NBA Commissioner Adam Silver yesterday said that he does not believe Hawks President of Basketball Operations & GM Danny Ferry "should be fired for his racially charged remarks about former free agent Luol Deng," according to Sam Amick of USA TODAY. Silver "explained in detail how Ferry's respectable track record and the reality that he was relaying information from a scouting report in his June conference call with owners and basketball operations staffers factor into his decision." Silver: "The discipline of a team employee is typically determined by the team, and in this case the Hawks hired a prestigious Atlanta law firm to investigate the circumstances of Danny Ferry's clearly inappropriate and unacceptable remarks. In my view, those comments, taken alone, do not merit his losing his job. It's a question of context ... These words, in this context, understanding the full story here, the existence of the scouting report, the fact that he was looking at the scouting report as a reference when he was making these remarks, what I'm saying is -- and frankly my opinion -- is that this is a team decision in terms of what the appropriate discipline is for their employee. But if I'm being asked my view, I'm saying that, based on what I know about the circumstances, I don't think it's a terminable offense." Amick wrote Silver, "quite clearly, views this case far differently than the oft-compared Donald Sterling saga." While the NBA "is certainly going to great efforts to be more aware than ever of the racism within its league, it's not about to unofficially develop a one-and-done sort of policy" (USATODAY.com, 9/10). In DC, Michael Lee notes Silver, a Duke alum like Ferry and Deng, "doesn't believe that more punishment is warranted" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/11).
BROKEN WINGS: In Atlanta, Jeff Schultz noted what Silver "did not reference, however, is that one of the Hawks' primary owners, Michael Gearon Jr., wants Ferry fired, but exiting owner Bruce Levenson and CEO Steve Koonin do not." The Hawks' ownership and front office "has morphed into a typical fight between six-year-olds in the sandbox." This has "been one of the ugliest chapters" in the Hawks' history. Nonetheless, there "has seldom been harmony in the ownership group" (
AJC.com, 9/10). SI.com's Michael Rosenberg wrote, "Show us the scouting report. Name the scout. Danny Ferry made these comments. He owns them. If the Hawks won't make him pay in a much more significant way, then Adam Silver should" (
SI.com, 9/10).
SO, ABOUT THAT MEETING...: The AP's Charles Odum noted the Hawks "cancelled a scheduled meeting" between Koonin "and city civil rights leaders Wednesday, prompting one of the group's leaders to say his community was greatly offended." Rev. Markel Hutchins said that on Tuesday night, he received a call from Hawks VP/PR Garin Narain "asking the appointment be postponed." Hutchins said that he "needed to hear that request from Koonin, and because Koonin didn't personally cancel the meeting, the group of 12 civil rights leaders showed up as planned." The group then "entered Philips Arena and were told there would be no meeting." The Hawks yesterday in a statement "asked for patience from the community and said they want to reschedule the meeting." The statement read in part, "This conversation is a priority for us." But the organization "did not say why the meeting was cancelled" (AP, 9/10).
WHERE DOES IT END? In Atlanta, Mark Bradley writes, "Somebody needs to step in and stop this." Bradley: "The past four days have been the worst in Hawks history, which is saying something." Team leaders "are fighting with each other even as their organization is fighting for credibility, and the latter battle has been all but lost." The Hawks "have split in two," with the Levenson-Koonin-Ferry group on one side and the "Atlanta-based segment of ownership headed by Gearon" on the other (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 9/11). Also in Atlanta, Chris Vivlamore writes the division in the organization "clearly is an issue -- now and moving forward." It "can end in two ways, should both sides remain steadfast in their beliefs." A new controlling owner "could come in and make the ultimate decision as to whether to keep the current management structure," or the organization "again could be headed for a lawsuit" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 9/11). Meanwhile, in Raleigh, Barry Saunders writes the "hero thus far" is Gearon. Saunders: "Each of us should do as Gearon did -- rage against that sort of crap" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 9/11).
