Donald Sterling racial slurs

[pondwater]

To be more specific: any ridiculously racist position is "perfectly fine" when kept private, precisely because the public is unaware of it.  How can you possibly have a public backlash for something that the public doesn't know about?

Any personal racist or prejudice position is perfectly fine in the United States. At best, you or I may disagree with it, nothing more. Conversely, I can dislike or hate anyone I want to and there is nothing anyone else can do about it. Firing, fining, or suspending business people isn't going to change anything ever. People will still be racist.

I have made no statement as to the legality of the recordings or Sterling's avenues for redressing any civil tort he may have suffered.  I do, however, find it incredibly convenient that you seem to be against the idea of leaked communications, and that we should completely ignore the content of any illicitly-gained communication.  Can I presume that your strict code of morality also applies to communications that are more convenient to your political worldview?

The recordings were illegal, simple as that. It has nothing to do with me, I didn't create the laws. I do find it funny that people are more focused on someone's perfectly legal opinion in a private conversation and not with enforcing the laws that were broken.

[Spider-Dan]

Any personal racist or prejudice position is perfectly fine in the United States. At best, you or I may disagree with it, nothing more.

Incorrect.  I may elect not to do business with (or to actively boycott) people that espouse such positions, or I may elect to vote them out of office, or I may campaign for them to be fired (as appropriate).

You are making the common mistake of conflating free speech for which the government will not arrest you with speech without consequences.  Sterling's speech, like most anyone else's, has consequences.

Firing, fining, or suspending business people isn't going to change anything ever. People will still be racist.

You're rather obviously wrong; it does change things.  60 years ago, George Marshall steadfastly refused to integrate the Redskins.  Such an action would be financial suicide today.  Progress continues to be made.

The recordings were illegal, simple as that. It has nothing to do with me, I didn't create the laws. I do find it funny that people are more focused on someone's perfectly legal opinion in a private conversation and not with enforcing the laws that were broken.

Again, no one is claiming that the government should arrest Sterling, so there's no need to bring up the red herring about his perfectly legal opinion.  And if he wants to sue his (ex-?)girlfriend, more power to him.  Maybe he can sue her for the millions of dollars in profits that he'll no longer be earning from his black players after he's forced to sell the team.

His opinion is not acceptable to society, and you are seeing capitalism at work: his business partners have decided that he is an unwanted liability, and they are rapidly moving to disentangle themselves from him.

Aren't you normally in favor of the free market?  Why aren't you praising capitalism in this case?

[pondwater]

I too am wondering about the legality of the recordings. The guy is a grade A asshat no doubt about it and sure he deserves every bit of the punishment being handed down. I am now wondering if the precedence set forth in this case will be the norm gong forward. We are all guilty in one way or another of having a private, less than 10 minute, conversation with someone that if recorded could land us in hot water (and no not just specific to racism). So I wonder if for example Lebron says something about hating whites or that women are not equals or whatever, which gets recorded and published. Does Silver now have to impose a lifetime ban on Lebron? Plenty of players have made homophobic remarks in the past so are those players looking at lifetime bans going forward because it is a black eye for the league? Just food for thought!!!!!

It's the "make them pay" politically correct society we live in. There is nothing that they can do to 99.9% of the racists out there, so lets just pick on the few that we can affect in some way to "make them pay".  Donald Sterling deserves whatever the fans, players, and general public hand down, nothing more. The guy was already a know racist and had a private conversation with someone who set him up illegally. Given the facts, the NBA should stay out of it.

[CF DolFan]

We are all guilty in one way or another of having a private, less than 10 minute, conversation with someone that if recorded could land us in hot water (and no not just specific to racism).

How dare you admit that? Lol ... I always love it when people get into trouble and everyone else acts as if they do no wrong.  

[EDGECRUSHER]

I wonder if Knicks’ Larry Johnson will be fined, fired, or suspended for his calls for all-black basketball league. Seems just as racist and discriminatory to exclude all races except blacks. Not only that, he said it in public and wasn't set up and illegally recorded in private. Lets see if the media crucifies him like they did Sterling.  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/28/knicks-larry-johnson-calls-all-black-nba-league/

I wouldn't hold your breath.

Sterling is an asshole, the players are ninnies for faking outrage now that the cameras are on them and somehow James Dolan still has a team for doing far worse shit than Sterling's bigotry.

I wonder if Sterling will sue his hooker for leaking that audiotape of his hysterical racist viewpoints.

[RichThrawn]

I wouldn't hold your breath.

