LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers hadnt even digested the final loss of
their tumultuous season before they had to consider the growing possibility that
owner Donald Sterling wont leave the club quietly.
Brendan Langley Youth Jersey . After a month
of playoff pressure and incredible off-court drama, a 104-98 loss to Oklahoma
City on Thursday night ended the Clippers best season in franchise history.
Their summer could match the tumult of the last few weeks, given Sterlings
apparent determination to fight his lifetime NBA ban for racist remarks. "I dont
think thats an ideal situation for us to start next season with that still going
on," All-Star forward Blake Griffin said Friday. If Sterling and his
long-estranged wife, Shelly, manage to postpone their ouster with legal
manoeuvrs, several Clippers arent sure whether they would play for the team in
the fall. They hope they dont have to find out. "Personally, I think the longer
it lasts, the worse its going to be," Griffin said. "I think something should
happen, and I think it should happen quickly. I think guys need to make
decisions. I dont think anybody wants this to drag out -- except for, you know,
one or two people. I think it just needs to be swift. We can make our decision,
they can make their decision, and make a change." A few weeks after the players
dumped their warm-up jerseys at centre court in Oakland in a gesture of
solidarity against Sterling, the Clippers are clearly hoping they wont have to
return in the fall with the saga still hanging over the franchise. "I dont
anticipate that being how its going to be," Griffin said. "And if it still is,
Ill make a decision then, but its not something thats ideal." Guard J.J. Redick
predicts the process of removing Sterling will be lengthy, saying the Clippers
realize "things will be in flux for a while." "I cant imagine a scenario where
we start the season next year and hes the owner and all is kosher," Redick
added. "He may be the owner when we start the season next year still, but I
would imagine that there would be some legal proceedings ongoing if thats the
scenario." Coach Doc Rivers didnt speak to the media on Friday, but the
franchises shepherd through the last few weeks made it clear Thursday night that
he plans to return to the Clippers. "I told them were going to have our day,"
Rivers said. "This is not the end. This is the beginning for us. ... Like Ive
said before, Im under contract. I have no plans of going anywhere, as far as I
know." Although Griffin, Chris Paul and their teammates were devastated by their
final losses to the Thunder, Los Angeles will have plenty to savour. Although
the Clippers had legitimate dreams of NBA title contention after acquiring
Rivers from Boston last June, theyll have to settle for another division title
and another learning experience on their path to a championship. "We definitely
have to go through this," Griffin said. "Winning -- nobody has the formula. The
more I lose, every time I lose, every time we lose as a team, its like I figure
out how not to do it. I dont want to keep this up, but it is a necessary
adversity that you have to go through as a player to get to where you want. Ive
heard guys say that makes it that much sweeter when you do win." The Clippers
57-25 record was the best in franchise history, and their 113 wins over the last
two years dwarf any other two-year stretch for a long-struggling franchise. Los
Angeles won the Pacific Division for the second straight year and the second
time in franchise history. Their first-round series against Golden State would
have been taxing even without the distraction of Sterling, but Los Angeles hung
on in the fourth quarter of Game 7 at home to finish off the Warriors. Paul and
Griffin got the Clippers to the brink of a breakthrough win in Game 5 in
Oklahoma City, leading by 13 points with less than four minutes to play -- but
Pauls turnovers and fouls in the final seconds allowed the Thunder to grab an
astonishing comeback victory. Los Angeles again failed to execute late in Game
6, leading to their ouster and a disappointed crowd at Staples Center. The
Clippers earned just their third playoff series victory since Sterling bought
the franchise 33 years ago, but couldnt advance to the conference finals for the
first time in club history. "You wait your whole life to play with a group of
guys like that, and you hope thats the group you end up winning with," Redick
said. "When it doesnt happen, its devastating."
Brendan Langley Broncos Jersey . "This isnt
really the week you want to lose Chris Greaves," fellow lineman Glenn January
said Wednesday after practice. Greaves is expected to miss several weeks after
suffering a knee injury in last weeks 36-28 win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
Jake Butt Jersey . -- Adrian Peterson takes a
look around the league and sees big money flying everywhere.The Triple Crown is
made up of three races in three states that use three different sets of drug
rules. A lawmaker is hoping the buzz from California Chromes run for the Triple
Crown might build support for a bill that would place the U.S. Anti-Doping
Agency in charge of drug testing at races nationwide. "Its an industry that has,
for years, pledged to clean things up," said Rep. Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania, who
sponsored the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. "But things seem to be
getting worse, not better." Pitts introduced the bill last spring, and since
then, it has been in committees awaiting a chance to be voted on by the full
House. Drug use is widely seen as the biggest problem facing horse racing today.
A recent investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sparked an
investigation into successful trainer Steve Asmussen for allegedly mistreating
horses. A 2012 investigation by The New York Times found that 3,800 horses had
tested positive for drugs, the large majority of which were for illegal levels
of prescription drugs. Some critics of the current rules point out that the 38
states that operate horse tracks work under 38 distinct sets of rules. The
National Thoroughbred Racing Association has adopted a set of uniform rules and
is pushing state legislatures, racing commissions and other regulatory bodies to
pass them in the individual states. So far, 19 states have passed or are
considering a rule that would remove all controlled substances except for Lasix
-- a diuretic known to improve horses performance -- from racing, and
standardize testing for the other drugs. Eight states havve passed another rule
that standardizes a penalty structure for trainers who violate drug rules.
Chad Kelly Youth Jersey. Horse racing is
highly regulated by the states because it involves gambling. NTRA president Alex
Waldrop says he hasnt spent much time analyzing the proposed national
legislation, but the reality is that its very hard to pull rulemaking away from
the states. "Its a very difficult balance were trying to strike here," Waldrop
said. "Its about respecting every states interest and unique concerns. But were
constantly pushing for greater uniformity through education and scientific
research." The clumsy nature of the issue came into focus shortly after the
Preakness, when California Chromes trainer had to get a waiver from track
stewards at the Belmont to wear nasal strips, which were allowed in Kentucky and
Maryland but not in New York. Though the nasal-strip issue turned out to be
minor, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said those sorts of rules differences put horse
racing in much the same position Olympic sports were in before they went for
more standardized enforcement after the scandals of the 1990s. "The lack of
uniformity and strict enforcement has created huge loopholes, where, if youre
playing by the rules, youre at a competitive disadvantage," Tygart said. Dionne
Benson, who helped write the uniform rules being proposed by the NTRA, said
improving anti-doping measures will involve more than one national law. "Its not
as easy as enacting a bill," she said. "Its unclear whether that bill would
fully regulate in this area, or if wed just be adding another layer."
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