-round series again

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban called Donald Sterlings purported comments about minorities "abhorrent" while saying he didnt think the NBA could force him out as owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. Bruce Irvin Jersey Seattle Seahawks . Speaking in Dallas locker room before Game 4 of a first-round series against San Antonio on Monday night, Cuban said he trusted Commissioner Adam Silver to "operate under the best interest of the NBA." The outspoken billionaire said it was a "slippery slope" to suggest that Sterling should be forced out as owner over comments made in the privacy of his home. "What Donald said was wrong. It was abhorrent," Cuban said. "Theres no place for racism in the NBA, any business Im associated with. But at the same time, thats a decision I make. I think youve got to be very, very careful when you start making blanket statements about what people say and think, as opposed to what they do. Its a very, very slippery slope." Two days earlier, Cuban declined to give his opinion over the brewing saga of the racist comments that Sterling is alleged to have made in a taped conversation. While he was more forceful in his rebuke of Sterling in front of about two dozen reporters Monday, Cuban questioned how the league would legislate other forms of discrimination. "How many people are bigoted in one way or the other in this league?" Cuban asked. "I dont know. But you find one, all of a sudden you say well, you cant play favourites being racist against African-Americans. Where do you draw the line?" Asked if the league would be better off without Sterling as an owner, Cuban said, "At this point, yes." "But that has nothing to do with the rules that we have to live by," Cuban said. "Theres a lot of things I dont agree with that by letter and rule of law has to happen anyway. When you live in a country of laws, you want to support there are laws." Cuban noted that he recently fought the Securities and Exchange Commission over claims that he broke laws on insider trading. And he has remained outspoken against the SEC since he won the civil lawsuit the agency filed against him over the sale of his shares in an Internet company. "Yet I still support the rule of law," Cuban said. "Theres a reason why we have a (league) constitution. Its worked for 50, however many years. It will continue to work." Malcolm Smith Jerseys . The Predators announced that Rinne had been cleared for the next step of his recovery after meeting with doctors earlier Monday. Coach Barry Trotz said a meeting was planned for later Monday to set a weekly plan for Rinne. Kevin Norwood . -- Last month, Richie Incognito said severe repercussions would be warranted if the Miami Dolphins kept allowing sacks at such an alarming rate.BANGKOK, Thailand -- Manny Pacquiaos trainer says the Filipino boxer will contemplate retirement if he fails to perform well against Brandon Rios this month. Freddie Roach said if the Rios fight "does not go well, we will seriously talk about his retirement," but that Pacquiao was training as well as ever for the Nov. 24 bout in Macau. Pacquiao is coming off successive defeats against Timothy Bradley in a much-criticized judges decision, and then a knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez. A third successive defeat would put his career at the crossroads, and while Roach said performance levels were more important than results, he acknowledged serious thought would have to be given to the future of "Pac-man" if he does not return to his best in Macau. Pacquiao is juggling his boxing career with responsibilities as a Philippines congressman and other outside interests, and defeat could see him turn his attentions fully to his commitments outside the ring. "If it does not go well, we will seriously talk about his retirement and possibly going to politics," Roach said in a teleconference on Wednesday. "Its really hard to say until we see the fight, but I will be the first one to tell him to retire, and we have an agreement that as soon as I tell him that, he will retire." However Roach said &quoot;I dont see him slipping in the ring at all. Richard Sherman Jerseys. " The duo have been preparing in the southern city of General Santos City, which was not affected by the typhoon that hit the east coast of the Philippines last Friday. Roach said General Santos City remained hot and sunny as Typhoon Haiyan devastated more northern parts of the country, killing thousands and leaving more than half a million people homeless. His status as a national hero in the Philippines meant Pacquiao considered leaving the training camp to help relief efforts, but Roach said it was too close to the fight to alter preparations. "Its way too close to the fight, he needs to double down," Roach said, although he granted his fighter much of Wednesday off, giving him the chance to help out remotely. The brutal nature of the Marquez knockout, when Pacquiao fell face first to the canvas, raised questions about whether he could maintain the all-action, on-rushing style which propelled him to the top of boxing. Roach said he saw no sign of any inhibition or caution in his style so far during a scheduled 110 rounds of preparation. "I know people are skeptical about that. Manny is a realist. He accepts it. It does not bother him," Roach said. "If you dont think youre going to be knocked out, youve got the wrong sport." cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '