Clipper's Owner Donald Sterling Comments

[mulletman]

All 100% a load of crap. Al Sharpton paid no fine for publicly saying, in 1994 or 1995, "Greek homos". This guy Stirling made comments IN PRIVATE. He has a legal right to say what he wants, as does everyone else. Whether or not anyone agrees with it or is offended by it is irrelevant. Remember, wars have been fought and lives have been lost defending the Constitution and its elements. No more FREE speech, evidently. Welcome to The USSA.

Wrong, actually.

The US Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. It doesn't guarantee that other people won't take action against you for what you say. As far as I'm aware, no US Government agency has taken any action against Mr. Sterling for his comments. That's all the freedom the Constitution gives him. The other owners in the league can do with him what they'd like, and the league can fine him for whatever they see fit. As far as I recall, it's a privately owned business.

"Freedom of speech" and "consequences provided by the private sector" are not mutually exclusive. The man has free speech, and has exercised it. No one is abridging his right to speak his mind. Those that are associated with him are well within their rights to levy whatever monetary or business penalties they feel are appropriate.


In short.... if you want to stay employed, don't say shit that your employer won't like. This isn't a free speech issue, it's a "don't be fucking stupid" issue. I'm free to go to a bunch of KKK meetings, and post pictures all over the internet that my employer is sure to find. They're free to terminate my employment.

Politically granted freedom isn't the same as a lack of consequences from your fellow citizens. It just means that the state won't prosecute you for speaking your mind.

[mulletman]

I heard there is a clause in the league, a by law that says if a certain % of the owners wish to vote out an owner, they must sell the team.

Yes. It takes a 3/4 majority of the owners to for someone to sell their team, but it can be done.

[kwill22]

He can be voted out by the rest of the owners.

And he may have been in private, that doesn't matter. It's not like he's getting arrested. The NBA has an image and if you infringe on that image you infringe on their money and they're not hearing that crap. You mess with the money, you mess with the man. He owns a team that's a part of an organization. Same as a board of directors basically.

It's all politics. Same as the player that becomes the face of the NBA. You better believe they want a straight laced player not someone with a "thuggish" image. I say good for the commissioner for following though on this.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Don't you find it interesting that everyone here (US) is too preoccupied with the only thing that gets more attention than war, racism.

And this is at a time when the Iron Curtain is being re-hung, China and Japan are at each others throats... There is a whole lot more newsworthy than blowing up every electronic display screen in reach with cries of racism about senior citizens, maybe this would be different if it were Justin Bieber saying it, but no, it's old men that are about to die, and their mindsets with them.

[djmossm42]

All 100% a load of crap. Al Sharpton paid no fine for publicly saying, in 1994 or 1995, "Greek homos". This guy Stirling made comments IN PRIVATE. He has a legal right to say what he wants, as does everyone else. Whether or not anyone agrees with it or is offended by it is irrelevant. Remember, wars have been fought and lives have been lost defending the Constitution and its elements. No more FREE speech, evidently. Welcome to The USSA.

When you are a public figure, you are a PUBLIC figure. Those comments being made in private only further solidifies his ignorance and prejudice. As for Sharpton, he would not get away with that today with more acceptance toward the gay community and increasingly less tolerance toward bigotry of any sort.

Sent from my SGH-T769

[kwill22]

Can't talk about what's really going on in the world. You have to keep the people ignorant to the truth. when something like this is blown up and in your face everywhere there's something that's going on somewhere that they don't want none to know about. Slight of hand. Usually it almost always happens that way. Media blackout

[FredK]

I am not particularly preoccupied with this news item. I don't watch basketball or tmz.com.

We have a private citizen who is part of an association of businessmen, who damaged the image of said association with his remarks. Tarnishing its image and ensuing labor issues (player boycotts, trade demands) of course, can potentially damage the total value of the association. Financial consequence is a strong motivator for corrective action.

It is similar to a homeowners' association foreclosing on your property because you have refused to use their approved paint colors or have a slovenly lawn. When you sign a contract to belong to an association, you are agreeing to abide by its rules.

No facet of the government is acting against your choice of house paint or lawn care habits. In fact, they have the ability to define how far an association's power can reach. In the same way, no part of government is forcing the sale of the Clippers or prosecuting Sterling for his remarks. In fact, judicially they may be forced to intervene should Sterling sue the NBA for trying to stretch the interpretation of the contract he signed to become a team owner.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Wouldn't it be interesting if this was all planned? He knew he was being recorded by his archivist. What if he wanted a way to sell a major league sports team quickly? I know he said he isn't gonna sell, but...

[FredK]

h0lmes?

[hammrdwn510]

Wouldn't it be interesting if this was all planned? He knew he was being recorded by his archivist. What if he wanted a way to sell a major league sports team quickly? I know he said he isn't gonna sell, but...

