OT: Off Topic Thread XV: Behold my army of Predators!

[PaulProteus]

Here's my conspiracy based on no facts, no real care in the world about any if the people involved and an extremely limited knowledge of the situation in general.

Magic Johnson wants to own an NBA team in LA. The Lakers are obviously out, so he wants the Clippers. He gets the mistress to bait the obvious racist into saying racist things. Poof, banned for life, Magic gets the Clippers and probably at a hefty discount. /remove tinfoil hat

My whole thing was, "Who lets someone record them, especially an old man with a wife, mistress, and a giant money pile?"

Listening to Gold and Ovies yesterday (or whoever it was) they mentioned something about how he LIKED his mistress recording their conversations, as it made it easier for him to recall what he had told his wife as opposed to the mistress.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Wife also wants 50% of everything the mistress got (since those were "gifts") and does seem to have a case under California law.

Mistress didn't like that, so she went nuclear with the worst thing that she could find.

 

[rocky7]

any guy that would trust that thing hanging off his arm deserves whatever he gets when it turns on him.

mainstream media is having a field day with this and I'm sure that Cliven Bundy is happy that Sterling stole the spot light. haha.....

 

[Joe McGrath]

any guy that would trust that thing hanging off his arm deserves whatever he gets when it turns on him.

mainstream media is having a field day with this and I'm sure that Cliven Bundy is happy that Sterling stole the spot light. haha.....

I would think that any guy that would think that way would deserve whatever is coming to him, but what he's going to get is about a billion dollars. He must be crushed.

 

[rocky7]

I would think that any guy that would think that way would deserve whatever is coming to him, but what he's going to get is about a billion dollars. He must be crushed.

we need more thought police...


he says the team isn't for sale. who knows, but I seriously doubt that the owners will vote to force a sale. it would set a precedent that I don't think anyone would want to be exposed to.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

When racist wastes of flesh like Clivern Bundy and Donald Sterling are like that poor bear a few posts up the world will be a much better place. A sale WILL be forced in the best interests of the sport as sponsors jump ship, that reduces everybody else's franchise values and opens the possibility that when the Clippers come to play against your team, there'll be a circus-like atmosphere of protests and boycotts. Sterling maintaining ownership would also undoubtedly poison the well with a player's association that's 75% African-American.

Anybody standing up for either of these chumps should just go ahead and drape a sheet over themselves and wear one of those pointed hoods - when you lie down with dogs you're bound to catch fleas, as it were.

 

[rocky7]

when looked at from the financial perspective perhaps, but these guys may place a higher value on things more valuable than money. it's not a matter of defending the content of his rants. his views were already well known. I understand that the cases he has been involved in and this one aren't constitutional or governmental situations but it is a slippery slope no matter how you look at it.

 

[SkinnersAWinner]

Anyone else see Knick's Executive Larry Johnson tweet that there needs to be a new league with only black players, owners, and fans?

 

[Sens1Canes2]

when looked at from the financial perspective perhaps, but these guys may place a higher value on things more valuable than money. it's not a matter of defending the content of his rants. his views were already well known. I understand that the cases he has been involved in and this one aren't constitutional or governmental situations but it is a slippery slope no matter how you look at it.

Understand what you are saying, but think of it this way - everyone who is an NBA owner signed on to the "constitution", which somewhere states that with 75% approval of the owners, a team CAN be forced to sell OR what's happened here, banning for life of said owner. I too wonder what sort of precedent will be set, but this situation is so egregious that it calls for what ultimately has happened.

Like I said though, I wonder. Like, say an owner has contributed to anti-gay marriage political action groups. Does THAT constitute an egregious offense? No, *I* do not think it approaches Sterling's views, not even close. However, I guarantee you it does for some.

 

[rocky7]

Understand what you are saying, but think of it this way - everyone who is an NBA owner signed on to the "constitution", which somewhere states that with 75% approval of the owners, a team CAN be forced to sell OR what's happened here, banning for life of said owner. I too wonder what sort of precedent will be set, but this situation is so egregious that it calls for what ultimately has happened.

Like I said though, I wonder. Like, say an owner has contributed to anti-gay marriage political action groups. Does THAT constitute an egregious offense? No, *I* do not think it approaches Sterling's views, not even close. However, I guarantee you it does for some.

I too thought about the gay stuff in sport and yes, I agree that it would likely cause a big stir as well. I get that this isn't necessarily a 'legal' or 'personal freedoms' issue. it's a club and there are rules and though I may have my own views about certain societal preoccupations, sometimes I worry about the power that is wielded. there is a fine line here to me and it is worrisome regardless of the views highlighted in this situation. for example, it really rubbed me the wrong way when the Mayor of LA (I think he was) stated in no uncertain terms, "to all the bigots out there, you are on notice and we will find you".

we must be very, very careful despite best intentions.

