NBA dealt race card
Max Hrenda
Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: Sports
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Baylor is claiming that, after serving as the Clippers' G.M. and executive vice president for 22 years, he was "discriminated against and unceremoniously released from his position ... on account of his age and race." In addition, Baylor says he was "grossly underpaid ... never earning more than $350,000 per year."
Granted, being a white male, I am no authority in the field of discrimination. But, speaking within the field of common sense, there is clearly something wrong with this suit.
During Baylor's 22 years in the Clippers' front office, he produced only three playoff teams. Also, during Baylor's reign, there were 125 changes in the general manager positions of other NBA teams. This made him the longest-tenured general manager in the league upon his release last October.
Let's put this in perspective.
If a waiter brings one of his guests a glass of vinegar when they ordered wine, it's very unlikely that he's going to finish his shift with his job intact. If the restaurant decides to keep the waiter on staff, it's probably because they think he's better than that. But if he keeps serving vinegar, it's only a matter of time before he's shown the door.
In Baylor's case, the Clippers hired him under the pretense that he would build a solid basketball program (which he didn't). Then they kept him around for 22 years, obviously thinking that he was capable of doing better than he was (he wasn't). When he kept giving them vinegar when they asked for wine, they decided to show him the door.
The salary issue might prove to be the only legitimate claim of the lawsuit. But the discrimination claim is clearly an effort to squeeze a few more drops from the nipple that fed him for 22 years.
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