in private? I doubt it.

Not sure about private, but:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...-caught-hell-yelling-n-word-article-1.1698856

 

[russ_watters]

His racism part did not interfere with his NBA team hiring or any of that official in nature. (I'm specific about the recent incident, I'm not talking about a previous incident of him not renting his apartments to blacks or latinos.)

Why should we not consider his entire history?

I do find the hypocrisy part of the issue delicious though. The guy has money, so people have ignored his blatant racism for years, including Al Sharpton and the NCAA who knew he was a racist, but were set to give him an award anyway!

 

[russ_watters]

The guy is 80, a billionaire and his estate could easily fight it in court until he's dead so the tax bite could be reduced as an inheritance. He bought the team for 12 million and could sell for 600 million today but lose almost half in taxes. The NBA had better get ready for a battle if they want to take his toy. As far as I can tell owners don't have a morals clause in the contact so if the team continues to make money they have no grounds to take it away from him unless he did something illegal. (Like maybe the person releasing the recording did.)

He says he's going to fight it, but I don't get his angle. He's already lost: his money making potential is just going to go down from here. The NBA can probably destroy the franchise while he's fighting them and even if he successfully stops that, there is nothing he can do about his sponsors, fans, players, coaches and staff abandoning the team.

 

[nsaspook]

http://blogs.findlaw.com/free_enter...for-biz-owners-how-to-vote-out-a-partner.html

NBA Lesson for Biz Owners: How to Vote Out a Partner

The NBA's bylaws state that owners may be terminated by a three-fourths vote of existing owners if they:

Willfully violate the constitution or bylaws;
Fail to pay dues on time;
Fail to fulfill contractual obligations to NBA, players, or associated third parties;
Are involved in gambling or "fixing" games;
Lie on their membership applications; or
Fail to get their teams to a game.

The NBA will likely argue that while the constitution does not include a "morality clause" for owners, Sterling's comments did interfere with the NBA's business and contracts with sponsors. But the ambiguity in the constitution could lead to a drawn-out legal battle between Sterling and the NBA.

http://mediacentral.nba.com/media/mediacentral/NBA-Constitution-and-By-Laws.pdf
Article 13:

 

[ModusPwnd]

Not sure about private, but:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...-caught-hell-yelling-n-word-article-1.1698856

He wasn't banned though, at least not from what I could tell.

With respect to the NBA,
I find it hard to believe this is the first time somebody associated with the NBA has been caught making racist remarks. But I do believe this is the first time somebody has been banned for it. I wonder if they will stick to this new precedent and apply it evenly in the future. I don't think they will.

 

[WannabeNewton]

How is that conversation worse than, say, you as a parent prefers your kid to marry from your own race? I think the media over-hyped the whole incident.

In terms of content alone there's certainly no difference but he is representative of the NBA so if something has the potential to tarnish its image in the public, especially given the extreme over-hyped atmosphere the media painted the exchange in, then it's in its interest to take action so as to save face-in this case that entailed the banning of Sterling from the NBA. Clearly this is different from garden variety parents telling their kids racist things in their own home.

The thought police is probably one of the most annoying abstract entities at power in this country. Regardless, he still wins in the end. He is being forced to sell his team and no doubt he'll make ALOT of money from the sale given how little he paid for the team when he originally got it.

 

[256bits]

Will the fans boycott the games over this? Are the other owners of the teams willing to have any of their own behavior that might not be so lily white drawn out if it comes to an attempt to force him to sell? Will the NBA consider to vet any future owners, as is done for supreme court judges for image protection? Or will they just go on following the money? What about the players? Have they all been righteous upstanding citizens?
It is all ludicrous. A month from now everyone will have forgotten this incident. The NBA reaction had best not inflame the situation.

 

[vela]

He said in a private conversation that he does not like some specific race of people. He did not make any jokes or derogatory comment about any race. He was communicating his race preferences to his girlfriend in a private conversation.

I don't understand why the fact that he made these comments in private has any bearing on how the NBA reacted upon learning about them.

Also if they banned him for life long, why should he pay the fine?

Because when he bought the team, he agreed to abide by the league's rules.

I do find the hypocrisy part of the issue delicious though. The guy has money, so people have ignored his blatant racism for years, including Al Sharpton and the NCAA who knew he was a racist, but were set to give him an award anyway!

I think you mean the NAACP, specifically the Los Angeles chapter.

 

[vela]

I find it hard to believe this is the first time somebody associated with the NBA has been caught making racist remarks. But I do believe this is the first time somebody has been banned for it. I wonder if they will stick to this new precedent and apply it evenly in the future. I don't think they will.

Sterling isn't just somebody; he is the owner of one of the teams. If in the future it's revealed another owner is a blatant racist like Sterling, I'd expect he or she would receive a lifetime ban as well.

I'm guessing you're suggesting that if a player makes racist remarks, he likely won't be banned. That's true. Is it hypocritical? Maybe. But there's a significant difference between players and owners. The player isn't in a position of power like the owner is over his players and employees.

 

[Tobias Funke]

Yes, the thought police are always getting those people who say and do things, aren't they?

 

[nsaspook]

Being a blatant racist and acting blatantly racist in the operations of the team should be you banned and removed as a owner but I see nothing from anyone about how his views have effected his dealings with the team or league recently. It's only recently that the Clipper weren't the worst team in professional sports by a long shot. It's all about money and possible losses now that he has something others want. If the team was still crap this would be a nothing story like his previous racist actions were in the past.

If racism is a disqualifying set of beliefs in the NBA what about rampant homophobia?

 

[BobG]

Why was he banned? Bottom line?

