Now that the Donald Sterling Controversy has Died Down, it’s Time to Discuss the Most Overlooked Aspect of that Whole Debacle

It seems like forever ago that TMZ released the tapes of soon-to-be former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his “personal assistant” that her African-American friends were not welcome at Clippers games.  But in all reality it was just a few short weeks ago in which this all transpired.    We have all heard the standard takes:  The most popular one has been the sports radio guys acting like this is the end of the world and pretty much suggesting this asshole be executed in public.  It’s become a content of one-upsmanship to the most disturbing degree, and par for the course in this wonderland of manufactured outrage.

Then there have been those who said that we should have all seen this coming.  This a genuine take (and one that Dubs had in his podcast) that suggests that we all knew Donald Sterling was a racist before we heard this on tape.  He’s been chasing minorities out of his properties for decades, which is almost unthinkable when you consider he’d never set foot in any of those places without a gallon of hand sanitizer in his hand.  (Of course I’m kidding – he’d probably have his “assistant” carrying it…)  Sterling was known to check players out in the locker room and feel their muscles almost as if he was purchasing slaves, and if I listed every other reason why he’s racist this column wouldn’t get finished until we’re done with the great Russian War of 2017.     But throughout all of that, we seem to have been missing what is the most overlooked point of this entire situation.  A point that has been glossed over so much it’s almost hard to believe nobody is talking about, but then again that’s what Sports Blog Movement is for.  And that point is…

Could Donald Sterling Win A Lawsuit Against the NBA?

Dubsism

On Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has handed Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling a lifetime ban from the NBA, along with issuing the maximum allowable fine of $2.5 million. Silver also said that we will ask the NBA owners to essentially kick Sterling out of the league. Since then, there have been lots of articles written proclaiming victory over the evil Sterling and celebrating the end of his reign.

Now, do not mistake this as defense of Sterling; I’m on record far too many times decrying what a colossal asshole he is (here, here, and here for starters).  Nor is this a criticism of Silver’s actions. His hand was forced by a “perfect storm” of circumstances; 30+ years of inaction by the NBA, a firestorm of public outrage, a threatened walk-out by the players, and sponsors bailing out meant Silver really had no choice.  Rather…

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Good Riddance To Donald Sterling

jsportsblogger

Today, the right decision was made. Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, was banned for life by NBA commissioner Adam Silver for making racist remarks on a taped conversation with his mistress. Sterling was also fined $2.5 million for his views on blacks and minorities in general.

While Sterling will maintain ownership of the Clippers, it forces his hand in selling the team he has owned since 1981, when he bought the franchise for $12.5 million. Today, the franchise is $575 million according to Forbes magazine.

So no matter what, Sterling will leave the NBA a wealthier man, than when he arrived 33 years ago.

But for all that, I say good riddance to one of the worst owners in the history of North American sports. I wrote about Sterling and the Clippers some time ago in my Worst Teams of All Time series. I portrayed…

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The Donald Sterling Situation Has Exposed Doc Rivers As Either An Idiot Or A Hypocrite

Dubsism

The other day, I did a podcast on this Donald Sterling situation, and one of the things I mentioned in that show is that when it hits the media, racism does a wonderful job of exposing stupidity, both for the jag-off who says the racist comment and invariably for somebody who gets their hand forced by it. Thanks to the 24-hour news cycle, we are all balls-deep in what Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling said.  But with all the attention being paid to that idiot, there’s some others who are getting exposed as well.

The first of what I’m guessing will be several examples to come from this whole affair is Clippers’ coach Doc Rivers. Here’s a guy with a real problem on his hands. On one hand, whether he likes it or not, he is stuck in middle of this mess, and on the other hand, he has…

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Donald Sterling Continues To Prove That He Is A Terrible Human Being, NBA Team Owner

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has often been accused of being a racist — thanks to sworn testimony and affidavits — but until recently, there wasn’t a whole lot of audio/visual proof of it. But on April 25th, TMZ released a audio recording that is allegedly Sterling going on a nine minute diatribe about black people to his girlfriend. This alleged proof of Sterling’s racist activities is going to prove a major test for NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

According to the TMZ article, Sterling went off on his girlfriend because she posted a picture to Instagram where she is hanging out with an African-American in LA. The article has him complaining about how she was associating with him, and was putting that picture out where everyone can see it (she has since taken the photo down). Sterling is even quoted as telling her to not take black people to his games, including Magic Johnson — a NBA Hall of Famer and HIV/AIDS patient.

This isn’t the first time that Sterling has been accused of racism, as he has faced several lawsuits regarding comments regarding tenants at some of the housing complexes he owns. But this is the first time there is alleged proof of the racist comments and actions. And that means that the NBA actually has to deal with this allegation (*cough..cough* investigate it *cough…cough*) instead of ignoring it like the other ones. Continue Reading->

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SBM Exclusive: Sports Doppelgangers, Volume 62 – Explaining the Indiana Pacers

Throughout the length and breadth of this NBA season, all we heard about was this vaunted race between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers for the coveted #1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.  For 62 games, the Pacers looked like a championship team waiting to happen. The Pacers were 18-2 in their first 20 games, which included wins over play-off teams such as the Chicago, bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, and the West’s #1 seed, the San Antonio Spurs. The Circle City Five reached the 62-game mark sporting a  46-16 mark, which was good to keep them 3 games ahead of the Heat.

