Don Sterling...

[HoreTore]

It's not moot.

If there are no murders in a community for some time, would we say police there wouldn't investigate murders, or a court wouldn't prosecute the murderers?

UEFA (and other sport organization) rules are in accordance with civilian legislation, so there is rarely, if ever, need for civilian courts to intervene, but if they did, UEFA, FIFA and every other sport organization would have to obey that.

....And this is a thread about issues in accordance with civilian law.

So, moot.

Bosman retired a long, long time ago.

[Major Robert Dump]

the court CAN make a company buy something from another company

[ReluctantSamurai]

A less obvious issue is why the man was allowed to buy an NBA franchise in the first place given his underlying racist beliefs, and why nothing was done about him long before. How many more owners either share or tolerate Sterling's views but weren't foolish enough to be so blatant about it would be interesting to know. The conversations amongst owner gatherings, including Sterling, on the golf course or in a cocktail lounge would be a priceless commodity to know.

In any event, Sterling being "dis-enfranchised" is simply a business decision. His previous antics only cost Sterling his own money. But he crossed the line and that action had the potential to cost the other owners money. And that simply could not be tolerated. Sports owners are a very exclusive group who feel they can say or do anything they wish. But rock the boat and you will find that those you once considered friends or business partners will turn on you like a pack of dogs after wounded prey.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I listened to the tape...he says NOTHING racist. It almost seems like she's trying to make it sound like that, but he he's baffled when she acts like she thinks he's racist, like when she asks him if he wants her to "remove the skin color out of my skin", you can hear it in his voice.

She's his trophy mistress apparently, and people he knows look down on her for going about publicly with black men and posting pictures with them on instagram, and they give him a hard time about it. He's more like a victim of prejudice in this regard. "I'm living in a culture, and I have to live in this culture", "Dennis made that comment", etc. "I want you to love them--privately. In your whole life, everyday you can be with them. Every single day of your life...but why publicize it on the Instragram and why bring it to my games?" he says. People he knows see that stuff and give him a hard time of it, so he asks her not to "broadcast". After all the point of a trophy mistress is to make you look good to your rich buddies, not get you made fun of. His motivation here is basically the same as all the sponsors pulling away from the clippers--simple concern for what people think.

Compare with what Spike Lee said:

http://books.google.com/books?id=nea...ouples&f=false



Nothing I would make a fuss over, but it's much closer to being against interracial relationships than anything sterling said.



So basically, in our country someone could call someone up, try to get them to say things that can be used against them, and even if they don't really succeed they can leak the tape and it will be spread all over by an enthusiastic media and people who don't pay attention or listen carefully. That's the real story, stuff about terrible things sterling has done, or whether he's pathetic or disgusting, or whether the nba is a business and he has a contract etc is all irrelevant. These particular tapes do not have on them what every news article I read said they did. Most of the time they felt no need to provide evidence and didn't even quote him.

I guess sports team owners aren't that important, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if this kind of things starts being a much more regular part of presidential campaigns. I remember a few instances from the last campaign. As it stands, the people willing to make these kinds of recordings and market them with misleading headlines have a hugely disproportionate and corrupt amount of influence on elections. If the american people can't learn resist the temptation to jump right into sanctimonious posturing whenever a headline and some out of context quotes fits in with their biases then we will have to have more government restrictions on the press and tougher laws against recordings and leaks.

Just look at the summary from the new yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blog...ng-racism.html

You shouldn’t have to be Magic Johnson to be welcome, as a black man, at a Los Angeles Clippers game—or anywhere. And yet one of the shocks, for many, of a tape recording in which a man, said to be Donald Sterling, owner of the Clippers, berates a woman identified as V. Stiviano for “associating with black people” and bringing “them to my games” is that the fight was apparently triggered when she posted a picture of herself with Magic on Instagram. (“Don’t put him on an Instagram… And don’t bring him to my games.”) Even racist white boyfriends are supposed to be proud of that.

Even supposedly premiere intellectual journals are completely mindless.

I'm afraid this is the future of politics. Forget about sterling and imagine your favored presidential candidate going up against someone awful, and getting on the wrong end of some moronic media frenzy over a hacked or leaked recording that doesn't say what everyone is wildly claiming it does, and no one bothering to look closer.

[Ironside]

I listened to the tape...he says NOTHING racist. It almost seems like she's trying to make it sound like that, but he he's baffled when she acts like she thinks he's racist, like when she asks him if he wants her to "remove the skin color out of my skin", you can hear it in his voice.

His motivation here is basically the same as all the sponsors pulling away from the clippers--simple concern for what people think.

"My racist friends wants you to stop associate with black people, so could you please do that?" No sign of bending backwards and promoting racism here. That's not counting him talking to his trophy mistress, that he wants to stay together with. You kind of want to tone down things at such a situation.

Does the media drag out the worst things? Yes. Still doesn't change what he's requesting.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

"My racist friends wants you to stop associate with black people, so could you please do that?" No sign of bending backwards and promoting racism here.

He didn't say that. He didn't say they were his friends, and he didn't tell her to stop associating with black people: "In your whole life, everyday you can be with them. Every single day of your life", "You can sleep with them, you can bring them in, you can do whatever you want".

