Donald Sterling Thoughts?

[seanc]

So I have had a couple days to think about it and after the hammer was dropped on Sterling today I have some thoughts. I don't want anyone to misconstrue what I am saying, at the end of the day I think Sterling is a narrow mannered bigot. He has shown us not only that deep rooted racism still exists but he has shown us exactly why it is so nonsensical and ignorant to think the way he does. The man has disgraced himself by showing hatred against a race that is shared by the women he is in a relationship with. It is baffling that a human can still think this way but here we are.

Where my opinion seems to skew from others is when we begin to discuss exactly what consequences this ignorance should have. Sterling was not speaking for his organization when he said what he said. He was speaking for himself with one other person. This does not make what he said okay but I do believe that there is a distinction there. My opinion is that we should allow the free market to punish a man like this. Fans should boycott his games. Players and personnel should be allowed to leave his organization. I don't think however that the NBA or anyone else should be legislating what amounts to a man being ignorant.

I hear things everyday that I think are contrary to fair minded thinking. In 2014 we still have problems with the way that people treat others of different race, religion, political affiliation, and gender. We treat and talk about people as if they are inferior to us for thinking or looking different to such a degree that much of the time I want to close my door to it all. How do we change it? I think we change it by acting and thinking different than the Donald Sterling's of the world. By confronting their ignorant talk when we come in contact with it. If it is someone as high profile as Sterling, hit him in the pocketbook. I don't know that it is appropriate for one organization to take action against another because of ignorance however. It is a slippery slope, and one that makes me uncomfortable.

I hope others have some thoughts. I am more than open about being wrong about this. One part of my brain jumps for joy when the bad guy gets his. Another part of my brain says hold up, is this a road that you are comfortable with us going down.

[rauldc14]

People have done far worse things with far less consequences. I don't endorse behavior like this, but then why isn't everybody getting equal treatment. Players in games are dropping racial slurs and nothing is done about that, as an example. I'm glad something of this epic proportion has occurred if only because then maybe it will make people think about there actions a bit more.

[WoOdWoRk]

Is he a bigot? i would say yes, should he of gotten the axe? i would say no.

The man said it to his woman alone in a room (that somehow got recorded) he was not projecting his idea's upon his orginization so really he is being scrutinized for practicing free speech, a speech that wasn't even a speech to anybody.

The witchhunts are too overzealous and often the wrong actions are taken, i have no care for Paula Dean but i would say the samething for her as well.

As for racisim alive today...it will be alive tomorrow, if its someone not liking someones skin colour, religion, neighborhood, income, nation it does not matter.
I think of the white and black issue as a microcosm of the larger picture, i don't want to say racisim(nationalism?) is ingrained in the way we are but it certainly looks as though.

I forget where it is from but i remember watching a show or movie in where 2 groups of ape's were fighting each other, one group had long tails and the other had short tails..the fighting persisted until both sides got the idea to use coconut shells as armour...hiding their tails..so when the next battle took place no one knew who to attack.....i know its random but the question of racism always makes me think of this.

[seanc]

People have done far worse things with far less consequences. I don't endorse behavior like this, but then why isn't everybody getting equal treatment. Players in games are dropping racial slurs and nothing is done about that, as an example. I'm glad something of this epic proportion has occurred if only because then maybe it will make people think about there actions a bit more.

You make fair points all around. The first thing that came to my mind is the way that women are talked about in locker rooms and treated by athletes.

[seanc]

I forget where it is from but i remember watching a show or movie in where 2 groups of ape's were fighting each other, one group had long tails and the other had short tails..the fighting persisted until both sides got the idea to use coconut shells as armour...hiding their tails..so when the next battle took place no one knew who to attack.....i know its random but the question of racism always makes me think of this.

I like this. A good picture of the ignorance of bigotry.

[Godoggo]

I don't know how the world of basketball business works, but doesn't the organization have a say in how the owners represent them? For example, if I own a resteraunt chain and sell one to someone as part as a franchise they still have to represent me in a certain way. There are still standards that they have to live up to.

I don't know if that's the way it works or not, but Sterling made a big ole mess and people are furious. If the NBA doesn't take a firm stand it seems like the mess is just going to get bigger, so they had to do something.

I don't see how it could work at this point if he didn't sell, but I know that's not really the point. Should he be forced to sell. I really don't know. I guess if there is nothing contractual wise about him representing the NBA in a certain way, then no. Can't say that it bothers me much though that he is. What he said was really bad .

If he wasn't forced to sell and he kept the team, are the players allowed just to leave and would they have a place to go? There is no way I would expect anyone to play for him after he said what he did and anyone joining the team afterwords would look like a big jerk. He certainly made a big mess.

