NBA

[columbia]

The players current and former will place enough pressure on the league, that it will happen. It's the right move -from a business perspective - to get him out of the way.

I don't watch the NBA, so I don't give a **** what they do.

[shafnutz05]

To be clear, I am absolutely appalled by this matter. Not because an old geezer said something offensive, but rather the howling horde of manufactured public indignation. Apparently, saying something that might hurt another person's feelings is not only a crime worthy of losing your job (see the former CEO of Mozilla), but in the mere weeks since that brouhaha the crime has increased to the point where this man must be forcibly sundered from his own personal property. Articles all of the web (and posters here on LGP) are demanding that he lose his franchise. Why don't we just go back to the good 'ol days and build a pyre so we can just burn the heretic?

I am not quite as libertarian as you are (no ****, ), but this is pretty well said. I'm fine with whatever the NBA wants to do in conjunction with their existing fine/suspension structure, but it's been crazy hearing people saying he should be stripped of what is basically half a billion dollars of his own wealth for saying that. He's always been a piece of garbage, and I know it's an emotional reaction, but that pervasive sentiment is honestly what gives a lot of people pause.

[Troy Loney]

I don't believe a person in the position that he's in, is capable of persisting there with the nation now knowing his position on things.

But yeah, I'm just trying to put myself in the commissioner's shoes to determine a logical course to take.

[columbia]

To be clear, I am absolutely appalled by this matter. Not because an old geezer said something offensive, but rather the howling horde of manufactured public indignation. Apparently, saying something that might hurt another person's feelings is not only a crime worthy of losing your job (see the former CEO of Mozilla), but in the mere weeks since that brouhaha the crime has increased to the point where this man must be forcibly sundered from his own personal property. Articles all of the web (and posters here on LGP) are demanding that he lose his franchise. Why don't we just go back to the good 'ol days and build a pyre so we can just burn the heretic?

I am not quite as libertarian as you are (no ****, ), but this is pretty well said. I'm fine with whatever the NBA wants to do in conjunction with their existing fine/suspension structure, but it's been crazy hearing people saying he should be stripped of what is basically half a billion dollars of his own wealth for saying that. He's always been a piece of garbage, and I know it's an emotional reaction, but that pervasive sentiment is honestly what gives a lot of people pause.

It's not that simple. I mean, what is the value of his team if he, say, moved it to shafnutz05's basketball association? No offense, but virtually worthless. The Clippers and NBA are inexorably linked. And as I said, the NBA has asserted that it is one financial entity.

[shafnutz05]

But yeah, I'm just trying to put myself in the commissioner's shoes to determine a logical course to take.

And like I said, I'm all for public shaming, fines, whatever. But I also respect the law, and let's be honest, you can't just confiscate his property for SAYING something. I would imagine he will quietly fade out of the public eye, and the franchise will eventually be sold....but who knows? I mean, the guy has been a documented dirtbag for 25 years, and Stern has known the entire time.

As a matter of fact, it was David Freaking Stern that BLOCKED the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers, and basically handed him to the Clippers franchise, which is a primary reason they are so successful now. So.....yeah

[shafnutz05]

It's not that simple. I mean, what is the value of his team if he, say, moved it to shafnutz05's basketball association? No offense, but virtually worthless. The Clippers and NBA are inexorably linked. And as I said, the NBA has asserted that it is one financial entity.

Are you suggesting the NBA does something drastic? That would set a very dangerous and very frightening precedent in terms of sports ownership.

[columbia]

They need to protect their bottom line, now and in the future.
This can be handled in the back room....and basically tell him to go away and sell the team.

[shafnutz05]

They need to protect their bottom line, now and in the future.
This can be handled in the back room....and basically tell him to go away and sell the team.

With a new sheriff in town, that MIGHT happen. But I really don't think the bottom line is in jeopardy, and I can see this blowing over, to be honest.

[columbia]

re: private property angle

Someone buys a McDonald's franchise and then goes on to commit a series of rapes and the police has DNA evidence, but the case gets thrown out on a technicality. Would someone legally quibble with McDonald's right to kick them out of "league?" (Remember, the Clippers are also a franchise.) The rapist can still have his restaurant, but not allowed to be associated with McDonalds.

[shafnutz05]

that seems reasonable, although I have no clue how the franchise stuff works. So what you are saying is the NBA (obviously) can't just confiscate his half-billion dollar investment, but they can suspend him indefinitely. That makes sense.

[Shyster]

I am not quite as libertarian as you are (no ****, ), but this is pretty well said. I'm fine with whatever the NBA wants to do in conjunction with their existing fine/suspension structure, but it's been crazy hearing people saying he should be stripped of what is basically half a billion dollars of his own wealth for saying that. He's always been a piece of garbage, and I know it's an emotional reaction, but that pervasive sentiment is honestly what gives a lot of people pause.

