By now you're aware of the statements alleged to be those of the owner of the LA Clippers, Donald Sterling.We use alleged here because so far, it's not 100% certain Sterling's voice is the actual voice on the taped phone call, only about 99. 999 %.
Here's some immediate notes about the whole brouhaha including some local media connections...
*ABC, I'm assuming, isn't going to try to kick aside this Sterling mess before today's nationally-televised game, or will they? It's the number-one discussion and media story all over the country. Talk about a bind: if they swoosh it after just a quick mention, they're guilty of dismissal and news judgement --if they concentrate too heavy, they'll be ripped for taking advantage of the situation. Catch-22 personified. Look for something in the middle.
*I want to especially listen to KNBR and Warriors radio analyst, Tom Tolbert, who has consistently talked about his playing days with the Clippers and how Sterling was a bozo way back when...before this latest nationwide blunder. I'm sure Tolbert will have an opinion or two both Sunday and on his KNBR talk show.
FIVE things already on the horizon as a result of the Sterling racial Hindenburg remarks:
1. Almost every radio talk show--sports and news--will digest the topic Monday when the whole shelf life is fresh and arid. There's both good and bad news there and you'll understand almost immediately.
2. Ronn Owens will have Dr. Harry Edwards on and ask him what he thinks of Don Sterling's act and Mr. Edwards will lecture all of us that what Sterling said is nothing new and pontificate for 45 minutes further.
3. Radnich and Krueger will talk about the game and Sterling subplot --Gary will try to spin this both ways with an undercurrent of his brand of humor and Krueger will try to stick to shooting percentages.
4. Damon Bruce is already practicing his 17-hour monologue.
5. Those in the media race-baiting machine will try to exploit this Sterling-hits-the-fan imbroglio with the usual hysteria which means a lot of screaming and shouting. Expect multi-played Jessie Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton actualities.
*Of course what Sterling, 99.99%, said is awful and disgusting--are any of you shocked? My two cents: It's not Sterling, an 80 year-old wealthy wart who owns half of LA and made his $1.8 billion fortune in real estate, to go after...it's the institutional racism practiced daily by corporate CEOs who are primarily white guys with suit and ties who keep their bigotry quiet and in-house--now THAT's a subject matter the talk-show mavens could and should discuss but Sterling is the flavor of the day. I'm not defending Sterling mind you but I hope you knew that.
One last thing: Even dopes like Sterling have rights--isn't it illegal to tape phone calls without letting the caller know you're taping them? Paging the lawyers.
*Follow me on Twitter
The biggest hypocrite of the day is Clippers coach Doc Rivers " The easy thing would be to protest (boycott) the hard part is to play"..Rivers, you fucking greedy coward. If the Clippers boycotted and forfeited the game? It would put the NBA under huge pressure to toss out Sterling for good. Rivers own personal greed and goals wont do that.
ReplyDeleteI myself am glad MLK took the easy way and protested..
Stan, after all these months reading your psycho blather you have finally made a compelling point that is debatable. I too, initially, thought the Clips should boycott the game. It would have dealt the NBA a massive blow and sent shockwaves throughout the Sports community. On the other hand the Clip players have sacrificed their bodies and souls to get to this juncture in their playoff journey. Who am I to demand they boycott with so much personal sacrifice on the line? There are other ways to overcome a racist owner without giving up a collective dream...
DeleteHypocrite?
DeleteJust another word Stan doesn't know the meaning of.
Another misguided comment from Stan.
Delete1. Nothing hypocritical about what Doc Rivers is doing. Stan, do you eave know what "hypocritical" means?
2. A coach can't decide whether a team should boycott a game. If Rivers felt strongly about it, he could refuse to coach the game. He can't make the team boycott.
3. Stan, for a guy who can't even cook Spam and listen to the radio at the same time you sure have big ideas about what other people should do.
MLK Also boycotted bus riding. African Americans walked to work with personal sacrifice.
DeleteYeah,but playing and winning really shows Sterling how mad Paul and Rivers are...
Leave it to Stan to draw a nonsensical connection to Montgomery bus boycott. And obviously Stan doesn't know the meaning of the word hypocrisy either.
DeleteStan, is it impossible for you to type a single grammatical, coherent sentence?
Stan, like Doctor Martin Luther King I also have a dream. My dream is that some day Stan actually has something intelligent to say.
