Does this remind you of anybody?

[Jet23]

http://www.askmen.com/sports/business/11b_...s_business.html

L.A. Clippers & Bad Management

By Mark Simmons

Sports Commentator PAGES:

When you look at the success of a sports franchise, many things must be taken into consideration. The players, the fans and the management all play important roles. Although the players might be at the forefront of the team's accountability, many more aspects come into play, and as demonstrated by the LA Clippers, mismanagement can potentially destroy a team.let's talk numbersWhen you get out the stats books and start looking at numbers, you can't help but feel bad for the franchise. The Clippers have only had two winning seasons after having moved from Buffalo -- this accounts for their time in San Diego and Los Angeles.

If you compare both professional basketball teams out of Los Angeles, they hold exactly the opposite record for the 1999-2000 season. While the famed Lakers are at the head of the Pacific Division with 67 wins and 15 losses, the Clippers rank last with 15 wins and 67 losses.

Going against their history of consecutive losses, the team was able to finish the season with a win against Seattle, ending a 17-game losing streak. To make matters worse, the Clippers have never won a division title. They have managed to make it to the playoffs; granted, only on three different occasions and even then, it was nothing but a sure bet for bookies!

If you stop to wonder how a team should be built, the coach plays a major part in doing so. If you look at the historyof the coaching team, however, you'll notice that it has gone through 13 changes. It looks like motivation dropped as the team got stuck in a vicious circle, doomed to infamy.

But who is to blame for this record of bad performances? All fingers seem to be pointing at the team's owner, Donald Sterling.the man behind the teamDonald Sterling is an accomplished businessman that has been very successful in real estate in Beverly Hills. Donald is a real estate giant who ventured into the world of professional sports after another real estate mogul, Jerry Buss, pitched him the money-making idea.

Buss, from which Sterling bought a series of Santa Monica apartment complexes twenty years ago, used the money to finance his purchase of the L.A. Lakers at the time, convincing Sterling to venture into the wide world of sports. Sterling bought into the idea financially and went on to purchase the team for about $10 million.

Sterling is an eccentric millionaire with a reputation for living it up. He has been known to throw legendary lottery parties in his self-titled Sterling Plaza which, when put in perspective, were the high moments of the Clippers' season. It just goes to show what a sorry state the team has constantly been in.

A party that ensured people that they would be rubbing elbows with celebrities and stars, was nothing more than a bunch of waitresses running around serving wine in plastic cups to lower level actors -- the type that appear in B-movies!

As other owners in the league simply portray the image of being part of the team and having a say in major decisions concerning the team's well-being, Sterling really holds the role. Sterling runs the team more like a business rather than a sports team. That's where the problem lies.

Influential people keep offering him advice, which he listens to but never follows. As Los Angeles Lakers guard Ron Harper said, "To have a decent team you need to keep a core of players together and let them grow."take care of your playersSterling is known to cut corners in the hopes of trying to save a few bucks. He would try to cut costs by asking Silas, the coach at the time, if he wouldn't mind taping the players himself. He also cut the medical expenses from $10,000 to $100.

He even went so far as to cut down his scouting expenses from more than $20,000 down to $1,000. Now if that's not being "thrifty", I don't know what is. Like they say: if you want to make money, you have to spend money.

keep them while they're hotEverything comes down to attaining star players, whereas Sterling does the opposite. Instead of nurturing key players that have the potential to become the next superstars of the game, he usually underpays them. A perfect example is Harper, who played four years for Chicago before starting with the Lakers this last season.

Harper was one of the few big name free agents to renew his contract with the team for $4 million in 1993. Then in 1994, Harper refused a 4-year $16 million renewal with the Clippers because the Chicago Bulls offered him $20 million.

As the Clippers tried to convince Harper that their deal was better, Harper knew better and signed with the Bulls. He later went on to win three championships with Chicago!

The Clippers' payroll is about $26.3 million, approximately half that of the Lakers. Sterling holds the league's third lowest payroll, which goes to show what a penny pincher he is.Sterling: a man with dreamsDespite all the bad press he has received, Sterling has constantly been named Humanitarian of the Year. Many organizations such as the Special Olympics and the Vista Del Mar Orphanage have awarded him with honors since 1997.

