Donald Sterling: Don't Bring Black People to My Games

[LMU]

Regarding Cuban's slippery slope concern, couldn't the owners either create the precedent or insert a rule that vote to force sale be contingent with a lifetime ban?

[See Red]

Here's something about the owners that will likely vote for Sterling being forced to sell the team.

http://deadspin.com/nba-owners-are-lining-up-to-vote-donald-sterling-out-1569445125

Mark Cuban, who made the slippery slope comment, tweeted "I agree 100% with Commissioner Silvers findings and the actions taken against Donald Sterling," which suggests he will vote in favor of Sterling's ouster.

[FiddySicks]

Now, of course there may be something within the collective bargaining agreement that I don't know about, but I'm skeptical that "banning a guy for life" and "forcing him to sell the team" for having racist viewpoints is going to hold up in the court of law. As deplorable has his words were, it's not technically illegal to be a racist. Sure, workplace discrimination is one thing, but actually proving that he's practicing workplace discrimination? That's what may be difficult.

I mean, good on the NBA for putting their foot down, but I'm wondering how practical that really is from a legal standpoint. I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see Sterling walk away with a premium dollar amount for the Clippers AND a large sum from the league on a civil suit once this is all said and done.

Social justice is one thing, but the law is the law. I'm very interested to see how the NBA is going to defend this move.

Free speech only means we can't send Sterling to Gitmo. It doesn't protect you against private repercussions for your speech. And business is in the private sphere.

You're probably right, but that doesn't mean that this doesn't have the potential to turn into a full scale legal heavyweight bout. Again, I don't know business law well enough to really say, but I get the feeling that the NBA may be in for a LONG fight trying to defend their position. Especially considering how swift the actions came down from Silver

(lol, Sterling just got booted by Silver. I REALLY hope his lawyer's name is Goldstein)

[Lee Noire]

Kareem has an interesting take here:

http://time.com/79590/donald-sterling-kareem-abdul-jabbar-racism/

It's funny that Sterling's done some pretty repugnant racist things and we've kinda ignored it. Here he's being a racist, but not having the impact he had with some of his previous hijinks.

Truth is, I am not sure the punishment fits the crime for this act. But ultimately, the NBA probably needed to do this to keep the Clippers viable.

I'm happy as a Clipper fan. Silver gets cheers at the draft. Sterling still needs to be voted out for this all to really be over. The next few days should be interesting. Kareem has a point though. Bomani Jones had this pegged years ago and shares the same sentiments about why now and what this is really all about:

[Rockstar Matt]

Fantastic job Mr. Silver. Thank you sir.

When the Clippers are eventually sold do you think a new owner should re-brand the team. New name, logo, colors?

The name is fine, I'd say a new logo (to step out of the Lakers shadow even further) and new colors (maybe, a light blue and red or burnt orange).

[Needschat]

I'd love to see a new logo, something like this:

[Viper]

Now, of course there may be something within the collective bargaining agreement that I don't know about, but I'm skeptical that "banning a guy for life" and "forcing him to sell the team" for having racist viewpoints is going to hold up in the court of law. As deplorable has his words were, it's not technically illegal to be a racist. Sure, workplace discrimination is one thing, but actually proving that he's practicing workplace discrimination? That's what may be difficult.

I mean, good on the NBA for putting their foot down, but I'm wondering how practical that really is from a legal standpoint. I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see Sterling walk away with a premium dollar amount for the Clippers AND a large sum from the league on a civil suit once this is all said and done.

Social justice is one thing, but the law is the law. I'm very interested to see how the NBA is going to defend this move.

Free speech only means we can't send Sterling to Gitmo. It doesn't protect you against private repercussions for your speech. And business is in the private sphere.

You're probably right, but that doesn't mean that this doesn't have the potential to turn into a full scale legal heavyweight bout. Again, I don't know business law well enough to really say, but I get the feeling that the NBA may be in for a LONG fight trying to defend their position. Especially considering how swift the actions came down from Silver

(lol, Sterling just got booted by Silver. I REALLY hope his lawyer's name is Goldstein)

As I pointed out above, there's also no telling what other dirty laundry would be aired in any legal proceedings. If the league and the other owners were willing to tolerate Sterling for decades, do they have similar skeletons in their own closets that Sterling and his lawyers are aware of, and are they willing to have those skeletons brought out either in pre-trial depositions or the trial itself?

My prediction is that the league gets cold feet about going to court, and ends up having to pay Sterling through the nose to go away.

[Lights Out]

Fantastic job Mr. Silver. Thank you sir.

