OT: Ownership

[MDFAN]

How's this for irony--- Couple of years ago but kinda funny now.

NAACP To Honor Clippers Owner Donald Sterling

Posted by admin on May. 06, 2009, 12:15pm

There have been many opinions about Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling during his time running the team. The most common one being that Sterling is cheap and couldn’t care less about whether or not the team was winning, just as long as he was running a profit. He never signed the big free agents, or kept any of the team’s young talent anytime they began showing some promise.
Sterling has quieted some of these complaints in recent years by trying to re-sign players like Elton Brand and bringing in others such as Baron Davis. Then after essentially firing longtime general manager Elgin Baylor last October, he was hit with another criticism after Baylor filed a lawsuit against Sterling saying that he was a racist and that he had a “vision of a Southern plantation-type structure” within the organization. Well, Elgin’s lawsuit just took a pretty big blow. The NAACP is honoring Sterling with a lifetime achievement award.

From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:

Leon Jenkins, president of the Los Angeles branch of the civil rights organization, says of the much-maligned Sterling, “He has a unique history of giving to the children of L.A.,” revealing that the owner donates anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 tickets a game to youth groups for nearly every Clippers home game. . . .
Noting that the NAACP had made plans to honor Sterling before Baylor filed suit, Jenkins says, “We can’t speak to the allegations, but what we do know is that for the most part [Sterling] has been very, very kind to the minority youth community.” . . .

I can already see Sterling sitting at the table polishing the award while Baylor gives his testimony on the stand. “What’s that your honor? I couldn’t hear you, I was too busy polishing my LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM THE NAACP.”
Seems Baylor can’t put a winner together in any kind of court environment.

[MDFAN]

Just off the top of my head but say they can't make him sell. They damn sure can ban the team from the league make an expansion team in LA and then who is he going to play. The advertisers walk away and how does he pay the players.
Sure he will sue to try to draw as much blood as he can but he will lose in the end

The advertisers are running for the hills already ---- that shouldn't surprise anyone. As I hope we all know by now that Sponsors leaving is 95% a perception move made for public relations ------ ONLY because it impacts the bottom line.

But I wonder about the other partners(I am assuming there are some) and how they get painted with the same wide brush.

[tinopuno]

But I wonder about the other partners(I am assuming there are some) and how they get painted with the same wide brush.

"Lie down with dogs....."

[MDFAN]

"Lie down with dogs....."

Funny I guess DJ gets lumped in with those dogs also.................. Shame people can't always think for themselves and have to carry PC'ness to extremes. Not referring to you, just those people that were sooooooooooooo quick to think DJ was a gangster.

He lived in So Central and Compton and he grew up with those "dogs", so it was so EASY to believe he got the fleas.

[tinopuno]

Funny I guess DJ gets lumped in with those dogs also.................. Shame people can't always think for themselves and have to carry PC'ness to extremes. Not referring to you, just those people that were sooooooooooooo quick to think DJ was a gangster.

He lived in So Central and Compton and he grew up with those "dogs", so it was so EASY to believe he got the fleas.

MD,

My point is that any partners Sterling had must have been aware that they were allying themselves with a pretty sleazy human being. I call him that because I can't find anyone who has anything good to say about him. Indeed, it's just the opposite.

The lifetime award from a branch of the NAACP in California would seem to counter the idea that Sterling is a flat out racist. Three things to keep in mind in that context:
- As I understand it, NAACP branches survive largely on contributions.
- We all have a price.
- As cheap as Sterling is reputed to be, over the years he has been known to spend money publicly and privately when it served his strategic interests. The good deeds he was recognized for in this award would seem to have occurred during one of the extended periods when he was under legal scrutiny for discriminatory practices in his real estate ventures. (Just a fortunate coincidence I'm sure.)

You made a point in an earlier post that I agree with strongly. Sterling (stupidly) got caught voicing sentiments that are shared by many more people than we might care to believe, including some of his fellow pro sports owners.

[CHIP72]

Just off the top of my head but say they can't make him sell. They damn sure can ban the team from the league make an expansion team in LA and then who is he going to play. The advertisers walk away and how does he pay the players.
Sure he will sue to try to draw as much blood as he can but he will lose in the end

If the NBA tries to fold the Clippers, Sterling will sue the NBA for that.

I think we're going to see lawsuits go on for years as a result of what happened, and it isn't going to be pretty for Sterling, the NBA, or possibly some other NBA owners.

[NoDakIggle]

If the NBA tries to fold the Clippers, Sterling will sue the NBA for that.

I think we're going to see lawsuits go on for years as a result of what happened, and it isn't going to be pretty for Sterling, the NBA, or possibly some other NBA owners.

Oh I agree there will be plenty of lawsuits but the NBA has plenty of options IMO. I can't believe there is any way Sterling walks away from this owning the Clippers. And I'd be surprised if the wife winds up with the team. The kids on the other hand--maybe, just maybe they can claim to be clean enough that the other owners (and the players) can live with them.

[MDFAN]

Tino, we agree my friend. Mine was more of a societal irony. We (society) abhorre using stereotypes ---- but yet we do it all the time. See DJ and his youth and background.

[sfphillyfan]

If the NBA tries to fold the Clippers, Sterling will sue the NBA for that.

I think we're going to see lawsuits go on for years as a result of what happened, and it isn't going to be pretty for Sterling, the NBA, or possibly some other NBA owners.

Which is why I think the NBA (image is everything!) gets Oprah and Magic and whoever else has a good PR rating to overpay for the team.

[musicman]

so he gave away tickets, they were a pretty shitty team most of the time. Giving them to kids might sell food and jerseys that they wouldn't sell to empty seats.

[WCPhan]

so he gave away tickets, they were a pretty shitty team most of the time. Giving them to kids might sell food and jerseys that they wouldn't sell to empty seats.

Exactly, and this was the time when I scalped one tenth row ticket to the Iverson-Sixers game for $40.

Giving away tickets noone was buying anyways just seems like a transparent gesture.

[MDFAN]

Exactly, and this was the time when I scalped one tenth row ticket to the Iverson-Sixers game for $40.

Giving away tickets noone was buying anyways just seems like a transparent gesture.

LOL--- Obviously not to the NAACP.

[WCPhan]

LOL--- Obviously not to the NAACP.

Nice one!!