Think about it; what is everyone talking about during this evenly-matched playoff $ea$on?
"Businessman fights to save name, cash at trial" by Larry Neumeister | Associated Press April 28, 2014
NEW YORK — For decades, Sam and Charles Wyly won admiration as Texas entrepreneurs skilled at building businesses worth billions of dollars. But a regulatory agency is casting them in a new light at a civil trial, saying the brothers earned more than $500 million through fraud and deception by secretly trading the securities of public companies they controlled.
The wily Wyly's!
The onetime IBM Corp. employees have a long string of business successes. They took a small chain of Bonanza Steakhouses nationwide before successfully marketing an arts and crafts retail chain, Michaels Stores Inc. — which sold for $6 billion — and then rode the technology boom of the 1990s with their company Sterling Software, which Computer Associates bought for $4 billion.
You were possibly expecting another Sterling leading this post?
Their success for a time put Sam Wyly on the Forbes list of billionaires and elevated the brothers’ status in Dallas, where they have donated millions of dollars to mostly conservative Republican candidates and causes and $20 million to help build the city’s performing arts center.
Arts are the playground of the elite, and all are invited to the party.
The Securities and Exchange Commission says they ran afoul of securities laws in the early 1990s when they embraced the teachings of a speaker at an asset and wealth preservation seminar. The SEC said they set up secret offshore trusts in the Isle of Man to make millions of dollars in trades on the securities of four public companies they controlled. And they are accused of doing all this while hiding the activity from regulatory agencies and investors entitled to know the true extent of their ownership.
‘‘This is a case about lies, deception, and fraud,’’ SEC lawyer Bridget Fitzpatrick told a Manhattan jury in opening statements at the trial for Samuel Wyly, 79, and the estate of his brother, who died in a 2011 car accident in Aspen, Colo., at 77.
Took you guys long enough to file the CIVIL charges!
She said the men used money they earned through the trusts to build businesses and homes and to fund an Aspen art gallery and a Dallas horse farm.
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Wyly, who is testifying in two-hour increments each day because of a health issue [is] a colorful character, he put a black hat over his long gray hair while jurors were out of the courtroom.
The Sterling you thought you would see!
Wyly’s lawyer, Stephen D. Susman, told jurors his client wants to ‘‘defend his reputation’’ after selling his businesses and retiring about a decade ago to be an author. He said Wyly is writing a book about the value of immigration to America.
While Susman noted the SEC is seeking to force Wyly to disgorge part of his fortune as a penalty, he said what really is at stake is the brothers’ legacy.
‘‘Are they going to be known, as the SEC would have it, as liars and fraudsters?’’ Susman asked jurors. ‘‘Or are they going to be known as good businessmen who tried to follow the law?’’
Tried? There is no try, as a small green Jedi master once said. You either do or you do not!
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Getting much more attention from the ma$$ media:
"Welcome to Red Hot Smoking Mirrors. We've got a bit of a rogues gallery lineup for you today. Let's start off with Mr. Apocalypse's latest target, the loathsome Mr. Toad; Donald Sterling. Here is an in depth account of the man. On page 3 you will find... can it be? Can it be that he is a member of that select chosen groups of special individuals? Why... what do you know? Yes he is. It couldn't be worse for him; to be the owner of a professional basketball team, which, of all professional sports is most dominated by people of a certain physical colouration. As you read about him you will see his character unfold. It's not a pretty picture and... if “character is fate”, he's in a world of hurt. The interesting irony here is that his much, much younger girlfriend is a member of mixed race....
Yeah, I was kind of wondering about that after I saw the photo of her.
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Related: NAACP To Honor Noted Racist Donald Sterling (Again)
And Al was going to be there, too?
All of a sudden the NAACP looks like nothing more than a government-infiltrated, controlled-opposition agitator for racial division in order to divert the masses from the wealth concentration of Sterling's cla$$!
Also see: NBA owner Sterling reportedly sought to justify his racism by citing
Israeli racism
Is that why he is in trouble? Because he pointed that out? It wouldn't be beyond Zionist Jews to turn on their own.
And all the controversy? Obviously and contrived, agenda-pushing effort aimed and diversion and division for public consumption while much more important events transpire in far-away lands.
"Words linked to Clippers’ Donald Sterling drawing outcry; Obama, teams deplore racist views" by Gary Washburn | Globe Staff April 28, 2014
The NBA world Sunday decried racially charged remarks allegedly made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, with President Obama weighing in on what he called the “incredibly offensive racist statements.”
(Blog editor throws his head back and inhales. Doesn't he have enough self-inflicted messes without interjecting himself into this? I feel like it confirms my analysis)
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Sterling made national headlines Saturday when an audio tape of an argument between a man believed to be Sterling and his girlfriend included several racist statements by the man after the woman had posted a picture of her and Magic Johnson on her Instagram account.
On the tape, obtained by TMZ, the voice believed to be that of Sterling admonishes his girlfriend for being seen with African-Americans and says he does not want African-Americans attending Clippers games.
The Globe is taking news tips from TMZ now?