A man with grand ambition, he wanted to revolutionize the world of basketball in his first year when he purchased San Diego, before moving to Los Angeles.

Sterling loves the status that a wealthy and respected businessman carries. He likes to live in the lap of luxury, a lifestyle that he has earned with hard work.

So the next time you hear any news about how the shameful Clippers are performing, just remember Sterling; a man who is still motivated and going strong even after twenty years in the business of sports. Wouldn't you be if your reputation depended on it?

[GregCook]

Uhh, how does this relate to the Cincy Bengals?

Is Mikey a womanizer?

Did the Bengals gut their scouts?

Did Marvin do some taping?

Did Pollack get screwed on his meds?

As a LONGTIME Laker fan and a denizen of the old Fabulous Forum before life took me elsewhere, I find all failures of the Clips interesting. But the Bengals are far from that bad during the last few years.

[Jet23]

Uhh, how does this relate to the Cincy Bengals?

Is Mikey a womanizer?

Did the Bengals gut their scouts?

Did Marvin do some taping?

Did Pollack get screwed on his meds?

As a LONGTIME Laker fan and a denizen of the old Fabulous Forum before life took me elsewhere, I find all failures of the Clips interesting. But the Bengals are far from that bad during the last few years.

Is Mikey a womanizer? No

Did the Bengals gut their scouts? That wouldn't be tough....Lippy you're outta here!

Did Marvin do some taping? No, but I do believe plenty of corners are cut medically speaking

Did Pollack get screwed on his meds? Huh

If you are looking for similarites in the two worst owners in sports, I believe you can find them in the highlighted portion of that article.

[Bengals1]

Yep, I've often thought of the Clippers as the NBA's answer to the Bungles. Living here in L.A. its an easy comparison to make.

[HairOnFire]

Sterling is an eccentric millionaire with a reputation for living it up.

Yeah, that sounds exactly like Mike Brown. The left-handed Mike Brown from an alternative universe.

He has been known to throw legendary lottery parties in his self-titled Sterling Plaza....

Yup, again....just like Mike Brown. Wild parties featuring movie stars, B-list celebrities, and scantily clad models serving drinks.

Sterling loves the status that a wealthy and respected businessman carries. He likes to live in the lap of luxury, a lifestyle that he has earned with hard work.

And I bet he drives a Chevy Lumina, right?

Sterling holds the league's third lowest payroll, which goes to show what a penny pincher he is.

Sterling just fired a shot across the bow of his head coach and GM....warning them both that this seasons miserable won/loss record wouldn't be tolerated. The head coach just fired back by saying that this seasons fortunes would have been far better if not for interference from the GM and a front office. Pretty ironic, ehhh? Regardless, most observers don't consider Sterlings warning that losing won't be tolerated, and instead look at it as the first step in yet another roster purge that will see the franchises two best players opt out of their contracts at seasons end. The Clippers will start rebuilding again under a new head coach, and presumably....a new GM. Meanwhile, Mike Brown spends right up to the limit of the salary cap every year, and sometimes goes over when the team is struck by too many injuries.

Instead of nurturing key players that have the potential to become the next superstars of the game, he usually underpays them.

By comparison, Mike Brown is often criticized for a free agent strategy built around keeping his own players whenever possible, especially if they're young, and often pays more for his own free agents than even Bengal fans consider wise. As for superstars, the Bengals have as many as most teams can boast of.

A man with grand ambition, he wanted to revolutionize the world of basketball in his first year when he purchased San Diego, before moving to Los Angeles.

Wow, bought a franchise and almost immediately moved it. I guess Mike Brown could learn a lesson from this guy after all.

Sterling has constantly been named Humanitarian of the Year. Many organizations such as the Special Olympics and the Vista Del Mar Orphanage have awarded him with honors since 1997.

