Donald Sterling really doesn’t get it, does he?

Facepalm

Last night, Donald Sterling kicked off his apology tour with an interview on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°, during which he said that he was “asking for forgiveness.” However, when the topic got to Magic Johnson, Sterling’s contrition seemed to disappear:

“Well, what kind of a guy goes to every city, has sex with every girl, then he catches HIV? Is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about?” Sterling asked. “I think he should be ashamed of himself. I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? He doesn’t do anything.”

“If I said anything wrong, I’m sorry,” Sterling said. “He’s a good person. I mean, what am I going to say? Has he done everything he can do to help minorities? I don’t think so. But I’ll say it, he’s great. But I don’t think he’s a good example for the children of Los Angeles.”

Getting beyond that fact that (a) Mr. Sterling’s offending comments were surfaced because of an extra-marital affair he was partaking in AND (b) Mr. Sterling’s less than stellar history with racially based housing discrimination suits, Mr. Sterling seems apparently unaware of the fact that (a) Magic Johnson’s non-profit  does AIDs outreach in minority communities AND, (b) Magic Johnson has spent significant sums of money (and created numerous jobs) by undertaking redevelopment opportunities in under-served, primarily African-American communities (including in L.A.).

Personally, given his track record, I think it takes a set of brass ones for Mr. Sterling to suggest that Magic Johnson hasn’t done “everything he can do to help minorities.”

FILED UNDER: Race and Politics, Sports, , , ,
Matt Bernius
About Matt Bernius
Matt Bernius is a design researcher working to create more equitable government systems and experiences. He's currently a Principal User Researcher on Code for America's "GetCalFresh" program, helping people apply for SNAP food benefits in California. Prior to joining CfA, he worked at Measures for Justice and at Effective, a UX agency. Matt has an MA from the University of Chicago.

Comments

  1. al-Ameda says:

    You’d think that Sterling would just be quiet and go ahead and sue the league to impede their effort to force him to sell the franchise. He’s been a disgrace to the league for over 30 years.

  2. Anonne says:

    I see the solution as very simple. He doesn’t have to sell the league, but the team isn’t obligated to have a spot in it.

    As for this guy… racist old grandpa wants a break. I don’t feel very bad for him because he will still die with more money than he knows what to do with, off the backs of black people.

  3. OzarkHillbilly says:

    @al-Ameda: Just shut up? Don’t you think that would take a certain amount of self awareness that 99.9% of rich people are totally lacking in?

  4. legion says:

    “Well, what kind of a guy goes to every city, has sex with every girl, then he catches HIV? Is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about?”

    What kind of guy is that? Well, except for the HIV part, it’s the kind of guy Sterling has always wished he was – athletic, popular, desired. The HIV just gives him an excuse for ‘sour grapes’; he didn’t even need to go racist just to make himself feel better about his own sad condition. The racism just underlines what a sad, small man he really is.

  5. David in KC says:

    It’s not uncommon for racists to not realize they are racists.

  6. Neil Hudelson says:

    So how long until someone says we are just taking all this out of context?

  7. Tillman says:

    Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
    –Matthew 7:1-3

    @Anonne:

    I don’t feel very bad for him because he will still die with more money than he knows what to do with, off the backs of black people.

    I can sympathize to an extent — no one likes being called out on their shit socially, it’s very embarrassing — but then I remind myself that he has enough money to buy a luxury nuclear bomb shelter a mile underground and live without having to deal with us surfacers, and my sympathies diminish despite my best efforts.

    Hypocrisy’s overrated as a vice, but it’s still vicious.

  8. superdestroyer says:

    @David in KC: I concur.

  9. Tyrell says:

    Now here is a married man who is carousing around with a girl young enough to be his granddaughter. Yet I have heard few statements condemning that sort of behavior, which just might be adulterous behavior. I did hear a local pastor on the radio talking about that aspect and the moral climate we are in. It used to be that sort of thing would bring shock and criticism from many leaders. Now it just seems regarded as a normal thing, everyone does it and lets be careful lest we just might offend someone if we say anything.
    Who will it be next ? Who will make the next crazy statement or let an opinion slip and the media once again devotes its entire time to it? The pattern will continue. In a few weeks Mr. Sterling will be forgotten, once again an unimportant footnote.