• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Was Sterling's punishment too much? [W:359]

Was the punishment too harsh?

  • Yes

    Votes: 56 60.2%
  • No

    Votes: 37 39.8%

  • Total voters
    93

Gipper

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
25,116
Reaction score
7,658
Location
Theoretical Physics Lab
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Libertarian - Right
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership



Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge
 
I think Sterling is a scumbag and deserves plenty of public ire, but I'm not a fan of this kind of heavy handed punishment for what was a private conversation. He didn't make those statements in a public venues in the capacity of an NBA owner - then NBA punishment would be warranted. He did in private and was recorded doing so. That doesn't make his words any less despicable, but I personally don't see it as an issue the NBA needs to address.

Would I support free agents refusing to sign with the Clippers while Sterling owned them? Yup. Would I back the players currently on the Clippers if they refused to play for this scumbag? You bet ya. Would I love to see a fan boycott of the team? Oh yeah. But I'm not crazy about the NBA or any organization playing the role of thought police.
 
Preventing him from attending games for a while might be in his best interests, really. The 2.5 million fine for him would be like you or I paying a parking finein termsof percentage of net worth thus extractred.

Overall, it does seem a bit harsh, but this is not an isolated comment, as he has quite the long history of racist behavior. By allaccounts,he is a first rate a-hole as well, so I suspect the punishment is really more for a body of work than this one comment.
'
If I were commish, though, I would have just reversed that sweet deal I gave him when I nixed the Chris Paul to the Lakers deal and basically gave him one of the very best point guards in the game. I might add the loss of a few draft picks as well.
 
The NBA is a joke. This "outrage" is over simple speech (not any illegal act) but that speech has damaged the league's "image" in a way that reduces its profits. An NBA owner is no more of an NBA "representative" than an NBA player is, in fact, I doubt most could name nearly as many NBA owners as NBA players (even as a percentage of the total). If an NBA player is arrested and convicted of a crime they are not banned for life and certainly not fined $2.5 million.

The Biggest Criminal Records in the NBA | Bleacher Report

Bad Boys of Basketball: The All-NBA Criminal Team | Bleacher Report
 
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership



Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge
It is a valid question, but the legality is out of scope, as this is an agreement within a group.
I think the other owners want to distance themselves from this as quickly as possible.
 
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership



Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge

I wouldn't have a problem if they yanked his ownership rights. That's the NBA's right to address issues that might hurt their image. The rest of the stuff, however, is ridiculous.
 
I wouldn't have a problem if they yanked his ownership rights. That's the NBA's right to address issues that might hurt their image. The rest of the stuff, however, is ridiculous.

Well I don't think they can just outright pull his ownership rights because from what Mark Cuban was saying since it doesn't involve gambling then that power isn't given to the League. However, I think Silver did the next best thing in his mind, which is why there was the ban.
 
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership



Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge

Spot on.

The commissioner and owners are concerned with the league and it's profitability.
Players wouldn't want to play for him.
Fans wouldn't support the team either because they don't like his comments or the team couldn't get talent.
Advertisers in one of the countries largest media markets wouldn't want anything to do with him.
He would destroy the Clippers just as they are starting to turn into one of the better teams.
 
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership



Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge

I could care less about him. I'd be fine with him being imprisoned and stripped of all of his money. Him and people like him. This guy actively ****ed over people for profit. No punishment is too great for people like this.
 
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership



Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge

This is leading down a very slippery slope, where we allow Media outrage to guide our reactions, in a legal sense, towards the expression of someones opinion. Once you start limiting what people can say, you're only one step away from limiting ALL freedoms based on standards not rooted in the law. Mob rule is an appeal to emotions of common denominators, like anger, self righteousness and revenge, not reason, tolerance and justice.
 
Clearly he is going to have plenty of time and money to go after the wench.

Given his age and his pariah status for his bigoted recording, it probably works out fine.
 
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership



Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge

The guy is now poison to the NBA, I can understand the NBA wanting to get him out of any owner/official function.

What I think is stupid is the ban from any NBA game or function. As a customer, he should be allowed to attend any NBA event the public is allowed to go to.
 
Secret taping is a sign of the times.
As with the Warriors asst coach who was fired for taping Coach's conversations.
Or with the bartender taping Romney's 47%.

The only people who really get hurt when the Sterling's of the world drag down their franchises are the "little" guys, those parking cars and flipping burgers.
As we saw last year with the NHL.
As we've seen over the decades with work stoppages in the NFL and MLB .
 
