I Believe In Magic (But Not Just Black Magic)

Clipper Owner Donald Sterling may or may not have been caught on tape engaging in some deplorably racist talk with an ex-girlfriend with whom he is engaged in a lawsuit.

While we await a league investigation to sort out questions of authenticity, let's note that Sterling's history lends the tape an air of plausibility (offset by his philanthropy). I do love this detail from a 2000 SI profile cited and excerpted at American Power. Sterling likes owning an NBA club in part because he likes to entertain:

Those friends—a mix of Friars Clubbers and Merv Era celebs—show up en masse at Sterling's Malibu White Party, the extravagant tented barbecue-and-bubbly beach bash he often throws at his second home, a neo-Tudor oceanfront bungalow. 

Oh, brother. The white does not encourage hoods; an explanation follows:

The party is so named because guests are encouraged to dress all in white, as in The Great Gatsby.

I suppose I could page through The Great Gatsby looking for depictions of black characters, but let's move on.

William Rhoden of the Times takes the odd notion that the Clipper players should boycott during the playoffs while they are a legitimate title contender. Really? Maybe Mr. Rhoden should lead the way by abandoning his profession and boycotting this topic.

Magic Johnson makes a lot more sense, saying that fans ought to boycott. He goes awry, however:

Magic Johnson tells TMZ Sports ... he wants Donald Sterling to step down as the Clippers owner and he thinks African Americans should boycott the games until that happens.

...

Magic says he strongly believes the players should focus on playing basketball and should NOT boycott Sunday's playoff game.  BUT, Magic thinks African Americans should not line Sterling's pockets by going to the games, saying, "He wants our money but doesn't want us to show up."

A blacks-only boycott? White fans, outraged or not, get a pass and are free to associate themselves with this debacle? Weird.

For my money, it may be asking a lot of Joe Lunchbucket to stay at home and rip up hundreds of dollars worth of tickets. But it is not asking much of Johnny Corporate Seat to find something else to do the next time the Clippers are at home. The seats down by courtside are pricey, and I wouldn't want to be caught dead on national television sitting in one.

That said, if some big bank gives their courtside tickets to a local black minister for his youth group, what happens next? I don't know, but it could work well, especially if Sterling is also courtside.

Let's note that Mr. Sterling is an active philanthropist slated to receive an NAACP award. Money talks, but does it tell the truth?

Comments

[jimmyk]

I'll repeat my comment from two threads back:

One of the effects of all the hyper-PC sensitivity and outrage over every imaginable verbal offense is, at least for me, such fatigue and boredom of the topic that I cannot get interested in, much less worked up about, any more stories about people saying mean things, even in the rare case that they are genuinely offensive (as opposed to "phiesta," or some septogenarian rancher saying "Negro"). So maybe this NBA guy should be punished, or maybe people just need to grow up, or maybe both, I really don't care any more.

I suspect I'm not alone in this sentiment.

[Comanche Voter]

No fool like a jealous old fool.

Sterling is either 80 or 81. His young Mexican/African hottie is in her 20's. He's supposedly been having an affair with her for four years. Along the way he's given her a Ferrari, two Bentleys and a Range Rover. Plus $1.5 million to buy a duplex in West Los Angeles, and $240,000 for "maintenance". I suspect more work gets done under the hood(s) of those cars than under the covers.

Sterling's wife (separated for several years) claims all this was paid for with community property and she neither knew about it nor consented to it. So she's filed a $1.8 million lawsuit to get it back.

But this is going to cost Sterling more than $1.8 million. His franchise was a joke for years; three or four years ago (maybe under the influence of his young hottie) he started to spend money on the Clippers. He'd built the team's reputation among players--especially with the hiring of Doc Rivers--as a team that players would like to play for. That reputation is now in the dumper--so long as Sterling owns the team.

Young hotties are expensive toys--especially when they decide to "get even" after being sued by an angry wife.

[henry]

I can't boycott something that is too boring to pay attention to. Besides I already boycott (LOL) Milwaukee because they want to tax me for carp like a new arena for the Bucks. -- a team I wouldn't support even if they didn't suck. This kerfluffle may be a marketing ploy to get anyone to watch Stern's version of pro wrestling.

[Momto2]

One good thing has come from this recording...CNN has now switched from Flt 370 to "Racism". I do not watch CNN - I saw this while waiting on my Chinese take-out last night. I suddenly noticed instead of pilot-type talking heads - the screen over the bar had AA men with shoulder-length braids.

[Jim Eagle]

What a game. Chelsea put up the Big Blue Wall and beat Liverpool in Liverpool 2-0. Love it. And they did it with their second team - no Peter Cech or John Terry - saving the first team for Wednesday's Champion's League match against Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea back in the hunt for the BPL and the Champions League.

[matt]

Querida happens to be one of the biggest fans of the Clippers in Southern California. Me? I'm ecumenical, but have been a fan since 1984 when they moved to San Diego.

