LA Clippers Owner Donald Sterling's Racist Rant Caught On Tape

[dali71]

 

[Retro Rob]

Lets pretend all that is true. What does any of that have to do with what Sterling said and what he believes in his heart of hearts? Talking about the ills of every other person on the planet does not excuse what this man said and has done. So what is your point?

Did not Jesus say, remove the rafter from your own eye before you can extract the straw from your brother's eye?

 

[Retro Rob]

Honestly. I'm very confused by your position.

Sterling is a known racist. He has been already sued multiple times. Some in which he lost and others in which he won, like ELgerin Baylor. It's frustratingly hard to prove someone is racist or convince "other" upper staff in a corporation that their boss/owner is Racist. People just don't come out and say it, esp, when people claim we are living in a post-racial society. So, when you claim racism, it's usually dismissed and your blacklisted, so African Americans who generally want to succeed, tend to not say anything and suffer silently in hopes of just moving up eventually.

So, players play for documented racists, just like many African American work for known racists. There aren't too many options when your in a specialized field (Sports, I-banking, Law, etc), the majority of Executives in this country are white and most of them over 60 (grew up in a society lacking diversity). (I'm not saying everyone over 60 harbors racist inclinations, but it takes a lot of self awareness to transcend the environment which you were raised) If you listen to the tapes, he mentions his other friends alerted him of his g/f's pictures. Who do you think these other people are? What type of friends does a multi billionaire keep. Probably other captains of industry.

There are 30 owners in the NBA. Mostly an old boys network. The owners most likely knew of Sterlings views and did nothing even after being sued time and time again. What message do you think that sends to the players in the league? What happens to a player who decides to call out the owner of his team and in turn make the other owners less money?

I agree it can be seen as cowardly but it is an untenable position to be put in.

My position can be summed up in this short summation:

Blacks need to clean up their own race in the NBA, before they can so-call "clean up" the problems with whites in the NBA.

 

[classy]

Did not Jesus say, remove the rafter from your own eye before you can extract the straw from your brother's eye?

You are a moron. He got busted AGAIN caught in some racial stuff. How many times do you think he should be excused? Jesus also said go and sin no more less a worse thing come upon you. You ranting about everyone else like some maniac doesn't change what Sterling did and is now paying the price for.


He did this all on his own, there is no one else to blame, but himself. You can deflect to the cows come home, but his bitch ass finally got exactly what he deserved.

 

[KK]

I wonder if he'll have a wrongful termination suit. It'd be funny if he ends up owning the whole stupid thing they call the NBA.

 

[classy]

And its just ridiculous the thought let's excuse and look the other way because this one or that one did this or that.

 

[Retro Rob]

You are a moron. He got busted AGAIN caught in some racial stuff. How many times do you think he should be excused? Jesus also said go and sin no more less a worse thing come upon you. You ranting about everyone else like some maniac doesn't change what Sterling did and is now paying the price for.


He did this all on his own, there is no one else to blame, but himself. You can deflect to the cows come home, but his bitch ass finally got exactly what he deserved.

My point had nothing to so with Sterling, but everything to do with the black community.

They are the ones who called for his head, and then they let idiots like the two I mentioned (Felton in particular) break the law and threaten his wife with a gun, and no one says anything. How is that any less worthwhile to protest against than racist remarks by a white billionaire?

Part of this is blood-driven retribution; a lot of blacks are simply jealous because another white man has made billionaire status, and he's a racist to boot? Cannot allow that -- we're underrepresented as it is, and we're allowing a racist to make money off of our sweat and tears?

This is nothing more than a jealous, bloodthirsty, witch-hunt, IMO.

Aside from that, we see black on black crime in the news everyday, and you know what? No one cares, generally. But let a white man breathe too heavy ... he must DIE!

 

[classy]

My position can be summed up in this short summation:

Blacks need to clean up their own race in the NBA, before they can so-call "clean up" the problems with whites in the NBA.

Let me also clue in on something, there is only one or two black owners. Most of the "money makers" are black. But most of the coaches, white. Owners, white again. League office, you guessed it, white. So his judgement has not come from blacks, but the same ones he only wanted his GF to hang around with.

 

[emperus]

My position can be summed up in this short summation:

Blacks need to clean up their own race in the NBA, before they can so-call "clean up" the problems with whites in the NBA.

You would think that this episode would be proof positive of what fears African Americans have when trying to deal with people they are believe are racists in Business situations.

