Hang Up and Listen: The Sterling’s Reputation Edition
Slate’s sports podcast on the Clippers owner, Michael Pineda’s pine tar suspension, and UFC champ Jon “Bones” Jones.
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In this week’s episode of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s alleged racist comments, and why the NBA has tolerated his terrible behavior. They also talk about Michael Pineda’s 10-game suspension for putting pine tar on a baseball, and the disconnect between MLB’s ban of the practice and its apparent ubiquity. Finally, they are joined by Tim Marchman of Deadspin to discuss UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones, and whether he is poised to become a crossover star.
Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:
- On Friday, TMZ released a tape that allegedly features Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist comments to his girlfriend.
- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has commenced an investigation. Sterling agreed not to attend the Clippers-Warriors game Sunday.
- Several NBA owners criticized Sterling. Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé tweeted “If TMZ recording is true, we must have zero tolerance,” Heat owner Micky Arison called it "offensive, appalling and very sad," and Spurs chairman and CEO Peter Holt called the comments "obviously disgusting."
- Josh wrote that the Sterling controversy reveals “an uncomfortable truth about race and power in basketball.”
- Slate’s Aisha Harris argues that the Clippers should boycott their next playoff game.
- In 2009, Peter Keating of ESPN wrote a profile detailing Sterling’s “disastrous” tenure as Clippers owner.
- Deadspin’s “complete quotable guide to decades of Donald Sterling racism.”
- Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was suspended 10 games for applying pine tar to the ball in a start against the Red Sox.
- Former pitcher Dirk Hayhurst wrote “A Major League’s Pitcher’s Guide to Doctoring A Baseball” for Deadspin.
- Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk notes that, with regards to pine tar, baseball is “sending mixed signals about cheating.”
- Tim Marchman is an editor for Deadspin.
- Marchman called UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ recent title defense “a perfect fight.”
- In 2011, Marchman asked if Jones was the transcendent star that UFC was looking for.
- Marchman reported that Jones directed homophobic language at a fan on Twitter. Jones claims his account was hacked.
- Josh Tucker of Deadspin wrote that “Jon Jones Makes an Ugly Sport Beautiful.”
Hang Up and Listen’s weekly licorice juice:
Mike’s licorice juice: Remembering the (spiritual) father of the father of basketball, Luther Gulick.
Stefan’s licorice juice: LA Times columnist David Lazarus on his role in the film Bad News Bears.
Josh’s licorice juice: Should McGill University change its maybe-offensive, maybe-Indian nickname?
Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Casey Butterly.
You can email us at hangup@slate.com.