LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS OWNER DONALD STERLING NEEDS TO SHUT UP AND GO AWAY

                                       Zip it.  Zip it.  Zip it.  

   

     Someone needs to tell Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling to keep his big, fat mouth shut...and to keep it zipped up.

     I'll be honest - there are words I would like to use to describe Sterling, as I think anyone who is a racist...is scum.  But it's not worth my time to "name-call"...and to articulate the language that I feel inside myself...when I 

listen to the audio conversation with Sterling's former mistress, V. Stiviano - made known to the world, in part, by TMZ on Friday, April 25th, 2014....and in its entirety on Sunday, April 27th, by Deadspin...and when I watch Sterling verbalize the 

disgusting remarks he made to Anderson Cooper on his CNN program, Anderson Cooper 360.  

     Sterling needs to not say another word about "not (being) a racist."  If Donald Sterling is not a racist...then pigs can fly.

     This man nauseates me.  Sterling is one of the most despicable creatures to walk the face of the Earth...and he needs to go back to wherever he came from; that is, from some far away planet in some other galaxy.  He is a disgrace - pure and simple.

     Unless you've been living in a cave this past week...you know that in an interview that aired Monday, May 12th on CNN...Anderson Cooper brilliantly let Donald Sterling tie the rope around his neck - tighter and tighter - as Sterling continued to prove without any question - without the shadow of a doubt - that he is indeed a racist. 

     "I'm not a racist.  And I've never been a racist...and I'll never be a racist," Sterling insisted, as he continued to make racist remarks - especially about former Los Angeles Lakers superstar, Magic Johnson.  "What has he done?  Can you tell me?  Big Magic Johnson.  What has he done?  He's got AIDS."

     Again...it's taking every ounce of my intellectual strength to keep from calling Sterling every name under the sun...but instead, I will merely say that Sterling needs to know the facts about someone before he makes any insulting and incorrect comments about them.  The truth is...Magic Johnson doesn't have AIDS and never has.  Johnson was diagnosed in 1991 with HIV...the disease that can cause AIDS. 

     Anderson Cooper was superb as he let Sterling cook his own goose over and over and over again - by blaming the media...by telling Anderson that he has "more of a plantation mentality" than Sterling does...and by accusing Anderson of being "more of a racist" than Sterling is.  If Sterling truly believes that...then he also must believe in leprechauns and elves. 

     Anderson calmly replied to Sterling's comment noted above by asking... "How so?"  Sterling remarked that "The players don't hate me.  The sponsors don't hate me."

     Donald Sterling is delusional to think - as he definitively told Anderson Cooper - that the Los Angeles Clippers players..."love him."

     Anderson let Sterling bury himself in to a deeper and deeper hole.  I'm sure it was difficult for AC to hold his tongue, but his professionalism - as one of America's leading journalists - ruled, so kudos to Anderson, as he listened to the NBA team owner go on to criticize and bash Magic Johnson after AC corrected Sterling about Johnson not having AIDS.  "Did he help anybody in South L.A.?  What kind of a guy goes to every city...has sex with every girl... then he catches HIV?  Is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about?  I think he should be ashamed of himself.  I think he should go in to the background.  But what does he do for the black people?  He doesn't do anything.  He does nothing.  It's all talk."

    

      The legend that is Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. is a philanthropist whose generosity is beyond spectacular.  Johnson is one of the NBA's most beloved figures who has reportedly donated millions...if not tens of millions of dollars to charities.  Johnson has also been involved in the fundraising and investment of hundreds of millions of dollars to help the poor.  His charitable contributions - with his money and his time - are beyond "magical."  Johnson's magnanimous achievements - especially with low-income, minority communities across America are extraordinary and outstanding.  He's provided an impressively, prodigious amount of money to minority education programs...and Johnson's efforts have created an overwhelming number of jobs for people living in inner-city neighborhoods.

     If Sterling's conversation with Anderson Cooper was supposed to be his damage control interview - to prove that he is "not a racist"...then I have to wonder how the 80-year old lawyer and business magnate made billions of dollars throughout his life.  He cannot be that smart.  And someone who is worth the amount of money that Sterling reportedly is...needs to have some intelligence.  That being said...nobody in his right mind could say the things Sterling said about Magic Johnson...and still consider himself to not be a racist. 

     What was intended to be an apology...for the extremely hurtful words Sterling expressed in the conversation with Stiviano...backfired.  As Sterling continued to slam Magic Johnson in the interview with Anderson Cooper... where were the advisers who reportedly work for Sterling?  Why didn't anyone interrupt the interview and suggest to Sterling that he was getting himself in to bigger and bigger trouble with his comments about Johnson?  Who knows?  Maybe Sterling's own entourage realizes that he's a racist and they wanted to see him destruct even more on an international television program.