[WoOdWoRk]

.I don't know if that's the way it works or not, but Sterling made a big ole mess and people are furious. If the NBA doesn't take a firm stand it seems like the mess is just going to get bigger, so they had to do something.


This is what i meant by people getting overzealous and actions like this are taken or often feel like they have to be taken but on the contrary to reality i don't believe those actions warrant the punishment.

The man still said it in the confines of his own place and was not aware that he was getting recorded THAT imo is what makes the difference, he is entitled to his own ****** opinion.

The dude seems like an ass but it wasn't like he was preaching hate to his team and trying the start the first Aryan Nation basketball team.

[seanc]

You have basically made the point of those who disagree with me and those points are ones I certainly wrestled with. Where I agree is what happens to the player's contracts if they wanted to leave. To me it is simple let them go, but the union and owners would have something to say about that.

Where I disagree is in saying that he was representing the league. If he was speaking on behalf of the organization or NBA I would agree but he wasn't. It might be a fine line but one I don't think I am willing to cross. Surely we should be able to speak without recourse in our own homes.

[Godoggo]

The first part was me was asking if that was the way it worked. I did go on to say that if he wasn't under any contractual obligation then he shouldn't be forced to sell.

The tricky thing here is that even though it was said in the privacy of his own home, it went public and therefore is going to suffer public opinion no matter how private it was supposed to be. Supposedly he knew he was being recorded and that girl has hours of their conversations and he was always aware of being recorded. I'm not sure if I believe that part of it, but he was dumb enough to say these things to this girl in the first place. When you are as high profile as Sterling you have to take extra care in what you say and who you say it to. It's hard to take the attitude that it was said in the privacy of your own home and therefore should be ignored. Who's going to want to back that team now? Go to the games? Wear clothing with that teams name on it?

I don't know that he should be forced to sell. I think it's the best idea for him to do so. There is a big mess and I don't know how else one would clean it up.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

first of all, donald sterling is a racist POS and there's no reason he deserves anything better than the consequences he's been given.
second of all, the nba had no choice but to do something severe, considering the clippers had already lost a lot of sponsors and with the inevitable boycotting of their games. the franchise would take a huge hit just because they have an ******* for an owner, and i would much rather have him forced to sell than have to wait patiently until he dies and they have a chance at getting an owner who isn't a racist ****.

also, a guy saying that when he owns a team in a predominantly black sport is really ****ing stupid and you can't really trust him to make the best decisions for his team with prejudices like that.

[seanc]

When you are as high profile as Sterling you have to take extra care in what you say and who you say it to. .

Wise words and a multi-million dollar lesson for Sterling. I will shed no tears for the man just not sure if I like the precedent.

[Powdered Water]

Personally, I'd like to thank Donald Sterling because I think there's a better than average chance that the Clippers will be sold to the group in Seattle. And they can keep their sh*tty little history and all of their records (I'm sure there are far to many to list here) and the team name. Just give me Blake Griffin in the green and gold.

As far as the rest of it goes... I just can't wait until this entire generation of racists and homo-phobes dies out. It seems like I've been saying this for decades now, (wait! I have) but I keep hoping that someday we'll all be the same color. And maybe then we can all just forget about all these horrible things we've done and said.

The biggest problem in today's capitalist regime, of course is that guys like Sterling always WIN. He didn't really win on the basketball court until recently, but the guy is a Billionaire. He's gonna be just fine after this. If they make him sell his team he stands to make almost seven hundred a fifty million bucks! Know why? He only paid 12 million for the Clippers, can you believe that? I'm sure Donald Sterling will learn a very sharp lesson from all of this.

[Deadite]

I think there will most likely always be dumb people who hate other people for dumb reasons. I wouldn't want everybody to be exactly the same; it might bring some peace by conformity (a la Body Snatchers) but then we'd lose something else valuable about ourselves, I feel. I just wish for people who value diversity to outnumber people who despise it.

[seanc]

Paul and Griffin in Seattle is a team I would love to watch PW. Maybe better than Payton Kemp?

[Holden Pike]

Why didn't Donald Sterling just buy an NHL team instead of an NBA franchise, to begin with? Could have saved himself a lot of anxiety worrying about the darkies, and would have remained a private douchenozzle instead of being exposed as a public one.

I'm a problem solver.

[Deadite]

Ugh, that word.

[seanc]

Why didn't Donald Sterling just buy an NHL team instead of an NBA franchise, to begin with? Could have saved himself a lot of anxiety worrying about the darkies, and would have remained a private douchenozzle instead of being exposed as a public one.

I'm a problem solver.

Exact same thing me and a buddy at work said Monday. Then there was a giff going around Reddit that said it. Im sure the NHL would be pleased to know we all think their league is so wonder bread.