OT: Donald Sterling

[Phrazbit]

Not to be ghoulish, but won't this problem take care of itself sooner rather than later, thanks to Sterling's long-term struggles with cancer?

I think that was a ploy for sympathy. Unless allowed to run rampant prostate cancer is typically very treatable. One of my grandfathers had it for nearly a decade before dying at age 88 of heart issues, the other is still kicking at 89 and has also had prostate cancer for a while .

If you're fortunate enough to make it into your 80s I think the odds of getting prostate cancer at some point are pretty high.

 

[gimpy]

I doubt Sterling is really the problem now. I think it will be the missus that will start causing the big problems now.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Southpaw]

Saw this in the comment section of cbssports.com

mauxdeverite
1 hour ago

The major difference between Silver and Sterling, and every other NBA owner is that Adam Silver is NOT a billionaire. He is an employee chosen by the owners, and who works at the will and pleasure of the owners. Silver is discovering that you don't kick billionaires in the groin and expect them to ask for more. The reality is that you cannot hurt an eighty year old billionaire with words, silly sanctions. Using harsh words and telling someone you're going to force them to sell something at nearly $800 million profit is indeed a harsh and fearsome punishment. Political correctness is a tool created by the elites to silence the masses, censor opposing viewpoints, and to shape and control social opinion. It is not a tool to be used against elites. Grow up already. Elite people by definition are above and beyond most of the mundane "rules" that burden the masses and hoi polloi. The one person on earth that can hurt Donald Sterling the most is Shelly Sterling. The one word that Donald Sterling fears the most is "half". Shelly is entitled by California law, to half of everything that Sterling owns, including the Clippers. Ironically, the person whom Adam Silver and the NBA fear the most is also Shelly Sterling. She alone holds the trump cards in this fiasco. She alone has the "nuclear" option, and that is divorce. If Shelly pushed the red button and files for divorce, it's game over for the NBA. The Clippers will effectively be locked up in a divorce case that could take years, and easily not be settled until Donald Sterling has passed, at which point the Clippers will legally pass to his heirs. And if that happens, you can wish the NBA "good luck with that", in trying to take the Clippers away from them. Divorce also creates a horrible PR dilemma for Silver and the NBA. Donald Sterling still owns the Clippers, and it's NOT technical ownership, it's ACTUAL ownership. They can tell themselves whatever they want, and try to put the best spin on it, but It's still his sweaty, filthy money that Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and all the other players are stuffing in their pockets with every pay check. Any trophies won by the Clippers will end up in the hands of Donald Sterling. So what is the NBA's immediate victory here? That Sterling cannot attend games and make player decisions? And what of Shelly Sterling? The NBA cannot in any way prohibit her from attending games, and sitting courtside. The NBA's puffery and bluster is all symbolic. Sterling has broken no law, and is not at risk of incarceration. Once again, you can't hurt a billionaire. The NBA's ultimate victory is Sterling earning an $800 million profit on the sale of the Clippers. Wow. Hurt me bad

Think this writer nailed it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Saw this in the comment section of cbssports.com



Think this writer nailed it.

It's well written but that's about it AFAIC. I think it's factually wrong in so many areas I don't even know where to start. Since when does the NBA lose the right to ban anyone from a game? And Mrs. Sterling is not an NBA Owner whether she owns half of the assets or not. To be an NBA Owner you have to be approved by the league's Board of Governors (I think that's the group but whatever it's label, the same applies). Also, it wasn't Silver stomping his feet ineffectually as the writer suggests. Silver took that public stand to save the league not to punish Sterling and those harsh words were more public relations than any real attempt to chastise a billionaire. Also, it's pretty well known that Sterling loves the fame he gets from owning that club and taking him out of that picture does indeed hit him where he lives. Silver doesn't need to grow up, he accomplished what he set out to do. If he had done nothing or perhaps, just less, the playoffs would have come to a halt and the league itself would have been in jeopardy. None of this is to say that it will be easy to force the sale but it will be easy to keep the Sterlings out of the picture. And Donald will never touch a Clippers trophy. So yes, you can hurt a billionaire.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

Saw this in the comment section of cbssports.com


Think this writer nailed it.