I read some of the "conversation" he had with that hawt piece

sounds like it sorta slipped, then seems to have a senior moment and goes on ramblin about black jews, hitler, blah blah blah.

Funny thing is, she admits to being half/part black? wtf is up with that?

[hammrdwn510]

Copied and pasted from link on OP

http://deadspin.com/exclusive-the-extended-donald-sterling-tape-1568291249

V: I don't understand, I don't see your views. I wasn't raised the way you were raised.

DS: Well then, if you don't feel—don't come to my games. Don't bring black people, and don't come.

V: Do you know that you have a whole team that's black, that plays for you?

DS: You just, do I know? I support them and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? Do I know that I have—Who makes the game? Do I make the game, or do they make the game? Is there 30 owners, that created the league?



Poor Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is also dragged into the conversation, having appeared in an Instagram photo with V. Stiviano. It was her photo with Magic Johnson that had apparently started the fight.

V: Honey, if it makes you happy, I will remove all of the black people from my Instagram.

DS: You said that before, you said, "I understand."

V: I DID remove the people that were independently on my Instagram that are black.

DS: Then why did you start saying that you didn't? You just said that you didn't remove them. You didn't remove every—

V: I didn't remove Matt Kemp and Magic Johnson, but I thought—

DS: Why?

V: I thought Matt Kemp is mixed, and he was OK, just like me.

DS: OK.

V: He's lighter and whiter than me.

DS: OK.

V: I met his mother.

DS: You think I'm a racist, and wouldn't—

V: I don't think you're a racist.

DS: Yes you do. Yes you do.

V: I think you, you—

DS: Evil heart.
And there is also this baffling exchange about black Jews in Israel:

DS: It's the world! You go to Israel, the blacks are just treated like dogs.

V: So do you have to treat them like that too?

DS: The white Jews, there's white Jews and black Jews, do you understand?

V: And are the black Jews less than the white Jews?

DS: A hundred percent, fifty, a hundred percent.

V: And is that right?

DS: It isn't a question—we don't evaluate what's right and wrong, we live in a society. We live in a culture. We have to live within that culture.

V: But shouldn't we take a stand for what's wrong? And be the change and the difference?

DS: I don't want to change the culture, because I can't. It's too big and too [unknown].

V: But you can change yourself.

DS: I don't want to change. If my girl can't do what I want, I don't want the girl. I'll find a girl that will do what I want! Believe me. I thought you were that girl—because I tried to do what you want. But you're not that girl.
They close by essentially invoking Hitler and closing down the thread, comparing Sterling's viewpoints to the Holocaust:

V: It's like saying, "Let's just persecute and kill all of the Jews."

DS: Oh, it's the same thing, right?

V: Isn't it wrong? Wasn't it wrong then? With the Holocaust? And you're Jewish, you understand discrimination.

DS: You're a mental case, you're really a mental case. The Holocaust, we're comparing with—

V: Racism! Discrimination.

DS: There's no racism here. If you don't want to be... walking... into a basketball game with a certain... person, is that racism?

[Farbin Kaiber]

I read some of the "conversation" he had with that hawt piece

sounds like it sorta slipped, then seems to have a senior moment and goes on ramblin about black jews, hitler, blah blah blah.

Funny thing is, she admits to being half/part black? wtf is up with that?

If he is banging a mixed race individual, his racial opinions don't seem to be rooted below the belt, that would, in my opinion, be indicative of someone that truly didn't mean what he said, and was a short blurb, taken out of a context that may be different.

I'm interested in the full one hour recording showing something different, just as the Cliven Bundy recording was edited into a expose bombshell but really wasn't in the full context.

[mrsleeve]

I don't support any of Donald Sterling's comments but the league should not interfere. US is a free speech and free market environment. The sponsors and players should punish this guy by taking their money and talent and going somewhere else. (which they already are)

If the NBA wants to make a stance on racism, that's fine however I expect that this is enforced evenly.

Every player that makes a racist or homophobic comment should also be banned for life from the league along with a fine.

this is excataly what I was thinking when I heard this on the radio today

And for once I totally agree with Bill Mahre on something
"Sterling def. a racist,but take away his team? Clippers shldn't have played yesterday? Calm down,being an asshole is still legal in America"

[einhander]

Don't you find it interesting that everyone here (US) is too preoccupied with the only thing that gets more attention than war, racism.

That's because racism is stupid, useless, and provides no economic benefit.

It harms us a lot more than regional power Russia, petulant China, and boat rocking Japan.

[rhE-30]

It seems as the comments may have slipped in a jealousy fit though, as some black dude was probably laying pipe to his girlfriend.