We had an owner with a very clear Racist past whose g/f made a tape of him saying clearly racist things. The g/f's lawyer acknowledged that the tape was real. Sterling never denied that the tape was real. Yet, we had people like Londo, casting doubt on the tape, wanting to wait for the tape to be validated (though Sterling never claimed it was fake) and even making up crazy situations (Magic Johnson was behind the tape so he could buy the team) rather than accept reality.

Yet you wonder why African Americans in the league didn't do more? ELgin Baylor did and look what happened in that case.

 

[nehalem256]

Honestly. I'm very confused by your position.

Sterling is a known racist. He has been already sued multiple times. Some in which he lost and others in which he won, like ELgerin Baylor. It's frustratingly hard to prove someone is racist or convince "other" upper staff in a corporation that their boss/owner is Racist. People just don't come out and say it, esp, when people claim we are living in a post-racial society. So, when you claim racism, it's usually dismissed and your blacklisted, so African Americans who generally want to succeed, tend to not say anything and suffer silently in hopes of just moving up eventually.

So, players play for documented racists, just like many African American work for known racists. There aren't too many options when your in a specialized field (Sports, I-banking, Law, etc), the majority of Executives in this country are white and most of them over 60 (grew up in a society lacking diversity). (I'm not saying everyone over 60 harbors racist inclinations, but it takes a lot of self awareness to transcend the environment which you were raised) If you listen to the tapes, he mentions his other friends alerted him of his g/f's pictures. Who do you think these other people are? What type of friends does a multi billionaire keep. Probably other captains of industry.

There are 30 owners in the NBA. Mostly an old boys network. The owners most likely knew of Sterlings views and did nothing even after being sued time and time again. What message do you think that sends to the players in the league? What happens to a player who decides to call out the owner of his team and in turn make the other owners less money?

I agree it can be seen as cowardly but it is an untenable position to be put in.

Your argument makes sense for the players. Its pretty easy to swallow your pride so to speak when you are being paid millions.

What it doesn't explain is the NAACP repeatedly giving the guy awards.

 

[classy]

My point had nothing to so with Sterling, but everything to do with the black community.

They are the ones who called for his head, and then they let idiots like the two I mentioned (Felton in particular) break the law and threaten his wife with a gun, and no one says anything. How is that any less worthwhile to protest against than racist remarks by a white billionaire?

Part of this is blood-driven retribution; a lot of blacks are simply jealous because another white man has made billionaire status, and he's a racist to boot? Cannot allow that -- we're underrepresented as it is, and we're allowing a racist to make money off of our sweat and tears?

This is nothing more than a jealous, bloodthirsty, witch-hunt, IMO.

Aside from that, we see black on black crime in the news everyday, and you know what? No one cares, generally. But let a white man breathe too heavy ... he must DIE!

Are you kidding me, lol, hehehehehehehe. What the fuck does the black community have to do with Sterling's actions here? Why are you putting the black community on trial, his fate was decided by another white man and he with support no doubt from some other owners, dropped an anvil on this dude. How is it that instead of talking about Sterling, you decide its time to attack the black community?

 

[Retro Rob]

Why are you putting the black community on trial,

Because talking heads like Steven A Smith, and Mike Wilbon, are using this pulpit to preach zero-tolerance, and they have a LOT of support from blacks.

Where are they when we (blacks in general) in the NBA are arrested for drunk driving, beating the shit out of our wives, gambling our money away?

They are largely silent on these issues. And these issues, are.. PUBLIC!!

This is why they're on trial. They seem to not care about the woes concerning their own "brothers and sisters", but when a white man does it, we cannot tolerate that.

 

[werepossum]

Well, thanks. I was trying to think rationally and not with "the mob" mentality ready to burn and behead a man who didn't make public statements about his feelings about blacks.

1. No one would be saying anything if this wasn't recorded and made public, which means that as long as he was paying them tens of millions of dollars and "falling in line", they'd love him. Remember, Chris Paul claimed to not know anything about his racist past....I guess the money made all that go away.

2. In actuality I think many, if not all, of the black players are taking the PC route. A rational person would point out the sheer hypocrisy of players signing to play for a well-documented racist.

3. Why? Because since I'm black I have to side with them?

I make my own mind up on stuff like this, but I see where you're coming from a bit...I think.