It sounds like a paranoid conspiracy theorist who is somewhere far on the other side of coherent. However, he's correct that a divorce between the Sterlings would delay the sale of the Clippers, potentially for a quite inconvenient period of time.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I haven't been watching this that closely. Is there a reason why Shelly Sterling is not entitled to her half of the Clippers, or of ownership in any way of the team? Did she make racist comments or has been in any way guilty of what is bringing this down on Sterling? Or is it family guilt by association? I am not arguing, I am really asking. I don't know.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Re: Hurting Billionaires

The NBA owns the "Clippers" name. If the Sterlings fought this tooth and nail, the NBA can still strip them of their name and of their membership in the NBA.

The Sterlings will then be left with a professional basketball franchise with no name and no league to play in. If the NBA went further and awarded the Clippers name and franchise to one of the groups out there wanting an NBA team (they'll have to sort of start from scratch, of course), then Sterling's organization will have NO value, leaving him at a major loss, especially since the lucrative contracts of his players will still be owed by him. The only thing that's stemming this scenario is the headache of having to rebuild a franchise from scratch.

So please, go ahead and fight this, Mr. Billionaire. Let's see just how far we can take this premise of "billionaires can't be hurt."

EDIT:
Also, a major part of this that this cbssports.com commenter seems to be missing is, this has NOTHING to do with breaking any laws. This is a business decision that touches the pockets of OTHER billionaires. The simple fact is, Donald Sterling is bad for the NBA as a business and for the NBA's image. This will be handled civilly, and these justifications are enough to justify the drastic measures the NBA is looking into.

 

[crisper57]

I haven't been watching this that closely. Is there a reason why Shelly Sterling is not entitled to her half of the Clippers, or of ownership in any way of the team? Did she make racist comments or has been in any way guilty of what is bringing this down on Sterling? Or is it family guilt by association? I am not arguing, I am really asking. I don't know.

Shelly has a history of doing racially-tinged things too. They are slumlords, and there are court documents that show that she's posed as an inspector to gain access to units and intimidate minority families. That's my really high level summary. She's also quoted in depositions as making racist remarks.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-clippers-thunder-plaschke-20140508-column.html

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/...ing-and-the-racism-of-housing-discrimination#

 

[Russ Smith]

I haven't been watching this that closely. Is there a reason why Shelly Sterling is not entitled to her half of the Clippers, or of ownership in any way of the team? Did she make racist comments or has been in any way guilty of what is bringing this down on Sterling? Or is it family guilt by association? I am not arguing, I am really asking. I don't know.

Someone else said it first but the NBA has to sign off on ownership via the board of governors or whatever they call it. They did that with Donald, but not Shelly Stirling.

If he dies, she inherits that and then the NBA might be in some trouble, but as long as he's alive they apparently have the ability to block him from simply transferring ownership. In fact one guy on CNN said her own comments that he's not a racist but she thinks has dementia, could be used against her. That is the NBA could argue he's not mentally fit to transfer ownership of the team to her and use her own statements to the media against her.

 

[Covert Rain]

Saw this in the comment section of cbssports.com

Think this writer nailed it.

That writer made some good points about the results of divorce for example but got everything else just about wrong.

He anything but nailed it IMO.

 

[Mainstreet]

There is reportedly an agreement to sell the Clippers. Hopefully the sell of the team will go through without complications. See quote from the ESPN article today.

The Sterling family trust has signed an agreement to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer, sources tell ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne.

Sources confirmed to ESPN earlier Thursday evening that Ballmer had submitted a bid of $2 billion.

The agreement is going straight to the NBA for final approval and does not require additional approval from banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling, according to sources.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/...ts-winning-bid-buy-clippers-according-sources

 

[Superbone]

There is reportedly an agreement to sell the Clippers. Hopefully the sell of the team will go through without complications. See quote from the ESPN article today.



http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/...ts-winning-bid-buy-clippers-according-sources

Next step, move them to Seattle!

 

[Mainstreet]

Next step, move them to Seattle!

But he promised to stay in LA.

However, for a 2 billion purchase price, I don't see it happening anytime soon. Seattle is not as big a market.