“Yeah, it bothers me a lot that you want to promo . . . broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?” the voice said to V. Stiviano. “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.”
I didn't know it was a pornographic tape.
The statements have caused a firestorm throughout the NBA, and Silver said Saturday night from Memphis that the league is investigating and will have a decision soon.
Sterling did not attend Game 4 of the Western Conference first-round series between the Clippers and Warriors in Oakland, Calif. Before that game, the Clippers players staged a silent protest by conducting their pregame routine with their red Clippers shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo. The Warriors routed the Clippers, 118-97, tying their series at two games apiece.
I'm not going to watch any NBA playoffs in protest.
Obama cast the comments allegedly made by Sterling as part of a continuing legacy of slavery and segregation that Americans must confront. “When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk,” Obama said.
I find it amazing after the crap that came out of his mouth while in Asia and after some of the comments that come from his Secretary of State, John Kerry.
Former NBA superstar Michael Jordan, now the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, said he was “completely disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views.”
Heat owner Mickey Arison said, “The comments reported by TMZ were offensive, appalling, and very sad,” and Johnson said Sterling “shouldn’t own a team anymore.”
And Bundy shouldn't own a ranch anymore, either(?).
The Clippers and Celtics are linked by the June 2013 deal that sent coach Doc Rivers to Los Angeles for a first-round pick. Rivers addressed reporters following the Clippers’ practice in San Francisco Saturday and appeared upset. Clippers players did not address the media. Rivers said a potential boycott of Game 4 was discussed but never seriously considered.
Former Celtics star Cedric Maxwell, who played 1½ seasons for the Sterling-owned Clippers in the mid-1980s, said if it is indeed Sterling’s voice on the tape, strong action should be taken.
“I never got any vibe like that from Donald Sterling [when I played there], but after listening to this taped conversation, there is no doubt what the new commissioner has to do,” Maxwell said. “And if you look at it realistically, this is [Silver’s] first real test and his first true statement. That team has to be sold. You have to put Donald Sterling in check and that team has to be sold.”
Yeah, Sterling has sent out some strange vibes and gotten some strange awards.
Is there any possibly the tape has been forged, altered, or created out of whole cloth?
Maxwell said Rivers has a challenge in keeping the players’ attention on basketball.
Mine is. I've got a game tonight after an unexpectedly good performance yesterday, so this will likely be my last post of the day.
“If you are Doc Rivers, this is going to be his ultimate test,” Maxwell said. “What he has to do is focus on the games and somehow put a screen between his players and what is going on with the owner of this team because it is obvious right now, from what I heard Doc say, that his players were disgusted and [ticked] off. So there is a direction already with [the Clippers] in a very, very tough playoff series.”
Said Maxwell about Sterling: “He’s always been a rebel. He’s always been kind of out there as an owner. I think the [other owners] always wanted to reel him in as being a maverick but he set himself in a position right now, what recourse do the other owners have when it comes to another owner talking this way publicly? As an owner, how do you stand behind him?”
I thought they already had an owner and team?
Free agent guard Jerryd Bayless, who spent the past four months with the Celtics, sent out nine tweets on the topic....
And it was all the talk at basketball yesterday. I condemned it, but also pointed out there is nothing illegal about opinions no matter how offensive. Said the just punishment would be to ban him from the games for two years. Maybe he will die by then.
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The died, and what is amazing is how much coverage this is getting from the pre$$ when the Pat Tillman story received nothing. In fact, the sports channels did a better job of covering it than the war-promoting paper even if they were promoting the limited hangout myth.
Time for the celebrity stars to have their say:
"Celebs used social media over the weekend to speak out about the racist statements allegedly made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Lil Wayne tweeted, “If I played for the Clippers, the last game would have been my last game.” Demi Lovato tweeted, “I wish the clippers would’ve made a bigger statement while still keeping it classy. African-American/Latino voices need to be heard. #ENDracism.” “Dirty Dancing” star Jennifer Grey tweeted, “heartbreaking for my team. #clippers #noroom4racism #SterlingMustGo.” Meanwhile, Rihanna used Instagram to share her opinions about Sterling’s alleged comments, and Snoop Dogg posted an Instagram video calling Sterling some names not fit for print. On Saturday, TMZ released a recording of an alleged back-and-forth between Sterling and his girlfriend in which he tells her not to bring black people to Clippers games."
They can come play with us anytime, and some do.
NEXT DAY UPDATE:
No black players showed last night, and while I got off to a good start (scored 3 of the team's first 8 baskets), our squad lost 3 of 4. Had our chances. I scored a couple of hoops in the other games, but fell out of the flow because I didn't get the ball much and didn't look to shoot much when I did. Got hurt finger toward the end of the second game and team pulled out win. All in all I was happy with my performance, though. Did all I could.
Anyhow, this subject was again raised and I'm finding it such an orchestrated agenda to divert and distract from the real problems of this nation and the growing cla$$ divide. When I heard on the radio show this morning (I now listen to sports stations; I can'tt take news or music anymore. It's all shallow and superficial shit) that Al Sharpton of all people was leading a march before the game tonight I knew we had another agenda-pushing, media-driven distraction as he is being deployed by the obvious forces (anywhere Al shows up is called into question now, as is his TV show and the network it is on).
