Money
vs Business: You Decide
Regardless to whether you watch
sports or not, I’m pretty sure you all have heard
about the recent events regarding the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers and the
NBA but if you have not here is what happened.
On Saturday there was a recording released of David Sterling having a
conversation with his girlfriend and in that conversation he made some
outrageous remarks. He did not want his
girlfriend hanging around with African Americans, posting pictures with them in
Instagram, or even bringing them to the Clippers games.
According to the article on
BusinessWeek.com, “Sterling Has No Future With the
Los Angeles Clippers,” this was not Sterling’s
first time broadcasting his racist views.
He had been known to be a slumlord in his LA apartment complexes
refusing to rent to African Americans and Hispanics. If he did rent to them, they received the
bottom of the barrel. He was sued but
settled out of court for a whooping 2.5 million dollars for running the
Clippers team like a “slave plantation”. The charges never stuck before because there
was no evidence, but this time it was clear as day. The NBA believes there is no room for people
with those types of views in their organization. It is now in the hands of commissioner Adam
Silver to determine what happens next.
That may seem like a lot of
pressure on one man, but when you’re a manager of such a
large organization it happens. He has to
decide what he needs to do and do it fast.
In another article from BusinessWeek.com, “Sterling Comments Sink
Clippers Ticket Prices,” ticket prices have since dropped
tremendously. Fans do not want to attend
games behind a person who thinks that way.
As a business manager and a human being, Silver has a decision to
make. He has to decide whether to keep a
man whom has been involved and bringing money into the NBA for over twenty
years and have business constantly decline, or keep players and fans happy by
firing this man and keep business happy. I think in this case his decision is clear-cut. Business will decline with fans and players
will not play if this man remains an owner.
There has already been talk of protest from both parties. More importantly despite Sterling bringing in
a lot of money, you have to be cautious as to how you run a business. Regardless as to Silver feels the same way
Sterling feels about minorities, he will be looked at in a negative light. He has to think about the majority and what
will be appeasing to them along with himself.
With your morals and success of business on the line what would you do?
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