 

[HisIceness]

First off regarding the bear, WTF? I'm puzzled on that one. Apparently there was another dead bear found on the side of a road near Oxford a couple of days ago, claws pulled too. Possibly related?

Second, Silver did the right thing for the good of the league and the Clippers franchise. If Sterling had been kept, bye bye Blake Griffin, Doc Rivers, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, etc. Bye bye season ticket holders.

Third, we dodged the weather bullet in Charlotte today, but we're not out of it yet. Either we get a crazy ass storm, or we get nothing at all tomorrow.

 

[HisIceness]

Anyone else see Knick's Executive Larry Johnson tweet that there needs to be a new league with only black players, owners, and fans?

Didn't see it but I heard about it. Doesn't surprise me, this is the same guy who said in 1999 his Knicks teammates were "rebellious slaves". He also made slave comments at least once during his stint in Charlotte.

 

[SkinnersAWinner]

Didn't see it but I heard about it. Doesn't surprise me, this is the same guy who said in 1999 his Knicks teammates were "rebellious slaves". He also made slave comments at least once during his stint in Charlotte.

I just don't understand how it's just swept under the rug. Can you imagine the outburst if a white man tweeted the same tweet but said to make an all white league instead?

 

[Navin R Slavin]

we need more thought police...

Please. The man is a virulent racist. David Stern should have run him out of the league years ago. Yes, in this case, he got caught out by a "private conversation", but the man is what he is, and he deserves everything he gets. Mostly because he's bad for business.

he says the team isn't for sale. who knows, but I seriously doubt that the owners will vote to force a sale. it would set a precedent that I don't think anyone would want to be exposed to.

He doesn't get a choice as to whether "the team is for sale" -- we now know that the NBA Constitution explicitly allows the Board of Governors to force an owner out with a supermajority vote (75%). Those votes are already cast. The only owner who made the "slippery slope" argument was Mark Cuban, and he backed way off of it when it became obvious that he was gonna be the odd guy out. The team is as good as sold. Sterling is a dead man walking.

Good. **** that guy. I hope Magic Johnson heads up the new ownership team, and I hope the first thing they do is to change the name, and the Clippers get erased from the history books.

--hank

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Anyone else see Knick's Executive Larry Johnson tweet that there needs to be a new league with only black players, owners, and fans?

Yeah, I think you're reading a lot into that tweet.

Here's the actual tweet:

"Black people your Focusing on the wrong thing. We should be focusing on having our own, Own team own League! To For Self!!"

What he's saying -- with barely comprehensible spelling and grammar, unfortunately -- is that the black community needs to be focused less on what white folks give them, and more focused on building their own wealth. That's a pretty ubiquitous message in parts of the black community.

--hank

 

[SkinnersAWinner]

Yeah, I think you're reading a lot into that tweet.

Here's the actual tweet:

"Black people your Focusing on the wrong thing. We should be focusing on having our own, Own team own League! To For Self!!"

What he's saying -- with barely comprehensible spelling and grammar, unfortunately -- is that the black community needs to be focused less on what white folks give them, and more focused on building their own wealth. That's a pretty ubiquitous message in parts of the black community.

--hank

That would be a much more sensible reason behind the tweet and I hope that is truly what he meant. As HisIceness said his past comments are what caused me to view them in that way.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

That would be a much more sensible reason behind the tweet and I hope that is truly what he meant. As HisIceness said his past comments are what caused me to view them in that way.

"Who would have thought a means of communication limited to 140 characters would ever create misunderstandings?" --Stephen Colbert

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

That bear thing is sickening. Who the **** would do that?

Yeah, I got queasy just looking at that.


Now, that being said, I laughed entirely too hard at this picture:

 

[Brock Anton]

I normally find the NBA playoffs to be hella boring, but this year they've actually been pretty intense.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Any of you State kids a CompE or EE? I need emergency help studying for a final...

 

[rocky7]

Please. The man is a virulent racist. David Stern should have run him out of the league years ago. Yes, in this case, he got caught out by a "private conversation", but the man is what he is, and he deserves everything he gets. Mostly because he's bad for business.



He doesn't get a choice as to whether "the team is for sale" -- we now know that the NBA Constitution explicitly allows the Board of Governors to force an owner out with a supermajority vote (75%). Those votes are already cast. The only owner who made the "slippery slope" argument was Mark Cuban, and he backed way off of it when it became obvious that he was gonna be the odd guy out. The team is as good as sold. Sterling is a dead man walking.