The biggest problem with the team has always been Sterling. He was parsimonious for many years and we suffered through season after season of downright terrible performance. The first round draft picks were in many cases jokes like Michael Olowokandi. Sterling was the only constant, a complete jerk and scumbag.

Then I guess he decided that he can't take it with him so he actually made some smart moves and promptly lost his GM, Neil Olshey, who began the transformation, to Portland. There is always a back story with the Clippers. Elgin Baylor was GM for years and had a racial discrimination lawsuit against Sterling that was settled out of court.

Sterling also had lost several lawsuits for discrimination in his real estate empire.

Querida's grandfather was a macher in LA and had a regular poker game with other machers. The two schmucks who always tried to get into the game and never did were Eli Broad and Sterling.They are basically untouchable in what passes for LA society. All they have is their possessions.

Having said all that, it seems to me that Sterling had himself a relationship with a particularly vulturous type of LA woman. They're like remoras in LA.

I once attended a high level function at the Playboy Mansion where a bunch of playmates were there to greet the guests, who were a lot of celebrities in the sports world. I have never seen such sharks in my life. So it is a relationship made in hell as far as I can see.

She set him up and taunted him, but there is no excuse. As well, it seems she is on the hook in a multi million lawsuit for embezzlement.

I just hope the team holds up.

[the wolf]

How, exactly, does one "step down" as an owner? Like it or not, if he decided to sell the team he's probably going to make a good chunk of money from it.

Boycotts are dumb, because they only punish the players. Making the players play in front of a half-empty stadium isn't going to impact Sterling, but it could be demoralizing to the players.

[Threadkiller]

At a press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak Sunday, Obama was asked about racist comments Sterling allegedly made about African-Americans.

"When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk. That's what happened here," the President said.Obama also said Sterling's alleged comments are an example of how "the United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race and slavery and segregation."

"That's still there, the vestiges of discrimination. We've made enormous strides, but you're going to continue to see this percolate up every so often," Obama said in Malaysia.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/27/us/nba-team-owner-alleged-racist-remarks/

Stupidly. ..

[Threadkiller]

Watching MediaBuzz with Howard Kurtz. They played the doctored clip of Bundy and have spent the last 10 minutes ripping into him being a racist and how badly Fox News have handled themselves.

Oddly, their first segment was on the TMZ tape of Sterling where there was much concern that the tape they were hearing wasn't doctored.

Assholes.

[Threadkiller]

...has handled. ..

[Danube on iPad]

One season about thirty years ago I took in not one but two Clippers games, back when they played at the Sports Arena. Remarkably, the halftime entertainment at both games was identical. It consisted of a twelve-minute basketball game between the Clippers version of the Laker Girls (I think they're called the Clipper Spirit) and a team of dwarves. As grotesque a display as any I have ever sat through.

[Captain Hate]

I await TMZ's expose on Gloria James.

[Sue]

What the hell is wrong with everyone? Don't they know he is a registered democrat and allowed to be hypocritical?

[Danube on iPad]

Is there any doubt that if Sterling were a major Republican donor that fact would appear in the lead sentence of every story about this issue?

[Danube on iPad]

Guess I'd never seen the flag of Malaysia before. Who knew?

[rich@gmu]

Those friends—a mix of Friars Clubbers and Merv Era celebs—show up en masse at Sterling's Malibu White Party...

a white party?

great pieces this morning Clarice.

[rich@gmu]

>>>REPUBLICAN LEADER: OBAMACARE HERE TO STAY; IMMIGRATION BY AUGUST...<<<

maybe they can help stuff the ballot boxes for Dems too.

[jimmyk on iPhone]

And Magic says that Sterling has given the NBA. "black eye." Hmm.

[narciso]

this was the piece, which points out the interesting part of the story,

http://libertyunyielding.com/2014/04/26/the-new-york-times-turns-tabloid-and-how-context-matters/

the role of the Center for Biological Diversity

[Clarice Feldman]

Sometimes I think "conservative" media stars are too stupid to live..Libby, Foley, Bundy, Zimmerman, Duke Lacrosse--the MSM feeds these stories with doctored tapes.phony leaks and edited transcripts and these dopes fall for it all the time.

[narciso]

Well we don't take the stories at face value,
now Hannity and Loesch, at the very least owed it to someone whose case they had taken up to get his side of the story,

[Jane]

I think a better plan would be to have whites boycott and fill the stadium with black people. Keep the camera fixed on Sterling's face as it fills up. How fun!

BTW none of the Sunday shows that I saw mentioned Sterling's party affiliation.

[narciso]

will this get 1/100th of the attention;

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/04/breaking-media-matters-chief-david-brock-admits-to-working-with-media-outlets-to-develop-stories-video/

[Sue]

They haven't mentioned his NAACP award either.

[narciso]

No, they wouldn't, they're best to unperson him, as a general rule,

http://therightscoop.com/sarah-palin-to-eric-holder-in-awesome-nra-speech-you-dont-want-to-go-there-buddy-full-speech/

[Jane]

They haven't mentioned his NAACP award either.

