Moving forward how does Silver react when players

[Cheriehoop]

I would think if Silver wanted to clean it up, he's in a very good position to address it now after how he handled the Sterling issue. Would be very interesting to see how the players would react to an effort.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Sterling is going to bring at least a few other owners down with him, im pretty sure.

 

[CU44SE]

I don't think there is any place for the N word, but context is everything. Players use that word all the time and in turn, it is said out of habit and not meant as a negative. As Barkley says, its the way him and his friends talk to each other, even some of his "white" brothers. Not condoning it, but its used between friends and isn't just used as a negative epithet. Sterling on the other hand was just down right racist in his comments and mean spirited, he genuinely does not like black people. This is why I say context is everything and I believe what you are comparing are very different issues. Therefore, I don't think the NBA will come down nearly as hard with the use of the N word. Maybe start assessing Technicals with a 5,000 dollar fine attached to it or something but I don't think they would ever go the route of suspensions or 15,000 dollar fines.

 

[bballbeadle]

I understand the psychology of people adopting an extremely offensive term and turning it to their own use as a way to say, "You can't hurt me any more with that word. I OWN that word."

I personally feel it is a mistake.

I also have a question. I have never EVER heard the N word flung around at any of the basketball and football games I have attended in the past 25 years. Has anyone else?

Slavery is our country's original sin. We think we're getting past it, and we are, but we're not as far along as we would like to think. Still, people's hearts are changing.

 

[longislandcuse]

I understand the psychology of people adopting an extremely offensive term and turning it to their own use as a way to say, "You can't hurt me any more with that word. I OWN that word."

I personally feel it is a mistake.

I also have a question. I have never EVER heard the N word flung around at any of the basketball and football games I have attended in the past 25 years. Has anyone else?

Slavery is our country's original sin. We think we're getting past it, and we are, but we're not as far along as we would like to think. Still, people's hearts are changing.

I play pick up basketball games at different parks and when you're one of the only white guys, you hear it alot. They even call me it, make a big shot and dude comes up to me like "my n****""...of course I never say it back lol.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I play pick up basketball games at different parks and when you're one of the only white guys, you hear it alot. They even call me it, make a big shot and dude comes up to me like "my n****""...of course I never say it back lol.

I had the same experience back when I was young and, you know, made shots.

 

[SmilinBob]

The history of curse words is very interesting. They are what you make them out to be and obviously through time/experience they have more of an impact than other words. IMO, by making words taboo you are empowering that said word. I think what Charles Barkley and his friends are doing is just that, take away the negative aspect and the word may gradually just go away in a derogatory aspect.

 

[Quazzum69]

The Sterling thing infuriated players, coaches and most of the country. Players probably would have refused to play if it were not the playoffs. Sponsors were jumping ship. Silver had no choice.

When players start getting upset with the "N" word, then Silver can do something about it. I don't know how anyone could compare players using a word in a harmless fashion to each other and the remarks of a white, racist billionaire owner.

 

[RF2044]

The Sterling thing infuriated players, coaches and most of the country. Players probably would have refused to play if it were not the playoffs. Sponsors were jumping ship. Silver had no choice.

When players start getting upset with the "N" word, then Silver can do something about it. I don't know how anyone could compare players using a word in a harmless fashion to each other and the remarks of a white, racist billionaire owner.

Sterling didn't use the "N" word in the tape that got released. The remarks that triggered this sh/tstorm had some racial overtones, but were said in the heat of an argument, and I'm not sure were pointed enough to warrant the collective level of public outrage [in that regard, I agree with that article published by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar a few days ago].

Sterling might be a reprehensible bigot, but do you actually expect me to believe that his remarks from the tape are qualitatively worse than players using the "N" word--or anyone using the "N" word, for that matter? I don't buy that BS double standard.

The fact of the matter is that we've become a society that is quick to grab the pitchforks and torches whenever anyone gets offended. What you say seems to have become more important than what you actually do. And it's become acceptable to extract a pound of flesh so long as the offense relates to a couple of mainstream PC topics. Sterling probably deserved to get sanctioned the way that he did for a lifetime of conduct / racial bias, but I'm not convinced that this incident alone warrants the severe reaction it got.

