[Strikeout King]

Clippers Owner Donald Sterling has been handed the death penalty pretty much from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Lifetime Ban (Not allowed at any games/practices, etc. etc.) pretty much not allowed to be around anything NBA related.

$2.5 million fine

Silver says he's gonna take the steps to force Sterling to sell the Clippers

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story...fe-ban-nba

[Westside]

I'm not a racist. As those of you who get on the wrestling forum know my favorite active wrestler is Mark Henry and I've got black friends. With that being said, IMO this is ridiculous. I believe he needs some type of punishment, but this is pathetic. I mean a few years ago Charles Barkley said he hated white people. Nothing was done which is fine. I don't think anything should have been done. This is absolutely pathetic.

[Jarons]

I'm not a racist. As those of you who get on the wrestling forum know my favorite active wrestler is Mark Henry and I've got black friends. With that being said, IMO this is ridiculous. I believe he needs some type of punishment, but this is pathetic. I mean a few years ago Charles Barkley said he hated white people. Nothing was done which is fine. I don't think anything should have been done. This is absolutely pathetic.

I am not a racist either. I agree with you 100%. I would have been happy with just a major fine.
I wonder if there would have been such an outrage if Sterling was black and said the same thing about white people.

[Westside]

I am not a racist either. I agree with you 100%. I would have been happy with just a major fine.
I wonder if there would have been such an outrage if Sterling was black and said the same thing about white people.

No!!!

[Strikeout King]

You all might think it's bad but the rest of the owners support Silver on this decision as well as a lot of other people do.

[Westside]

You all might think it's bad but the rest of the owners support Silver on this decision as well as a lot of other people do.

Yeah, but does that make it right? A majority voted for Obama.

[zaga_fan]

I think that this is the single-biggest punishment handed to one person in the history of sports... not the NBA... not pro sports... sports in general.

I don't think this is the worst thing that has happened in the history of sports... so I don't believe the punishment fits the crime.

I figured a fine and suspension was coming his way... no way you could have told me that he was gonna get the death penalty and that they would never let the guy in to watch another NBA game for life.

[Westside]

It blows my mind that he told his girlfriend he didn't want her bring certain people to Clipper games and he gets band for life and fined $2.5 million. Amazing.

[Panther Thunder]

"Life" for homeboy is like 5 years.

If Silver didn't do this, which I don't necessarily mind him doing, 4 teams were ready to walk off the court in the postseason. That would have been a good look.

[i know, right?]

I agree with most everyone else. There is a way to handle touchy situtations and I don't think they handled this one correctly at all. I don't want to start rambling so I'll leave it at that.

[crazytaxidriver]

What I don't understand is how a man can be punished for telling his "girlfriend" who he don't want her hanging around. Not to mention she recorded a phone call or whatever. Why should it matter what he thinks in his personal life? He employs many people and I'm sure they aren't all white. Does the guy have issues? I'm sure he does. But I didn't hear where he was trying to bring back segregation. I haven't heard the full recording g so if someone could shed some light on what all he said I would appreciate it.

[Westside]

Wasn't she part black?

[i know, right?]

Wasn't she part black?

She looked part black, but if I am not mistaken he thought she was part mexican or something like that. The media just blows everything up and makes all the situations that much worse.

[zaga_fan]

She looked part black, but if I am not mistaken he thought she was part mexican or something like that. The media just blows everything up and makes all the situations that much worse.

Please explain

[geauxtigers75]

I'd rather not comment about it other than he's a senile old man. But here's a funny picture I seen.

[Image: https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hpho...1028_n.jpg]

[RunItUpTheGut]

As a couple of you have said, this has turned into nothing more than a media circus.
Its pathetic to watch the NBA operate, and its the reason I don't watch it.

He was not out screaming this, nor was he publicly speaking on the matter, this was a private phone call, and if shouldn't have aired. He may be a racist as hell, who knows, but I do know, the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

Ill tell you whos coming out like a rose in this. Its the new Commish. That Silver guy is loving this. Hes able to be a "shining star" like the media is saying, and he only done this as an authoritive measure to show hes got nuts and pleased the players. Its laughable.

