Steve Ballmer Interview On The Clippers

Xepa777 · Post #1 » by **Xepa777** » Fri May 30, 2014 11:48 pm

I know there's a general thread already, but this interview has me so freaking energized as a fan and season ticket holder that I felt it had to be pointed out!

His facial expression when asked about "additional investment" in money to help the Clippers win a championship. His look when LeBron James was brought up. Everything. Damn, I'm excited guys. This is Mark Cuban 2.0!

P.S. I follow stocks avidly and was a Microsoft shareholder until last year. Ballmer left Microsoft on very sour terms and was basically forced out of the company, so I'm not sure his loyalty towards Seattle is the same as it once was.

http://www.latimes.com/visuals/video/la ... video.html

50CALguns · Post #2 » by **50CALguns** » Fri May 30, 2014 11:55 pm

He didn't give a simple "Yes," when asked, straight up, if keeping in the team in the L.A. was his intent and if it was in the contract.

... at the end there, again, he didn't answer "Yes" that it was in the purchase agreement.

KDRE · Post #3 » by **KDRE** » Sat May 31, 2014 12:29 am

50CALguns wrote:He didn't give a simple "Yes," when asked, straight up, if keeping in the team in the L.A. was his intent and if it was in the contract.

... at the end there, again, he didn't answer "Yes" that it was in the purchase agreement.

Man really?

He said they are and will remain in Los Angeles at the end. I think you're digging too hard

Galaxy Note 2

mj_shoefanatic · Post #4 » by **mj_shoefanatic** » Sat May 31, 2014 12:43 am

"Mark Cuban 2.0" best thing about Ballmer. :clap:

All these haters reaching with the Seattle relocation. Sucks to be them. :lol:

Ranma · Post #5 » by **Ranma** » Sat May 31, 2014 12:58 am

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/472541637638225920[/tweet]

nickhx2 · Post #6 » by **nickhx2** » Sat May 31, 2014 1:16 am

i don't know how anyone can watch that video and think he has any intentions, at ALL, of moving the team.

he became more and more emphatic about it each time he was asked a different version of the question and he was especially emphatic by the time he got to the end of the interview.

worry if you want to and let it eat you up. or don't worry at all about something that A. you can't control and B. isn't gonna happen.

50CALguns · Post #7 » by **50CALguns** » Sat May 31, 2014 2:21 am

KDRE wrote:
50CALguns wrote:He didn't give a simple "Yes," when asked, straight up, if keeping in the team in the L.A. was his intent and if it was in the contract.

... at the end there, again, he didn't answer "Yes" that it was in the purchase agreement.

Man really?

He said they are and will remain in Los Angeles at the end. I think you're digging too hard

Didn't the assh0le that bought the Sonics say that he wouldn't move them to Oklahoma?

I just don feel like I can celebrate yet.

50CALguns · Post #8 » by **50CALguns** » Sat May 31, 2014 2:26 am

Ranma wrote:[tweet]https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/472541637638225920[/tweet]

That's the first report(tweet) I've read/heard stating that!

Fingers crossed.

Neddy · Post #9 » by **Neddy** » Sat May 31, 2014 2:29 am

50CALguns wrote:
KDRE wrote:
50CALguns wrote:He didn't give a simple "Yes," when asked, straight up, if keeping in the team in the L.A. was his intent and if it was in the contract.

... at the end there, again, he didn't answer "Yes" that it was in the purchase agreement.

Man really?

He said they are and will remain in Los Angeles at the end. I think you're digging too hard

Didn't the assh0le that bought the Sonics say that he wouldn't move them to Oklahoma?

I just don feel like I can celebrate yet.

sonics at the time had a real **** time bringing people into their arena, and due to the small size and lack of enough lux seats, the Key Arena was going to be a problem in terms of attendance even if it was selling out. OKC had already proved during the Hornets stay that they can and will sell out a big arena.

the Staples is one of the best, state of the art arenas around and we are selling out. the city of Seattle wasn't going to grant the sonics a new arena with tax subsidized funds, the Clippers do not need a new arena to be built as we have a long term lease at the one of the finest arenas in the world.

the Sonics played in a city of 650,000 people, and less than 7 million in the entire state. the Clippers play in a city of 10 million that are legal.

you don't have any reason to worry. Steve Ballmer will go down as the dumbest businessman of the history if he chooses to leave LA for Seattle. he didn't become a CEO of the Microsoft being a dumbass.

