[stupac2]

Sterling got what he deserved, but Silver said that the suspension was only related to the TMZ tapes: "In meting out this punishment we did not take into account his past behavior." If so, what should happen if a mega-star NBA player is taped talking to a girlfriend and making homophobic or anti-[whatever ethnicity] statements? One could try to distinguish on the basis that an owner can set the corporate culture and is the face of the franchise. But, by most accounts, except for Sterling himself, the Clippers are not run in a racist manner and a mega-star player, even more than the owner, is the public face of an NBA franchise. Should a mega-star player caught on tape saying similar things be given a lifetime suspension? That's why I think suspending Sterling for an accumulation of offenses would have been better wiser. If, in a similar future incident involving a mega-star player Silver does not hand out a lifetime suspension, he doesn't have to hand-wave an explanation why the Sterling precedent shouldn't apply.

They don't need any rationale at all since this isn't a court and there aren't meaningful precedents. Sports leagues all over are clearly run in a completely ad hoc, in-the-moment manner.

[stupac2]

Sterling got what he deserved, but Silver said that the suspension was only related to the TMZ tapes: "In meting out this punishment we did not take into account his past behavior." If so, what should happen if a mega-star NBA player is taped talking to a girlfriend and making homophobic or anti-[whatever ethnicity] statements? One could try to distinguish on the basis that an owner can set the corporate culture and is the face of the franchise. But, by most accounts, except for Sterling himself, the Clippers are not run in a racist manner and a mega-star player, even more than the owner, is the public face of an NBA franchise. Should a mega-star player caught on tape saying similar things be given a lifetime suspension? That's why I think suspending Sterling for an accumulation of offenses would have been better wiser. If, in a similar future incident involving a mega-star player Silver does not hand out a lifetime suspension, he doesn't have to hand-wave an explanation why the Sterling precedent shouldn't apply.

They don't need any rationale at all since this isn't a court and there aren't meaningful precedents. Sports leagues all over are clearly run in a completely ad hoc, in-the-moment manner.