He's not promoting racism, this is a private conversation with his mistress. He's not bending over backwards for it either, he's just not trying to force all those people to change how they think. You can't actually live that way, trying to make everyone else fall in line. Maybe you can get them to stop talking about a particular thing, but people have a limited tolerance for it.

Even if you find it extremely objectionable that he hasn't rejected the people he knows, and doesn't fight every day against racism, it doesn't change the fact that he is being slandered based on a leaked phonecall which is being wildly misrepresented. If the media will do it to him they will do it in the next election, and even though you don't live in america that can still effect you...

Mr. Sterling’s divisive and hurtful comments demonstrate that he does not share UCLA’s core values as a public university that fosters diversity, inclusion and respect. For those reasons, UCLA has decided to return Mr. Sterling’s initial payment of $425,000 and reject the remainder of a $3 million pledge he recently made to support basic kidney research by the UCLA Division of Nephrology.

It's like people are insane. Why is his donation to kidney research being returned?

I guess it's condescending, but I think in cases like this there are many people who basically believe in magic. As if their own condemnation of racism changes the world, as if even private racist comments, if left un-condemned, work some kind of satanic influence. People act like they are fighting all racism by condemning him, as if it is some dark force. For them he embodies that force at the moment and so there must be repentance or exorcism, hence the extreme overreaction. It's as superstitious as believing that prayers can turn back hurricanes. Somehow his donation is an intolerable pollution.

In a reasonable culture this would be purely tabloid news. No self respecting news organization would touch it.

[Montmorency]

After all the point of a trophy mistress is to make you look good to your rich buddies, not get you made fun of. His motivation here is basically the same as all the sponsors pulling away from the clippers--simple concern for what people think.

Wow. Just, wow.

[Montmorency]

as if even private racist comments, if left un-condemned, work some kind of satanic influence.

Actually, the private stuff is the most important to the issue...

[Ironside]

He didn't say that. He didn't say they were his friends, and he didn't tell her to stop associating with black people: "In your whole life, everyday you can be with them. Every single day of your life", "You can sleep with them, you can bring them in, you can do whatever you want".

If it's not his friends, it's even worse. He did say to her to stop publically associating with black people, even if he allowed it in private. That what he said to his mistress, who's taking skin colour personally. That's kind of the person were you might not go all out on your opinions about black people.

He's not promoting racism, this is a private conversation with his mistress. He's not bending over backwards for it either, he's just not trying to force all those people to change how they think. You can't actually live that way, trying to make everyone else fall in line. Maybe you can get them to stop talking about a particular thing, but people have a limited tolerance for it.

He's very much promoting racism. If your boss tells you to not serve black people, obeying him promotes racism, no matter your own opinion. It's nice of him to not try to force people to change their racist thoughts, by not allowing any display that might offend them. It gets even better when he does this by trying to change how a person should act. It's not the thought that counts, its the act. That's why we punish actual crimes and not the thought of crimes.

Even if you find it extremely objectionable that he hasn't rejected the people he knows, and doesn't fight every day against racism, it doesn't change the fact that he is being slandered based on a leaked phonecall which is being wildly misrepresented. If the media will do it to him they will do it in the next election, and even though you don't live in america that can still effect you...

He has a reputation of worse things, but they weren't recorded, only witnessed and payed off through settlements. It's basically taking Al Capone on tax evasion.
And its not slander. And still racist. Tax evasion is still a crime.

as if even private racist comments, if left un-condemned, work some kind of satanic influence. People act like they are fighting all racism by condemning him, as if it is some dark force.

Yes? Every act you do stem from your thoughts. Thoughts are free, but the acts from them are not. By suggesting a racist act, he's promoting racism. Racist comments is more complicated, but basically by allowing the words to stand uncontested, you accept what they say. That in turn promotes actions, since they're easier to make towards barbaric, subhuman, unassociatable, "whatever negative thing" people, than normal people.

[Goofball]

Yes, you really should.

Democracy, you know.

You might not support their view, but you should be willing to die for their right to state it. You propose a more updated version of democracy? If so, why?

I don't think you really get the concept of freedom of speech. It doesn't mean you can say whatever, wherever, whenever and to whomever you want without consequence. The government is not locking him up and no criminal charges have been even considered. There you go. No violation of his rights.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I don't think you really get the concept of freedom of speech. It doesn't mean you can say whatever, wherever, whenever and to whomever you want without consequence. The government is not locking him up and no criminal charges have been even considered. There you go. No violation of his rights.

Freedom of speech is not freedom from the consequences thereof -- it only means that the government cannot restrict your right to cram your own foot in your mouth up to the ankle.

[drone]

Yeah, he's really getting punished. Paid $12.5 million for the team in '81, mismanaged them as league's laughingstock franchise for 30 years, and now will be "forced" to sell for close to $1 billion. I'm sure he'll manage somehow...

My bad, make that $2 billion. Way to make it hurt, Silver!

On the plus side, we get to see Steve Ballmer mismanage in public again!

[ReluctantSamurai]

And so the saga continues:

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...awsuit-nba-all