Microballing: Steve Ballmer's LA Clippers

[riboflav]

I think Cuban's comments are very revealing in that some, perhaps many, of the owners are going to vote begrudgingly to oust Sterling solely because of the players' and the public's outrage, but not because of what Sterling actually said. Let us not forget the family that owns the Magic are shameless bigots, after all. Oh, and he is very forthright in examining his own prejudices.
 
http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/_/id/10968237/mark-cuban-dallas-mavericks-discusses-own-prejudices-how-handles-them
 
 
EDIT: Precision 

 

[IdiotKicker]

Cuban is catching shit from all sides on this one, from people saying he's a racist to people saying he's being too understanding of Sterling.  Which usually means that he's right on the money and that neither of those groups really want to examine their views too closely because it would be too uncomfortable for them.

 

[dcmissle]

Cuban is catching shit from all sides on this one, from people saying he's a racist to people saying he's being too understanding of Sterling.  Which usually means that he's right on the money and that neither of those groups really want to examine their views too closely because it would be too uncomfortable for them.

Well fuck them. He has openly stated what is obvious. And important. And I don't care whether this complicates, or doesn't, the effort to oust Sterling.

 

[garlan5]

Cuban is catching shit from all sides on this one, from people saying he's a racist to people saying he's being too understanding of Sterling.  Which usually means that he's right on the money and that neither of those groups really want to examine their views too closely because it would be too uncomfortable for them.

As much as I hate espn the little I watched today supported him with the exception of Chris Carter. Michael Wilbon, Steven A Smith, Skip Bayless, etc agreed or understood him.

 

[Zereck]

As much as I hate espn the little I watched today supported him with the exception of Chris Carter. Michael Wilbon, Steven A Smith, Skip Bayless, etc agreed or understood him.

Did anyone on ESPN even say anything negative? Even Stephen A Smith is on the air saying it wasn't offensive and anyone who has an issue with what Cuban said needs to grow up.

 

[garlan5]

Chris Carter said he would rather be called a n###er to his face than you cross the road to avoid him. Seriously he said that

 

[DJnVa]

As much as I hate espn the little I watched today supported him with the exception of Chris Carter. Michael Wilbon, Steven A Smith, Skip Bayless, etc agreed or understood him.

 
Bruce Bowen didn't support him this morning. Said that Cuban would cross the street to avoid them, but when they turn 20 he'd draft them and pay them millions.

 

[IdiotKicker]

Well fuck them. He has openly stated what is obvious. And important. And I don't care whether this complicates, or doesn't, the effort to oust Sterling.

 
I never said anything otherwise.  I think he's dead-on in his assessment, but a lot of people looking for pageviews/listeners/viewers have come out and bashed him on one side or the other.  That is what I find to be the unfortunate reality here.  Cuban is trying to elevate the conversation beyond talking points and soundbites and is getting shit from people who really don't want to examine the issue.

 

[dcmissle]

 
I never said anything otherwise.  I think he's dead-on in his assessment, but a lot of people looking for pageviews/listeners/viewers have come out and bashed him on one side or the other.  That is what I find to be the unfortunate reality here.  Cuban is trying to elevate the conversation beyond talking points and soundbites and is getting shit from people who really don't want to examine the issue.

Certainly not taking issue with you -- or anyone else here, save PC addled, result driven people, who have yet to emerge from their foxholes

 

[Devizier]

Cuban is catching shit from all sides on this one, from people saying he's a racist to people saying he's being too understanding of Sterling.  Which usually means that he's right on the money and that neither of those groups really want to examine their views too closely because it would be too uncomfortable for them.

 
I honestly have no idea what you're saying here.

 

[moly99]

Cuban is a narcissist but I've always found his opinions to be pretty spot on and refreshing. What he says is right. We all have our prejudices whether they be racial, political, religious, etc.

 
The obvious difference is that political and religious views can usually be kept private, while ethnicity and gender generally cannot. As such the latter require greater social protections.

 

[Devizier]

 
The obvious difference is that political and religious views can usually be kept private, while ethnicity and gender generally cannot. As such the latter require greater social protections.

 
I should add that Cuban's examples were so superficial as to be completely meaningless. I'd rank that a D-plus on the self-examination scale.

 

[dcmissle]

 
I should add that Cuban's examples were so superficial as to be completely meaningless. I'd rank that a D-plus on the self-examination scale.

