Allegations of racism and misogyny within the Phoenix Suns: Inside Robert Sarver's 17-year tenure as owner

[Flagrant Fowl]

While I have no interest in becoming the managing partner...

I don't believe that for a second.

Everyone is behind him or whoever has some authority to get Sarver out of the organization, but don't lie to people.

You're assuming a lot.

Such as?

[The Bobster]

While I have no interest in becoming the managing partner...

I don't believe that for a second.

Everyone is behind him or whoever has some authority to get Sarver out of the organization, but don't lie to people.

You're assuming a lot.

Such as?

That's he lying about not being interested in running the team.

[TOO]

Maybe he doesn't want to run it, maybe he does, who knows,. I am fairly certain he does not want to be linked to Sarver hence the request.

[Flagrant Fowl]

While I have no interest in becoming the managing partner...

I don't believe that for a second.

Everyone is behind him or whoever has some authority to get Sarver out of the organization, but don't lie to people.

You're assuming a lot.

Such as?

That's he lying about not being interested in running the team.

Everyone wants to own and operate a sports franchise. It's the highest level of competition in polite society.

[The Bobster]

I don't believe that for a second.

Everyone is behind him or whoever has some authority to get Sarver out of the organization, but don't lie to people.

You're assuming a lot.

Such as?

That's he lying about not being interested in running the team.

Everyone wants to own and operate a sports franchise. It's the highest level of competition in polite society.

https://www.google.com/search?q=assumpt ... e&ie=UTF-8

[Split T]

None of us know for sure, but I also have my doubts about him not wanting to be managing partner. I could see him just not wanting to be seen as simply making a power play. But maybe he really doesn’t want to do it and just wants Sarver out.

[virtual9mm]

I took a lot of heat for being willing to wait for the NBA to run through its process -- and for guessing that the likely outcome will be that Sarver will be found to be a jerk and an absolute ass but not necessarily a racist or sexist (although this is certainly still possible). This scenario has indeed materialized.

That being said -- I'm with Jahm Najafi now. Sarver needs to go -- no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The three reasons why I think the asswipe needs to get flushed are:

(a) What the NBA validated was an absolute worst case scenario for Sarver, it's worse than I expected.
(b) Sarver has expressed absolutely no contrition here -- where's the humility? What evidence do we have that things will actually improve?
(c) The asshat he put in charge is a mini-Sarver -- you can just kind of tell.

If Najafi is unpopular with that crowd, more power to him.

On another note, Adam Silver has just lost his luster with me. His attempt to justify that a different set of rules apply to NBA governors was pretty disgusting. Not sure if I can continue to support the NBA, let alone the Suns, if this kind of asshatery continues. I trusted the process and they've made a mockery out of it.

[virtual9mm]

None of us know for sure, but I also have my doubts about him not wanting to be managing partner. I could see him just not wanting to be seen as simply making a power play. But maybe he really doesn’t want to do it and just wants Sarver out.

Either way, I prefer him over Sarver.

[The Bobster]

On another note, Adam Silver has just lost his luster with me. His attempt to justify that a different set of rules apply to NBA governors was pretty disgusting. Not sure if I can continue to support the NBA, let alone the Suns, if this kind of asshatery continues. I trusted the process and they've made a mockery out of it.

I think the main reason for the two different standards is contractual. The collective bargaining agreement with the players association has made the disciplinary process with the players somewhat fluid over the years, with a greater emphasis placed on player conduct and a need to define what actions the league can and can't take over the players in the event that someone like Ron Artest, Kermit Washington or Latrell Sprewell went nuts.

With the Board of Governors it's the league constitution and the team owners who determine the discipline. Adam Silver is just their public face who is hired for the operation of the league. Maximum fines were increased to $10 million after the Donald Sterling and Dallas Mavericks incidents, and rightly so. Do they go far enough? I don't think the public thinks so right now, and the current system may be revised in the future because of this, but I don't think we'll ever get to a point where it's taken out of the owners hands because we're talking about control over companies worth billions of dollars.

[ShelC]

The plot thickens

[Mori Chu]

He isn't going to be able to survive this. He will want to sell out of self interest anyway because otherwise the value of the franchise, his investment, will drop. He won't want to eat those kinds of losses.

[Split T]

It sucks that the nba/owners weren’t willing to do it and put it on the minority owners/players/sponsors, but I do agree this is going to be tough for Sarver. I bet he hangs around through the suspension to see if it dies down(and he gets 1 more shot to win a title), but if the sponsors are still dropping, that gives the minority owners even more leverage to get rid of him. And if the players start leaving/refusing to come, then he’s toast.

[Split T]

Why did Kia even make a statement if that was their statement?

[TOO]

Kia sponsors all of the NBA not just the Suns, they will back up whatever Silver says. Not surprised.

[Split T]

Ya it’s not a surprise, but they just didn’t really need to say anything at all

[Superbone]

The plot thickens

YES! And so it begins.

[Pips]

Careful what u wish for.

[Split T]

Hard to get worse than Sarver

[MightyMoog]

PayPal is a big domino. If a few others drop sponsorship, then that might activate the clause that would the Suns board of governors the legal ammunition to remove him as managing partner.

[Superbone]

Careful what u wish for.

I'll roll the dice any day over Sarver. He could singlehandedly ruin the franchise.