DeleteWhy is Doc Rivers supposed to be a hypocrite? HUH?
DeleteMaybe you republican radnich lovers should look in the mirror and realize what I say is intelligible,its that you don't have the intelligence to know it. And that's the facts..
DeleteWhy is Rivers a hypocrite? He spoke out how racism shouldn't be tolerated. But with a chance to take a HISTORIC stand,instead he went with his own personal goals,and all the MONEY and prestige playing along with Donald brings.
DeleteHe can still have the team sit out the next game in L.A. as solidarity. If he does,I will laud him. If not, my opinion stays.
Stan, what are you six years old?
DeleteNot that it would make any sense to do so, but an NBA coach is not in a position to compel his team to "sit out" a game. Of course he could have elected to not coach but undoubtedly someone else would be willing to do so.
But more important, WHAT IS THE POINT? There is no need for a "historic stand." No on is defending Donald Sterling's comments. The league is prepared to sanction him, most likely quite severely.
The magnitude of the sanctions against Sterling do not depend on whether or not the Clipper coaches or players boycott the game.
The "historic stand" you are calling for would accomplish nothing but speaks to the childish way you, Stan, think about things. Throw a tantrum, make an idiotic statement. It's not necessary.
Adults learn to think and act strategically and not be overwhelmed by uncontrollable, childish hysteria.
Yes,like that childish MLK and his marches..and those signs. He and Ceasar Chavez? Should have picked cotton and tomatoes harder and faster- teach those bigots a lesson.
DeleteYour reasoning is only worth sarcasm 651. So far,your right wingers answer has been "do nothing" as what needed to be done. As usual.
Hey stan, as your idol says - Read The Room. You post incoherent thoughts on your blog and nobody comments. Because nobody reads your blog. So, you comment (not post) on this site and other commentators blast you. So far on this thread, seven different people have given you direct negative feedback. Read The Room. And don't respond with republican, intern or 'I was right'. BTW, I am a liberal thinking member of the sports media.
DeleteStan can neither think nor write clearly.
DeleteMentioning MLK and Cesar [not Ceaser, you moron] Chavez in the context of this situation makes no sense. Both men stood up to powerful forces at great personal risk to advance important causes.
Donald Sterling has made some indefensible comments that no one supports. There is no battle here. No one is on Donald Sterling's side. As Scott Ostler points out today, Sterling is finished. There is no one to stand up to. Sterling loses.
And frankly Stan, you trivialize the importance of the civil rights movement and Doctor King with your limited grasp history and what racism really means.
You idiot,1022,A billionaire owner who has been protected by an association of other billionaires in a pro league watched by 200 million Americans isn't " A powerful force"?.. And shut the hell up about Chavez who you probably don't even admire..but bring him up because my finger hit or missed the wrong key?. You jackass.
DeleteI don't like his opinion, but that is his private opinion. So long as he is fair to people on the job, then this is a matter of public relations, nothing more. There are plenty of black people with equally nasty racist views, as they will quickly describe if you dare mention a certain railroaded and maligned mall cop named George Zimmerman. We have to be very careful playing Thought Police, and feeling free to take someones job away if they think differently than is said to be popular. Have we already forgotten the MOZILLA debacle? I made sure to remove it from my browser. I don't wish to support such assinine intolerance.
ReplyDeleteI say, give him the opportunity to apologize or explain, make a few donations to inner city CHARTER schools (not those public schools, where the teacher has no control, and most students have no motivation or fear of failing due to laziness). Then let's get on with the game.
9:24--Well put. You said everything I was going to, and more. I find what Sterling said--presuming it's him--stupid and ignorant, but they are his opinions, things he said in a conversation. So what? I hear stupid and ignorant things said every day. I've contributed a few myself. What are we going to do, tar and feather someone for something they said, for their attitude, in a private conversation? What's next? Courts for thought crimes? As far as I know, free speech doesn't only include things said out of wisdom and experience and knowledge, but also dumb and idiotic stuff.
DeleteWell said.
DeleteOne never hears the media in an outrage about the racist and incendiary views and comments made by rappers, including powerful ones like the guy that beyonce is hooked up with...
Perfectly acceptable language in the Bouley household.
ReplyDeleteGenious!
