Tuesday, April 29, 2014

NBA Owners Ban Sterling For Life, Pill-Popping Irsay Still Not Charged

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced what amounts to a death sentence for LA Clippers' owner Donald Sterling in response to a conversation a young mistress of Sterling surreptitiously recorded of him expressing racist views towards African-Americans. The voice identified as Sterling on the explosive recording leaked to TMZ is heard chastising his young mistress, V. Stiviano, who is part Hispanic and part African-American, for posting pictures of herself with black people on her Instagram account, including former NBA player Magic Johnson, and bringing "black people" to his games, setting off an immediate firestorm following its release late last week.

Silver announced that Sterling has been banned for life from further participation in NBA games or his team's operations and slapped him with a $2.5 million fine. The NBA commissioner also said that he will attempt to force Sterling to sell his NBA franchise. Interestingly, the recording of the conversation by Sterling's mistress, if it was recorded in California, may have been illegally recorded. California law makes it illegal to record a conversation between two persons without both parties' consent. Sterling's mistress could be civilly liable to him for recording their conversation, although that's little consolation to Sterling at this point; the damage done by its release is beyond repairable. Sterling, by the way, first made a name for himself in California as a hard-charging personal injury attorney. Sterling, whose Jewish family name at birth was Tokowitz, changed it for vanity reasons when he launched his legal career.

Meanwhile, the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office has yet to file any formal charges against Colts owner Jim Irsay nearly forty-five days after Carmel police last month charged him with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and four felony counts for possession of controlled substances. Police stopped a vehicle driven by Irsay in a residential neighborhood after the driver was observed operating it erratically. Irsay failed several field sobriety tests, and police found a variety of pills in various prescription bottles, along with more than $29,000 in cash stuffed in a laundry bag and a briefcase.

More than a decade ago, Irsay's addiction to prescription pills became public when it was learned that he had been treated for drug overdoses on at least three occasions. No charges were brought against Irsay then despite ample evidence of his violation of drug laws. The NFL took no action against Irsay either. Following Irsay's arrest last month, the Indianapolis Star disclosed that a younger female friend of Irsay, also a drug addict, had been found dead from an overdose only two weeks prior to his own arrest. She was living in one of three homes that Irsay's Blue Trust had purchased for her use over a period of several years.

There is some speculation that pressure is being put on the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office not to make any decision on charging Irsay until after NFL team owners meet next month in Atlanta to choose among three cities competing to host the 2018 Super Bowl, one of which is Indianapolis, out of concern that it could jeopardize the city's bid chances. Irsay has reportedly entered himself into a drug rehabilitation clinic and turned over his team owner responsibilities at least temporarily to one of his daughters.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

These libs don't know when to quit pushing.

I've said worse than him, so I'll accept my lifetime ban from the NBA, as well.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, money talks and pill popper walks. He will be free to go on his stupid, self centered tweets.

I would think Irsay not being able to control his rants during the SB in Indy between NE and Giants, about Peyton and Colts would be enough not get the game. HEY JIM!!! YOUR TEAM IS NOT IN THE SB! IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU! THEY EARNED IT - YOU DIDN'T! SHUT UP!

Marycatherine Barton said...

Stirling said MUCH WORSE than what you have written here, Gary, about the culture in which he says he lives and supports, that treats blacks like dogs. Of course, NBA wanted to shut his debauched self up, since gullible Americans are not 'permitted' to know, much less discuss, such actions and attitudes in his "culture" about which outspoken Stirling spoke.

Kilroy said...

haven't we covered this? 9-12 months is standard time to file blood draw result cases outside of Marion County. Irsay's case will likely be much sooner due to the attention, but still probably a month or two more at least.

Gary R. Welsh said...

9 to 12 months? Seriously? Do you expect us to believe it takes that long to get the results back?

Flogger said...

I have to shake my head in wonder whenever I hear the Mega-Media talk about Sports providing a role model for young people. Besides the Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll lifestyles, we have the Performance Enhancing drug use. The use Steroids has forever stained Baseball with the sudden smashing of home run records.

The owner of the Clippers is married but parades his mistress around in public.

I suppose we will now hear, "The System Works" since Sterling may be banned.

The economic Sports Model is a failure. The Leagues combines a Monopoly Control over ownership and the the number teams. Ownership is restricted. The Owners and some players can cash in on the LOGO Paraphernalia - Capitalism. Now the third leg of the stool is the collection of tax dollars to build and maintain stadiums.

I feel confident Irsay will emerge with minimal criminal damage. Irsay may spread money around to some Non-Profits to prove he is a "Good Corporate Citizen." I just do not see our Local Media or Police delving deep into the Blue Trust, who the supplier was for the drugs, etc.

Kilroy said...

Gary: Yes, ask any defense attorney or prosecutor in the donut counties. Marion County has their own lab.

Anonymous said...

Interesting analogy here:

-In both cases the League knew of problems as did the media and public. In the case of Sterling, they never took proper action until the actions escalated to an ugly media explosion. In the case of Irsay, there was world-wide media coverage, yet no action taken by The League.

On another take, why hasn't Mayor Ballard gotten on his bully pulpit and denounced the repeated bad acts that have brought Indianapolis into world-wide disgrace by Irsay's actions?

Does Mayor Ballard think Indianapolis should be represented the same likes as Toronto, Canada is in the public eye?