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership



Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge

If his comments really were costing the NBA that much money it's probably appropriate.
 
The guy is now poison to the NBA, I can understand the NBA wanting to get him out of any owner/official function.

What I think is stupid is the ban from any NBA game or function. As a customer, he should be allowed to attend any NBA event the public is allowed to go to.

Silver could revoke the ban after he sells the team. All the bans could be a way to get Sterling to sell the Clippers.
 
Many people keep comparing the decision by the NBA to ban Sterling to past cases where the punishment may have not fit the crime. It is my understanding that NBA has been heavily criticized in the past for not growing a spine and taking action against what it deems to be unacceptable behavior.

Therefore, with a new commissioner, it seems as if the NBA is growing a pair and is taking a more stern approach.
 
Stirling is racist scum; he's been racist scum for years, so it's disingenuous for the NBA to pretend that they are shocked... shocked, I tell you!!! ... to discover that he his racist scum.

The fine is okay; the rest of the pile-on is overkill.
 
I could care less about him. I'd be fine with him being imprisoned and stripped of all of his money. Him and people like him. This guy actively ****ed over people for profit. No punishment is too great for people like this.

No punishment is too great?

How about execution?
 
I was just wondering, can they both fine him and make him sell the team?
The ownership in the franchise is what allows them to fine him.
If the force him to sell, they will cut the bind that allows the fine.
What are they going to do if he does not pay the fine... make him sell the team?
 
For his racist comments caught on tape, Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently had this ruling put on him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver:

$2.5M fine (maximum allowed in by-laws)
Lifetime ban from NBA games
Lifetime ban from NBA function
Zero access to facilities during Clippers games and practices
Urging by the BoD to owners for forced divestiture of ownership


Was the hammer too great, or spot on?

Also to take into consideration:

He spoke these words on his private property
He broke no actual laws
His girlfriend broke the law by recording him without his knowledge

Perhaps this opinion piece puts the current "outrage" into perspective:

...
So, if we’re all going to be outraged, let’s be outraged that we weren’t more outraged when his racism was first evident. Let’s be outraged that private conversations between people in an intimate relationship are recorded and publicly played. Let’s be outraged that whoever did the betraying will probably get a book deal, a sitcom, trade recipes with Hoda and Kathie Lee, and soon appear on Celebrity Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars.

The big question is “What should be done next?” I hope Sterling loses his franchise. I hope whoever made this illegal tape is sent to prison. I hope the Clippers continue to be unconditionally supported by their fans. I hope the Clippers realize that the ramblings of an 80-year-old man jealous of his young girlfriend don’t define who they are as individual players or as a team. They aren’t playing for Sterling—they’re playing for themselves, for the fans, for showing the world that neither basketball, nor our American ideals, are defined by a few pathetic men or women.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Donald Sterling’s Racism and the NBA - TIME
 
Many people keep comparing the decision by the NBA to ban Sterling to past cases where the punishment may have not fit the crime. It is my understanding that NBA has been heavily criticized in the past for not growing a spine and taking action against what it deems to be unacceptable behavior.

Therefore, with a new commissioner, it seems as if the NBA is growing a pair and is taking a more stern approach.

Nice pun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stern
 
Many people keep comparing the decision by the NBA to ban Sterling to past cases where the punishment may have not fit the crime. It is my understanding that NBA has been heavily criticized in the past for not growing a spine and taking action against what it deems to be unacceptable behavior.

Therefore, with a new commissioner, it seems as if the NBA is growing a pair and is taking a more stern approach.

I agree but, would not expect much reaction from this new commissioner if the NBA "image" infraction was committed by a player - even if it was actually criminal in nature like assault, domestic violence or DWI.

Growing a pair is holding all in the NBA to this squeaky clean "image" standard - even those that the fans may still like to see play.
 
Perhaps this opinion piece puts the current "outrage" into perspective:



Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Donald Sterling’s Racism and the NBA - TIME

I posted that on another thread here earlier. I loved it. He was spot on.

Moral outrage is exhausting. And dangerous. The whole country has gotten a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome from the newest popular sport of Extreme Finger Wagging. Not to mention the neck strain from Olympic tryouts for Morally Superior Head Shaking.

I give him tons of props for this. Clever, and sadly, so true.
 
I agree with all Mr. Cinder said, except Sterling losing his franchise.

That is up to (75% of?) the other NBA team owners and beyond the power of the NBA commissioner. Sterling has no reason to expect that his Clipper's ownership interest will appreciate so he should try (but may not be able) to sell it for its current value.
 
Back
Top Bottom