CNN/ORC poll: Public split over whether Donald Sterling should be made to sell NBA team after he was

a reply to: buster2010

The man is a well known racist and the NBA finally got fed up with him.

Actually, I don't think that's the case. He was about to receive a "Lifetime Achievement" award from the NAACP, I doubt that they pass those out to "well known racists".

This month, Sterling was to receive a lifetime achievement award from the local civil rights group at its 100th anniversary celebration. But Jenkins revoked the honor after a private conversation became public and Sterling was heard admonishing a female acquaintance to hide her association with blacks and "don't bring them to my games." (Source)

a reply to: dukeofjive696969

That's my issue, too. But, even if he wins there, and make no mistake, I think he's the bigot he's been painted to be because he does have a history, just not a public one, his life is ruined. If these types of incidents become common, it won't matter whether or not you're vindicated in court later on, you've already been tried in the court of public opinion by people like Benevolent Heretic up above who are more or less cheering for Sterling to get hung by the short hairs; you've been tried and you've been hung.

No matter what the court says at that point, your life is over, gone, destroyed.

That's why this is dangerous. Not for Sterling's sake, but for the rest of us and what it might mean.

Not only that, but a person is free to be whatever they want in the privacy of their own home on their own time. If I want to go home and indulge in whatever race-baiting, disgusting bigoted lifestyle intrigues me, I can ... so long as I check it in at the door and leave it behind when I go into my public and professional life. At least, that was the way it used to be in this country. These days, it seems that anyone who wants to can out your private and personal activities and use them to destroy you if they can gin up enough public and political outrage over it. Law be damned.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

What's more, if he knew he was being recorded, why would he then say something racist (which, like I said, he did not)?

LOL Make up your mind.

What do you mean, make up my mind? I've clearly stated that I don't think he said much of anything racist(if anything at all), and that if anything the girl was the one that was racist, and clearly baiting him throughout the entire conversation.

What's more, you're taking one conversation, of which you most likely do not know the back story to, and taking everything either out of context, or completely misunderstanding what he was trying to say.

a reply to: ketsuko

Exactly my thoughts but in better wording.

from what ive read they might not be able to force him to sell eitehr way.....with out his wifes consent as california is a shared property state she legally owns 50% of the team

probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com... he plans to sue if they try to force him to sell(like i said in another thread he is mr sue happy dosent care if he looses just likes suing people)

Donald Sterling won’t go down without a fight, according to an NBA executive who is close to the disgraced owner of the Clippers, and will sue the league if the other 29 owners vote to force him to sell…. “He is not going to sell the team,” the executive said…. As the Daily News reported Wednesday, if Sterling sues, he would likely base his case on language in the NBA constitution that deals with conduct that constitutes “willful acts,” a term that can be difficult to interpret and enforce. Generally those acts include criminal behavior, financial instability or gambling or fixing games.

and on 50% ownership of his wife foxnewsinsider.com...

On Shepard Smith Reporting, Judge Andrew Napolitano said the agreement that Sterling signed when he acquired the team purportedly says if three-quarters of the owners agree that Sterling engaged in conduct detrimental to the game, they can force him to sell the team. However, the judge said that if Sterling refuses to sell, it’ll create many obstacles to overcome. One obstacle concerns Sterling’s wife, Rochelle, who owns 50 percent of the stock in the team under California law. She has done nothing offensive, and therefore cannot be forced to sell her shares.

a reply to: ketsuko


You raise a good point. It's not like he ran out on the basketball court and started yelling racist remarks publicly, it was a private convo that I doubt he even knew was being recorded. I don't see how he broke any rules with the NBA. At most he unknowingly was caught being a jerk. If people don't like him, boycott his team. The players don't have to play for his team, but this? This isn't right for all the reasons you listed.

originally posted by: Wookiep
Was there something in the contract that says something about being a douchebag and the repercussions for said duchebaggary? Do you have access to this contract?

I don't know if he even signed a contract, but he was in violation of the NBA Constitution. You don't really know much about this story, do you?

And I think the NBA judges overt racism as a little more serious than "duchebaggary".

originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: Wookiep
I don't support the coach.
I don't support his views.

Very few do, hense why the sponsors are jumping ship.
Which is ultimately what this is all about...sell, or hope the KKK can afford to fund the entire team sponsorship...because that's gonna be all that's left that wants to be associated with them

I suppose it because of these rules of the NBA. One cam bet the owners agree to these bylaws and what ever else is written up in order to be part of it.

NBA bylaws

Misconduct

(c) Any person who gives, makes, issues, authorizes or endorses any statement having, or designed to have, an effect
prejudicial or detrimental to the best interests of basketball or of the Association or of a Member or its Team, shall be
liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000,000 to be imposed by the Commissioner. The Member whose Owner, Officer, Manager, Coach or other employee has been so fined shall pay the amount of the fine should such person fail to do so within ten (10) days of its imposition.

(d) 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.


TERMINATION OF OWNERSHIP OR MEMBERSHIP

The Membership of a Member or the interest of any Owner may be terminated by a vote of three fourths (3/4) of the Board of Governors if the Member or Owner shall do or suffer any of the following:

(a) Willfully violate any of the provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws, resolutions, or agreements of the Association.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

And so, you see, according to you, he is guilty until proven innocent in a society where we cherish innocent until proven guilty ... unless someone says something you don't happen to like or believe in.

And that doesn't scare you?

It should because the next victim could be you.

