Corona
Sprint
Mercedes-Benz
LoanMart
Mandalay Bay Hotels
Commerce Hotel
Ford
Yokohama Tire
Amtrak
Red Bull
Kia
Carmax
State Farm
Virgin America
AquaHydrate
What do all of these companies have in common? Well aside from the fact that they are have all proven themselves in today’s economy, they all just recently dropped their name from the Los Angeles Clippers’ sponsorship. Upon learning about these companies taking a stand for what is right, it restored some of my faith in our beloved land of liberty. It is not often in today’s world that we see money take a back seat, but in regards to Donald Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racial comments, it most certainly should, and I am glad that it did.
Furthermore, Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson has recently urged NBA fans to boycott the next game of the series (Game 5 in LA) in response to the Sterling controversy. Upon calling for the boycott, Coach Jackson (a former NBA player himself) certainly knew of the revenue that gets generated from NBA games, especially a playoff game with a matchup of this magnitude. I am interested to see how many fans embody this notion, but I think that a statement has already been made regardless, and will continue to be made until Sterling crumbles in the face of his own slander.
It is clear that nobody in America today will back anything/anyone who makes racial comments like that of Sterling, who urged his girlfriend “to no longer bring black people to the stadium.” The dropped sponsorships and suggested boycotts come as an addition to the Clippers’ silent protest, in which they are doing things like leaving their warmups on the floor or wearing black socks to display their dissatisfaction with their owner without letting it interfere with their quest towards an NBA title. Alec covers this aspect of the controversy more on his blog, and I agree with how the Clippers’ players should be commended for the way they are staying on task despite all the potential distractions. There is enough good in our country to understand the blatant ignorance behind Sterling’s remarks, and those with the power to are handling it in the proper manner by not supporting the owner in any way, shape or form. Once the playoffs come to a close, I believe that justice will be served and Sterling will ultimately regret what he said. But until then, the Clippers have a championship to win, not for their racist owner, but for themselves.
On a separate note, apparently this initially stemmed from photos on the social media application Instagram. Based on the way Sterling has appeared on television the past few days, it surprised me that the old decaying bigot even knows how to use the damn thing.
clark_kent 