Where is the clapping hands emoticon when you need it?
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People on FB are getting all crazy over this. Talking about freedom of speech and what not...
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YES!
Definitely the right decision. -
@swurlygurl: I can never decide if I'm more annoyed or amused by stupid people on Facebook. Freedom of speech is in the bill of rights. It protects you from GOVERNMENT action, not private action. No one is putting Donald Sterling in jail for being a racist asshole. But if a private organization wants to say "we don't want you because you're a racist asshole and you make us look bad and your players don't want to play for you anymore" they have every right to do that. Because they also have the freedom to run their own business/organization as they see fit.
Harumph.
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@swurlygurl: well yes, there is freedom of speech but he represented the nba and the clippers.
I'm willing to bet that each institution had a contract that he agreed to, that states he won't use that kind of language.
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@swurlygurl: Oh man. I don't think people understand what freedom of speech means. That's frustrating!
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@Mae: @Mae: Exactly! These people are getting bent out of shape about how this is the first step in our rights getting taken away from us by the Government, talking about history repeating itself... excuse me?! If Westboro Baptist Church is still standing, I think it's safe to say our right to free speech is SAFE.
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It's sad for players on his team... If this was never recorded/leaked, they would never know the owner of their team is racist against them
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@snowjewelz: I kind of don't understand why he would want to own the team/be in the basketball world if he is SO racist? He must love money more... haha
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@swurlygurl: yea whenever someone expresses an unpopular (or asinine) opinion and people get upset, morons start talking about freedom of speech. I don't understand how so many people missed that day of government class that went over what freedom of speech actually protects you from (i.e. government action). And that it does not mean you get to go around being an asshole saying anything you want without consequence from private citizens.
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@swurlygurl: @MrsKoala: Wow. People really do not understand the concept of freedom of speech.
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@swurlygurl: Yeah seriously... Or to him they're just a money making machine. Them as actual people; not important to him. Need an angry face emoticon here!
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@MrsKoala: I'm pleasantly surprised by the NBA's decision. I just figured he might receive some type of fine but it would basically be business as usual.
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I'm happy he's banned, but I'm sad he will still be an insanely wealthy man.
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Free speech still has consequences.
@snowjewelz: I think they might have known - this unfortunately isn't his first ride on the "I'm a blatant racist a-hole" merry-go-round.....from Wiki (with good citations):
In November 2009, ESPN reported that Sterling agreed to pay a fine of $2.73 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 February 2009, Sterling was sued by former longtime Clippers executive Elgin Baylor for employment discrimination on the basis of age and race.[27] The lawsuit alleges Sterling told Baylor that he wanted to fill his team with "poor black boys from the South and a white head coach".[25] The suit alleges that during negotiations for Danny Manning, Sterling said "I'm offering a lot of money for a poor black kid."[25][28] The suit noted those comments while alleging "the Caucasian head coach was given a four-year, $22-million contract", but Baylor's salary had "been frozen at a comparatively paltry $350,000 since 2003".
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@yoursilverlining: What is wrong with him?! I'm guessing he's not popular within the NBA then... And this just blew the lid b/c he can't even deny it!
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Oh god. The freedom of speech comments and status updates that will come from this are like nails on a chalkboard for me.
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@Mae: Yayyyy for someone who actually understands how freedom of speech works! Goodness, far too many people in our country like to spout off about things like that when they have no clue what they're actually talking about.
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The Commissioner also indicated that he expects the other NBA owners will force Sterling to sell the team. I am very interested to see how that plays out and also, whether Sterling himself will speak out now that the decision has been made.
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@snowjewelz: I know, right?!?! I went to the wiki page today because I know *nothing* about this guy, and was like WTF?!?! So much skeeve going on with him; from racism and discrimination to some sketchy real estate dealings that were suppose to help the homeless in LA, but look to just be a front for him to buy nice land cheap – this guy sounds so slimy!
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Good call by the commish.