Deleteappears in CA you need the consent of both parties to tape a private conversation
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/california-recording-law
It's ironic that attorney Harvey Levin who's the boss at TMZ broke the story. Harvey's also the MC on People's Court where he hears Judge Marilyn say at least weekly that it's illegal without both parties consent.
DeletePerjury is also illegal, yet it happens all the time. When was the last time you saw it prosecuted and convicted? Lack of consent means the recordings can't be introduced as evidence in a court of law. However, they've already been introduced and accepted into the court of public opinion, which has already passed judgment. All that remains to be seen, now, is what sentence the court of public opinion will hand down.
DeleteThe Girl is a thief and a Ho. She is suspected of stealing over 1.7 Million Dollars, and is mad that she was called out. This one thinks a pretty face and 36-24-36 figure entitle her to anybody's money anytime she wants it. Hopefully, she gets just as slimed in this pit as he does. Regardsless, he will still be wealthy, but she will have sent of a warning to all other men on how evil and trecherous she can be. A girl like that would consider hiring a hit man if you cut off her $10K a week walking around money allowance .
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I saw her I knew something was shady about her. His fault for wanting a nice body to lay on top of and not caring what kind of person she was.
DeleteMr. 10:02AM
DeleteIf your numbers of her figure (36-24-36), are correct she is welcome to steal my money. Oh yes; a pretty face helps.
Your an idiot and ignorant of the facts as it's been stated many times, Donald Sterling's wife(Rochelle H. married for over 50yrs) is suing V. Stiviano (filed on Mar.7th) because Donald gave her over 1.8 mil to buy a duplex, more than 500k for automobiles, and 240,000 for "upkeep and living expenses."She considers that money to be gifts from the family money. Where did you read that the girlfriend stole any money. Rochelle , in the lawsuit, is seeking to protect community property, so she is not "mad the she was called out".
DeleteYea but she doesn't have a pretty face. Sadly she resembles alot of what I see in the bay area
DeleteSterling's association with a woman like Stiviano is a stronger indictment of his character.
DeleteYou forgot the other programming note Rich . The KNBR morning show with Pom-Pom and Soundboard. They'll discuss TheGiants, 49ers, Warriors, Rocky movies, Springsteen albums, have 45 minutes of commercials an hour and not one decent opinion of this controversy (need time to cheer!).
ReplyDeleteYou beat me to the punch. The 5:00am - 9:00am kids show are out of their element unless the topic is the latest Springsteen LP.
DeleteHe allegedly said (99.999%) what he said. And if true it was racist, demeaning and unbecoming of any responsible individual let alone an owner of an NBA franchise where over 70% of the players are African American. It is also obvious when you listen to the tape that Sterling contradicts himself on numerous occasions and the "girlfriend" is attempting to entrap him into making inflammatory statements. As I understand it, the "girlfriend" allegedly embezzled over $2 millions US from Sterling. Perhaps that was her primary motivation.. Regardless of motive what he, allegedly, stated was totally racist, he needs to own it. The "girlfriend" is no Harriet Beecher Stowe but she did, allegedly, expose a racist Donald Sterling..
ReplyDeleteDidn't you read my above reply to the ridiculous statement ? She did not embezzle any money, it was given freely from a boyfriend, Sterling, to a girlfriend, Viviano.
DeleteIn no way did she force him, an 80yr old businessman, nor coerce him to give her anything. His own lust for sex is what motivated his actions.
Did you read how on two separate occasions he was sued for offering money to his own employees for sex.2003 he gave sworn testimony regarding sex for pay.
How long before we hear his canned BS apology and he has a drinking problem and has to go to rehab. I predict the canned BS apology will come first then when the season is over he will slip away to rehab.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this can be a distraction to the Clippers.
He'll check himself into a tony rehab facility and all will be forgotten and forgiven. That's how all the well heeled big wigs get pass their stupidity.
ReplyDeleteHe's 80, loaded, and doesn't want or need forgiveness from you or anyone else.
DeleteThe man sees people as possessions...for his amusement, that he can order around. Players, prostitutes, etc.
How, I ask, is it possible that a man who made his fortune in real estate could hold such racist opinions? Coming from an industry in which one's success is inextricably linked to one's knowledge of prevailing perceptions and preferences, you would think Mr. Sterling would've learned from America's renters and home-buying public that racial stereotypes are things of the past. After all, where, outside of redneck enclaves in the south, do people even consider race when shopping for a place to live?
