Punished for His Thoughts: More on Adam Silver's panicky rush to judgment

American Spectator's Ben Stein's Diary ^ | May 1, 2014 | Ben Stein

[2ndDivisionVet]

So, here I am, still in Denver, a lovely city, but too high up.

Herewith, a few lowly thoughts about Mr. Donald Sterling, his private conversations with his mistress, the media lynching of him, and the actions of the NBA sanctioning him severely for those private thoughts and comments.

“It’s a slippery slope,” said billionaire sports club owner Mark Cuban when asked about the sanctions. I am not sure what he meant, but he’s right.

Sterling is being punished for his thoughts. He is being punished for actions that make the NBA look bad even though they were not actions at all, but thoughts.

As far as I have been able to determine, the NBA code of conduct allows sanctions for actions. I don’t see anything that allows sanctions for thoughts. So, where does the authority for that come from?

Next, if we are to sanction private thoughts and comments by NBA owners, shouldn’t we put all of their mistresses and wives and friends and children under oath and ask about any comments they have ever made in private? Why is only Mr. Sterling being singled out for retribution for his thoughts? Why not start wholesale, Vishinsky-like Stalin show trial interrogation of everyone close to an NBA owner to find out what he has said that might be objectionable? Isn’t the punishment of Mr. Sterling just an in terrorem bill of attainder against one man otherwise?

So, while we’re at it, let’s see what actions other professional team owners have done that might embarrass their league. They are all rich so probably they have girlfriends. We know that one in the Midwest was just arrested for a DUI and drug possession. Nothing at all was done to him. Not a thing....

[ncfool]

Ben Stein is a smart and thoughtful person. I agree with his view. There was a public lynching of the JEW Donald Sterling.

For the record. I am a Jew too.

[Captain Compassion]

The lynching of Sterling wouldn't stand up in any court of law. The recording is fruit of a poison tree.

CC

[BatGuano]

For all the horrible things that have been said about Sterling by black ex basketball players I call “FOUL”.
Their actions amount to “piling on” and what they have said in numerous interviews could be a reason to disenfranchise them from whatever they own, fine them and ban them from basketball. The left is having a field day crying out for all but condemning Sterling to be “drawn and quartered” for his dastardly THOUGHTS???? Give me a frickin break.

[meatloaf]

Adam Silver was looking for a chance to get his freak on. Cuban was right on the money. The NBA owners haven’t seen anything yet.

[Girlene]

Stein nails it.

[gaijin]

Stein is right, here. This sounds like the old Stein I was totally nuts about.

For some years, all of a sudden, he started sounding like a real liberal, and suddenly I totally stoppped reading him.

Did he fall on his head?

It’s nice to see there is a little bit of him left.

[cynwoody]

And, again, why isn’t there some outcry about Ms. Stiviano and her illegal taping of a private conversation?

Nitpick: She claims she recorded their conversations at his request. She was supposedly his "archivist", his Al Butterfield. If true, then the "taping" was entirely legal.

Of course, the unauthorized disclosure of the recordings might well be another matter. She denies doing that. But who did?

[Dilbert San Diego]

I heard a news report in which she said she gave copies of tapes to some friend for safekeeping. So perhaps that friend, some friend, leaked the tapes.

I would love to know if there were any laws broken regarding the release of the tapes.

I wonder if this girl needs to find a new sugar daddy now. Is Sterling still going to pay her bills after all this???

[cynwoody]

I wonder if this girl needs to find a new sugar daddy now. Is Sterling still going to pay her bills after all this???

Sterling's old lady is suing V-Dot over that very issue. She doesn't look too happy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2615089/Donald-Sterling-pictured-time-shocking-racist-audio-recordings-emerged-dining-wife-condemned-small-minded-despicable.html

One excellent mess!

[DocJhn]

It was Silvers golden day in the Sun! Even through his quivering voice and mousey stature, Silver the Champion of the NBA felt it was time to show some real balls and man up! However he pre-ejaculated. Public opinion is going to turn on the Silver Clad Knight of proper PC. How many NBA owners and players are burning Diaries and looking over their shoulders? “ Head em up move em out! Raw Hide”.