If were going to be politically correct in this world, I think the NCAA should ban Jamies Winston for life after getting caught shoplifting today. I ask whats REALLY worse. Being a racist over a private phone call, or shooting out windows with bb guns/Shoplifting/sexual harassment?

[geauxtigers75]

As a couple of you have said, this has turned into nothing more than a media circus.
Its pathetic to watch the NBA operate, and its the reason I don't watch it.

He was not out screaming this, nor was he publicly speaking on the matter, this was a private phone call, and if shouldn't have aired. He may be a racist as hell, who knows, but I do know, the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

Ill tell you whos coming out like a rose in this. Its the new Commish. That Silver guy is loving this. Hes able to be a "shining star" like the media is saying, and he only done this as an authoritive measure to show hes got nuts and pleased the players. Its laughable.

If were going to be politically correct in this world, I think the NCAA should ban Jamies Winston for life after getting caught shoplifting today. I ask whats REALLY worse. Being a racist over a private phone call, or shooting out windows with bb guns/Shoplifting/sexual harassment?

Preach.

[Westside]

Please explain

Zaga, please tell me that you're NOT saying the media doesn't blow things like this and the Gay Missouri football thing out of whack. I've read your posts long enough to know you're more intelligent than that.

[Westside]

As a couple of you have said, this has turned into nothing more than a media circus.
Its pathetic to watch the NBA operate, and its the reason I don't watch it.

He was not out screaming this, nor was he publicly speaking on the matter, this was a private phone call, and if shouldn't have aired. He may be a racist as hell, who knows, but I do know, the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

Ill tell you whos coming out like a rose in this. Its the new Commish. That Silver guy is loving this. Hes able to be a "shining star" like the media is saying, and he only done this as an authoritive measure to show hes got nuts and pleased the players. Its laughable.

If were going to be politically correct in this world, I think the NCAA should ban Jamies Winston for life after getting caught shoplifting today. I ask whats REALLY worse. Being a racist over a private phone call, or shooting out windows with bb guns/Shoplifting/sexual harassment?

Well, I figure the Winston thing will be played into why NCAA athletes should be paid.

[Jarons]

Well, I figure the Winston thing will be played into why NCAA athletes should be paid.

When heard about this today on my way home from work, this thought came across my mind.

[Spirit100]

I suppose this means the NAACP will no longer be giving him a "lifetime achievement" award. nicker:

Which they were going to be honoring Sterling with prior to the recording!

In other news pandoras box has just been opened up since it's been proven you can be recorded without your knowledge, get slandered, blackmailed, de-faced, at no consequence to the person who recorded you!

20 years ago this guy would have lost a few hundred thousand dollars in fan attendance and maybe a sponsor, if that. Now we're up to $15-23 million in sponsors lost and this guy gets a permanent ban.

The real issue isn't the guy dislikes his girlfriends picture taken with blacks. It's that our liberties are being flushed away by idiots.

If this guy "honors" his wife in the first place this never would have happened! He'll be laughing to the bank when his forceful selling of the Clippers nets him in upwards of $700 million. What a penalty!!!

:Thumbs:

[Panther Thunder]

Is Sterling going to jail??

Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom of any consequences for that speech.

[i know, right?]

RunItUpTheGut did a good job explaining it, so there you go zaga.

[Westside]

Is Sterling going to jail??

Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom of any consequences for that speech.

Personally it wouldn't have bothered me if he hadn't got punished at all but this is to extreme. The thing that bothers me more than anything is the double standard that our society has.

[Ballers]

The Silver guy...
I don't know about him, he looks awful sketchy to me.
As for the situation, he bought the Clippers for 12 million.
They are now worth at least half billion.
Keep in mind this guy is 80 years old.
He will be smiling all the way to the bank.
Of course he should have been punished but I feel like the commissioner pulled the trigger a little too fast.
On the other hand you have teams in the playoffs and players ready to boycott.
It woulda been a mess especially during the playoffs.

