Banned for life. It’s a punishment so severe and so rare that it has only been given to the sports world’s most infamous offenders. MLB all-time hits leader Pete Rose can never again be affiliated with baseball after gambling on the team he managed, the Cincinnati Reds. Lance Armstrong was banned from competing on a bike for the rest of his life after he was exposed for taking steroids, which he vehemently denied throughout his entire career.

These two men redefined the sports they participated in and were loved by all until their true selves were revealed to the dismay of the public. Rose and Armstrong have cemented their places in the lowest circle of sports hell, and they have added a new member: Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

Sterling’s blatantly racist comments toward his girlfriend regarding a picture she took with NBA legend Magic Johnson has spurred a national uproar over the past two weeks, and rightfully so. The remarks were caught on tape by media gossip-queen TMZ, who could not wait to release the recordings for the world to gawk over. Out of all the celebrity lives that TMZ has unnecessarily ruined, it finally got one right.

It is absolutely baffling to try to comprehend Donald Sterling’s motives. How could a man who has dedicated so much of his time and fortune into an NBA franchise be so hateful towards the men that make up most of the coaching staff and roster? Sterling is not an uneducated degenerate. He is a well-established businessman and the longest tenured manager in the NBA. His hate is not due to ignorance. It’s due to arrogance.

Sadly, his comments are not the first example of bigotry during his lifetime. As a real estate developer, Sterling dealt with many lawsuits for sexual harassment and tenant discrimination that caught the attention of the NBA and its owners. The other 29 franchise owners in the league, as well as commissioner David Stern, were aware of the kind of person Sterling was, but chose not to speak up. Now with physical evidence, the NBA had no choice but to investigate. It was a chance for new NBA commissioner Adam Silver to make a statement, and he nailed it.

A lifetime ban, a $2.5 million fine,and a tarnished reputation are extremely harsh penalties but necessary for such disgusting comments. Silver made it unquestionably clear that there is no place for racism in any facet of the game, regardless if you are the towel boy or the team owner. Usually this kind of brutal backlash would at least have some public opposition, but not this time. Not a single person in the league,-player, coach or manager- had a negative thing to say about Silver’s swift judgment. Even Doc Rivers, the man who gets his paycheck from Sterling, agreed with the punishment.

Even though he is receiving strong pressure to sell the team, it’s doubtful that Sterling would consider swallowing his pride and giving in. Fortunately, we can at least take solace in the fact that Sterling is now ironically the only person not allowed to attend “his games.”

mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu