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NBA Closer To Ousting Sterling As Clippers President Roeser Takes Indefinite Leave

The NBA yesterday "swept aside the longtime lieutenant" of Clippers Owner Donald Sterling, beginning the "process of taking over the team and moving a step closer to ousting Sterling himself," according to Bresnahan, Turner & Wharton of the L.A. TIMES. The NBA announced that Clippers President Andy Roeser will "take an indefinite leave of absence." His departure "clears the way" for the league to appoint an interim CEO to "oversee the franchise while the owners vote to force Sterling to sell the team." Sterling's wife, Rochelle, issued a statement following the announcement "endorsing the NBA's action." Her statement also said that she is "working with the NBA in the search" for a new CEO. The NBA "declined to comment" on her "interactions with the league." The league originally had said that Roeser and Clippers coach and Senior VP/Basketball Operations Doc Rivers would "operate the team together." But the league said that for now, the Clippers' day-to-day operations will be "overseen by the senior management team already in place, including Rivers and the department heads in charge of marketing, finance, sponsorship and ticket sales." Roeser was an "alternate governor for the team" and one of the league's "longest-tenured" execs (L.A. TIMES, 5/7). In L.A., Morales & Wang note despite "being in charge of the team's business operations, Roeser had worked mostly behind the scenes and often was involved in negotiating players' contracts" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 5/7). In N.Y. Witz & Cacciola write the move "was not surprising, given Roeser’s deep ties to Sterling and his statement, which infuriated many inside the organization, attacking the credibility of the woman in the audio recording that captured Sterling’s racist remarks." Roeser "joined the Clippers" as Exec VP in '84 when the team moved from San Diego and is the "second-longest tenured employee" of the organization behind broadcaster Ralph Lawler (N.Y. TIMES, 5/7).

ON THE DOTTED LINE: ESPN.com's Darren Rovell cited sources as saying that there are "actual contracts" that the NBA will "maintain Sterling violated should he choose to fight the league's desire to force him to sell the team." One of those documents, which Sterling signed when he first bought the Clippers in '81, and signed various amended versions since, states that an owner will "not take any position or action that will materially and adversely affect a team or the league." Owners also sign "morals clauses, which state that they will be upheld to the highest standard of ethical and moral behavior." Meanwhile, sources said that Rochelle Sterling has "spoken to the league expressing her desire to keep the team" (ESPN.com, 5/6). 

NAVIGATING TOUGH WATERS: FOXSPORTSWEST.com's Michael Martinez noted Rivers "isn't sure exactly who's running the organization, but he doesn't think it will affect his team as it moves forward in the NBA playoffs." Asked how his players reacted to the Roeser news, Rivers said, "They're pretty much focused. This afternoon, a couple of the guys came in to tell me about Andy, and I told the guys, 'Just keep playing. We've got it. We'll handle everything.' Right now, they don't respond anymore. They've heard so much stuff lately that they're just moving forward" (FOXSPORTSWEST.com, 5/6). In L.A., Broderick Turner writes no matter how much Rivers has "tried to steer his players away from the controversy ... something always seems to distract them." The Clippers were "obliged to talk" about Roeser's leave. Rivers said that he "didn't find out about Roeser's departure until a team spokesman told him after they had finished practice" yesterday evening (L.A. TIMES, 5/7). TNT broadcaster Marv Albert said of the Clippers, "They are getting so much coverage. You turn on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC. ... That’s all you see." He added, "This is part of at least a once an hour look in at the team and what has been revolving around it. There’s an empathy for them. They have been a very good team, and they have stars to like. Everywhere except possibly Oklahoma City and certainly the Bay Area, although they were well received there" (OKLAHOMAN, 5/7).

OWNING UP TO IT: FORBES.com's Tom Van Riper reported real estate entrepreneur Don Peebles has "proclaimed his intent to form an investor group to take the Clippers off the hands" of Donald Sterling. He "plans to unveil the names of others in the group in the coming weeks." A "selling point that Peebles hopes to impress" on the NBA BOG is that he would "make a different kind of owner, one who makes it a point to mentor players in business and in life" (FORBES.com, 5/6). In L.A., Michael Hiltzik writes a "nasty fight over the Clippers ownership may be what it takes to really turn this case into a teachable moment," and the teachings "won't make the NBA look good." Hiltzik: "To suggest that the league's fellow owners had their eyes opened to Sterling's true nature just in the last couple of weeks by publication of an audiotape of his private racial musings is a sick joke." What "really makes the NBA's declaration of its 'progressive' character so repellent is its own labor history." The NBA "isn't a charitable anti-discrimination agency; it's a business, the success of which lies partially in its hammering its employees as hard as it can." A "swift resolution" of the case can "only help to paper over this noisome history once again." A "long, drawn-out legal battle over the Clippers, however, will provide occasion to recapture reality" (L.A. TIMES, 5/7).

YEAH, I'M THE TAXMAN: In L.A., Phil Willon writes Sterling "may be able to write off his critics, but if two state lawmakers have their way, he won't have the same option" with the $2.5M fine imposed on him by the NBA. Two state Assembly members from L.A. filed legislation yesterday that would "prevent sports team owners from writing off league fines as a business expense when they file their state income tax returns" (L.A. TIMES, 5/7).

AT THE CONTROLS: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes it should "come as no surprise that leagues have little interest in taking over the day-to-day operation of their franchises, and almost always do so reluctantly." MLS Commissioner Don Garber said, "No league wants to take over a team. It's a move of last resort after you've exhausted every effort to turn things around." But for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, "recent history offers a variety of examples of how to navigate such a takeover." MLB-appointed Dodgers monitor Tom Schieffer said, "You try to be a source of calm, and someone who can listen to people and try to figure out the problems and help them solve them.” In Garber's case, he "determined over several months that MLS could not let Chivas USA languish any longer." Garber said, "I think we were a bit surprised at the lack of any plan that existed when we got in there." Meanwhile, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly in an e-mail wrote of the Sabres and Coyotes, which were both run by the NHL in the last 15 years, "Fortunately in both cases, existing club management did a fabulous job." The NFL also "took seats on the board" of the Patriots when former Owner Victor Kiam had "personal financial problems" in '91. The league "did the same eight years later when debts began to overwhelm" the Ravens and Owner Art Modell. But the league "stopped short of directly running either team." Former Expos GM Omar Minaya said of MLB's decision to buy the Expos in '02 and appoint Tony Tavares as president, "There were times when I told Tony I’d like to do this or that and he’d have to bring it to the commissioner. I’d make trades within our budgets, and I never went to Tony with a deal where [MLB Commissioner Bud Selig] said no" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/7).

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