True story. Every day at least one of Los Angeles's largest newspapers, and sometimes both of them, run large ads for Donald Sterling Charities. The ad never changes and features a huge portrait of the always smiling Sterling, as well as a very small picture of a young child. Only by reading the small print can you learn that the ad is for a charity whose stated goal is to reduce hunger. In fact, at first glance you might assume that the ad was related to hair care, dentistry, or penis enlargement. And whose to say it isn't? All I know for certain is in my lifetime I've only seen one ad for charity that puts the mission statement and cause in small print under the name and face of the billionaire philanthropist. Well, actually I know one other thing with absolute certainty. That being, Mike Brown would never run an ad like that.

[BengalszoneBilly]

That being, Mike Brown would never run an ad like that.

I don't live in the Greater Cincinnati area, but I doubt he ever has. Nor has anyone else in the Brown family to my memory of living there while his father Paul had the reins. They have some habits I don't find attractive, but this isn't one of them.

[COB]

If you are looking for similarites in the two worst owners in sports,

Really, Mike Brown one of the two worst owners in sports? Not even close. He's not even in the same conversation as Sterling. Read something about James Dolan, owner of the Knicks. How about William Ford, owner of the Lions?

Ironically, any objective analysis would rate all three of these owners as woefully ineffective. Yet all three have dug a grave for their respective franchises by doing exactly what every Mike Brown basher on this board screams for him to do. All three hired a GM.

Dolan let his GM Isiah Thomas run the franchise into the ground, then he fired hall of fame coach Larry Brown to let Isiah take his act to the court. Results - ongoing catastrophe.

Sterling let his GM Elgin Baylor install the Clippers in the draft lottery on a permanent basis. Yet Baylor has been in that job for like 20 years. Results - ongoing catastrophe.

William Clay Ford's unexplainable loyalty to GM Matt Millen and his "best player available" draft strategy have resulted in quite a stable of receivers. And these yearly win totals since '01 - 2, 3, 5, 6, 5, 3, 7. Ongoing catastrophe.

Sorry for the interruption, please return to your regularly scheduled '90s fueled hate-fest.

[HoosierCat]

Yeah, that sounds exactly like Mike Brown. The left-handed Mike Brown from an alternative universe.

Hmmm...there's an interesting concept: the mirror universe Mikey.

He has a goatee, of course.

Spends lavishly on free agents.

Has built a best-of-class NFL organization, including the most scouts of any NFL team.

His team has had one losing season in the past 17 years.

Is absolutely adored by fans, most notably MarvinsSeafoodhouse; mirror-Mikey haters are led by FeetOnIce...

[COB]

Yeah, that sounds exactly like Mike Brown. The left-handed Mike Brown from an alternative universe.

Hmmm...there's an interesting concept: the mirror universe Mikey.

He has a goatee, of course.

Spends lavishly on free agents.

Has built a best-of-class NFL organization, including the most scouts of any NFL team.

His team has had one losing season in the past 17 years.

Is absolutely adored by fans, most notably MarvinsSeafoodhouse; mirror-Mikey haters are led by FeetOnIce...

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Really, Mike Brown one of the two worst owners in sports? Not even close. He's not even in the same conversation as Sterling. Read something about James Dolan, owner of the Knicks. How about William Ford, owner of the Lions?

Allright, the inverse popularity contest! I have my own opinions on the matter. No hockey teams because 1) I don't follow it, and 2) it's not a real sport anymore. My top 10:

1) Sterling. You're right, not even close. The ineptutude is similar to the Bengals, but you can add in the fact that their owner is a total a**h***. So there's that.

2) Dolan. He started late, but he's catching up fast. I would have had him about 7th or 8th until the sexual harassment thing, and the promotion/demotion of Isiah to courtside. If this keeps up he could be the all-time winner by next year.

3) Bidwells - very much like the Bengals in terms of ineptitude, now add pennypinching that beats Mikey and the fact that the family has moved the team TWICE. One playoff appearance since 1983.

4) Wayne Huizenga. Get lucky with World Series winner, complain about attendance, not realize that attendance increases year AFTER title, rinse, repeat. Also gets credit for gradual decimation of Dolphins.