4. Oh, so they can't break a contract on moral grounds but they can use the same morality to force a man from the NBA?

5. This is the bullcrap I'm taking about. The ONLY reason why black players don't lash out against black thugs is because they're black, and Sterling is white.

How is this not racism in it's own right?

6. Because they're racists. Its the same as when I call my friend a n****r, and I hug him, but when a white man does it, its WW3.

I took the liberty of numbering your points to address them without breaking up your post.

1. True - but we can't un-know something. Lots of times we know something repugnant about someone but for our own reasons we ignore it unless and until it becomes too big to ignore. There's some hypocrisy in that, but also a realization that we're all flawed and lashing out against every imperfection is no way to live.

2. Twice in my life I've worked for racists. Both times it was a factor in my deciding to seek work elsewhere, but neither time did I immediately quit my job when I witnessed my boss asking "you didn't hire that ni**er, did you?" I imagine virtually all the NBA players are taking the PC route - nobody wants to be tarred with Sterling's brush - but the fact that they are earning millions doesn't really make their hypocrisy any greater than my own. It just means they have a more valuable skill than do I. Ain't been but one perfect man, and none of us totally live up to our own ideals.

3. No, just for the reasons I detailed. This was fairly minor and I don't think you walk away in the middle of the season, affecting a great many people other than Sterling. But by the same token, it's not so minor that everyone can or should ignore it. So as long as it's done in the off-season and it's a two-way street, I see no reason that players should not be free to say this particular straw broke the camel's back.

4. I think so, yes. It's certainly arguable either way, but personally I find "I'm not going to leave you in the lurch, but I cannot continue working for you so you'll have to find a replacement once the season is over" is a reasonable compromise. Remember that for some of these players this may well be their only chance for a championship; they would be hurt more by a walk-out than would Sterling.

5. Black players also don't lash out at white thugs. Maybe some of this is racism, but it's also a mentality of us (players) against them (owners) as well as accepting some things that should not be acceptable to maintain a good working relationship with all one's teammates, not just the ones walking in Christ's footsteps.

6. I think a lot of it is perceived intent. We insult our friends as a sign of affection, so things that are perfectly acceptable from friends may well be fighting words from a stranger regardless of race. There is of course a racial component; blacks are deservedly sensitive to a return to second class status. Some are hyper-sensitive. But I don't think there really is a proper level of sensitivity; it's bounded only by a reasonable fear of racism/discrimination in official form at one end of the scale and a ludicrous sensitivity at the other.

 

[emperus]

Your argument makes sense for the players. Its pretty easy to swallow your pride so to speak when you are being paid millions.

What it doesn't explain is the NAACP repeatedly giving the guy awards.

Honestly, when I was in College I went to a NAACP meeting. I wasn't impressed then and haven't been since. There are some strong black national leaders, but I'm sure there is a lot of incompetence and corruption in the local branches. Sadly no race has a monopoly on incompetence and corruption.

 

[werepossum]

+1

When they knew and the fans did not, it was just old Sterling, and he had the right to believe as he wished as long as he did not discriminate. When the fans found out, he became a major liability. I don't really see the hypocrisy in this. He used to be a son-of-a-bitch who was tolerable; now he's a son-of-a-bitch who is intolerable.

 

[emperus]

Because talking heads like Steven A Smith, and Mike Wilbon, are using this pulpit to preach zero-tolerance, and they have a LOT of support from blacks.

Where are they when we (blacks in general) in the NBA are arrested for drunk driving, beating the shit out of our wives, gambling our money away?

They are largely silent on these issues. And these issues, are.. PUBLIC!!

This is why they're on trial. They seem to not care about the woes concerning their own "brothers and sisters", but when a white man does it, we cannot tolerate that.

I don't get how you are linking the two. Sterling and the culture racists like him create affect your, mine and my children's ability at happiness and an American Dream. People are inherently selfish and being inherently selfish that is what they are thinking. Playing Devils advocate here. What others do, others do, why should African Americans be other African American's keepers? Are white people other white people's keepers? Again playing Devil's advocate.

 

[emperus]

+1

When they knew and the fans did not, it was just old Sterling, and he had the right to believe as he wished as long as he did not discriminate. When the fans found out, he became a major liability. I don't really see the hypocrisy in this. He used to be a son-of-a-bitch who was tolerable; now he's a son-of-a-bitch who is intolerable.

I don't look at it at the league making a moral decision. They did a basic cost benefit analysis. And for the other owners Sterling became a major liability. A by product of their dollars and cents decision was a good decision.

