Official NBA thread

[rjortiz]

The end result is the league coming to a halt. The cause is players going on strike. This isn't hard.

 

All you're doing here is letting racists and bigots know that their beliefs have the power to move the earth and bring enormous operations like the NBA to a grinding halt.

 

A strike would be the players stopping play. Not owners.

[rjortiz]

Who the f*** used the phrase "bigoted owners"? Nobody. I understand you're in a bipolar rage right now, but try to keep your reading comprehension from sliding into the shitter, okay?

 

If you can't comprehend how suspending major operations in a mere show of disapproval towards bigotry, empowers bigotry, then I don't even know what to say.

 

All you're doing here is letting racists and bigots know that their beliefs have the power to move the earth and bring enormous operations like the NBA to a grinding halt.

 

lol I'm the one who is raging? I'm not the one typing profanities in all caps.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

You also seem to be under the assumption that this strike would last a long time. The real question is would the owners and Adam Silver even let the players leave the arena before they cut Sterling loose. This would not be a strike over compensation issues. This would be to remove a racist owner from the association. Who would want to be the people on the opposite side of that strike?

I just said that a strike would cause at least a week's worth of delays, because process (like, legal process). If you're insinuating that the strike would cease once the league initiated action, then that would take the heat off the NBA to remove Sterling pronto, defeating the purpose.

 

The fact that NBA players continued to play under Sterling and Marge Schott proves the opposite of what you are claiming. If they won't strike over "million dollar niggers," what can they get away with? A strike puts those ideas to rest, and lets it be known that it will not be tolerated.

What? What am I claiming?

Edited April 28, 2014 by Jacoby_Ellsbury

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

All you're doing here is letting racists and bigots know that their beliefs have the power to move the earth and bring enormous operations like the NBA to a grinding halt.

 

A strike would be the players stopping play. Not owners.

WHO. CARES. Operations have ceased regardless of who started it. That's all that matters.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

lol I'm the one who is raging? I'm not the one typing profanities in all caps.

No, but you are the one channeling your inner Keith Olbermann and demanding that a major operation like the NBA come to a full stop because Old Man Sterling went full retard.

[rjortiz]

No, but you are the one channeling your inner Keith Olbermann and demanding that a major operation like the NBA come to a full stop because Old Man Sterling went full retard.

 

I am in no official capacity to demand anything. I am just giving my opinion of what the players should do if they want Sterling out of the league.

[rjortiz]

WHO. CARES. Operations have ceased regardless of who started it. That's all that matters.

 

It undermines your claim that the racists have brought NBA to a halt. Donald Sterling definitely would not be happy with a work stoppage.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

I am in no official capacity to demand anything. I am just giving my opinion of what the players should do if they want Sterling out of the league.

No, this is you:

 

"Clippers need to strike for the rest of the playoffs, so should the other NBA teams."

That's not you offering up what you think the players should do if they really want Sterling canned, that was you crying out for the league to come to a stop because apparently anyone who wouldn't strike or would oppose player striking is selfish and is a bigot just like Sterling.

 

(yay, we've arrived at the part of the argument where we go back and forth for another page tell each other what we said)

[rjortiz]

I just said that a strike would cause at least a week's worth of delays, because process (like, legal process). If you're insinuating that the strike would cease once the league initiated action, then that would take the heat off the NBA to remove Sterling pronto, defeating the purpose.

 

Wouldn't the initiated action be the removal of Donald Sterling as owner of the Los Angeles Clippers? How does that defeat the purpose? That's what the goal would be. Don't fine, or suspend him. Remove him.

 

What? What am I claiming?

 

A strike over bigotry empowers bigotry.

Edited April 28, 2014 by rjortiz

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

It undermines your claim that the racists have brought NBA to a halt. Donald Sterling definitely would not be happy with a work stoppage.

I don't why you keep getting fixated on Sterling as if he's the only bigot currently in existence. It's pretty obvious based on your initial posts in the matter that you have a zero-tolerance policy on racism (which isn't a bad view to have), and that you would like to see the players strike to show that racism will not be tolerated. Well, all that really does is send the message to racists and bigots everywhere (not just Sterling) that their thoughts are important, relevant, and can still have an impact, which is the exact opposite of the message that should be broadcasted.

[rjortiz]

No, this is you:

 

"Clippers need to strike for the rest of the playoffs, so should the other NBA teams."

That's not you offering up what you think the players should do if they really want Sterling canned, that was you crying out for the league to come to a stop because apparently anyone who wouldn't strike or would oppose player striking is selfish and is a bigot just like Sterling.

 

(yay, we've arrived at the part of the argument where we go back and forth for another page tell each other what we said)

 

Haha. My statement on page 389 of the NBA Thread constitutes an official demand of action, and casts all who oppose this holy writ as bigots. We can agree to disagree on that note.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Wouldn't the initiated action be the removal of Donald Sterling as owner of the Los Angeles Clippers? How does that defeat the purpose? That's what the goal would be. Don't fine, or suspend him. Remove him.