Guess what -- every other public figure gets an F-minus. Name one of ANY note who has acknowledged that he or she -- not the generic "they" -- is prejudiced or stereotypes.

 

[Average Reds]

Chris Carter said he would rather be called a n###er to his face than you cross the road to avoid him. Seriously he said that

 
Your point?

 

[garlan5]

My point was in response to everyone in favor on espn this morning that I saw except Chris Carter and this ignorant statement. I was stating the obvious

 

[Devizier]

Guess what -- every other public figure gets an F-minus. Name one of ANY note who has acknowledged that he or she -- not the generic "they" -- is prejudiced or stereotypes.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RovF1zsDoeM&feature=kp

 

[Average Reds]

My point was in response to everyone in favor on espn this morning that I saw except Chris Carter and this ignorant statement. I was stating the obvious

 
So you think that Cuban's statement is understandable, but Carter's reaction to it is "ignorant?"

 

[Kliq]

A lot of the flack against Cuban is coming from the fact that he compared a black person wearing a hoodie to a white person with a bald head and tattoos. Some folks in Bristol were saying how this was a poor choice of comparisions, since a black person wearing a hoodie SHOULD be viewed as harmless, while a bald person with tattoos is, and this is a direct quote from Tony Kornheiser, "obviously implicating somebody dangerous." So, according to some people, having tattoos and a shaved head mean that you are "obviously" a dangerous person, or you at least look like one.

 

[Average Reds]

A lot of the flack against Cuban is coming from the fact that he compared a black person wearing a hoodie to a white person with a bald head and tattoos. Some folks in Bristol were saying how this was a poor choice of comparisions, since a black person wearing a hoodie SHOULD be viewed as harmless, while a bald person with tattoos is, and this is a direct quote from Tony Kornheiser, "obviously implicating somebody dangerous." So, according to some people, having tattoos and a shaved head mean that you are "obviously" a dangerous person, or you at least look like one.

 
If you are looking for Tony Kornheiser to offer words of wisdom on virtually any topic, I submit that you'll be waiting a long, long time.
 
The reason Cuban is catching flack for using the example of a black person wearing a hoodie is that it sounds/feels like a direct reference to the Trayvon Martin case.  Cuban himself understands this, which is why he apologized to the Martin family for his poor choice of an example.  (But otherwise stood behind his words.)

 

[garlan5]

 
So you think that Cuban's statement is understandable, but Carter's reaction to it is "ignorant?"

I didn't give my opinion on Cuban. Yes I think Chris Carter made another idiotic statement. This one was sad and pathetic.

 

[luckiestman]

Who is sticking up for white guys with face tattoos in all of this? Don't they need a champion?

 

[Average Reds]

I didn't give my opinion on Cuban. Yes I think Chris Carter made another idiotic statement. This one was sad and pathetic.

 
Well, that's why I asked the question. I was looking for clarification.
 
I have mixed feelings myself about Cuban's statement, but if we're not able to have an honest dialogue about race then we're just going in circles.  And in that context, what he said does not bother me.
 
I'm surprised to hear you - or anyone - say that they feel that Carter's statement is sad and pathetic.  His perspective may be too raw and emotional for you, but it most certainly is an authentic emotion. I would add that I don't find it to be unreasonable at all.

 

[8slim]

What street has Cuban crossed to avoid a black guy in the past 20 years?

It's nice that he addressed the issue but what a tired cliche to invoke.

 

[IdiotKicker]

I honestly have no idea what you're saying here.

I'm saying that both the people claiming he's racist for making his statement and those who claim he's defending Sterling both are missing the larger point if what he is trying to say, probably because they don't want to examine their own views very closely.

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

What this tells me, and the fact that many black people have said its ok, is that this is the type of prejudice that blacks face everyday. Imagine being a black teenager, hearing Mark Cuban, someone whose success is due largely in part because of African-Americans, saying this. How many employers out there also think like this, even when you are in a suit and tie on a job interview?

We may have a black president, but there is still a whole lot of prejudice and racism out there.

 

[luckiestman]

I don't get Carter's statement. I get it if the context were he'd rather know if someone is a racist but Cuban wasn't talking about avoiding someone out of hate.

I took a criminal justice class way back when where the prof had us close our eyes and imagine entering our house on a rainy night, imagine hitting the light switch but the power is out.... and then we hear something, we feel someone moving towards us . Right then a bolt of lighting illuminates the room and we see someone coming at us with a knife, we can see their face perfectly STOP! What does that person look like? Prof tells us that us where our bias is.