He is guilty of racism..got that on tape (and actions previously within his life).
As far as punishment..people simply will tune out..which makes sponsors leave, which makes the team fail.
This isn't a court of law, its the court of public opinion..far more harsh. Society has always been this way.

originally posted by: ketsuko
If these types of incidents become common, it won't matter whether or not you're vindicated in court later on, you've already been tried in the court of public opinion by people like Benevolent Heretic up above who are more or less cheering for Sterling to get hung by the short hairs;

I have not given my thoughts on the matter. I don't follow basketball, nor do I really care about it.
I DO support a person's right to be racist and have said so many times.
I also support the freedom of a private organization to make rules and punish those who violate them.

Taking your frustration out on me is useless.

originally posted by: RalagaNarHallas
from what ive read they might not be able to force him to sell eitehr way.....with out his wifes consent as california is a shared property state she legally owns 50% of the team

Aside from the shared property state issue, which is just insane, I say this is good news. I'd fight it to the grave out of sheer and utter spite, and I'd use all of my 2 billion dollar in resources (if I was him) to not only not have to sell my team, but also sue for major damages, and then I'd go after the NBA commissioners job with everything and anything I could. Obviously with 2 billion dollars, you could have a whole team of lawyers at your disposal finding loopholes and finding ways to turn the blame on the NBA, and the commissioner, as well as the POS girlfriend he had.

eh odds are he will die of his recent cancer diaganois before the lawyers are done bickering so it may end up being a just wait for him to die and then see how it turns out (prostate cancer acts quickly from what i have read)

There is no way that a forced sell would hold up in the supreme court. No matter how many fake constitutions were signed. The right to own property even basketball players will be up held. The whole legal slave trade thing is still going strong and we just argue over who should the masters be. You are not free no matter the color you are owned. It is called indentured servitude. I wonder why we have seen no figures on how much this man has contributed to black organizations over the years. I bet he has done more finincially for their community than the majority of then have been able too. This was a knee jerk reaction designed to force a sell.

originally posted by: RalagaNarHallas
eh odds are he will die of his recent cancer diaganois before the lawyers are done bickering so it may end up being a just wait for him to die and then see how it turns out (prostate cancer acts quickly from what i have read)

Prostate cancer is a bitch, I had my uncle Joe (not really my uncle per se, but I always called him that) die from prostate cancer, and yeah, he died fairly quickly after the diagnosis. On the other hand, my grandfather also had prostate cancer and beat it, so it's not a death sentence exactly, especially when you consider he's probably going to have the best doctors in the world looking after him.

originally posted by: adjensen
a reply to: buster2010

The man is a well known racist and the NBA finally got fed up with him.

Actually, I don't think that's the case. He was about to receive a "Lifetime Achievement" award from the NAACP, I doubt that they pass those out to "well known racists".

This month, Sterling was to receive a lifetime achievement award from the local civil rights group at its 100th anniversary celebration. But Jenkins revoked the honor after a private conversation became public and Sterling was heard admonishing a female acquaintance to hide her association with blacks and "don't bring them to my games." (Source)

From your link.

Sterling, a big-name donor, made contributions that helped earn him NAACP awards as he tried to recover from a damaging discrimination lawsuit.

So how did he get these awards? He got them the old fashioned way he bought them. He has had several discrimination lawsuits over the years.
Discrimination lawsuits

In August 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Sterling for housing discrimination in using race as a factor in filling some of his apartment buildings. The suit charged that Sterling refused to rent to non-Koreans in the Koreatown neighborhood and to African Americans in Beverly Hills. The suit alleges Sterling once said he did not like to rent to Hispanics because they "smoke, drink and just hang around the building", and that "Black tenants smell and attract vermin." In November 2009, ESPN reported that Sterling agreed to pay a fine of $2.7 million to settle claims brought by the Justice Department and Davin Day of Newport Beach that he engaged in discriminatory rental practices against Hispanics, blacks, and families with children. In 2005, Sterling was also ordered to pay attorneys' fees and costs in that action of $4.9 million. In granting the attorney's fees and costs Judge Dale S. Fischer noted "Sterling's' scorched earth' litigation tactics, some of which are described by the Plaintiffs' counsel and some of which were observed by the Court. The Court has no difficulty accepting Plaintiffs' counsel's representations that the time required to be spent on this case was increased by defendant's counsel's often unacceptable, and sometimes outrageous conduct."

originally posted by: deadeyedick
There is no way that a forced sell would hold up in the supreme court. No matter how many fake constitutions were signed. The right to own property even basketball players will be up held. The whole legal slave trade thing is still going strong and we just argue over who should the masters be. You are not free no matter the color you are owned. It is called indentured servitude. I wonder why we have seen no figures on how much this man has contributed to black organizations over the years. I bet he has done more finincially for their community than the majority of then have been able too. This was a knee jerk reaction designed to force a sell.

What world do you live in? Basketball players are not property. Also the NBA is a private organization they can set their own rules and the court would find in their favor.

a reply to: buster2010

My god Buster we have found agreement. I don't think people understand the word "Association" that A stands for in NBA. He didn't have free speech rights and he can and will have his team taken from him by force. He has been a scourge on the NBA since he bought the team. He has a track record of him abusing his power and money that would make the worst of us cringe. I personally will be delighted when it happens.

Has that woman been charged yet with illegally recording their conversation?

Will she be?

But on topic, it is really sad that people aren't allowed to have their own personal opinions and private conversations
Regardless of their social correctness
When a black man says kill whitey or F#@% the police its sell millions of copies of rap C/D's
Some old white guy tells his girlfriend he would prefer her not to be seen with people of color OH DEAR LORD ! He needs to be strung up by his thumbs
Racists, calling racists racists
Arent there better things to pay attention to?
X

a reply to: Xcouncil=wisdom

No she won't. Donal Sterling himself said he knew he was recorded and "that woman" has hours of recordings he is afraid might come out because of it.