"NBA may act on Clippers owner today; Rivers assails remarks; team loses sponsors" by Gary Washburn | Globe Staff April 28, 2014
Former Celtics coach Doc Rivers declined on Monday to commit to returning to the Los Angeles Clippers next year, and eight companies suspended their sponsorships with the NBA team, amid mounting pressure on team owners and the league’s commissioner to take action over racist comments attributed to Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver scheduled a 2 p.m. press conference in New York on Tuesday, a sign that the league has reached a decision following several days of controversy stemming from the release of an audio tape of Sterling apparently telling his girlfriend that he does not want African-Americans attending Clippers games.
As outrage over the comments grew, several companies publicly announced they were ceasing business with the Clippers. Sprint, Kia Motors, State Farm, Virgin America airlines, Red Bull, Yokohama Tires, Mercedes Benz, and CarMax all suspended sponsorship with the club.
Meanwhile, in a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon, Rivers, who coached the Celtics for nine seasons, denounced Sterling’s apparent statements and said he rejected an opportunity to speak with the embattled owner.
“I don’t think right now is the time or the place for me, at least, so I took a pass,’’ Rivers said of the offer to speak with the owner.
He said he believed the voice on the tape belonged to Sterling.
‘‘These last 48 hours or so have been really hard for our players and everyone,’’ Rivers told reporters. ‘‘I'd just like to reiterate how disappointed I am in the comments attributed to our owner. I can’t tell you how upset I am, our players are.’’
“I think this is a very important decision,” Rivers said of Tuesday’s NBA ruling. “I hope it’s a very strong message and I believe that it will be.’’
Rivers left the Celtics last June to accept a lucrative three-year, $21 million offer to coach the Clippers with Sterling as owner. Hired to carry a historically downtrodden Clippers organization to new heights, he would not address the question of his future in Los Angeles.
“This just happened; my focus right now is on everything else and so little on me right now,” he said. “I don’t want to be part of this story. I don’t have an answer one way or the other [on my future]. We’ll wait and see.”
Now he has to continue to coach his team throughout the playoffs. The Clippers host the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night in the first game at home since the statements became public.
In Sunday’s Game 4 of the Western Conference first-round series against the Warriors, the Clippers players wore their practiceT-shirts inside out to hide the Clippers logo and wore black socks and armbands in protest of the racist sentiments.
Meanwhile, the Staples Center released a statement denouncing Sterling and hoping for a safe playing environment Tuesday: “We are deeply troubled by these disturbing remarks which go against everything we believe in as an organization. We support the players, the coaches, the rest of the team and their fans and we are committed to providing a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for everyone at tomorrow night’s NBA playoff game.”
CarMax, the nation’s largest retailer of used vehicles, said it was ending its sponsorship of the team and called the statements attributed to Sterling ‘‘completely unacceptable.’’
‘‘While we have been a proud Clippers sponsor for nine years and support the team, fans and community, these statements necessitate that CarMax end its sponsorship,’’ it said.
Portions of the recordings were released over the weekend by TMZ and Deadspin. Silver’s first step in the process was to authenticate that it is Sterling’s voice on the tape.
The NBA has not confirmed that it is Sterling’s voice, but his wife attributed the comments to him.
‘‘Our family is devastated by the racist comments made by my estranged husband,’’ Rochelle Sterling said in a statement sent to KABC-TV in Los Angeles. ‘‘My children and I do not share these despicable views or prejudices. We will not let one man’s small-mindedness poison the spirit of the fans and accomplishments of the team in the city we love. We are doing everything in our power to stand by and support our Clippers team.’’
Lakers star Kobe Bryant wrote on his Twitter account, ‘‘He should not continue owning the Clippers.”
He should retire to the ranch, huh?
Related: Full Clip Of Cliven Bundy’s Non-Racist, Pro-Black, Pro-Mexican, Anti-Government Remarks Vs. NYTimes’ Deceptively Edited Version
Can you really believe anything you see in the jew$paper anymore (interesting omission regarding Tokowitz -- wow, stumbled on supremacism there -- 'er, Sterling, 'eh)?
Also, the Los Angeles branch of the NAACP announced in a news conference that it would not honor Sterling with a second Lifetime Achievement Award, as it planned to do before the tapes were released.
I suppose there is no raci$m when it comes to the color GREEN!
Rivers was visibly disappointed by the developments....
It's a ‘‘defining moment for the league.’’
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Yeah, it is not a pretty profile but it sure is filled with contradictions.
Also see:
Hall of Fame NBA coach Jack Ramsay dies at 89
Jack Ramsay, 89; college and NBA coach who led Blazers to 1977 title
I have some Docs I need to see this morning so I don't know when I will be back.
UPDATE: Clippers’ Donald Sterling banned for life from NBA
Looks like there is no more free speech in AmeriKa (far be it from me to defend Sterling, but he is entitled to his opinion. It's the main tenet of this country). Thankfully, there is still freedom of $peech (in politics at lea$t).