[Granny Bear]

I'm glad this thread was already started. I thought I'd be blasted for my comments, but seems like I agree with you guys.

First and foremost, Mr. Sterling is still married. His girlfriend (50 years his junior) is sickening enough. However, his wife is suing the girlfriend for gifts and residences that were purchased while she was still married to that old wrinkled up creep.

Now, if Sterling was racist, why is his girlfriend, Vanessa Stiviano, bi-racial? She has stated herself that she has half black/half Latino.

All that being said, I'm no fan of Sterling, but how can you record a private conversation held inside his own home then sell it to TMZ???? Yes, SELL it to TMZ!!!!

Seems to me like it's pay back time for the wife's lawsuit.....just sayin'.

And finally, Oprah wants to buy the team. IMO, she is the biggest racist to ever speak a public word.


There!! Got that off my chest.

[Brooks4Prez]

As others have mentioned you can't be happy with the precedent this sets legally. Can you really take away ownership of something from an individual based on a phone conversation that may or may not have been recorded/obtained legally? People don't question that part of the story because of the severity of the offense. But what happens when someone decides to record a contract negotiation that involves someone going back on their word or a violation of a league rule? Will a violation of privacy be a non issue in obtaining evidence against those involved regardless of the severity of their offense?

[Spirit100]

And interestingly enough Magic Johnson who the picture of the girlfriend was originally taken with ( the source of the taped discussion was the picture with Magic ), is a potential buyer of the Clippers.

"Hey Magic, I'll get him fired up over the pic and tape his response. Then we can disparage him, blow this thing up with our media ties and maybe the NBA throws the book at him……and then you can buy the team." What do you think???

Sad but potentially true account as to how this may have gone down! And for someone who is such a racist in the first place I'm still amazed that the NAACP did honor Sterling back in 2009 and was going to in the coming weeks at 100 yr NAACP anniversary gala.

Fishy doesn't even to begin to describe the smell of the last weeks events. Moral of the story, don't have a girlfriend while married, find a more trusting girlfriend, don't discriminate, and apparently know you can be recorded at anytime unknowingly.

I am a racist though, I hate people who fart amongst groups of people in confined spaces. And you can record me saying that. Care to report that to the fart union…and I would welcome the opportunity to be banned from the fart antics and be fined fresh air! Please forgive my twisted sense of humor.

[Granny Bear]

And interestingly enough Magic Johnson who the picture of the girlfriend was originally taken with ( the source of the taped discussion was the picture with Magic ), is a potential buyer of the Clippers.

"Hey Magic, I'll get him fired up over the pic and tape his response. Then we can disparage him, blow this thing up with our media ties and maybe the NBA throws the book at him……and then you can buy the team." What do you think???

Sad but potentially true account as to how this may have gone down! And for someone who is such a racist in the first place I'm still amazed that the NAACP did honor Sterling back in 2009 and was going to in the coming weeks at 100 yr NAACP anniversary gala.

Fishy doesn't even to begin to describe the smell of the last weeks events. Moral of the story, don't have a girlfriend while married, find a more trusting girlfriend, don't discriminate, and apparently know you can be recorded at anytime unknowingly.

I am a racist though, I hate people who fart amongst groups of people in confined spaces. And you can record me saying that. Care to report that to the fart union…and I would welcome the opportunity to be banned from the fart antics and be fined fresh air! Please forgive my twisted sense of humor.

Exactly!!

Why is he not more vocal about his freedom of speech??? There's lots of smelly things in this story.

(you are a little twisted spirit100!!)

[RunItUpTheGut]

Well, I figure the Winston thing will be played into why NCAA athletes should be paid.

Bingo.
Ive only seen it on ESPN twice in the last 2 days. And it was just a brief 10 second run down.
This clipper crap has been on every news station in the world.

My only question is, how is the NBA going to force sale if he keeps turning down offers?
If this would have happened in the summer, he would not be gone. This happened because they didn't want the playoffs interrupted, not that anybody cares anyway.

Its bout to get interesting.