Absolutely true, which is exactly why I started my plan with “Force out Donald Sterling.” Every major sports league has some method of removing an owner - even if it’s just the commissioner’s blanket, poorly defined “for the good of the game” clause. Heaven knows there’s enough dirt on Sterling to kick him out if they really want to.
The bottom line is simple: do NBA owners prefer to keep the Clippers as a league laughing stock, or would they rather have a legitimate second team in LA?
I hear you…we have to kill him… brandishes knife
Dear sir, I plainly refuse to be a party to such villainy, and I bid you good day!
Psst - I’ll drive the getaway car
Note that I wasn’t COMPLAINING that the Clippers won’t move in my OP. It’s nice when your favorite team’s crosstown rival is the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked.
I remember when Sports Illustrated declared the Clippers the worst American sports franchise in history, for never having mattered, and not acting like it mattered.
It said what has been said here: that Sterling has discovered the dirty little secret of the NBA. You don’t have to win to make money, and in fact it often ties you to contracts that lose you money later.
The Clippers are the only team I’ve seen who had to regularly advertise in the newspapers, and did so on the basis of * the opposing teams*. You had to look kind of closely to see that it was a Clippers ad, because the focus was on the upcoming visitors. You can bet the Lakers don’t bother advertising.
Just because the guy owns an NBA team does not mean that I want to meet or know him. Oh, you own an NBA team, what’s that like? Making a lot of money er ya? I would tell him if he ever thought about changing the name. Clippers? Is that supposed to be a big ship or a pair of scissors for cutting hair?
My question would be, where would one move an NBA team to? There is an NBA team now within several hours of most places in the United States. A lot of major cities who do not have an NBA team had one in the past. St. Louis, Kansas City, Cinncinnati, San Diego and now recently Seattle, had teams that moved away. I just can’t think a place where to place a second team. Now that the economy is in the tank, why bother?
LA, as far as I know is a transient city, and it is always fun to watch other teams play if you like the sport. The Clippers are not a bad team perse, they are pretty much in the middle of the pack. The guy makes money there and doesnt want to move. It gives people more chances to watch NBA if they wish, etc.
Why does New York have two NFL teams (neither of which play in New York)? Why does Chicago have two baseball teams? Why are the Angels the Los Angeles Angels?
I think until recently that the Arizona Cardinals were the Clippers of the NFL. I had a workmate in Las Vegas who was a big Dallas fan who went to see them play Arizona in Tempe (?) and the stadium was about 3/4ths
I am from Memphis Tennessee, and we have the NBA Grizzlies, the only major pro team in town. Memphis was in the running with Louisville Kentucky to get the team. For either city to get the team required that the city, not the team mind you, but the city build them an arena to their specifications. The owner of the team is fro Chicago named Michael Heisley. Heisley seems to be a hands off kind of owner, and I don’t think he gives a fart if his team wins or loses. The teams seems like a tax writeoff for him. He has no interest in Memphis, so there seems to be somewhat of a disconnect. At least LA dude lives in the city.