5) Devil Rays' ownership. Utter disaster, infighting among ownership, etc. Appalling team.

6) Mikey. We know the drill.

7) Atlanta Hawks ownership - at one point, one of them was trying to get an injunction against signing Free Agents to keep costs down, or something like that. Atrocious draft record that would make Mikey blush.

8) Al Davis - he's just lost it. He's always been an annoying jackass, but he used to get the personnel he needed. Now he appears to have lost his touch, and I have no idea who is running that team.

9) Charlotte/New Orleans/Oklahoma City/wherever they go next Hornets - owner is a quintessential a**h***. Left Charlotte after the town (which is nuts about basketball) got sick of him. Now preparing to bail on post-Katrina New Orleans. There's an extra level of hell for that.

10) Kansas City Royals - Develop prospects, sell for pennies on dollar for overpriced veterans, rinse, repeat.

[HairOnFire]

Really, Mike Brown one of the two worst owners in sports? Not even close. He's not even in the same conversation as Sterling. Read something about James Dolan, owner of the Knicks. How about William Ford, owner of the Lions?

The list could go on and on and on before Mike Brown's name popped up, but far too often Bengal fans make idiotic claims like Jet23 just did, thereby demonstrating his ignorance for anything that happens outside of his own zipcode.

True story. Donald Sterling was once asked why he almost always let his best players leave as soon as they were free agents. Didn't his experience in real estate make him realize that his best investment was in his own players, especially the ones he's already heavily invested in? Sterling responded about how he considered players, unlike land or buildings, as "constantly depreciating assets" that were never worth more than the value they had on the day they were drafted.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

If you are looking for similarites in the two worst owners in sports,

Really, Mike Brown one of the two worst owners in sports? Not even close. He's not even in the same conversation as Sterling. Read something about James Dolan, owner of the Knicks. How about William Ford, owner of the Lions?

Ironically, any objective analysis would rate all three of these owners as woefully ineffective. Yet all three have dug a grave for their respective franchises by doing exactly what every Mike Brown basher on this board screams for him to do. All three hired a GM.

Dolan let his GM Isiah Thomas run the franchise into the ground, then he fired hall of fame coach Larry Brown to let Isiah take his act to the court. Results - ongoing catastrophe.

Sterling let his GM Elgin Baylor install the Clippers in the draft lottery on a permanent basis. Yet Baylor has been in that job for like 20 years. Results - ongoing catastrophe.

William Clay Ford's unexplainable loyalty to GM Matt Millen and his "best player available" draft strategy have resulted in quite a stable of receivers. And these yearly win totals since '01 - 2, 3, 5, 6, 5, 3, 7. Ongoing catastrophe.

Sorry for the interruption, please return to your regularly scheduled '90s fueled hate-fest.

7-9 is still a losing record

8-8 is not a winning record

5 years w/Marvin = 1 winning season

17 years = 1 winning season

Without Palmer this team is still utterly miserable, 8-8 at the very best if they can find a vet schlep rock like Kitna

Stop with the small sample sizes.

Nothing has changed. Please return to your regular NFL losing franchise ways.

Our standards of wanting more than one winning season in 17 years is clearly too high for you and Hair, pretty much the only two Brown apologists here, maybe Bengals1 or another kid who was born post 1990.

Hair's reply above typical skirts the issue of franchise operations and focuses on Sterling's personality, completely missing the point, but that' what he does, just like Mike Brown in his interviews.

If you're in pro sports and want to run it like an efficient family business, you're stuck in the 60's or in the wrong line of work.

Mike Brown's track record speaks to that.

[HairOnFire]

Hair's reply above typical skirts the issue of franchise operations and focuses on Sterling's personality, completely missing the point, but that' what he does, just like Mike Brown in his interviews.