In the main, probably best that he got removed, but this seems like a continuation of the crazy precedent of taking down public figures for expressing the wrong [i.e., anti-mainstream PC] opinions. People like Paula Deen and Phil Robertson serve as recent victims of such hatchet jobs.

 

[longislandcuse]

Anyone else see that Sterling has been battling Prostate Cancer? Not that it changes anything but kind of sad twist on an even sadder story.

 

[RandygoCuse]

I don't think people should use the word. However, my guess is that although players may get fined, Silver will argue against suspending them (at least at first) arguing that saying things in the heat of a game is different than the premeditated utterings in the situation where Sterling made his remarks.

 

[cuseincincy]

I don't think people should use the word. However, my guess is that although players may get fined, Silver will argue against suspending them (at least at first) arguing that saying things in the heat of a game is different than the premeditated utterings in the situation where Sterling made his remarks.

By "premediatated utterings in the situation"...I assume you DO mean "having an argument with his girlfriend in the privacy of his own home while being illegally taped" right? That's worse than using in on the court during a game and directing towards another specific person?

 

[4the Dubs]

lol I love this conversation...Okay so here's the deal, some black people don't have filters unfortunately. I cringed as I read the gentleman's post about being at a baseball game with his kids. That's just God awful. I'm not sure who's white and who's black on here but honestly I'm a little tickled by all the opinions on it because I feel like it doesn't deserve so much attention and here's why; This is going to be IMPOSSIBLE to enforce. Black people are comfortable with each other to where they can say it to each other and not blush. It was because in the past the word was so commonly used and degrading that it was just brutal for black people to hear no matter who said it. The word took on new meaning for black people to black people. I'll make a comparison though for those who don't understand. There was a futbol player who had a banana thrown at him in a game the other day and he chose to pick the banana up and eat it to basically say "oh that's cool you're racist so I'll just ignore you, thanks for the food". Well, when black people refer to each other as "nigga" it's the same kind of defiance. I realize it's hard to understand because yea a word is a word and there shouldn't be double standards. The goal really was to remove the power of the word the same way the power of the symbolism of the banana was removed in that instance. The word is just an ugly word and though the meaning was changed from black to black it never changed from white to black and it never will. It's a double standard people may not like but it's an "is what it is" situation because it's way too taboo to discuss from one race to another because of how ugly the word is. It'd be cool if everyone could just stand in a big circle (and I mean everyone) I'm talking entire world everyone ..and everyone just scream it into the heavens and cast it off earth. Then everyone would see how stupid this one word is. Nigga/nigger/negro blah blah blah. Frankly it doesn't deserve to exist anymore. Way too many people have died or lost everything because of it. It doesn't deserve this much attention. It's a banana. A banana that needs to be eaten and then out and then flushed. ...Now everyone, everywhere, make this viral. Everyone eat a banana. Now.

 

[Eric15]

Are we all on the same page that a white person using the word "ni--er" and a black person using the word "ni--a" are as opposite of contexts as exist in the English language? You can't make rules applying to both - they are completely different words and meanings.

 

[Eric15]

I play pick up basketball games at different parks and when you're one of the only white guys, you hear it alot. They even call me it, make a big shot and dude comes up to me like "my n****""...of course I never say it back lol.

Same here - I play basketball a couple nights per week at a park in DC near me and I'm often the only white guy there. 20-something black guys call their friends "ni--a" in the same context that white guys use "man" or "bro." It's a camaraderie/friendship thing that I think is more or less harmless. They actually nicknamed me "Wonder Bread" the other day, which I thought was hilarious - it's a great group of guys.

That said, I can understand why older generations of African-Americans might be troubled that younger generations have embraced an off-shoot of such an evil word. But it's very common - gay people embraced the word queer, women embraced the word bitch, etc.. It's a defense/coping mechanism.