     At some point in the bizarre interview on AC360...Sterling did apologize emotionally and tearfully.  "I can't explain some of the stupid, foolish, uneducated words that I uttered.  I'm the guilty one for uttering those terrible, ugly words that I don't mean.  I made such a mistake.  I made a terrible, terrible mistake.  And I'm here with you today to apologize and to ask for forgiveness...for all the people that I've hurt."

     As a result of that "mistake"...in a press conference on Tuesday, April 29th...the Commissioner of the National Basketball Association, Adam Silver stated that "Effective immediately...I am banning Mr. Sterling...for life...from any association with the Clippers organization or the NBA.  As for Mr. Sterling's ownership interest in the Clippers...I will urge the Board of Governors to exercise its authority... to force a sale of the team.  And I will do everything in my power...to ensure that that happens."  Silver reportedly is trying to persuade the 29 other NBA owners to vote that Sterling sell the Clippers.  According to NBA rules, if three-quarters agree with Silver then Sterling will have to sell the team.  Silver also announced that Sterling was fined 2.5 million dollars - money that...if received...will be given to charity.

     Applause, applause, applause to Commissioner Silver.  You did what was right.  Bra-vo!

     Back to the interview with Anderson Cooper...Donald Sterling's comments about Magic Johnson are totally inexcusable.  But then...everything Sterling has stated when it comes to his views about Johnson and the entire African-American race is inexcusable.

     On Tuesday, May 13th...a day after Donald Sterling appeared on CNN's AC360...Anderson Cooper sat down with Magic Johnson...who noted that "It's a shame that (Sterling) doesn't know what he's talking about."   Johnson defended himself and was disturbed that Sterling "disrespect(ed)" him and "the work that I've done in the minority community."  Johnson said, "That really makes me upset"...and stated that Sterling is "living in the Stone Ages."

     Sterling blasted Magic Johnson in that now infamous audio recording... when Sterling was irate...after he had seen a photograph of Johnson with V. Stiviano.  Sterling had told Stiviano not to bring Johnson or any "black people" to Clippers games.

     The deadline passed last week for Sterling to pay his fine of 2.5 million dollars, which the Clippers owner says he will not pay.  According to Sports Illustrated on Thursday, May 15th...Sterling hired a high-profile attorney who sent a letter to NBA officials stating, "We reject your demand for payment."  Sports Illustrated says Sterling's lawyer is claiming anti-trust violations and that his client's "due process rights" were violated.  Sports Illustrated also reports that Sterling will file a lawsuit against the NBA if his lifetime ban is not lifted and if the NBA refuses to stop calling for the fine to be paid.

     Anybody who thought Donald Sterling would not dispute the NBA commissioner's ruling was not being realistic.  After all...Sterling's a billionaire...and I doubt that he's going to give up without a fight.  How can anyone think that he would sit back and do diddly-squat? 

     We've seen what money can do.  There are many people who believe that O.J. Simpson got away with murder by having famed attorney, the late Johnnie Cochran - and arguably the best legal team ever to defend in a trial - as Simpson's lawyers.  Donald Sterling may end up winning his case...or a compromise of some form may be reached.  But if so...in the long run...Sterling's going to lose.  Oh I don't think the Clippers players will stop coming to the basketball courts.  They want to be paid their gigantic salaries.  As for the fans...most of them will continue to come see their favorite athletes play.  But it's the sponsors who will end their advertising of the Clippers if Sterling remains connected in any way to the team.  Those companies don't want to be harmed nationally...and there are a lot of other areas where major advertisers can spend their money. 

     As we all know...the United States Constitution gives all Americans "freedom of speech."  And as sickening and as repulsive were the comments made by Donald Sterling...and whether he is sorry for his detestable words... and remorseful for speaking such vulgarities...he expressed - at least at the time - his personal opinions.  And it just may be up to a court of law - perhaps the U.S. Supreme Court - to decide whether what Sterling said was against the NBA Constitution.

     There have been many people - celebrities and others - who have lost their jobs for making racist remarks...and they've not received a penny when being terminated by their employers.  Donald Sterling should pay his fine - a drop in the bucket - then sell the Los Angeles Clippers...take his money...and fade in to the darkness.  Otherwise...he risks a court battle...and a decision by a judge or justices.  And Sterling may end up losing even more - including the millions of dollars he would be paying to his lawyers.

     Donald Sterling is completely, totally and clearly out of his mind...and he needs to stay away from the cameras...away from the microphones...away from the NBA...and away from the public...so nobody else has to hear the raunch of his repugnant rant. 

     After part of Donald Sterling's conversation with V. Stiviano was broadcast around the world by TMZ...the distinguished NBA forward, LeBron James of the Miami Heat declared..."There's no place for Donald Sterling in our league."  LeBron...more than that...there's no place for racism...anywhere...in the United States of America.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

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