He took his time with it, just reading the idea might not seem convincing. His point was that we all harbor prejudices.

 

[8slim]

What this tells me, and the fact that many black people have said its ok, is that this is the type of prejudice that blacks face everyday. Imagine being a black teenager, hearing Mark Cuban, someone whose success is due largely in part because of African-Americans, saying this. How many employers out there also think like this, even when you are in a suit and tie on a job interview?

We may have a black president, but there is still a whole lot of prejudice and racism out there.

To be fair, Cuban's success is largely because of dopey, white guys at Yahoo.

 

[luckiestman]

What this tells me, and the fact that many black people have said its ok, is that this is the type of prejudice that blacks face everyday. Imagine being a black teenager, hearing Mark Cuban, someone whose success is due largely in part because of African-Americans, saying this. How many employers out there also think like this, even when you are in a suit and tie on a job interview?

We may have a black president, but there is still a whole lot of prejudice and racism out there.

Yeah I don't know if it is racist to say you avoid people who are on average more likely to commit a violent crime if given the option to avoid them.

Black people do deal with prejudice but they also deal with a ton of actual violence from their own group.

So much of this is contextual and it gets weird when speaking broadly. I talk to a lot of young black men and women because of my job and they tell me I shouldn't go to certain areas of our somewhat sketchy city that I do actually go to. They aren't advising me to become a racist. They just think I'm a little bit stupid to go to statistically violent areas when I don't have to. I mean, I had to give a girl a ride home one night because a middle aged black women told her that there was no way that she was going to that neighborhood. I don't think she did it because she is self loathing.

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

To be fair, Cuban's success is largely because of dopey, white guys at Yahoo.

Cuban defines success theses days as popularity and celebrityism. He doesn't get that without the Mavs.

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

Yeah I don't know if it is racist to say you avoid people who are on average more likely to commit a violent crime if given the option to avoid them.

Black people do deal with prejudice but they also deal with a ton of actual violence from their own group.

So much of this is contextual and it gets weird when speaking broadly. I talk to a lot of young black men and women because of my job and they tell me I shouldn't go to certain areas of our somewhat sketchy city that I do actually go to. They aren't advising me to become a racist. They just think I'm a little bit stupid to go to statistically violent areas when I don't have to. I mean, I had to give a girl a ride home one night because a middle aged black women told her that there was no way that she was going to that neighborhood. I don't think she did it because she is self loathing.

The likely hood of being the victim of s random crime while walking down the street is so friggin small...its absurd to be afraid of walking down the street.

 

[8slim]

The likely hood of being the victim of s random crime while walking down the street is so friggin small...its absurd to be afraid of walking down the street.

I don't know man, the Today Show made that Knockout game seem pretty terrifying.

 

[8slim]

Cuban defines success theses days as popularity and celebrityism. He doesn't get that without the Mavs.

I was joking. But he doesn't own the Mavs without a tech bubble fueled acquisition from Yahoo.

 

[luckiestman]

Well what are the odds if that random street has a white guy with a face tattoo? You got a stat for that buddy? I don't think the FBI tracks that one.

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

I was joking. But he doesn't own the Mavs without a tech bubble fueled acquisition from Yahoo.

Haha. I know

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

Well what are the odds if that random street has a white guy with a face tattoo? You got a stat for that buddy? I don't think the FBI tracks that one.

Are you scared of you see a black guy on the same side of the street as you?

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

Cuban defines success theses days as popularity and celebrityism. He doesn't get that without the Mavs.

Steve Nash (past) and Dirk Nowitzki (present and past) are as dopey and as white as NBA players get.

 

[luckiestman]

Are you scared of you see a black guy on the same side of the street as you?

I don't know. Maybe I'm just in a constant state of fear and I view it as normal. I tell you one way I can relate to the issue, when I used to work overnights at a hotel when I was in college I was a little more on edge when young blacks guys looking a certain way came in. Why? Because desk clerks at that particular establishment had guns put to their head by young black men that looked a certain way. If a black guy came in with his girlfriend or just sort of fit the mold for a regular guest ( working class or traveling through), this wasn't a high class joint, it was business as usual. You know who was also more on edge? My black coworkers.

To clarify, looked a certain way means a combination of dress, behavior and crazy eyes

 

[garlan5]

 
Well, that's why I asked the question. I was looking for clarification.
 