It certainly gives me great pause. There’s a word that refers to a body that works to make sure people don’t think the wrong things—and metes out punishment if they do. That word is inquisition. And no matter how racist whatever this moron said was, I refuse to be part of one. Lose advertisers? Sure. Don't go to Clippers games? You bet. People have every right to spend their own money however they want. But all of the calls for the NBA to take his franchise and eject him go way too far for me, especially for words. This guy could probably have gotten all tanked up, hopped in a car, and killed an entire family drunk driving, and I bet people wouldn't be calling for him to lose the Clippers. But say something to boo-boo peoples' feelings, and it's torches-and-pitchforks time.

[shafnutz05]

Honestly....you're probably right with that DUI example. He could have killed a family driving drunk and there would be short-term outrage but there wouldn't be near this level of vitriol. I firmly believe that.

[shafnutz05]

And bear in mind, people are calling for these outrageously overreaching actions on the basis of a PRIVATE PHONE CONVERSATION. I mean for God's sake, the guy was about to get an NAACP lifetime achievement award. Obviously their decision was dumb, but that's crazy to me.

[Gaucho]

random words

[columbia]

Nixon's tapes were also private conversations. ;)

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

I am not quite as libertarian as you are (no ****, :lol:), but this is pretty well said. I'm fine with whatever the NBA wants to do in conjunction with their existing fine/suspension structure, but it's been crazy hearing people saying he should be stripped of what is basically half a billion dollars of his own wealth for saying that. He's always been a piece of garbage, and I know it's an emotional reaction, but that pervasive sentiment is honestly what gives a lot of people pause.

It certainly gives me great pause. There’s a word that refers to a body that works to make sure people don’t think the wrong things—and metes out punishment if they do. That word is inquisition. And no matter how racist whatever this moron said was, I refuse to be part of one. Lose advertisers? Sure. Don't go to Clippers games? You bet. People have every right to spend their own money however they want. But all of the calls for the NBA to take his franchise and eject him go way too far for me, especially for words. This guy could probably have gotten all tanked up, hopped in a car, and killed an entire family drunk driving, and I bet people wouldn't be calling for him to lose the Clippers. But say something to boo-boo peoples' feelings, and it's torches-and-pitchforks time.

And the media feeds into as well with wall to wall coverage of it. They might as well be supplying bottles filled with gasoline to a mob.

[Shyster]

Nixon's tapes were also made with his knowledge and permission.

[columbia]

Which is irrelevant for the purposes of the NBA....they don't need to care how the audio was recorded, simply that it was.

If you want to prosecute the tart, have at it.

[tifosi77]

...his franchise.

Operative phrase. In exchange for being allowed to own an NBA team, owners have to agree to adhere to the Association's bylaws and its governing constitution. While the content of those charters are confidential, it is believed they contain provisions that empower the Association to sell a team without the owner's prior approval or cooperation. Thus, the only real question is not can the NBA remove him as owner, it is do they want to. There will be considerable collateral knock-on effects of such a removal, the most prominent of which would be the inevitable litigation.

Sterling was never disciplined by the NBA for prior indiscretions in part (I believe) because his words and actions were largely aimed at things outside the orbit of professional basketball. Talking about how he doesn't want to rent to black tenants because they smell, and Mexicans will just sit on the porch and drink all day. The accusations about racist behavior in the context of his franchise ownership are just that - anecdotal he-said, he-said stuff. But this escapade is different; he is talking as the owner of one of those precious NBA franchises and specifically telling someone to not bring black people to NBA games.

[tifosi77]

Nixon's tapes were also made with his knowledge and permission.

But not necessarily with the knowledge and permission of all parties being recorded.

[tifosi77]

Which is irrelevant for the purposes of the NBA....they don't need to care how the audio was recorded, simply that it was.

If you want to prosecute the tart, have at it.

These shenanigans have quite a ways to go before all's said and done. 'V' may have thought she was being cute by releasing the audio (she claims to not be the one who leaked it, but that's really immaterial), but any measure the NBA takes against Sterling could give him a cause of action for a civil complaint against her. Shoot, I mentioned earlier, simply by making the recording she broke the law, so he already has grounds.

[columbia]

But not in relation to the NBA: the private conversation aspect is irrelevant for their purposes.

[Shyster]

These shenanigans have quite a ways to go before all's said and done. 'V' may have thought she was being cute by releasing the audio (she claims to not be the one who leaked it, but that's really immaterial), but any measure the NBA takes against Sterling could give him a cause of action for a civil complaint against her. Shoot, I mentioned earlier, simply by making the recording she broke the law, so he already has grounds.

California law calls for treble damages, no less.

[columbia]

If I obtain a video of an employee molesting a child at a My Little Pony convention, I'm going to fire said employee, regardless of whether it was legally recorded.

What part of that is unclear, Shyster?

[Factorial]

Because it's not up to fans, players and sponsors to show that his position is intolerable. The league might have it's hands tied with regards to tangible actions, but from a PR standpoint they should show that they want this go out by whatever means possible.

Why is it intolerable?

That's funny.