Good. **** that guy. I hope Magic Johnson heads up the new ownership team, and I hope the first thing they do is to change the name, and the Clippers get erased from the history books.

--hank

did the NBA "punish" Sterling because he's a racist or because it became public?

as swiftly as this came about I doubt it will all be settled as quickly. he does have a choice whether or not to voluntarily sell and I wouldn't bet on the three quarter vote by the other owners necessarily.

when the dust settles and emotions level out I think everything will take on a somewhat different appearance and I believe that there have been some very important questions raised here that will have to be, or certainly should be, examined in detail. some very critical and potentially dangerous issues have been exposed and will hopefully come to the forefront once this initial euphoria wanes.

and curious as to why you feel so strongly that Magic Johnson become the owner? the name of the team may very well be changed but I seriously doubt that this incident will be "erased from the history books". in my view, none of it should be quickly put to rest.

 

[Oogie Boogie]

R.I.P. Bob Hoskins

 

[Navin R Slavin]

as swiftly as this came about I doubt it will all be settled as quickly. he does have a choice whether or not to voluntarily sell and I wouldn't bet on the three quarter vote by the other owners necessarily.

Okay, let's bet! I will bet you a hundred million billion jillion dollars that the vote will be 29-0 -- because it would be extremely bad for business for any owner who didn't go along with the vote. Want to abstain, Mark Cuban? Good luck signing a black player ever again!

Now, if Sterling sues, it could get very messy -- but the NBA has no choice but to play it down to the bitter end. They will destroy Clipper village if they have to, in order to save it.

when the dust settles and emotions level out I think everything will take on a somewhat different appearance and I believe that there have been some very important questions raised here that will have to be, or certainly should be, examined in detail. some very critical and potentially dangerous issues have been exposed and will hopefully come to the forefront once this initial euphoria wanes.

When the dust settles, I think people will be asking two particularly uncomfortable questions:

1. Why did David Stern and the other owners enable a virulent and despicable ****bag racist to exist as an NBA owner for so long, when the evidence of his racist ****baggery was already compelling?

2. Why did the NAACP prostitute themselves by giving Donald Sterling multiple awards, and what's the value of the NAACP in the modern world if they choose to ignore racist ****baggery to line their pockets?

As far as other "very critical and potentially dangerous issues"...

"Wah, wah, boo hoo hoo, first amendment, free speech, free country": nope, not an issue. The first amendment allows citizens to speak without governmental interference. It doesn't mean other people have to put up with it. The NBA isn't The Government, it's a business. And racist ****baggery is particularly bad for business when 80% of your employees are black.

"Wiretapping is bad": sure. The recording, according to California law, may well have been illegal, although that's not a settled point of fact yet. *If* this had been the only evidence of Sterling's racist ****baggery, that might be a key point -- but of course, it's not the only evidence, and it's not even the most compelling evidence. You can't even call his racist ****baggery an open secret; it wasn't a secret. It was broadly known. The most compelling evidence of Sterling's racist ****baggery is a matter of public record because The People dragged his racist old ass into court for it, multiple times -- and extracted the largest settlement ever obtained by the Justice Department for a housing discrimination case. [1]

and curious as to why you feel so strongly that Magic Johnson become the owner? the name of the team may very well be changed but I seriously doubt that this incident will be "erased from the history books". in my view, none of it should be quickly put to rest.

I don't actually care who becomes the owner. I *do* care, deeply, about the elimination of racist ****baggery, for reasons that I won't go into here. I like the idea of Magic becoming the owner because it seems to provide maximum karmic justice. Either way, the more suffering Sterling can go through, the better.

And you're right -- it will be difficult to erase such a master of racist ****baggery from the history books, much as we might like to do so. KINDA LIKE HITLER.

/godwin'd
//drops mic

--hank

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...y-noticed-donald-sterlings-appalling-history/

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Okay, let's bet! I will bet you a hundred million billion jillion dollars that the vote will be 29-0 -- because it would be extremely bad for business for any owner who didn't go along with the vote. Want to abstain, Mark Cuban? Good luck signing a black player ever again!

Exactly. Not only is it bad for the NBA (business), which owner is going to risk the public outcry by being the one that didn't vote to force him to sell. Imagine trying to explain that one. And even if it is a "private" vote, I guarantee you some journalist will hunt that information down and find out who it was.

I'll be very surprised if it is not unanimous as Hank suggests.

 

[SkinnersAWinner]

Okay, let's bet! I will bet you a hundred million billion jillion dollars that the vote will be 29-0 --

If you do win this ridiculously large monetary bet, promise me you will buy out the Hurricanes and only appoint HF board posters as your employees.