Donald Sterling: Black, White, And Green

The only color that matters in professional sports is GREEN…
 

Reports today indicate that soon-to-be-ousted NBA owner, Donald Sterling, is now refusing to pay the $2.5M fine imposed on him for his racist rant. Please do not be distracted by the minutia, people.  This is a ploy for more time so that he will – eventually – lose nothing by stepping down as the team’s owner.  Just two days ago, while on Anderson Cooper 360, Donald Sterling stated that the fine was a fair assessment.  Now, this refusal to pay is obviously an attempt to stall for time and allow all of his assets to be moved into his wife’s name.  This is a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees.
 

Haven’t you been watching?

 

His wife, Shelly, has suddenly come out and filed for divorce. Because they live in California, she stands to gain 50% of all of his current assets.  Finalizing the divorce before he settles with the NBA means that she will legally own (and protect) 50% of all of his assets – to include the Clippers. This same woman has had knowledge of his open affairs with other women for years.  She has also known of his prejudiced rants.  And, most recently, she has attempted to delay proceedings by stating that he suddenly suffers from dementia.  Until the “leak”, they sat side by side at every game – but now, she suddenly realizes that he might have a problem?!  I guess people will say whatever they deem necessary when their lavish lifestyles are threatened.

 

Now, in a last ditch effort to maintain their multi-million dollar lifestyle, they must hurriedly file for a divorce.   As of May 16, 2014, Forbes reported that Donald Sterling is worth $1.9B.  The imposed fine of $2.5M is comparable to a child asking for lunch money from his parents.  It is not enough to sneeze at - so why would Sterling suddenly be opposed to paying it?  It is not enough to stop the proceedings against him.  However, the NBA will drag its feet and allow him to filibuster long enough to settle this divorce first.

 

Why?  Because they are all friends!

 

The actions of the NBA are calculated.  Haven’t they all known about Sterling’s affairs and rants for years?!  His behavior is nothing new; however, they have to respond publically.  They will make a politically correct gesture because he has called into question many practices of the “elite”.  However, we must all realize that they are NOT going to let “one of their own” suffer.  Can you imagine the backlash if Sterling was to suddenly come forward and openly discuss other conversations he has had with other owners?  Even worse, what if he confirmed that his statements parallel the thoughts and practices of the NBA? 

If You Choose To Start Over, You Have To Crawl Before You Walk

After someone betrays your trust, it may be hard to open your heart to them again.  However; if they are persistent and you choose to re-engage in the relationship, you may find it better to follow these simple steps.

1. Agree to discuss the betrayal openly.

A mutual discussion must take place in order to resolve feelings and move forward.  In order to maintain a sense of "equal footing", agree to meet in a nuetral location that lends itself to open conversation and few external distractions.  Have a designated arrival and departure time so that you remain focused on a resolutiojn, not just airing greivances.  Have a clear goal in mind and, with each word, stay focused on attempting to accomplish that goal.

2. Each party must accept their ownership of "where things went wrong".

In order to have an intelligent exchange, both parties must be willing to accept that they are a part of the problem.  What is the underlying issue?  What can be done to avoid repeat occurances? Can we move forward?  What will it take to regain your trust?  These are all questions that both parties should be willing to answer openly.  Answers should be definitive and boundaries should be drawn.  If someone hurts you once, it may be that they were unaware of your boundaries.  After this discussion, there should be no room for excuses.   Once - might be - a mistake.  Anything more is intentional.