It's his 2nd lifetime achievement award from the NAACP.

[narciso]

things that make you go hmm;

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/el-salvador-president-meets-with-two-cuban-spies-convicted-in-u-s/

[Captain Hate]

Outstanding speech to the NRA. Nobody pushes the buttons as effectively.

[Threadkiller]

Wayne LaPierre NRA Speech - America's Greatest Threat Is Dishonest Media - Speaking at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Indianapolis on Friday, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre took aim at what he said was one of the "greatest threats" facing the nation today: a national news media which he alleged "fails to provide a level playing field." He added that the press is attempting to force his group into "submission," but that they would never succeed in that endeavor. "The political and media elites in this country are lying to us," the NRA CEO said to applause. "The IRS is now a weapon — a weapon -- to punish anyone who disagrees with them. And that means every one of you."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sElUao98B8I

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/04/nra-president-lapierre-americas-greatest-threat-is-a-dishonest-media-video/

I always take comfort knowing that there was at least one thing the media did not lie about.

[narciso]

If he hadn't babbled about that, this would be the news;

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/04/27/obama-malaysia-asia-china/8249119/

yes the Joyce and Soros affiliated foundations shaped the coverage

[Skoot]

It occured to me this morning that Russia acts in her interests, and Obama and his defenders say Vlad will do what he will, what are we to do? Yet for years these same progressives told us jihad was the fault of American interests overseas. Which is it? Can't be both.

[Jim Eagle]

More and more, everyday, I think that theory by the ex fighter pilot that the Specail Forces got the plane to keep the drone control systems from the Chinese and sacrificed the Pax is stil the most viable one, so far.

[Danube on iPad]

More stuff from Sterling. Revolting.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24541798/extended-sterling-tape-do-i-make-the-game-or-do-blacks-make-the-game

[narciso]

Yes, it would seem that way, JiB, every other theory hasn't panned out.

[narciso]

if that is him, he would seem invincibly stupid,

http://libertyunyielding.com/2014/04/27/cliven-bundy-donald-sterling-lefts-purity-problem/

but as you see, not that surprising,

[jimmyk]

More stuff from Sterling. Revolting.

Sorry, the JOM style code now requires references to Sterling to be preceded by "Big Democrat donor"

[Bori]

From the Deadspin article:
here's no racism here. If you don't want to be... walking... into a basketball game with a certain... person, is that racism?

Where have I heard that before? Separate, but equal, perhaps?

[narciso]

But he's a big time divorce lawyer, turned real estate tycoon, so where is the surprise,

I guess the Radium Ceo, who beat his girl friend 117 times, on video tape, and got off with community service, now if he had signed a Prop 8 petition, that would be serious,

[narciso]

just like the fawning over this nazgul;

http://babalublog.com/2014/04/27/fidel-castro-has-never-refused-to-answer-any-question-gabriel-garcia-marquez-aug-2006/

[Carol Herman]

What an ugly old goat! With more face lifts than Kim Novak has had. How often does he undergo the knife?

And, as to his "pretty" ... let's not forget this man has a wife. (Whose probably pretty happy to spend the money. While she leaves sleeping with him to younger girls with stronger stomachs.)

I guess his girlfriend got angry at him? While she had enough clothes on to hid the tape recording equipment.

Oh, given that there are discrimination lawsuits already in the pipeline ... this publicity probably will make this guy's lawyers even richer. Just the Clippers? Hasn't the publicity already snipped off his nuts?

[narciso]

besides playing host to the 9/11 planning summit, imprisoning opposition leaders, and doing a botch of the investigation:

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/04/awful-obama-malaysia-has-work-to-do-on-human-rights-just-likes-the-united-states-video/

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

What odd times.
Wasn't there recently a story about some college banning whites from a diversity gathering?
and now this NBA guy doesn't want blacks in the audience.

The Boy Scouts are pummeled for not letting in gay leaders...& our local Dems are kicking out a member for backing an independent.
http://www.arlnow.com/2014/04/26/letter-to-the-editor-acdc-and-libby-garvey/

"It is a conflict of interest to be a Committee member and also work against the organization’s fundamental purpose."

Isn't THAT rich? Hey! how bout allowing other organizations the same rights! I actually AGREE with them, but it is something coming from the left.

Someone ship that statement over to the 'Nuns On a Bus' outfit!

[Tom Veal]

I go to basketball games only when I desperately need sleep and there's no metric football match in town.

But as for the definition of "mansplaining", I've conversed with many women who "delight[ ] in condescending, inaccurate explanations delivered with rock solid confidence of rightness". Do those avoid the derogatory label only because they aren't delivered by someone with a Y chromosome?

[AliceH]

I thought "mansplaining" referred to the self-mocking overlaying of the form of logic/"science" upon activities of the "Hold my beer and watch this" variety. "The 5-second rule" would be an example.

[cathyf]

"When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk."

You know that's one of the most articulate and commonsensical things Obama has ever said. Too bad he couldn't follow his own advice (and never has!)

[BR]

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