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A cadre of attorneys and a flurry of lawsuits could certainly slow down the NBAs plan to force Donald Sterling to sell the Los Angeles Clippers over his recent racist comments, but legal experts say the league would likely prevail in the end. And that goes for Sterlings wife, Shelly, who has said shed like to keep her stake in the team even if her husband is ousted. The NBAs constitution, which Donald Sterling signed as controlling owner of the Clippers, gives its board of governors broad latitude in league decisions including who owns the teams. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is pushing for a swift vote against Sterling, which requires a minimum of three-fourths of the other 29 controlling owners to agree. Silver also has imposed a lifetime ban on Sterling and a $2.5 million fine. The ban does not apply to Shelly Sterling. SI.com and ESPN.com, citing unidentified sources, reported Thursday that Sterlings lawyer, antitrust litigator Maxwell Blecher, wrote a letter to Rick Buchanan, the NBAs executive vice-president and general counsel, threatening to sue the league and saying Sterling will not pay the $2.5 million fine. "Sterlings own signature will come back to haunt him," said Michael McCann, founding director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire. "You agree to certain basic understandings. Thats what makes a sports league different from other businesses." The key to the NBAs authority, attorneys say, is Article 13(d) of the leagues constitution. That section says that, whether Sterling intended to or not, an owner cannot "fail or refuse to fulfil" contractual obligations to the NBA "in such a way to affect the Association or its members adversely." Theres plenty of evidence Sterlings comments, revealed in a recorded conversation with a female companion, affected the league adversely. They provoked threats of a player boycott, led sponsors to withdraw support and created a racially charged image problem in the midst of the NBA playoffs that even President Barack Obama remarked upon. If Article 13(d) was violated, the legal experts say the board of governors has solid grounds to force Sterling to sell the team along with any other owners, in this case his wife. As long as the NBA meticulously follows its own constitution and rules regarding the Clippers sale, it will be difficult for Sterling to find a legal theory that would stand up in court, said Daniel Lazaroff, director of the Sports Law Institute at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "This is not an antitrust issue. This is not a First Amendment issue," Lazaroff said. "Its a question limited to the interpretation of the NBA constitution and bylaws, and whether those terms are met." Another question involves California family law. Its a community property state, meaning spouses jointly own property they acquired while married. The Sterlings were already married when he bought the Clippers in 1981. Although a potential divorce could complicate the Clippers sale, McCann said the couples joint ownership actually works to the NBAs favour because — legally speaking — they are a single entity. So if the NBA forced Donald Sterling to sell, even under a divorce scenario, Shelly Sterling would have to sell, too. They have been married since 1955. "The NBA is well positioned to ultimately prevail," McCann said. For his part, Donald Sterling has repeatedly said he does not want to sell the Clippers. In his recent interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper, he cast doubt on going to court if the NBA governors ultimately do vote to force him out. "People want me to hire a wall of lawyers and them to have to hire a wall of lawyers and go to war," Sterling said on CNN. "I dont think thats the answer." Sterlings longtime attorney, Robert Platt, declined to comment when contacted Wednesday. Shelly Sterlings attorney, Pierce ODonnell, did not respond to email requests for comment from The Associated Press. But he has previously said she wants to remain a passive owner of the Clippers even if her husband is no longer involved. For now, the NBA has installed former Time Warner and Citigroup chairman Dick Parsons to oversee the teams business operations. Parsons said this week that a prolonged legal battle "is in no ones interest." "I would hope we could avoid that," he said. If he is forced out, Sterling still stands to reap a huge financial windfall in a Clippers sale. He bought the team for $12.5 million in 1981, and Forbes magazine recently placed its 2014 value at $575 million, or No. 13 in the NBA. Of course, there would also be a sizable capital gains tax bill for that. _____ Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt Antonio Rudiger Germany Jersey .Then came December.Three straight losses, including a crushing 27-24 defeat to Washington (4-11) on Saturday, has the Eagles (9-6) on the brink of playoff elimination. Julian Draxler Germany Jersey . - The Seattle Seahawks have signed nine players to 2014 future contracts, including quarterback B. