New interim Clippers CEO Dick Parsons "knows his first order of business in his role: He's going to meet the employees," according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY. Parsons said, "They're entitled to that. They've been under a gun. Having been through something similar in the past, the opprobrium that has been directed toward the ownership of the team trickles down to the people who work there. ... We need to go put our arms around them and hear what they think should be done going forward." Parsons had been following the Donald Sterling saga, but "helping wasn't on his radar" until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and league officials "reached out to him" last week. Parsons said, "I love basketball. It represents all the best in team sports, and character building and it's fun." Parsons added of Silver, "He's a good man, and he is trying to do the right thing and trying to assert some values with which I personally and assiduously identify, and he can use some help. ... (Silver has) a team right now that is basically headless, and it's hurting the players, it's hurting the team, it's hurting the game, it's hurting the fans, it's hurting advertising and it's hurting, frankly, the league. It's blown up beyond that." Parsons said that he "doesn't plan to live in the Los Angeles area but will be there often." He added that he "has no plans to stay with the team beyond the interim role." Parsons also will "step down from his position" on the MSG BOD (USATODAY.com, 5/9). Parsons said of the Clippers, "These poor guys have been at ground zero. They are ... under pressure. I have to let them know it will be all right." He added, "My job is to insulate the team." The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Sharon Terlep noted Parsons, a former Time Warner Cable exec, is an "opportune fill-in CEO, since the NBA is in the midst of bargaining for a new national broadcast deal and the Clippers will soon get a new local deal." Parsons said that he "plans to be involved in those discussions" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/10).
STEPPING UP TO THE CHALLENGE: Parsons said that he "initially met with Silver" last Monday before "taking a couple of days to discuss the position with his wife." He "accepted Silver's offer on Thursday afternoon." Parsons said that he also intended to "put a team of people in place who would report to him" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/10). In L.A., Broderick Turner noted Parsons will "represent the Clippers as the franchise goes through the process of finding a new owner." Parsons said, "In terms of operation of the team, well, you don’t have an owner who can be present and you don’t have a CEO who is running the shop. And you have probably hundreds of employees, a score of players, you have advertisers, fans and ticket holders who are saying, ‘Who’s in charge here? Where is this thing going?’ We’re going to try and answer that question for them and settle things down and get things stabilized and make sure that this franchise does not lose value. We want it to continue to move in an ascending direction as it has been" (LATIMES.com, 5/9). Parsons said of commuting to L.A., "I'm sure I'll be out there at least once a week" (ESPNLA.com, 5/9).
JUST WHAT THE DOC ORDERED: Parsons said he plans to make Clippers coach Doc Rivers "a full-fledged partner" as he takes control of the franchise. Parsons: "I said this to Doc explicitly, 'I haven't the foggiest idea of what to do in the draft.' I'm going to be looking to him to figure that out, and we'll work on this as partners" (ESPNLA.com, 5/9). In L.A., Eric Pincus noted Rivers on Friday night "praised the NBA's decision to appoint" Parsons. Rivers said, "I don't know Dick very well, but from what I've heard from everyone who knows him, and from talking to him today, I think it's a very good hire for us." Rivers said that he is "looking forward to having new leadership on the business side of the organization." He added, "I don't know market and sponsorships, or any of that stuff. The basketball part, that's going to take care of itself" (L.A. TIMES, 5/10). In DC, Jonathan Capehart wrote there are "certain people who bring a level of credibility and reassurance to a situation or crisis." Parsons is "one of those people." By asking Parsons to take on the Clippers, the NBA "signaled it means business." By accepting, Parsons "signaled that the Clippers were worth saving" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 5/9). CBS' Carter Evans said, "Parsons has been called the 'Mr. Fix It' of the corporate world" ("CBS This Morning: Saturday," CBS, 5/10).
PHOTO HUNT: POLITICO.com's Dylan Byers noted CBS News on Friday confused Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter for Parsons, using Nutter's photo on its website instead of Parsons' (POLITICO.com, 5/9).