Sterling is an asshole, the players are ninnies for faking outrage now that the cameras are on them and somehow James Dolan still has a team for doing far worse shit than Sterling's bigotry.

I wonder if Sterling will sue his hooker for leaking that audiotape of his hysterical racist viewpoints.

She's retained an attorney.  I'm not surprised one bit

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

How dare you admit that? Lol ... I always love it when people get into trouble and everyone else acts as if they do no wrong.  

Yes I often forget how perfect everyone else on this planet is!!!!! 

[Tenshot13]

Quick recap from various posters:

1.  Debate over racism and reverse racism.
2.  The bible is fiction.
3.  Political party debate.
4.  Morality of homosexuality.

I DON'T BELIEVE IN ABORTION!  YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT GUNS I CAN HAVE! 

There, I think we have every polarizing topic that people should never discuss while drinking....and all in the same thread!

[EDGECRUSHER]

Quick recap from various posters:

1.  Debate over racism and reverse racism.
2.  The bible is fiction.
3.  Political party debate.
4.  Morality of homosexuality.

I DON'T BELIEVE IN ABORTION!  YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT GUNS I CAN HAVE! 

There, I think we have every polarizing topic that people should never discuss while drinking....and all in the same thread!

You know who wants our guns? The Lizard people that run this country. OPEN YOUR EYES SHEEPLE!

There, NOW I think we got everyone.

[el diablo]

Quick recap from various posters:

1.  Debate over racism and reverse racism.
2.  The bible is fiction.
3.  Political party debate.
4.  Morality of homosexuality.

I DON'T BELIEVE IN ABORTION!  YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT GUNS I CAN HAVE! 

There, I think we have every polarizing topic that people should never discuss while drinking....and all in the same thread!

You forgot about Tebow being a real NFL QB. Just saying.

[pondwater]

I have made no statement as to the legality of the recordings or Sterling's avenues for redressing any civil tort he may have suffered.  I do, however, find it incredibly convenient that you seem to be against the idea of leaked communications, and that we should completely ignore the content of any illicitly-gained communication.  Can I presume that your strict code of morality also applies to communications that are more convenient to your political worldview?

I will assume from this statement that you would have no problem if the criminal in question is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and receives the maximum penalty allowed by law and also a civil judgement for damages, lost income, and punitive.

[Fau Teixeira]

i don't think anything sterling did in this case is criminal .. it's just bigoted and shameful ..

recording someone without their consent in California is criminal ..  .. so if there's proof of a criminal act there . .then yes .. they should prosecute or sue or whatever else you mentioned in your paragraph above ..

apples and oranges ?

[Spider-Dan]

I will assume from this statement that you would have no problem if the criminal in question is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and receives the maximum penalty allowed by law and also a civil judgement for damages, lost income, and punitive.

I mean, if he wants to sue her for 2 billion dollars (or whatever), fine with me?  Realistically speaking, the best he could do is get back the money he gave her, but if she broke the law, then he is entitled to pursue appropriate legal action.

That being said, according to Bill Simmons:

- there are more than 100 hours of these tapes
- Sterling asked his assistant/girlfriend to record them (which means two-party consent was given)

If Simmons' story is true, then Sterling likely has no recourse.  I am unaware of any California law that prevents release of recordings you have consented to (much less requested).

[EDGECRUSHER]

I would be very surprised if Sterling asked anyone to record him being racist and stupid. That being said, he still didn't give permission for it to be leaked to the press, so she is still liable. Like you said, guess she will have to give back all the hooker money he gave her.

The trickier issue is that while in the end he will very likely sell the team, he can fight this in court for a long time. Sterling was a lawyer before he made his fortune being despicable to minorities in housing developments and he loves court battles. The NBA will have to prove how these videotapes and only these videotapes are legitimate grounds for expulsion from the league while acts by the OTHER owners is okay. First name that pops up is James Dolan of the Knicks, another piece of garbage. Is being racist with words worse than what Dolan has done? If not, how can they take away the team?

It's probably going to get ugly if the owners all take a stand and boot him. He has known many of them for decades, I would be shocked if they were all squeaky clean.

[Spider-Dan]

Well, when someone has recorded you for many, many hours, sometimes you get caught off guard and say things that you might not think too much about beforehand.  (This is basically the mechanism behind most embarrassing documentaries.)  As far as suing her because the tape got out, he would first have to prove that she intentionally leaked it.  At that point, his chances of winning would be approximately the same as every person that's tried to sue over a sex tape.

As far as how he can fight, the NBA can rather easily stop that: don't schedule the Clippers against any other NBA team until he sells them.  Who will the Clippers play, the Washington Generals?