 

[Superbone]

Are we sure Sterling and Stiviano didn't plan this outcome from the start? $2 billion dollars, are you kidding me?! Real rough consequences Sterling and his family has to endure.

 

[Mainstreet]

Are we sure Sterling and Stiviano didn't plan this outcome from the start? $2 billion dollars, are you kidding me?! Real rough consequences Sterling and his family has to endure.

I bet Robert Sarver is feeling good about the selling price.

 

[Superbone]

I bet Robert Sarver is feeling good about the selling price.

No kidding. The previous high was $550 million for the Milwaukee Bucks.

 

[Mainstreet]

No kidding. The previous high was $550 million for the Milwaukee Bucks.

So the Suns have to be worth at least near a billion on the open market.

Ca-Ching!

 

[ozzfloyd]

Apparently the wife had him deemed mentally unfit or incapacitated which allowed her to make the binding deal with Ballmer. Pending NBA approval. Donald has no say.

 

[JCSunsfan]

It's primarily about where the team is. Can imagine what an nfl team in LA would be worth?

 

[chickenhead]

My thoughts:

Sterling: good riddance.

The sale: just wow. 2 billion for a team with a history of zero brand value up until a couple of years ago, that shares its market with one of the most valuable brands in sports. The chance to buy into live content is irresistible to media and tech companies in the age of instant accessibility for everything else.

Not that I was worrying about the Suns moving to Seattle, but at least it won't be Ballmer buying them and moving them there if this goes through. One negative factor (for the Suns) though, is that the Clippers will be pretty much entrenched in the upper echelon of NBA franchises when it comes to free agency. A warm-weather, gargantuan media market no longer shooting itself in the foot.

 

[JCSunsfan]

My thoughts:

Sterling: good riddance.

The sale: just wow. 2 billion for a team with a history of zero brand value up until a couple of years ago, that shares its market with one of the most valuable brands in sports. The chance to buy into live content is irresistible to media and tech companies in the age of instant accessibility for everything else.

Not that I was worrying about the Suns moving to Seattle, but at least it won't be Ballmer buying them and moving them there if this goes through. One negative factor (for the Suns) though, is that the Clippers will be pretty much entrenched in the upper echelon of NBA franchises when it comes to free agency. A warm-weather, gargantuan media market no longer shooting itself in the foot.

To me, this is about the value of an LA sports franchise. There is no way the Clippers would move, that would devalue the product. Who knows though, the Rams moved (which, in retrospect seems really, really stupid). The NFL needs to expand with an LA team, so that other owners won't be threatened to move. There is just way too much value and revenue sitting there, waiting to be grabbed.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Are we sure Sterling and Stiviano didn't plan this outcome from the start? $2 billion dollars, are you kidding me?! Real rough consequences Sterling and his family has to endure.

Talk about evil genius.

Being known as a racist would be awful, but I'm sure $2b would help people get over it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Talk about evil genius.

Being known as a racist would be awful, but I'm sure $2b would help people get over it.

he's already got 2 billion dollars. The donald isn't really about money at this point in his life. he loved his shiny toy that he could show off to people. and that toy just got taken away and he's a pariah in the country. money (when you already have billions) can't make up for that in that guy's twisted world.

 

[AzStevenCal]

he's already got 2 billion dollars. The donald isn't really about money at this point in his life. he loved his shiny toy that he could show off to people. and that toy just got taken away and he's a pariah in the country. money (when you already have billions) can't make up for that in that guy's twisted world.

Agreed. And I don't think his franchise gained in value because of this incident. Add in the huge hit they'll take because of this sale rather than waiting till he passed and this is a big hit to the Sterling wealth.

Steve

 

[AzCards21]

Agreed. And I don't think his franchise gained in value because of this incident. Add in the huge hit they'll take because of this sale rather than waiting till he passed and this is a big hit to the Sterling wealth.

Steve

How could it not have gained value? There's no way that team was worth 2 billion before this. What other franchise in the country would be worth that, the Cowboys and Yankees? This is the Clippers we're talking about. It doesn't make good business sense so I have to wonder how much the NBA is sweetening up this deal.

Bottom line is it takes a whole lot of money to force someone to sell something they don't want to. I'm also pretty sure there are a few lawyers around that will keep him from taking much of a hit on this sale.