I have mixed feelings myself about Cuban's statement, but if we're not able to have an honest dialogue about race then we're just going in circles.  And in that context, what he said does not bother me.
 
I'm surprised to hear you - or anyone - say that they feel that Carter's statement is sad and pathetic.  His perspective may be too raw and emotional for you, but it most certainly is an authentic emotion. I would add that I don't find it to be unreasonable at all.

For the record I have zero problem with what Cuban said. I do think he opened the door for criticism.
The reason I think Chris Carter made a sad statement is because he completely missed Cubans point and he down played and gave the okay to use such a tasteless word in favor of "crossing the street". How I made sense

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

I don't know. Maybe I'm just in a constant state of fear and I view it as normal. I tell you one way I can relate to the issue, when I used to work overnights at a hotel when I was in college I was a little more on edge when young blacks guys looking a certain way came in. Why? Because desk clerks at that particular establishment had guns put to their head by young black men that looked a certain way. If a black guy came in with his girlfriend or just sort of fit the mold for a regular guest ( working class or traveling through), this wasn't a high class joint, it was business as usual. You know who was also more on edge? My black coworkers.

To clarify, looked a certain way means a combination of dress, behavior and crazy eyes

Ok, that makes sense. You are extremely prejudiced then.

 

[luckiestman]

Ok, that makes sense. You are extremely prejudiced then.

Yeah I know, but not against black people

 

[soxhop411]

Michael McCann ‏@McCannSportsLaw  4m
@RattoCSN @richarddeitsch If reports are true that Roeser orchestrated the failed cover-up, what else has he done for Donald over the years?
 
IF this is true, would be interesting to see what else he has covered up for DTS…. Perhaps that info comes out at his hearing?

 

[soxhop411]

DTS text messages
 
Don Van Natta Jr. ‏@DVNJr  10m
V's secret texts and Donald Sterling's alleged attempt to get her to lie. Groundbreaking piece by @LATimesrainey: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-sterling-tic-toc-20140523-story.html#page=1 …
 
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-sterling-tic-toc-20140523-story.html#page=1
 
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-v-stiviano-text-20140522-htmlstory.html
 
Really good read
 

 

[trs]

For the record I have zero problem with what Cuban said. I do think he opened the door for criticism.
The reason I think Chris Carter made a sad statement is because he completely missed Cubans point and he down played and gave the okay to use such a tasteless word in favor of "crossing the street". How I made sense

 
I'm not sure why it's hard to understand this.  It seems relatively clear that Carter is pointing out that covert racism, i.e. crossing streets, avoiding eye-contact, or basically any other prejudged conclusion that does not result in an overt act, is more insulting to him than Inherit the Wind Ignorant White Farmer Dude yelling epithets.  From my experience in both the States and Spain, this former, 'covert,' racism is rampant and damaging.

 

[jon abbey]

Ramona Shelburne ‏@ramonashelburne  9m
Donald Sterling has agreed to allow his wife Shelly to negotiate a forced sale of the Clippers, source tells ESPN.

 

[ElUno20]

Yo! xmas in may for clipper fans?

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

Why would he ask his wife to negotiate a sale? He is still the owner. I thought he was barred from operational activity only.
 
This is such a strange story. The sordid details of all the relationships and deceptions will make great tabloid fodder.

 

[Average Reds]

Why would he ask his wife to negotiate a sale? He is still the owner. I thought he was barred from operational activity only.
 
This is such a strange story. The sordid details of all the relationships and deceptions will make great tabloid fodder.

 
My guess is that he feels she can represent his interests better with the league at this point because she (and her lawyer) do not yet have a poisonous relationship with Silver.
 
Or, it could just be just the latest inexplicable move in this soap opera.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

But the forced sale won't be to the NBA, but to another group of private buyers. There wouldn't need to be any negotiations with the NBA, would there?
 
Weird, wacky stuff.

 

[soxhop411]

 
Ramona Shelburne ‏@ramonashelburne  9m
Donald Sterling has agreed to allow his wife Shelly to negotiate a forced sale of the Clippers, source tells ESPN.
 

I am shocked…...

 

[soxhop411]

ABC News ‏@ABC  2m
NBA says it continues termination process despite Donald Sterling giving controlling ownership of Clippers to his wife - @astoneabcnews
 
So nothing really changed….