 

[Retro Rob]

I don't get how you are linking the two.

Not linking the two -- I'm linking the actions against whites with the inaction against issues within the black segment of the NBA.

Sterling and the culture racists like him create affect your, mine and my children's ability at happiness and an American Dream.

I've yet to hear anyone say that, but you. You know why? Because that's not why they're protesting against Sterling.

Playing Devils advocate here. What others do, others do, why should African Americans be other African American's keepers? Are white people other white people's keepers? Again playing Devil's advocate.

Because blacks, in this case, are trying to be white people's keepers.

 

[Victorian Gray]

He should be, yes, but he won't...and you know why? Because most of the NBA's players and customers are black, and black people (especially men) think they can actually be this way because the "man" owes it to us to make up for 400 years of slavery.

According to 538.com:

All NBA fans: Whites = 45.7%, Blacks = 31.4%, Hispanics = 16.1%, Asians = 6.8%

Obviously those stats will vary from team to team.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/...-nba-teams-have-a-majority-minority-fan-base/

 

[Victorian Gray]

Pretty much nails it. As long as it's reasonably quiet, nobody really gives a damn.

 

[emperus]

Because blacks, in this case, are trying to be white people's keepers.

Honestly, I could care less what white people do as long as it doesn't affect me. Racists affect me. They force me to work harder, force me to be more careful when driving, force me worry about my actions in ways non-Blacks wouldn't. So we aren't trying to be white people's keepers we are trying to be our own keepers.

 

[Victorian Gray]

My point had nothing to so with Sterling, but everything to do with the black community.

They are the ones who called for his head, and then they let idiots like the two I mentioned (Felton in particular) break the law and threaten his wife with a gun, and no one says anything. How is that any less worthwhile to protest against than racist remarks by a white billionaire?

Part of this is blood-driven retribution; a lot of blacks are simply jealous because another white man has made billionaire status, and he's a racist to boot? Cannot allow that -- we're underrepresented as it is, and we're allowing a racist to make money off of our sweat and tears?

This is nothing more than a jealous, bloodthirsty, witch-hunt, IMO.

Aside from that, we see black on black crime in the news everyday, and you know what? No one cares, generally. But let a white man breathe too heavy ... he must DIE!

Yeah, cause millions are marching the streets screaming "KILL THE ah heck!!!!! KILL HIM NOW!!!!! Right?! Right?!

Hyperbole doesn't make your point. Rational argument/discussion does.

 

[werepossum]

I don't get how you are linking the two. Sterling and the culture racists like him create affect your, mine and my children's ability at happiness and an American Dream. People are inherently selfish and being inherently selfish that is what they are thinking. Playing Devils advocate here. What others do, others do, why should African Americans be other African American's keepers? Are white people other white people's keepers? Again playing Devil's advocate.

I think he has a point. Although in this case white people are another white man's keeper. Black athletes will become other black athletes' keepers in the exact same situation - when the fans demand it and thus it threatens their own livelihood. At the moment, the fans are very tolerant of players' thuggish behavior and not at all tolerant of owners' racism. If the fans were intolerant of players' thuggish behavior and tolerant of owners' racism, we'd see players (and the league) taking other players to task and Sterling getting yet another pass. Silver is merely enforcing the fans' requirements. And unless and until those requirements change, players and the league will be less tolerant of those speaking out against bad behavior in specific players than of those engaging in the bad behavior.

 

[OCGuy]

Pretty much nails it. As long as it's reasonably quiet, nobody really gives a damn.

Wait...you mean that unless there is firm evidence of something, you can't just take away their franchise? Haha...

This was the absolute right thing to do, but the fringe race-baiters are upset that the marches have been cancelled.

 

[werepossum]

I don't look at it at the league making a moral decision. They did a basic cost benefit analysis. And for the other owners Sterling became a major liability. A by product of their dollars and cents decision was a good decision.

Exactly. And I have zero problem with that. I do think the punishment was quite excessive compared to his "crime", which is one thing that has Rob worked up. But I have zero problem with that as well. Players (and the coaches) are the talent, and punishing the talent hurts the bottom line far more than punishing the owners. Sterling should be bright enough to know this, and yet on the phone he told his half-black rented piece of tail not to bring black people to his booth or to post social media pictures of herself with them. If nothing else, that level of stupidity should preclude any sympathy. Surely if he can't be a decent human being he can at least be smart enough to pretend to be one.