 

[RF2044]

Are we all on the same page that a white person using the word "ni--er" and a black person using the word "ni--a" are as opposite of contexts as exist in the English language? You can't make rules applying to both - they are completely different words and meanings.

Thanks for clearing that up.

My gosh--no WONDER there was such a misunderstanding...

 

[djcon57]

By "premediatated utterings in the situation"...I assume you DO mean "having an argument with his girlfriend in the privacy of his own home while being illegally taped" right? That's worse than using in on the court during a game and directing towards another specific person?

Not arguing your point...just wanted to make sure people were aware rumors point to the tape not being illegally taped.

 

[OrangeAl]

The gravity of a team owner, executive or coach expressing racism is that they have power and authority, whereas players yelling at each other in the heat of a game don't. But if a player berates a ballboy, equipment manager or custodian with a racist rant, then they're responsible for misusing their position of power.

 

[longislandcuse]

Not arguing your point...just wanted to make sure people were aware rumors point to the tape not being illegally taped.

Ive heard these "rumors" and I really, really doubt these "rumors" are true. He was illegally taped and everyone knows it, whether that's an issue for you or not is another thing.

 

[djcon57]

Ive heard these "rumors" and I really, really doubt these "rumors" are true. He was illegally taped and everyone knows it, whether that's an issue for you or not is another thing.

Can we wait until this is deemed to be a fact or do we have to assume because you say so?

If it was illegally taped, she should be charged accordingly. So not an issue for me, but will be for her.

 

[RandygoCuse]

By "premediatated utterings in the situation"...I assume you DO mean "having an argument with his girlfriend in the privacy of his own home while being illegally taped" right? That's worse than using in on the court during a game and directing towards another specific person?

Good point - I do think its a problem that his privacy was violated - however, his remarks were directed at a specific person as well

 

[longislandcuse]

Good point - I do think its a problem that his privacy was violated - however, his remarks were directed at a specific person as well

I also think its worth noting that the person he told these things to was his gf, not some random person who works for him. Does anyone have concrete evidence that he made obvious blatant racist remarks or is it just a bunch of failed lawsuits and jealous rants?

*Im NOT saying he isn't a racist, all signs point that way, just playing devils advocate.

The things he said to his gf could have been out of jealousy and the housing discrimination, well our good friend Jason Whitlock was on Dan Lebatard saying he has a wealthy black real estate friend who said Sterling is right about housing and agrees with him.

He deserves what he got but this has been so blown out of proportion it's insane. I'd suspect you'd be irate if you're favorite teams had some of their owners darkest convos recorded and set public.

Again, for the record, I think he's a racist but I don't think he's a closet KKK member like he's been portrayed.

 

[rrlbees]

Ive heard these "rumors" and I really, really doubt these "rumors" are true. He was illegally taped and everyone knows it, whether that's an issue for you or not is another thing.

We don't know that. The woman who taped it says he knew. So how does "everyone knows it"?

Even if it was illegally taped, that's an issue for the woman, not the NBA.

 

[djcon57]

I also think its worth noting that the person he told these things to was his gf, not some random person who works for him. Does anyone have concrete evidence that he made obvious blatant racist remarks or is it just a bunch of failed lawsuits and jealous rants?

You are incorrect. They were not failed. They were settled.

"Two years later, Sterling resolved the Housing Rights Center case with a payout. The details of the agreement are confidential, but U.S. District Court judge Dale Fischer called the settlement one of the largest ever obtained in this type of case." Plaintiffs were awarded $4.9 million in legal fees alone."

 

[longislandcuse]

You are incorrect. They were not failed. They were settled.

"Two years later, Sterling resolved the Housing Rights Center case with a payout. The details of the agreement are confidential, but U.S. District Court judge Dale Fischer called the settlement one of the largest ever obtained in this type of case." Plaintiffs were awarded $4.9 million in legal fees alone."

Failed in the sense that he never admitted guilt. Similar to the NFL concussion payout. Wrong terminology on my part but he still never admitted guilt.