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Marc-Andre-Ter-Stegen-Germany-Jersey/ . "Im not doing enough to help them," Durant told The Oklahoman on Monday of his 28-9 team. "Im shooting too much. Im shooting too many threes. Im not helping them out at all. Mario Gomez Germany Jersey . Future Hall of Famer Ricky Ray is in his prime and back for a third season in double blue. The 34-year old was magnificent in 2013, throwing for just under 2,900 yards despite missing eight games, tossing an impressive 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions, completing 66 per cent of his passes in the process. Mats Hummels Germany Jersey . There were no real chances until Augsburg broke the deadlock through Raul Bobadilla in the 33rd minute. Frankfurt failed to clear a cross and Bobadilla slotted home from close range at the far post.TORONTO - Its too early in his tenure as interim coach to know what a Peter Horachek-coached team looks like, but the Toronto Maple Leafs gave a pretty good indication of the new standard in his second game behind the bench.In beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 Friday night at Air Canada Centre, the Maple Leafs responded to an early deficit, out-shot an opponent and kept pressing with the lead. In other words, Horachek hockey helped end a three-game losing streak.I definitely feel like thats how we need to approach every game, for sure, said Horachek, who was awarded the teams camouflage hoodie by players after his first win as Leafs coach. Its not going to be perfect all the time, but what we want them to do is play more in that direction that we played tonight.The Leafs out-shot the Blue Jackets 32-20. The 20 shots were the second fewest of the season (10 vs. Buffalo Oct. 28) and the second time in 42 games Toronto allowed under 24 shots in a game.That itself was an accomplishment.I think its all part of the process, defenceman Cody Franson said. To keep a team to under 25 shots takes a lot of work. But the work that youre doing allows you to play a less exhausting game. If you play hard in your D-zone you dont spend as much time down there, and therefore you dont have to spend as much time hitting people and trying to defend. You can get in the offensive zone and not necessarily have to be as physical.When the Leafs (22-17-3) got chances, they took advantage. Tyler Bozak, Daniel Winnik, Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk scored on 2013 Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, and van Riemsdyk added an empty-netter for good measure.All that came after Blue Jackets centre Ryan Johansen scored 3:15 in on the first shot on Jonathan Bernier, who finished with 18 saves. Horachek told his team to stick with it, dont let anything bother you and just keep going, and players listened.Our team really responded, captain Dion Phaneuf said. We stuck with the way that we had to play. We didnt give up a whole lot all night and it was start-to-finish probably one of our strongest games that weve played as a team.For a team striving for some measure of consistency, this was it. General manager Dave Nonis blamed fits of inconsistency for the firing of coach Randy Carlyle on Tuesday.Leafs president Brendan Shanahan delivered the same message in speaking with players Friday morning, that this isnt good enough. The group that took the ice against Columbus (18-18-3) looked like it took that message to heart.Hes the boss of our organization and the president of our team, so when he addresses the team, the team listens with open ears, Phaneuf said. It wasnt a negative meeting, but it was about what he expects from our team — very straightforward, professional, and I thought our team responded well and in the right way.The Blue Jackets didnt respond thee way coach Todd Richards would have liked.dddddddddddd Two Toronto goals came as a result of the puck going in off a defenceman, and the Leafs two power-play goals came after some poor discipline.They were bad penalties, Richards said. We lost too many battles on the walls, in the corners. I think we took four penalties so youre giving a team, plus the five-on-three just off of a line change. So, bad penalties. You arent giving yourself a chance to win.Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was playing his first game since signing a US$29.7-million, four-year extension earlier in the day. Bobrovsky stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced and couldnt be faulted much for the loss.It was tough, Bobrovsky said. Tough game. Tough start, but weve got to find a way.The Leafs found a way by committing to the kind of defence-first style Horachek wants. Its not that theyre suffocating in their own zone, but keeping shots against down by keeping the puck and dictating the pace is part of the plan.They always say when youre in the offensive zone, its tough for them to score some goals, Winnik said.Scoring two power-play goals for the first time in over a month, the Leafs showed they could make a team pay for penalties. But perhaps the most impressive part of this victory was how they didnt go into a shell after building a three-goal lead.Instead, the Leafs kept pushing and limited the Blue Jackets opportunities to get back into the game.I think thats been one of our faults this year is when we have leads like that, we sit back, Winnik said. But I thought we did a great job of just taking it to them.The Leafs embark on a four-game road trip that takes them to Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose and St. Louis. They face the Stanley Cup-champion Kings on Monday.Horachek has been around the game long enough to know its impossible to play this kind of game every night. But his players can try.Thats the kind of game that were striving towards on an every-night basis, Franson said. If we can play like that as a group, we spend less time in on our own zone and were a much better team because of it.Notes — Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier finished with 18 saves for his 16th victory of the season. ... Referee Dean Morton was upended by David Clarkson in an accidental collision early in the first period. Morton flipped in the air and went down to the ice in pain. After being attended to by training staff, Morton was helped off and did not return. Marc Joanette worked the rest of the game with linesmen Greg Devorski and Mark Shewchyk. ... Kessel was playing in his 406th consecutive game, second in Leafs history behind only Tim Horton (486). ... The late J.P. Parise was honoured on the video screens in the first period. Parise, a member of Canadas 1972 Summit Series team, died Wednesday night from lung cancer. He was 73.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '