Would the NFL Ban an Owner for Life?

**GOTA** · 04-29-2014, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

like Mark Cuban said, it's a slippery slope. You can't really fire an owner and there are a lot of owners who engage in activities that the mainstream would find pretty offensive. What he said was in a private conversation that happened to be made public. No doubt his comments were racist but it's not against the law to be racist.

If he decides to fight back on this it could get very ugly IMO.

It's not against the law to be racist but it could be against the league. I'd love to know how the NBA constitution words the mechanism of forcing an owner to sell. Can it be for any reason? Is it an item that must be presented by the Commissioner? Is it a public process? This is a very interesting story about the business of professional sports. I know I'll be following it.

**HoustonRaven** · 04-29-2014, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

No doubt his comments were racist but it's not against the law to be racist.

This isn't a court of law. It's a business.

Originally Posted by Ravenswintitle

If he decides to fight back on this it could get very ugly IMO.

How? His only avenue is arbitration.

**Ravenswintitle** · 04-29-2014, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

This isn't a court of law. It's a business.

It's a business that he owns. He bought it and it would be very difficult for them for force him to sell. If somehow they can, he'll make a fortune so not sure that is really punishment.

How? His only avenue is arbitration.

He could drag his feet and go through litigation for years if he wants to; he has a history of doing just that. The NBA bylaws aren't public as far as I've seen

From ESPN:

Q. Why do we keep hearing that the NBA can't force Sterling to sell the team like it did with Cleveland's Ted Stepien in the 1980s?
A: This is a different time. Franchise values have skyrocketed to levels they didn't dare dream of in Stepien's time.
And the Clippers, like it or not, are Sterling's private property, prompting numerous sources to say this week that mandating a sale would be virtually impossible.
Sterling's status as Clippers owner is similar to that of a franchisee in that he has the right to use NBA logos and be a part of the league. But it's considered highly unlikely Silver and his fellow owners would be willing to attempt to revoke his rights as a franchise owner because of the legal ramifications of such a bold decision.
There are other owners and league officials, sources stressed to ESPN.com throughout the weekend, who have wanted Sterling out of the league for years in the wake of all of the off-court allegations he's faced during the past decade. But Sterling's famously litigious history suggests that they could bank on a costly lawsuit in reply. One example: A theoretical antitrust suit from Sterling against the NBA could conceivably allege that he is being forced to sell the Clippers at less-than-market value, because prospective buyers know Sterling has no choice but to sell, with the commissioner and Sterling's ownership rivals trying to push him out.
The league insider who earlier asserted that Sterling will eventually be managed out of the NBA, Marge Schott-style, if the tapes are authenticated, said: "But there's less than 1 in a 100 million odds they attempt to make him sell."
Sources say that the only two known violations that would allow the NBA to force an owner to sell his team are gambling-related offenses or the sort of deep financial problems witnessed in New Orleans with George Shinn.
Yet the only apparent play available to the NBA would seem to be suspending Sterling and then trying to wear him down to the point he gives in and agrees to sell the Clippers for a massive windfall. Sterling purchased the franchise in 1981 for a reported $12.5 million, but this is a league in which the small-market Milwaukee Bucks, in desperate need of a new, modern arena, were just sold for $550 million.

**BcRaven** · 04-29-2014, 04:32 PM

The NFL has already banned whoever owns the Cleveland Browns from participating in a Super Bowl... Bc

**jonboy79** · 04-29-2014, 04:34 PM

I think the lifetime ban makes it hard to want to continue owning something you can't make decisions for or participate in(besides profits).

That said, i think he will force their hands if forced to sell and eventually get WELL above market value in that case, perhaps DOUBLE.

**HoustonRaven** · 04-29-2014, 04:35 PM

RWT -- You're quoting a dated article (dated in terms of this fast moving issue).

Yes, Sterling has that history, but ESPN just had on their legal analyst, Lestor Munson, who claims to have seen the by laws. He's saying the owners have all agreed to arbitration, thus his only recourse is to appeal to the very owners who are seeking to remove him as owner.

**alien bird** · 04-29-2014, 04:41 PM

Even if they couldn't legally force him to sell, they could make it ridiculously unbearable to continue to try and operate the franchise.

**HoustonRaven** · 04-29-2014, 04:43 PM

The Clippers also released a statement saying, "We wholeheartedly support and embrace the decision by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver today. Now the healing process begins."

**GOTA** · 04-29-2014, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

The Clippers also released a statement saying, "We wholeheartedly support and embrace the decision by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver today. Now the healing process begins."

Since Sterling owns the Clippers does that mean that Sterling is the one who authorized that statement?

**jonboy79** · 04-29-2014, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by GOTA

Since Sterling owns the Clippers does that mean that Sterling is the one who authorized that statement?

I don't think he is allowed to decide any longer... I think he was banned from all decision making processes...

**Ravenblue** · 04-29-2014, 04:51 PM

What exactly is the US law regarding racism? Racism is a criminal offence in the UK and I'm surprised to get the impression this is not the case in the US.