LA Clippers Owner to GF - 'Don't Bring Black People To My Games'

This was a private conversation between the owner of the LA Clippers and his girl friend. But apparently, it was taped and so it's not so private anymore. The owner of the LA Clippers, Donald Sterling, told his girl friend a few things about the people she was hanging out with and how he wanted her to behave at his games. His instructions were bigoted and racist. There are now calls for boycotts of the games and the players are considering a 'sit out'

- It was a private conversation. Does he have the right to hold racist views if he wants to?
- It was a private conversation. Does he have the right to privacy in private conversations?
- It's all out there now. Are Jesse Jackson and the rest of the usual crowd right to call for game boycotts?
- It's all out there now. Do the black players have a right to be ticked off and to protest or are they locked in contracts and they shouldn't?

TMZ - Donald Sterling Clippers Owner Tells Girl Friend Not To Bring Black People to His Games

Among the comments:

-- "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?" (3:30)

-- "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games." (5:15)

-- "I’m just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people." (7:45)

-- "...Don't put him [Magic] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games." (9:13)

There are links at the site to people's reactions. Included are Magic Johnson and Al Sharpton.

If I were a player I'd be really tempted to break my contract and walk. But then again, it's a lot of money for the players to be tossing aside and they might just be hurting themselves. If I had an opportunity in the future to play for the Clippers, and this guy was still the owner, I'd pass on that for sure. But at the same time, the guy has a right to feel whatever he wants, as long as it doesn't interfere with how the business is run, right? What say you, ATS?

a reply to: FlyersFan

It's odd for him to talk like this, in that his girlfriend (or ex-girlfriend at this point) is half black herself. Makes me think he was ashamed to have her as a girlfriend while still not being able to help himself, and if she reminded him and the world that she was black (by having black friends???) he got angry. Odd situation.

Even though it was a private phone call he was advising someone not to bring blacks to his arena, which spills over into a public view.

Seriously there are far more important things than this. So he doesn't want black people at his games, who cares?

Star for your effort

originally posted by: Hellas
Seriously there are far more important things than this. So he doesn't want black people at his games, who cares?

Well .. the black players care. Why would they want to work for a man who thinks that way? For the paycheck, which is awesome for sure. But they might not want to be helping this man make money. And the fans. They may not want to help him make money either.

For sure there are more important things going on in the world than this mans private thoughts on black people ... but this is the social issues forum and so we can discuss it along with all the other things going on.

Is he entitled to his private thoughts and they dont matter .... or now that they are out in the open does it make a difference and people should/can react in a financial way towards his team (boycott the games)?

Have a nice Sunday.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Sunday? Anyway, with all the uproar and Jesse Jackson and Sharpton getting their two-cents in, it will be hard for him not to sell the team or to hand it over outright to one of his heirs. He's in his early 80s, so maybe giving up the reigns on the Clippers will do him good....island living, lots of rum on the beach. I remember when Marge Schott (sp?) was forced to give up her ownership in the American Cincinnati Reds baseball club because of some comments painting Hitler in a good light, another example of someone's private thoughts intruding on their business ownership.

At some point, you have to step back, ignore the fluff, and wonder where personal civil liberties end and the dictates of regimented thought tyranny begins. We are on the crux of the matter and it seems a slippery slope either direction.

Clearly, the BLM should descend upon him with a militarily armed force, shoot his basketball team or attempt to round them up for slaughter ... oh, and they should confiscate his land. He deserves it. He is racist.

That is the mindset of some people on this forum currently.

Now, seriously, we have to remember that there is a larger issue of a different lawsuit involved, and this may be a completely acrimonious attempt to put public opinion so squarely against him so as to bring the lawsuit favorably in the court of the other party.

I'm not saying it is or isn't, but the politics of personal destruction are being used very successfully and all too often these days. They are very powerful, too powerful, and too many people are buying them.

Well, he is in-titled to his own opinion no matter how rude but he's an authority figure and authority figures are supposed to behave a certain way in public. Why couldn't he just say it in the car ride to the arena, or when they are home getting ready to go to the game? Whisper in her ear; anything....even make a bowl of Alphabet soup and spell it with the letters...lol

a reply to: lostbook

The point is that he said it in what he likely thought was private conversation at the time, and it got recorded. Now it's out and no longer private. It can happen to anyone.

If I wanted to have a conversation in my own home this afternoon and call out every racial epithet I could think of, I'm sure I'd think it was private, too, but if someone happens to get a phone on and recording and saves it for posterity and someday someone decides to release it because I'm rich, powerful, famous and in a lawsuit ... well, so much for that private moment all those years ago ...

a reply to: FlyersFan

It was a private conversation, unfortunately that private conversation was recorded and released. Now he has no choice but to bear the results of his personal views. He isn't the first person to have disclosed something privately that he wouldn't have wanted repeated publicly, he also won't be the last.

