On the front page of my paper for three days in a row now, and it even gets an accompanying piece from a sportswriter. There is something more at work here than a bigoted owner speaking out of the box while his private conversations are recorded.
"NBA delivers historic ban to Donald Sterling" by Gary Washburn | Globe Staff April 29, 2014
NEW YORK — NBA commissioner Adam Silver, taking a bold and unprecedented step in a controversy that sent shock waves throughout the sports world, on Tuesday suspended Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling from the league for life, imposed a $2.5 million fine, and said the team must be sold because of Sterling’s recorded racist comments.
Related:
"Of course any decent person should be disgusted by the gross things Sterling allegedly said to the girlfriend. But as former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
wrote on Monday: “Shouldn’t we be equally angered by the fact that his
private, intimate conversation was taped and then leaked to the media?
Didn’t we just call to task the NSA for intruding into American
citizens’ privacy in such an un-American way?”
Skyhook for two, Kareem!
Silver’s decision, widely praised by NBA players and owners, came just three days after TMZ released a tape of Sterling admonishing his girlfriend for posing for pictures with African-Americans, and telling her not to bring African-Americans to Clippers games.
“Sentiments of this kind are contrary to the principles of inclusion and respect that form the foundation of our diverse, multicultural, and multiethnic league,” Silver said during a news conference Tuesday at the New York Hilton. “I am personally distraught that the views expressed by Mr. Sterling came from within an institution that historically has taken such a leadership role in matters of race relations.”
Silver, who took over for longtime NBA commissioner David Stern in February, appears to have imposed the stiffest possible penalty available to him, and one of the harshest sanctions ever in pro sports.
Just an observation, but they all have something in common. Might as well be the halls of U.S. government, 'eh?
The taped remarks shocked the NBA community and made national headlines, with several former and current NBA players and current owners calling for strong action against Sterling, who has owned the Clippers franchise since 1981. Several sponsors pulled their support from the team.
Silver said the league will attempt to force Sterling to sell the Clippers, a move that is almost certain to be challenged in court by Sterling, according to NBA sources.
Maybe they can get a good owner now.
Sterling, the league’s longest-tenured owner, did not offer an immediate response. A Fox News contributor who interviewed Sterling before Silver’s announcement in New York said the owner stated the team was not for sale.
The team was based in San Diego when Sterling bought it for about $12.5 million, and he moved it to Los Angeles in 1984. Forbes recently assessed its value at $575 million.
In the past, Sterling has been hit with discrimination lawsuits deriving from his rental properties, and with an age- and race-discrimination lawsuit brought by former Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor, who alleged the owner had a “plantation mentality.’’ A jury ruled in Sterling’s favor.
How interesting it is that we are now living in a plantation $ociety in $o many ways.
And think about this: the poor, psychologically-distressed players are part of the 1%, same as Sterling. $tatu$ quo wealth inequality is only accelerating, thus we must see everything but cla$$ in my propaganda pre$$ (owned and operated by the same 1%, wow). It's diversions, it's distractions, it's distortions, and far past old these days.
Oh, right, this paper and others like it are being written of and for them. In that case, I'm loving' this!
Despite his history, the NBA had never disciplined Sterling until Tuesday. This episode, though, was different....
Why now?
--more--"
Okay, everyone is happy now even though it will never be over.
I obviously find the self-censorship interesting regarding Tokowitz, 'er, Sterling, and it is only an observation. No criticism, no complaint, just recognizing what I'm seeing for what it is. Nothing about all the humanitarian awards he received over the years, either. This guy was cut loose and hung out to dry for bigger purposes.
Jewish racism is submerged and woe to anyone who even mention it, including the US Secretary of State. Once again Israel's Zionist extremists and madmen make me defend those I find loathsome. I have no love for Sterling or Kerry, but this attack on Free Speech by Israel and the AmeriKan ma$$ media to which she kicks back millions in US aid is worse. The furor over Sterling is designed to do something else.
One last note: On ESPN's Mike and Mike they were noting that UCLA is turning down his dough and said they would take it for their own charity, that it really doesn't matter where the money was coming from if you could do good with it. I found that to be a very interesting take. I was wondering if they would feel that way if it was from the leader of a Mexican drug cartel (although I'm sure they would take it from a bank that laundered the money; you know, the banks that are funding the sports yak-yak programs all day long).