As always, you're dead wrong....and remarkably asshatted. Not to mention the fact that the rather outstanding post you responded to wasn't even written by me. (Props to CentralOhioBengal)

That said, in my response I focused on the differences in personalities precisely because that's what the original was based upon. Besides, few of you have any clue about the way Sterling does business, and any debate about the latter would be horribly one-sided, with me providing all of the relevant facts and quotes while you flit about the fringes looking for generalities and half-truths.

However, if you feel you can do better then by all means do so. I've already provided an opportunity for dinks like you to prove how little you know by mentioning a few of the differences the two men have in dealing with free agents, their willingness to pay players, as well as their willingness to move their franchises. So feel free to move the debate forward along those lines....since you seem adamant about limiting the conversation to franchise operations.

For my part, I'll try to keep up using my 20 plus years of experience watching the way Donald Sterling runs his franchise.

It's your move.

[COB]

Stop with the small sample sizes.

I can't. I just can't stop. Because the recent history is more indicative of both the state of the franchise and our chances for the near future than is what happened 10, 15, or 20 years ago.

Nothing has changed. Please return to your regular NFL losing franchise ways..

Nothing has changed? We hired Marvin Lewis, and he's turned the Bengals into a winning franchise. Or are you going to go all-out in your denial of reality, and claim that 42-38 is a losing record?

you and Hair, pretty much the only two Brown apologists here, maybe Bengals1 or another kid who was born post 1990.

Bengals1? His standard post is "We'll suck until the day Mike Brown dies. " You must have him confused with another poster, just like you must have 2008 confused with 1998. Also, I don't consider Hair, Bengals1, or myself an apologist. The post I responded to said he was one of the worst 2 owners in sports. A ludicrous claim, and I felt compelled to answer it.

If you're in pro sports and want to run it like an efficient family business, you're stuck in the 60's or in the wrong line of work.

Please let the McCaskey family know that. They had the Bears in the Super Bowl last year.

[Spor_tees]

Let me throw a little tid bit in here real quick...the team that we all criticize as being overly mismanaged financially, the Washington Redskins, is the highest valued team in the NFL. Kinda weird how that works huh? The second highest is the Jerry Jones owned Dallas Cowboys. The Bengals are ranked 27th. Redskins valued at $952 Mil., the Bengals valued at $562 Mil....that's a pretty large gap.

For those wondering...the New York Yankees are worth 1.2 BILLION dollars and despite their over spending, still had the highest revenue of $302 Million. The Cincinnati Reds(23rd)...worth only $307 Million and only netted $146 Million.

Just like I would say to people in the retail business, "You definitely get what you pay for"

[HairOnFire]

Also, I don't consider Hair, Bengals1, or myself an apologist. The post I responded to said he was one of the worst 2 owners in sports. A ludicrous claim, and I felt compelled to answer it.

Speaking only for myself I'd say the thing that would make me happiest in regards to this board is if the critics stopped making claims that were so over the top that they become useless. Examples of this are too numerous to list, but in this case anyone familiar with Mike Brown and Donald Sterling would know immediately that those two men have almost nothing in common in regards to their personalities OR in the way they run their franchises.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Let me throw a little tid bit in here real quick...the team that we all criticize as being overly mismanaged financially, the Washington Redskins, is the highest valued team in the NFL. Kinda weird how that works huh? The second highest is the Jerry Jones owned Dallas Cowboys. The Bengals are ranked 27th. Redskins valued at $952 Mil., the Bengals valued at $562 Mil....that's a pretty large gap.

For those wondering...the New York Yankees are worth 1.2 BILLION dollars and despite their over spending, still had the highest revenue of $302 Million. The Cincinnati Reds(23rd)...worth only $307 Million and only netted $146 Million.

Just like I would say to people in the retail business, "You definitely get what you pay for"

Weeeelll...it's also different in those areas. Washington is a huge football town (and always has been, as far as I can tell) and it's also a rapidly growing area, far larger than Cincinnati. The Redskins sell out the largest stadium in the NFL every week (90,000 people). Similar in Texas - football is God there, and Texas Stadium is its church.

Cincinnati is a small market, although that's not as much of an excuse as Mikey would like because he still gets 1/32 of the TV money and the salary cap keeps things competitive.