Now that his views are in the public arena, the public has the right to make the decision to boycott his business. They have the right to petition the league to review the matter of his ownership as well.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received in life came from my 6th grade teacher. She told us all "You can think anything you want, don't be a fool and say it."

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: lostbook

The point is that he said it in what he likely thought was private conversation at the time, and it got recorded. Now it's out and no longer private. It can happen to anyone.

If I wanted to have a conversation in my own home this afternoon and call out every racial epithet I could think of, I'm sure I'd think it was private, too, but if someone happens to get a phone on and recording and saves it for posterity and someday someone decides to release it because I'm rich, powerful, famous and in a lawsuit ... well, so much for that private moment all those years ago ...

But the odds of that happening vs in a public space such as an arena are much smaller.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I read the comments thus far. His woman appears to be Asian, late 20's to early 30's. Culture shock?

Even Mark Cuban scoffs at this. LA Clippers were the laughingstock of the league for too many years. Never won anything.

The owner, Sterling, wants a trophy wife, yet, he wants her to remain chaste in public, it appears. Not a bad request, if you think about it. I think that he doesn't want to look bad. I may be racist as well, still, it's his wife. She shouldn't put out the improper message.

TMZ - Magic Johnson: Fans should boycott Clippers .. Players should not

Magic says he strongly believes the players should focus on playing basketball and should NOT boycott Sunday's playoff game. BUT, Magic thinks African Americans should not line Sterling's pockets by going to the games, saying, "He wants our money but doesn't want us to show up."

I wonder why Magic Johnson split the ticket like that ... ????

ESPN - Clippers Briefly Considered Boycotting

Jessie Jackson and Keith Olberman Call for LA Clippers Players to Boycott

Keith Olberman? Is he still around? I thought we were rid of him ...

And of course, Obama just can't help himself ....

CBS News - Obama Weighs In on LA Clipper Owners Comments

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - President Barack Obama on Sunday described comments reportedly made by the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers "incredibly offensive racist statements," before casting them as part of a continuing legacy of slavery and segregation that Americans must vigilantly fight.

"When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk," Obama said when asked to respond to Donald Sterling's reported comments.

Obama's description of the controversy as part of a larger historical context is the latest example of his continuing willingness to expound on matters of race in his second term.

'His continued willingness' .... oh don't tempt me.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Perhaps Mr. Johnson feels like the players should honor their contractual obligations to the team at the same time he feels that Black Americans should exercise their free market options to express their opinions about the team owner's sentiments towards them?

Just spitballin' here ...

Maybe he was talking about the first family, I wouldn't 't want to be around them either.

He has a right to his racist opinion and people eavesdropping on private conversations have voided their right to claim they are offended.

Listened to it after a member posted it in another thread - I was a little angry then, so my reply wasn't as balanced as it should have been.

I'm torn between disgust at the violation of this man's privacy, but then, there's also the fact that his private thoughts have unfortunate implications.

Now that it's out, of course people have a right to boycott his games! Unless there's anyone out there who expects black people to defend this guy's displeasure for them. Not likely.

It would be great to ignore it - really, it would.

However, if you're of the position that the most important factor in this mess is this man's right to be intolerant 'in private' (as if he can just switch it off outside), and that everything else is of peripheral importance, consider this. If Will Smith, Oprah, Denzel Washington or another prominent African American celebrity had a private conversation like this taped and leaked, would you still be outraged at their violation of privacy?

Past experience makes that hard for me to believe.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Magic is Po'ed too. He tried to circumvent Jerry Buss after he died in order to take on the Lakers franchise. That didn't work, so he tried to get the Clippers. That didn't work, so he tried, and got in on the Dodgers baseball franchise.

His mouthpiece is diseased. I think it's fantastic that he is able to spread his hustle around, just remember...
Magic is a guy as bad as MJ. Magic claimed to have slept with about 3500 groupies. MJ never claimed a thing. His father did get killed off his gambling debts though. It's not like they are saints because they were good at basketball.

You know who's cool? Freaking WILT CHAMBERLAIN! He never lied nor even implied. He represented and then retired. Nobody threw up stats like him. And he chose not to be a mouthpiece of his past glories or failures.

Sorry. Got offtopic. The thing is that the guy can, and has the power to, say who can and can't show up at his house. Especially when he talks to his wife. Do anyone you read what goes on at LA sporting events?

originally posted by: Gryphon66
a reply to: FlyersFan

Perhaps Mr. Johnson feels like the players should honor their contractual obligations to the team at the same time he feels that Black Americans should exercise their free market options to express their opinions about the team owner's sentiments towards them?

Just spitballin' here ...

Cookie took it in stride. (magic's wife)

Funny how Larry Bird never gets mentioned or caught up like this.

First Trayvon now this.

Let's just involve race in everything so the president will actually address it.

Priorities out of line? Check