Clipper Darrell, Biggest Clippers Fan Ever, Told by Team Not to Use Its Name

He'll always be 'Clipper' Darrell to us.

The Clippers, of course, comprise the Rodney Dangerfield of basketball. No respect. Even with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin reviving the team, putting up Ws and attracting new audiences, the squad will always be plan B in Lakerstown USA.

What we're trying to say is, the Clippers could use all the fans it can get.

But being the self-sabotaging enterprise it is ...

... the team just alienated its number-one fan. Yep.

The man other people have dubbed "Clipper" Darrell Bailey wrote on his blog this week:

I AM DEVASTATED!!! ... It is with great sadness that I must report to all those in NBA NATION that I have been told by Clipper management they no longer want me to be Clipper Darrell, a name that was given to me by the media because of my unwavering support and team spirit.

D'oh.

Yahoo! Sports calls him "quite possibly the loudest and most passionate superfan in the NBA."

Adding insult to injury, the team issued a statement blaming the victim:

The Clippers have done absolutely nothing wrong or inappropriate as it concerns Darrell Bailey. His claims are absurd and unfounded. He has never been an employee or representative of the Clippers organization, and therefore cannot be terminated. The Clippers have never engaged Mr. Bailey's services. When he has been in need, the organization has regularly provided him a seat for games. No good deed goes unpunished.

(It doesn't appear to us that Bailey claimed to be an employee or representative; he said he performed "community service" under the authority of his superfan status).

The foot-in-mouth team is owned by a guy, Donald Sterling, once accused of being a racist by one of his own managers. He paid a record $2.7 million to settle a federal housing discrimination case because he allegedly didn't like to rent to African Americans and Latinos.

Really.

So, no, this doesn't surprise us. Any winning done by the Clippers these days appears to be a matter of luck.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]