Clip His Mouth Shut

The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, has been  outed as a racist, after his girlfriend released private phone conversation with him (that she recorded) make racist comments.

There is a big cry, including from President Obama (learned nothing from Gates, huh?) that Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA do something to relieve Sterling of his status of an owner in the National Basketball Association.

Aside from that people are calling on the Clippers not to play-in protest.

I can see why the players, who are in the playoffs are not willing to forfeit a game. Even for the egregious statements and sentiments of the owner.

Also, I am, and always have been uncomfortable with speech being punished. (I include Marge Schott in that assesment). So, if sponsors want to pull out, and workers want to walk off a job, and fans want to walk away, or not buy concessions (since the tickets are already bought and paid for), and the situation is such that it becomes in the owner's best interest to resign or sell the team I am all for that.

But suspending or taking away something that someone owns for hateful speech and attitude seems wrong to me. I can hear the argument that the NBA as an organization has a code of conduct, but to be fair, they didn't ever get rid of him before, and apparently his racism was a known thing.

 Now it's just a more publicly embarrassingly known thing.

If his conduct was such that he wasn't removed until now, this was a private conversation made public. So if they have been fine with the way he has been until now, he didn't do anything to change his public conduct. I AM NOT EXCUSING THIS,but the whole thing is hypocritical on the part of the NBA, and really, apparently, anyone who knew him. So they can all be "SHOCKED!" (think Claude Raines)that he is who he is, but they knew.