KDRE · Post #10 » by **KDRE** » Sat May 31, 2014 2:30 am

50CALguns wrote:
KDRE wrote:
50CALguns wrote:He didn't give a simple "Yes," when asked, straight up, if keeping in the team in the L.A. was his intent and if it was in the contract.

... at the end there, again, he didn't answer "Yes" that it was in the purchase agreement.

Man really?

He said they are and will remain in Los Angeles at the end. I think you're digging too hard

Didn't the assh0le that bought the Sonics say that he wouldn't move them to Oklahoma?

I just don feel like I can celebrate yet.

Edit.... Thanks for explaining Neddy

50CALguns · Post #11 » by **50CALguns** » Sat May 31, 2014 2:54 am

Two NFL teams left the mega-market that is L.A. in the same year. One to Oakland, and the other to some city in Kansas or something. I don't trust these people (the powers that be/sports leagues). They should have never allowed the Sonics to leave.

Seattle-Tacoma is about the 13th largest media market. They're a major league city. And anyway, Steve Ballmer seems like a wildcard. He may not be interested in the nickels and dimes difference (from his perspective) between L.A. and Seattle.

I'm cautiously elated.
Just can't breath easy yet.

kylem4711 · Post #12 » by **kylem4711** » Sat May 31, 2014 3:01 am

Stop causing drama 50.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using RealGM Forums mobile app

50CALguns · Post #13 » by **50CALguns** » Sat May 31, 2014 3:14 am

KDRE wrote:
50CALguns wrote:Didn't the assh0le that bought the Sonics say that he wouldn't move them to Oklahoma?
I just don feel like I can celebrate yet.

Unedit/Original Post: It wasn't that simple. He tried to screw the city for a free arena first and never had intentions of staying

Edit.... Thanks for explaining Neddy

It's as simple as HE SAID his intent was to keep the Sonics in Seattle.
They can say anything they want.

Someone explain this to me...
Do some arenas split their concessions/parking revenue with the Teams?
And when it comes to the Clippers, doesn't Staples Center keep it all?
What if Ballmer decides that that is un-satisfactory, months down the road?

The deal doesn't evne include ownership of the Clippers practice facilities.
Seattle/Washington now has the backing (public or private) to build a new arena; things are different there.

Again, want to jump for joy, but it still feels shaky.

mttwlsn16 · Post #14 » by **mttwlsn16** » Sat May 31, 2014 3:17 am

Curtis Jackson, settle down and work on throwing out a first pitch

We are fine. Breathe man

50CALguns · Post #15 » by **50CALguns** » Sat May 31, 2014 4:35 am

^Who the hell is that?

Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice...

It'll take time for me to be fully convinced.

illastrate · Post #16 » by **illastrate** » Sat May 31, 2014 5:22 am

50CALguns wrote:^Who the hell is that?

Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice...

It'll take time for me to be fully convinced.

Did you just completely ignore Ramona's tweet up there. If you have a hard time reading it, here it is again:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/472541637638225920[/tweet]

mttwlsn16 · Post #17 » by **mttwlsn16** » Sat May 31, 2014 5:23 am

50CALguns wrote:^Who the hell is that?

Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice...

It'll take time for me to be fully convinced.

50...Curtis Jackson....50 Cent

Forte IV · Post #18 » by **Forte IV** » Sat May 31, 2014 5:40 am

Lol. He said he was keeping the Clippers in LA several times throughout the entire video. You are literally high on everything humanly available for you to take if you got "i'm moving them to Seattle" out of that interview.

Downtown · Post #19 » by **Downtown** » Sat May 31, 2014 5:59 am

I can't believe there's a single Clippers fan that isn't totally thrilled with this.

As a longtime Sonics fan I can't believe how fortunate you guys are to get an owner like Balmer.

50CALguns · Post #20 » by **50CALguns** » Sat May 31, 2014 7:48 pm

It's great that DTS is gone. But the biggest fear after the banishment/forced sale announcement, was that an ownership group from Seattle would buy the team...

Can't help having that uneasy feeling.

But aside from that, I love this Ballmer guy. He's a wacko. He'll make being a Clips fan much more entertaining.