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@mrsjazz: I'm also pleasantly surprised, I didn't think they would go this far with a punishment, I was also thinking it would be along the lines of a fine. Yay for the NBA, I think it's awesome!
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I think it's fair. I doubt it hurts him that much though.
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Happy about this but not sure how much it really means given how the NBA makes its money. Glad everyone's in agreement though! The comment that honestly bothered me the most was "I give them fillintheblank." What an ass.
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Never mind. I'd rather just take back what I said.
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I'm happy he's band, you can't just fine a billionaire! That is nothing to them. He represents an organization who's majority of athletes are in fact the race he was openly discriminating against...just disgusting!
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Good riddance.
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@swurlygurl: He does have freedom of speech. He can say whatever he wants.
However, that doesn't mean there are no consequences to saying it.
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@hellocupcake: Saw that you deleted, so I did too
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Yeah, freedom of speech does not equal freedom from consequence! He's not in jail so I don't get why people keep bringing that up. I do think he might sue the NBA though. It would be a weird case because the tapes will be inadmissible.
Honestly, the dude is 80 years old with a (biracial) 31 year old mistress... I'm not surprised he's a total jerk.
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Relevant xkcd comic:
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@lovehoneybee: lol love it.
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So I want to know if this means he has to sell the Clippers....that's what I understood from a radio program this morning, but the league has to vote?
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@looch: yup i think they need 75% to vote that he should sell, and then they can force it.
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My husband had a different take on this and thought I would share because the way the penalties stand now Sterling is only suffering public embarassment.
He thinks a better penalty would have been to allow the players out of their contracts. Sponsors already starting pulling their advertising dollar, which hurts the Clippers brand. If the players were allowed to leave there would have been further damage to the brand and value of the organization. By the time the team/ name would go up for sale it would not have been worth much- no sponsors, no players.
When Sterling finally sells he will get quite a winfall. The $2.5 million fine is pennies compared to his 1.9 billion net worth.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: that's a really interesting idea...it would end up helping the players and hurting him. He sees the players as beneath him and uses them to his advantage...if he sells now he ends up making lots of money of off the players yet again.
DH said he's pretty sure he will be forced to sell...everyone that votes on forcing the sale is in agreement he should be forced out I guess.
We watched an interview with Steven A. Smith last night on the subject and it kinda sounded like most people in the Clippers organization knew what a racist asshole he was. Apparently Sterling would approach Smith all the time and tell him what a fan he was of his work...then one day a person associated with the Clippers told him about his documented racist history. I wonder if the players and coaching staff ever saw this kinda think and were forced to keep quiet about it?
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I don't know much about sports, but where would the players go? It just seems like this man already has so much money that just as the fine won't hurt him, the money from the sales might not matter much either - he's a billionaire either way. There's also companies refusing contributions/donations from him now or returning money he has given them, so technically he's getting money back there too...so at this point I think the public shame is kind of the point, he just has too much money to care much about that aspect.
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@Mae: @wonderstruck: Yes to not standing for this bs and to public embarrassment!!!
@swurlygurl: I heard the term"plantation mentality" used to describe his interest in the Clippers. Prior to this, that train of thought never would have occurred to me...and frankly, it makes me sick! *gags audibly and makes terrible face*
@yoursilverlining: Unbelievable how consistent this a**hole's behavior has been over time...and the donations to the NAACP as a cover...just bizarre.
I think it is a shame that he is still such an extraordinarily wealthy racist ****head. At least after this much public scrutiny, people will think twice before engaging in any business deals with him (unless he uses someone else as a cover, I guess).
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: but what about the players that are drafted to the Clippers? I don't know anything about NBA contracts but wouldn't they be stuck there?
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@wonderstruck: there's only eleven players on a team I think and there's many more teams out there to absorb a player. The season is almost over so a new owner may be back in place by next season and new contracts could be drafted at that timed. Free agent status til then. But, really IDK
@Madison43: IDK. I didnvt ask him to flush out his idea with how it would actually work if it even could.
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