This:

Most of the advertising signage at Staples Center was either covered in black cloth or removed for the game. Many sponsors dropped the Clippers or re-evaluated their relationships with the NBA over the past several days, and Silver is hopeful they will return with Sterling's departure.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/...ours-after-owner-donald-sterling-banned-from/

Racism has become unacceptable enough that companies can't afford to be racist.

And that's a good thing.

And as for why this might have come out at this particular time? Sterling's wife is suing Sterling's girlfriend in hopes of forcing the girlfriend to return about 2.5 million dollars worth of gifts Sterling has lavished on her the last few years. I think releasing the audio tape is just a hardball (and vicious) response to the lawsuit.

There's not much to like about anyone involved.

Sterling's not the first sports team owner to get themselves banned for outrageous statements/quirks. Marge Schott, who once owned the Cincinnati Reds, got herself banned for racist comments/jokes (plus displaying her prized Nazi armband in prominent places and her comments about Hitler being a good guy at heart - who just went to far). I don't think any of her bans lasted more than a couple years. Of course, in Schott's defense, she was probably half senile when she did most of the things that got her banned.

I guess Sterling has an excuse, too. Now news has come out that he's battling cancer. I wonder if the league will feel sorry for him?
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/...-donald-sterling-battling-cancer-report-says/

And I wonder if the Washington Redskins will finally change their name?

 

[jim hardy]

Eighty something years old, isn't he?
If he's stuck in the nineteen-forties, well that's sad .

Myself I'm more worried about the amount of hoopla raised over one old guy's fight with his too-young girlfriend.
If she's using guys to spin him up and push his old pre-civil rights buttons - well that's just a lowbrow tactic that only merits back page of Enquirer.

What is it driving the media these days ?

 

[mheslep]

Sterling isn't just somebody; he is the owner of one of the teams. If in the future it's revealed another owner is a blatant racist like Sterling, I'd expect he or she would receive a lifetime ban as well.

I'm guessing you're suggesting that if a player makes racist remarks, he likely won't be banned. That's true. Is it hypocritical? Maybe. ...

Maybe? Players can attack fans, punch women, say and do any vile act imaginable including bigotry, aside from that which places them in jail, and they get suspended, not banned.

The player isn't in a position of power like the owner is over his players and employees.

In many cases this is not so much an employee - employer relationship as it is an entertainer - theater owner relationship. If you are big enough act you tell the theater what to do.

 

[nsaspook]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...a4df998e-86a7-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394&hpid=z18

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti expects Donald Sterling to fight to retain ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers despite receiving a lifetime ban from the NBA and having his ouster recommended to other owners by Commissioner Adam Silver.

 

[nsaspook]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...g-wont-pay-fine-threatens-to-sue-nba/?hpid=z5

As expected, he's fighting. I don't think he really cares about 'winning', preventing a forced sale before his death is the main objective.

Embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has no intention of accepting two-thirds of the punishment imposed upon him by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

He may be staying away from his team and the league, but he will not pay the $2.5 million fine levied against him and he will sue the league to retain ownership of the team, employing the “hell, no, I won’t go” philosophy everyone expected when Silver handed down punishment for racist remarks April 29

http://www.nationalreview.com/node/377872/print

 

[Ryan_m_b]

This story hasn't really crossed the pond but just to weigh in on a few points: As the government isn't any way involved the whole idea of this being analogous to thought police is laughable. He hasn't been arrested or anything has he? He got fired by his employer.

Secondly whether or not the remark was made in private doesn't really matter, it clearly got out and if your part of a business or institution then it's very common that you're expected to be a representative for that group and not say or do things that might tarnish them by being associated with you.

Lastly sport seems to be one last bastion of racism. In Europe there are huge efforts to combat racism in football, often there are scandals of players being racially abused by shouting fans during matches or from other players. I think it's a good thing that strong efforts are made to stamp this out.

 

[mheslep]

Sterling had no NBA "employer." Sterling was the owner of the team. The league is more like a an entity that holds a covenant on a property akin to a neighborhood association, and if one violates the covenants they can kick you out.

Privacy doesn't matter? Or this outcome was not dependent on the public/private nature of the conversation? In this particular case in California, the release of the non-consensual recording was illegal.

In the US at least, sports have traditionally led the rest of society in establishing race equality.

 

[nsaspook]

Sterling had no NBA "employer." Sterling was the owner of the team. The league is more like a an entity that holds a covenant on a property akin to a neighborhood association, and if one violates the covenants they can kick you out.

If 'privately' talking 'dirty' to your girlfriend somehow violates a covenant then it's likely as unenforceable in court as one that says 'No dogs or sailors'. I hope his lawyer makes all the owners answer the 'Fuhrman' question.

 

[nsaspook]

It looks like Donald Sterling is out of the picture with a boat load of cash.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...helly-los-angeles-sale-steve-ballmer/9754549/

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling does not have the authority to stop a $2 billion sale of his team because he has been determined to be mentally unfit to make decisions related to the family trust, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports.

 

[nsaspook]

The Los Angeles Clippers owner filed a complaint Friday against the National Basketball League for breach of contract, antitrust and other violations, seeking damages in excess of $1 billion, plus additional damages.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/sterling-to-sue-nba-1-billion-dollars

Now he sues because he's forced to sell at $2 billion a team he bought for $12.5 million that even after taxes and expenses leaves $1 billion in the bank for a new girlfriend to spend.

http://www.blechercollins.com/SterlingCompandExhs.pdf

 

[Tobias Funke]

Just what Orwell warned us would happen.