ReplyDeleteI would be much more understanding of the man's opinions if they were typical of Americans with his (first career) background (Jewish attorneys), but who among us can name a single such attorney who doesn't reside in a richly diverse neighborhood, or who doesn't send his children to a school where blacks are proportionately represented? To hear an opinion such as his you would think he comes from a culture where blacks are primarily valued for their ability to, from a safe distance, entertain us.
I think Arse is having us on.
DeleteArse, as usual you have no idea what you're talking about yet feel compelled to go on at length about nothing. Do a little research into Sterling's personal history.
DeleteYour contention that anyone who made a fortune in real estate could hold racist opinions is foolish at best.
NOT an Arse,
DeletePlease change your pseudonym to something more appropriate; I suggest, NOT so Smart (unless the reason you never support your positions is because you are smart enough to know they're stupid?).
Arse, your pseudonym is entirely appropriate, as is mine.
DeleteIn terms of supporting my position, there are certain well known facts, for example awareness of past dealings of Donald Sterling, that are common knowledge. Apparently you are unaware.
Perhaps you should spend more time learning and less time philosophizing.
Not -- You really are clueless. Mr. Sterling's "past dealings" are far too varied and numerous for your vague reference to have any meaning, so you might want to say what you mean, that is, unless you fear it will only further expose your inadequacies, as you did when you wrote this:
Delete"Your contention that anyone who made a fortune in real estate could hold racist opinions is foolish at best."
An apparent attempt at criticism that lacked both an accurate depiction of my post and the requisite grammar. Since you imply you are a learned person, may I ask, did you study English under Professor Irwin Corey?
Hella funny!
DeleteOn the media side ... CNN has, again, gone with wall-to-wall coverage of this incident. It has already displaced lost airplane coverage, moved the Pope off the lead, the President in Malaysia and tornodoes ready to let loose.
ReplyDeleteAll behind the amazed shock look of Fredrika Whitfield. This is not a good sign. Jeff Zucker will start up the "Breaking News" sounder for good on Monday and this could last longer the lost airplane coverage.
Even Mary Schiavo looks depressed. "What? Less face time for ME? Less money? WTF?" The other airplaners haven't even shown up today. Don Lemon is home in New York saying, "Well, time to breakout the psychic card one more time ...."
If the Clips were dumb enough to boycott the game in Oakland, I'd have waited until every hiney was in the stands, the national anthem had played then -- the black hand fish held high and walk the hell out. That would be justice. The NBA would have this wrapped by 5 pm tomorrow. Won't happen. Too much money pouring into playoff pockets.
I loved the comment above about "the Bouley household." That was hilariously true, 9:43! Nicely done!
A former co-worker interned with the Clippers and regaled us with the messed up stuff
ReplyDeleteStirling and Baylor did for the organization. It was funnier because it was alleged to be true.
You forgot the other prediction - talk radio host(s) looking to make a name for themselves will troll for attention and defend Sterling. Cable news will immediately book them for the ludicrous "other side" of the "debate." And their mission will be accomplished.
ReplyDeleteI expect Limbaugh and Savage to do so tomorrow. They will focus on the girlfriend, her motives, the recording and such. Sterling will be a 'victim' in their eyes.
DeleteThey'll bring up his support and contributions to Democrats, as they should.
DeleteWeintraub was saying on Sunday that Donald Sterling would make a great substitute host for Savage. Was quite funny. He should stick with sports.
DeleteHe's a natural with sports. Not sure why he doesn't. His energy and intellect beyond sports could be put to good use at the sports stations locally. Plus he has the whole "dude" thing down. :-) seemingly a pre requisite.
Delete"race baiting machine." What a racist comment! This has not been a good week for white people. Cliven Bundy, Donald Sterling, and now you.
ReplyDeleteIt's never a good week for Al Sharpton's spirit. Or Jesse Jackson's.
DeleteYeah, what you had here was Sterling wanting his girlfriend to denounce and go against her own race - oh in a quiet way. You obviously don't understand the implications here. I guess that was her way of telling the old geezer to go to hell. If someone suggested that you do this, you probably do the same.
ReplyDeleteIn the old days, blacks (African Americans) of mixed race were considered black period.