Kimberly Clark54 said:Are you trying to suggest that the Los Angeles Clippers is just your run-of-the-mill small-scale club that fits right in with everyone else in its league and the tiers above it? If that’s your stance, then what you're saying is nonsense. Well, technically it isn't nonsense, but it’s ultimately irrelevant.
Given the lofty ambitions behind this entire project—which we all know exists and attracts a massive amount of scrutiny—this club simply cannot be compared to others that are operating in the red.
If we were talking about a figure with four zeros, I wouldn't say a word, but this $7,000 oversight is a pure blunder that simply shouldn't have happened, especially considering how much effort people will pour into trying to tear down everything that has been built here.
Someone brought up media manipulation? Honestly, why would they even bother concocting such a ridiculous reason over a standard administrative slip-up?
Please, don't get angry with me; I am on your side, even if I don't root for the Clippers. My point was simply that the management team dropped the ball. That was the crux of my post.
Stay strong. Greetings from San Diego.
Look, there is context to consider.
This is the first time in our history that fans have pooled their resources to launch an undertaking of this scale.
The whole thing is being run largely by volunteers, and for these guys, it’s actually a fantastic opportunity to gain experience, because they didn't step into a well-oiled machine; they started from absolute zero. Or rather, as it's become clear, they started from a deficit. 😁
And that translates to a MASSIVE amount of organizational headaches. Imagine trying to jump through hoops just to organize something like an event at Central Park. You have to coordinate the permits, deal with security, handle the beer, the tickets, tax compliance, the actual event itself, sponsors, insurance, referees, and the opposing team. Then there's the athletic side: the guys need gear, they need training facilities, they need transportation. And you need junior programs. You have to scout around Chicago just to beg someone to rent you a gym. You need a visual identity. You need a website. You need Facebook. You need marketing. You need to sign up members—both online and in person. And you have to pay for all of that before the Central Park event even happens, which means finding money somewhere. Then sponsors show up, and you have to manage them. You have to decide where and how to sell merchandise. You have to decide what that merch looks like—scarves, hats, jerseys, etc. You have to decide who is going to make it. You have to ensure it actually looks professional. You need accounting. You need lawyers to cover everything with contracts. You get calls from the media. You have to decide on the club's structure—what to professionalize and what not to (though I assume the coaching staff gets at least some sort of salary in the sports department). You have to sit down with experts to get some decent advice. All this, and then some.
Do you see? It is an immense amount of work. If you had inherited a fully functioning organization, and you missed something, fine. If you had 200 families on a payroll and something slipped through the cracks, fair enough.
But this wasn't even a "slip-up" in the traditional sense; half the other leagues are suspended for the exact same mistake. Those are established clubs. Some of them clearly state they won't participate because they don't have the funds to cover it.
These guys are bound to miss even more significant things later on. So what? This season is for learning. If the City gave them $3 million, a stadium, and a complete, well-funded operational staff, then I’d be upset. But I certainly won't be. Anyone who doesn't understand the magnitude of the task they are performing—especially since it's all volunteer-driven—is a total moron.