Silver can't just leap out of his chair and tell him goodbye. Maybe he could if Sterling went out and killed somebody, but for racist comments on a tape? It's pathetic and out of line, but it doesn't call for anything outside of the standard process of 5 days for Sterling to formally respond to the charges against him (which he would take every second of), then the meetings, then the evidence, then the voting, then the action.

 

If the strike ceases once the process of removing Sterling has merely started up, then the players resume playing while Sterling is still technically the owner of the Clippers even if his days are numbered, and the Clipper players would technically still be playing for the old racist. So they've accomplished absolutely nothing.

 

A strike over bigotry empowers bigotry.

Yes, but you haven't shown anything to contradict that claim.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Sponsors are cutting ties with the Clippers

 

You want to f*** with a business, take away their sponsors. This might be all that's needed for the NBA to crack and give Sterling the boot, since a s***** franchise isn't just a s***** franchise, it's a burden on the league and the other owners.

[Spudboy]

The process of a legal and binding removal of Sterling must be given a chance to work first. If Silver and the NBA Board of Governors fail to take swift action then MAYBE a player work stoppage would be seen as justified. Until then a strike serves no useful purpose and does more damage to more people than has already been done.

 

I have an observation: rjortize remembers when people in this country did have the courage to strike ( even when the strike would hurt them ). None of these rich kid players really care THAT much about this issue. I bet Bill Russell and Jim Brown would have done something more than tweet disapproval.

 

One thing I wonder about. How did the other owners spend so much time in bed with this guy? Did they not know that he was a cancer all along? I sort of doubt it.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Oh they knew. f***, everybody knew that this guy was a racist, Wikipedia the guy and take a look at his track record. But there hasn't been a legit media firestorm about him until now so they looked the other way.

[Spudboy]

Oh they knew, but there hasn't been a legit media firestorm about him until now so they looked the other way.

 

Which in MY book makes them complicit.

 

For all the "progress" our society claims to have made in race issues, the almighty dollar still remains more important than morals and ethics.

[User Name]

The problem with a strike is the damage it does to the little guy, the bottom-of-the-barrel employees. Any social vindication attained would not justify harming people who live paycheck-to-paycheck just because some old white dude (who everyone knows is a racist) finally got caught saying something racist on tape. It doesn't add up. Also, as the commissioner says, as clearly guilty as he is, affording him due process is a necessity. Let it work itself out. This media shitstorm will hurt the league's pockets unless something is done about Sterling, so swift action will be taken.

[rjortiz]

I guess my main problem was with the Clippers players' "statement." I mean, if you are going to send a statement, that was a pretty weak one. It was like employees of an Outback Steakhouse refusing to wear their uniforms before they opened the store, but still doing the work to open it. Does anyone think Donald Sterling even cared that his players wouldn't represent the Clippers while practicing layups?

 

Maybe a general strike is too extreme, but how about some better sabotage than that? Why not all 12 players of both teams spell out F-U-C-K-S-T-E-R-L-I-N-G while sitting on the bench? Probably too crude, but just something that pushes the envelope.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

You can disagree with the Clippers statement, but at the end of the day, they work for Sterling and you don't. They are free to do whatever they want. Whether that's play games, wear jerseys inside out, etc. I understand where you're coming from. I'd like to see more of a statement from the Clippers as well, but only from the Clippers. Don't make other teams suffer because of one dickhead.

[Palodios]

I guess my main problem was with the Clippers players' "statement." I mean, if you are going to send a statement, that was a pretty weak one. It was like employees of an Outback Steakhouse refusing to wear their uniforms before they opened the store, but still doing the work to open it. Does anyone think Donald Sterling even cared that his players wouldn't represent the Clippers while practicing layups?

 

Maybe a general strike is too extreme, but how about some better sabotage than that? Why not all 12 players of both teams spell out F-U-C-K-S-T-E-R-L-I-N-G while sitting on the bench? Probably too crude, but just something that pushes the envelope.

 

Pushing the envelop could potentially get players suspended. This is the playoffs. Players are not going to risk their chances to win a championship. Why make the fans suffer, or ruin their own lifetime dream just because of some racist ******* who will get fired in a few weeks anyway?

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

The Pacers are overrated as f***. This is the team that was suppose to give the Heat a hard time? Just cancel the Eastern conference playoffs and put the Heat in the finals.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Sure looks like the Pacers went on strike...

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

LOL Hawks up 30.

[redsoxrules]

The Pacers have been going downhill since after the break. Not sure what happened to them. They totally have fallen off a cliff.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

I hope the Hawks just absolutely destroy the Pacers. 40+ point win please

 

lol @ Hibbert. Garbage.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Is there a basketball equivalent to Steve Blass syndrome? Because Hibbert might have come down with it.

[Jasonbay44]

Wizards/Hawks 2nd round match up??!!! LETS GO

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

It's down to 20 now. Hawks with some bad possessions to close out the quarter.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

The Hawks are playing like dog s*** all of a sudden. Down to 17 and Indiana has momentum.

 

If Lou Williams is the ball handler then you're doing it wrong.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

11 point lead. Hawks are rebounding like the 2010 Celtics.