So Adam Silver is forcing Sterling to sell. Sterling said he would, then backed out and said he is going to fight it in court. All the while, his wife (or ex wife) is negotiating the sale to the Microsoft dude for 80 trillion dollars. News comes out today that Sterling is "taking the gloves off", hiring 4 separate PI firms to investigate Silver, Stern and all 29 of the other owners. They are looking for everything...racists, homophobic, sexist, derogatory comments, recordings, letters, quotes....anything they can find comparable to what Sterling did. Mark Cuban warned Adam Silver a month or so ago that forcing Sterling out will create a slippery slope that could ruin the NBA. Thoughts?
Seems like it'd be something that Sterling would do. Doesn't seem like in his mind he was in the wrong, which probably is right seeing as the conversation took place in his house, so he's gonna try to drag down as many people with him as he can. I don't see him selling the team really either. I'm sure as ownere they sign something that says you have to if it gets voted on by the other owners bit in all reality any contract is just a piece of paper anymore. Theres ways around most. Be interesting to see how it plays out.
Say you did, assume it was involving the NFL...or your bow manufacturer, or your company that you work for... I only watch the NBA Playoffs, ill admit, and i could care less about team ownership, blah blah blah. But i do find the story intriguing. Man has conversation illegally recorded, polls show 98% of Americans say he is "the most hated man", hes "forced" to sell his franchise against his wishes...definitely good fodder for conversation.
The one thing I am happy about is that Magic didn't get the team. Regardless if he wanted the team or not, he still showed that he was a big dirtball.
I'd like to see where this new rule is that you have to be an nice person to do business? Everyone is entitled to their opinions, even unpopular and "politically incorrect" opinions. Honestly if I was him, I'd just sell and take my 80 billion dollars. Laughing all the way to the bank. I can also see his point, that he's being singled out for something that he never intended to be heard publicly. I'm sure we've all said things within the privacy of our own homes that we would never say publicly. I'm also sure that he can probably find plenty of dirt on all these other owners too.
Forcing Mr. Sterling to sell is not what the United States is about. He can say whatever he wants in his own home. If you want to take away the First Amendment you will see way worse than this. Mr. Sterling will get off easy if he is forced to sell, he will make a couple billion, but how about the rest of us (the 99%). What would you do if someone made you sell your gas station or construction company because of something you said at home? I don't think people fully understand the slippery slope involved here. Should rappers be forced to sell a record label? Should extremist evangelists churchs be closed and sold? If bad things are said at bars should they be sold to someone who makes sure bad things are not said? The big question is, should we monitor what people say? This is not yelling fire. This is in your own home.
I also agree with Cuban that it is indeed a slippery slope. The pressure is now on Silver to maintain this zero tolerance policy (some can say it wasn't Sterling's first offense) throughout the rest of the league. Not only owners but players as well. Everyone will be watched closely and if it only amounts to a slap on the wrist for players, there will be even more people gunning for Silver.
Sterling did have a contract with the NBA, and they DO have the right to make him get rid of his team. I just dont think they should have. The NBA should have chosen NOT to pursue a TMZ report. What kind if precedent does that send? Everyone, i repeat EVERYONE has/have made/make some type of derogatory comment towards some group of individuals. That is human nature and it isnt illegal. Does it hurt the NBA brand? Not any more then Jordans gambling, Kobe's raping or Ron Artert beating up fans.
He is not right in his head... You can tell this by the back and forth thoughts/comments he has made regarding the situation. I do think its wrong this is happening because of a private conversation he had in his home. If this had been in public, it's a different story. Such a slippery slope. Will be interesting to see what comes of the situation.
I believe Mark Cuban KNOWS that Sterling's people are going to find dirt, and was warning Silver not to go that route. Silver might be clean...but that chance that all 29 of the other owners are is very unlikely.
The contract language involved with morals and ethics is to prevent Sterling from expressing views or taking actions that are detrimental to the league. I and others assume these are public actions and not private.
How so? Not allowing the sale... Allowing the sale... Apologizing and almost crying in an interview on national television... Retracting the sale vowing to fight... Retracting to fight and allow sale... Now this? Doctors also found him not mentally right... Which is why he has no say in the sale of his team now. His wife has control of everything.
True, and at face value I think it is total BS, howevery I don't feel I am privy to enough info on the subject to really make any conclusions one way or the other.
Well for one, there is no laws on changing your mind. And for two, the dude has been voted the most hated man in America. I assume hes been mulling his options, making pre-determined statements, playing into Silvers game...ect. And the mentally unstable thing...that was most likely just an early excuse for his racism. Why everyone was so shocked by an old white rich racist i have no idea.
Moral of the story - Wealthy old white males have trouble making decisions and love changing their minds.
He was diagnosed by not one but two prominant Neuroligists as having Alzhiemers based on extensive testing including CT and PET scan. They estimated he may have had it for as long as 5 years. This triggered a clause in the Sterling Family trust which removed him from power since medical experts delared him mentally unfit. People around the guy had noticed his problems with remembering things for years. It's one of the reasons he WANTED some of his private converations to be recorded.