But then the wheels came off. Over the last 20 games of the regular season, the Pacers limped to a 10-10 mark, including a 36-point ass-hammering by the Spurs, and a 20-point manhandling at the hands of the very same Atlanta Hawks who look to be taking command of their first-round series with Indiana.

So, what the hell happened? You can get as many different answers to that question as people you ask.  So, I’ve taken it upon myself to offer something you won’t get anywhere else on the web: A Doppelganger-based explanation as to what is wrong with the Indiana Pacers.

1) Luis has been a “Firework”

While there are several theories as to who isn’t performing, you can’t apply any of them to Luis Scola. Unfortunately, you can’t say the same for his doppelganger, Russell Brand. That’s because nobody has given a shit about Brand since he stopped sticking his “firework” into Katy Perry.

2) The Disappearance of “P-Mac” George

I’m not sure why it took until now for me to realize the resemblance between the Pacers’ Paul George and Tracy McGrady, unless it because George lately has been playing like T-Mac, and not the NBA All-Star McGrady was in days gone by. Paul George has been basketball playing more like today’s T-Mac, who is now pitching for the Sugar Land Skeeters in the independent Atlantic League.

3) The Island of Dr. Hibbert

Say what you will, but at some point in the last month, Roy Hibbert went from a potential All-Star center to the chuckling Cosby-esque Dr. Julius Hibbert from The Simpsons, except the doctor never got stuffed twice in one game by Kyle fucking Korver.

4) You Can’t Spell “DissaPPointment” without “P”

Face it, the letter “P” doesn’t bode well for championship hopes. The last time the Pacers won a league title was in 1973 when they topped the now-defunct American Basketball Association. 60 miles to the northwest of Indianapolis lies Purdue University, which despite having won more B1G Ten titles than any other school has yet to win a national championship. Then there’s the Pittsburgh Pirates, who since their last World Series win 35 years ago have only managed four first-round play-off losses.

I May Have Already Mentioned This, But The Whole Offensive Goaltending Rule Is Stupid‏‏

On Sunday night at the end of a very heated game between the Washington Wizards and my Chicago Bulls, Joakim Noah tapped an errant shot that was going in any way through the hoop and the Wizards’ bench threw up their arms, disgusted at this heinous, earth-shattering crime they had just witnessed. The play was clearly one that could be classified as offensive goaltending, as Noah’s hand and the ball were obviously within the cylinder.

The Aftermath of Being Fleeced By Gonzaga: Three Steps To Recovery

Washington State University athletic director Bill Moos has become known as the savior of Cougar athletics, thanks to his hiring of Mike Leach and the facility improvements for football, but that reputation is rapidly coming under fire after thethree-year contract with Gonzaga was leaked. Most Cougar fans were not happy with losing a home game for an expected neutral site game, and now that it’s been confirmed that the game in the Spokane Arena is a home game for the Bulldogs (and therefore WSU will get exactly $0 for the game)…many Cougar faithful are irate.

It’s ridiculous that a Pac-12 school is submitting to a WCC school, and the fact that it’s one of the Cougs’ biggest basketball rivals is even more ridiculous. Especially when you realize that all Washington State is getting out of this is a promise of good seats for alum and being allowed to bring the spirit squad…no, I’m not kidding:

“I didn’t think we could close the deal and I thought we were in jeopardy of losing the rivalry,’ Moos said. ‘So I conceded, and I appreciated their dilemma. I conceded that with the stipulation that we could bring our spirit squads and band, and that we get some good tickets for our fans.”

In other words, Moos got fleeced by Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth and men’s basketball coach Mark Few.

The fact that the Cougars got fleeced is quite agitating, and disappointing. Now Cougar faithful need to begin to move on from the pain…and we at Sports with Neil and friendshave a list of three things that can be done by Cougs everywhere to get over Gonzaga’s power play: Continue Reading->

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Top 10 First Round Series In NBA History

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The first round of the NBA playoffs have a history of being slightly disappointing. Unlike the NHL, the NBA usually looks at its first round as television fodder for the networks to discuss future matchups in later rounds. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been memorable moments. In fact, the first round has seen some of the most dramatic moments in NBA history. Here are the 10 best first round series in NBA history.

1989: Chicago vs. Cleveland

The series that saw the beginning of how clutch Michael Jordan was at crunch time. But it wasn’t supposed to go that way. The Cavaliers were favoured to win the series, after a franchise best 57-25 record. Led by the trio of Mark Price, Ron Harper and Brad Daugherty, the Cavs were poised to make a long run in the playoffs.

The Bulls had Jordan, a rising star in Scottie Pippen, and not…

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According To a Report: Gonzaga Threatened To End Its 107-Year Rivalry With Washington State

Cougfan is reporting that Gonzaga Bulldog’s men’s basketball head coach Mark Few and athletic director Mike Roth threatened to end the 107-year old rivalry with Washington State, unless the Cougs agreed to play two games in Spokane — a road game at the Kennel and a home game at Spokane Arena. According to Cougfan’s article, WSU athletic director Bill Moos was tempted to cancel the rivalry but decided that having the game was more important than not having it.

The contract between the two schools mentioned in the article has WSU traveling to play Gonzaga in “the Kennel “(WSU lost this match-up, 74-90), in Spokane Arena (2014-2015 season), and in Pullman (2015-2016). This contract was agreed to before the most recent basketball season — which ended for the Cougs in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament — and remained hidden from the public eye until it was leaked in an article in the Gonzaga Bulletin (Gonzaga’s student newspaper) on April 17th, 2014. Continue Reading->

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