When the Clippers are eventually sold do you think a new owner should re-brand the team. New name, logo, colors?

The name is fine, I'd say a new logo (to step out of the Lakers shadow even further) and new colors (maybe, a light blue and red or burnt orange).

I'd be down with a new logo and colors, but the name stays.

[wonderbread]

I'd love to see a new logo, something like this:

Except something like that would never work today or in the nba for that matter, it's far too detailed. The logo they had before of the 3 triangle sails would be ok for them

[bosrs1]

Tell you what, that response by Silver just saved them from losing 1 fan. I was prepared from years of spineless Stern to be underwhelmed by the punishment... But man did Silver drop the ban hammer like a haus! Ballsiest move by a commissioner since Bart Giamanti banned Pete Rose.

[bosrs1]

Fantastic job Mr. Silver. Thank you sir.

When the Clippers are eventually sold do you think a new owner should re-brand the team. New name, logo, colors?

New name/colors, no, but logos maybe.

Would be nice to see the colors and a logos similar to the original San Diego Clippers sailboat logo make a comeback.

[See Red]

http://deadspin.com/that-secret-nba-constitution-is-now-online-1569509012

NBA made it's secret constitution available. Here is, likely, what Silver cited to punish Sterling:

The Commissioner shall, wherever there is a rule for which no penalty is specifically fixed for violation thereof, have the authority to fix such penalty as in the Commissioner's judgment shall be in the best interests of the Association. Where a situation arises which is not covered in the Constitution and By-Laws, the Commissioner shall have the authority to make such decision, including the imposition of a penalty, as in his judgment shall be in the best interests of the Association. The penalty that may be assessed under the preceding two sentences may include, without limitation, a fine, suspension, and/or the forfeiture or assignment of draft choices. No monetary penalty fixed under this provision shall exceed $2,500,000.

as well as:

The Commissioner shall have the power to suspend for a definite or indefinite period, or to impose a fine not exceeding $1,000,000, or inflict both such suspension and fine upon any person who, in his opinion, shall have been guilty of conduct prejudicial or detrimental to the Association.

[masterchaoss]

Ok, now that sterling is pretty much gone time to get them out of LA. The Majority of clippers fans are ban wagon anyway. They'd be better off in Seattle or KC there are much better fans for them in those cities anyway.

[ElwoodCuse]

Tell you what, that response by Silver just saved them from losing 1 fan. I was prepared from years of spineless Stern to be underwhelmed by the punishment... But man did Silver drop the ban hammer like a haus! Ballsiest move by a commissioner since Bart Giamanti banned Pete Rose.

Silver is still a scumbag, just not on this issue. He's going to raise the age limit and sell ads on all the jerseys.

[Gothamite]

Silver won't speak about why Stern did nothing over all these years.

And fair enough. He's not Stern. He can't be held responsible for what Stern did or did not do.

All that matters is that Silver did the right thing.

[rams80]

Ok, now that sterling is pretty much gone time to get them out of LA. The Majority of clippers fans are ban wagon anyway. They'd be better off in Seattle or KC there are much better fans for them in those cities anyway.

They are not better off in those two markets. Financially, anyway.

[CS85]

If I'm not mistaken Stern and Sterling were chums and any of Sterling's racist bile was swept under the rug. Silver's answers were relatively deflective of the NBA's conduct, insisting that the legal messes he had regarding race were either settled out of court or he was acquitted of. It's in poor taste to point fingers at your predecessor anyway.

Silver's not perfect by any means and there's things we're going to get pissy w/ him about, namely the jersey advertisements, but he was fairly plain about what happened today.

[masterchaoss]

Ok, now that sterling is pretty much gone time to get them out of LA. The Majority of clippers fans are ban wagon anyway. They'd be better off in Seattle or KC there are much better fans for them in those cities anyway.

They are not better off in those two markets. Financially, anyway.

you sure about that the Lakers even after their worst season ever the Lakers still have the huge majority of the market where as clippers will take almost full market right away in both markets.

[Gothamite]

Owning the smaller share of a huge, lucrative market can be more valuable than 100% of a smaller market. Kansas City? Seriously?

[The Six]

Ok, now that sterling is pretty much gone time to get them out of LA. The Majority of clippers fans are ban wagon anyway. They'd be better off in Seattle or KC there are much better fans for them in those cities anyway.

They are not better off in those two markets. Financially, anyway.

you sure about that the Lakers even after their worst season ever the Lakers still have the huge majority of the market where as clippers will take almost full market right away in both markets.

Lakers gets capitalized but Clippers doesn't. That's some deep-seated stuff there. The ban wagon won't be happy.