The NBA is launching an investigation into L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling after an audio recording racist comments circulated Saturday. Then, should the U.S. allow nationwide concealed carry of firearms? Later, what's the economics of insuring drivers living in California without documents?
Sterling: Breakdown of the NBA’s recourse
The NBA is launching an investigation into L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling after an audio recording of derogatory comments made towards blacks circulated on Saturday.
The tape features a man, allegedly Sterling, arguing with his girlfriend about posting a picture of herself with Magic Johnson on Instagram and asking her not to bring black people to Clippers games.
Backlash from the comments has been fierce, with fans, players, and NBA officials criticizing Sterling. Clippers players enacted a silent protest of their own during game four of the playoffs, wearing their warm-up gear inside out to avoid revealing the Clippers logo.
Clippers sponsors have already begun to pull ads and dissociate from the club. Clippers coach Doc Rivers, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James have all spoken out against Sterling and the comments.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called the remarks “truly offensive and disturbing” -- the league will conduct rapid assessment of the tapes’ authenticity and will take action based on the results.
If the voice on the recording is verified, it could result in heavy fines and suspension for Sterling.
How should players and fans react? What’s the best course of action in dealing with Sterling? Can an owner be forced to sell their team -- should they be? How will the Clippers separate themselves from Sterling’s comments and finish out their season?
Guests:
Geoffrey Rapp, Co-Editor, The Sports Law Blog; Harold A. Anderson Professor of Law and Values, The University of Toledo
Clippers: How are sponsors affected and how will they react?
MARLEY JAY, AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - Used car dealership chain CarMax said Monday that it is ending its sponsorship of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers in the wake of racist comments attributed to team owner Donald Sterling.
A second sponsor, insurer State Farm, said it "will be taking a pause in our relationship with the organization." For now, it will continue to run its Born to Assist ad campaign, which stars Clippers point guard Chris Paul. Sterling is alleged to have made the comments in a recorded conversation with a woman.
Portions of that conversation were released over the weekend by TMZ and Deadspin, leading to a national outcry.
"CarMax finds the statements attributed to the Clippers' owner completely unacceptable," Richmond, Va.-based CarMax Inc. said Monday in an emailed statement.
"While we have been a proud Clippers sponsor for 9 years and support the team, fans and community, these statements necessitate that CarMax end its sponsorship."
State Farm also described the remarks as offensive and said it will monitor the situation as the facts are sorted out.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
How will sponsors proceed in their relationships with the Clippers franchise? Is an association or sponsorship a reflection of support of the team, or of the owner? Can the two be separated?
Guests:
Andrew Zimbalist, Author, “The Sabremetric Revolution: Assessing The Growth of Analytics in Baseball”; Robert A. Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College, a frequent sports industry consultant and media commentator
Manish Tripathi, business professor at the Emory Sports Marketing Analytics at Emory University
Where should guns be allowed?
Georgia attracted national attention last week when it signed a law expanding areas that a concealed weapon may be carried.
Permit-holders can now bring firearms into churches, bars, and government buildings without security checkpoints. Schools can also appoint staff members to carry guns.
The law is one of the most permissive in the nation, and has attracted criticism from people who think the sweeping regulations will spark violence.
Georgia state Rep. Rick Jasperse (R.-Jasper), who introduced the bill, argues that limiting the ability to carry a weapon puts people in danger by “empowering the bad guys.”
Georgia lawmakers are not alone in their efforts to loosen gun restrictions. At it’s annual meeting last week, the National Rifle Association began to consider plans for expanding on the rights of gun owners.
With concealed weapons legalized in all 50 states, the NRA wants to ensure that permits for one state apply when the carrier travels across the U.S. Advocates want Congress to require that state permits be recognized in other states, even when the local requirements for obtaining a permit may be stricter.
Critics of the measure worry that more lenient regulations might eclipse more stringent requirements when permit holders travel from state to state. While some states recognize others’ permits, at least 10 won’t accept another state’s permits, or make a decision based on which particular state the concealed carry permit was issued in.
Where should people be allowed to bring their guns? What will the impact of looser regulations be at the state and national level? How would a program that allows nationwide concealed weapons work? What are the potential risks and benefits? What’s next for gun law in the U.S.?
Guests:
John Lott, author of “More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws” (University of Chicago Press, Third Edition, 2010. He is the founder and president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, a research and education organization dedicated to studying the relationship between laws regulating the ownership or use of guns, crime, and public safety
Adam Winkler, law professor at UCLA and author of "Gun Fight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America" (W. W. Norton & Company, 2011)
How will Clippers fans and LA sports fans react?
Following the dissemination of Donald Sterling’s alleged racist comments, companies are withdrawing sponsorship deals with the Clippers, and players protested by turning their shirts inside-out during warm-ups, obscuring the Clippers logos. But how will fans react and make a statement?
As an owner, Donald Sterling benefits from all NBA revenue, not just Clippers' ticket sales. Is there any logical way for fans who wish to send a message to Sterling to boycott the owner? Can they do so without turning their back on Clippers players?
The Clippers will play the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles tomorrow night in game 5 of the tied playoff series. In a press conference today, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said that however fans react, he hopes it will be "as one."
If you are a Clippers fan, would you still attend a game in light of these alleged comments? Los Angeles basketball fans, do you think some action by fans is necessary--and what might it look like?
Guests:
Michael Peterson, sports desk editor at The Stanford Daily. He’s sophomore at Stanford studying computer science and a self-declared Clippers fan. His piece, called “A moral dilemma for Clippers fans” came out this morning in the school paper.
Howard Wasserman, Writes for The Sports Law Blog; Law Professor, Florida International University; specializing in freedom of speech
Spanish insurance giant marketing auto coverage to undocumented immigrants and Latinos
Madrid-based insurance provider Mapfre has been making inroads on California's auto insurance market.
This month, its chief executives met with California Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones, as reported by the Los Angeles Business Journal. The company wants to offer car insurance to Spanish-speaking drivers generally and wants to market to undocumented immigrants who are legally licensed to drive.
The major questions are how large is the market demand and what are the economics of insuring drivers living illegally in California.
Guests:
James Rufus Koren, Staff Reporter, Los Angeles Business Journal
Pete Moraga, Spokesman, Insurance Information Network of California