KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- President Barack Obama said Sunday that comments reportedly made by the owner of a U. Bart Starr Jersey .S. pro basketball team are "incredibly offensive racist statements," before casting them as part of a continuing legacy of slavery and segregation that Americans must confront. "When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you dont really have to do anything, you just let them talk," Obama said when asked to respond to the reported comments from Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Obamas description of the controversy as part of a larger historical context is the latest example of his continuing willingness to expound on matters of race in his second term. After avoiding much mention of race relations during his campaign to become the first black president and in his first term, the president last summer offered a personal reflection in response to the shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin. And now Obama has spoken out against an audio recording of a man identified as Sterling telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to games. The firestorm over Sterlings comments has quickly engulfed the National Basketball Association. Obama cast the comments through a broader prism of racism in America, adding that "we constantly have to be on guard on racial attitudes that divide us rather than embracing our diversity as a strength." "The United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race and slavery and segregation, thats still there, the vestiges of discrimination," Obama said during a news conference in Malaysia, where he was travelling. "Weve made enormous strides, but youre going to continue to see this percolate up every so often," he added. "And I think that we just have to be clear and steady in denouncing it, teaching our children differently, but also remaining hopeful that part of why statements like this stand out some much is because there has been this shift in how we view ourselves." In the recording attributed to Sterling recording and posted on the website TMZ, a male voice questions his girlfriends association with minorities. TMZ reported the woman, V. Stiviano, is of black and Mexican descent. The man asks Stiviano not to broadcast her association with black people or bring black people to games. The man specifically mentions Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson on the recording, saying, "Dont bring him to my games, OK?" Obama said hes confident NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will address the matter. He said the NBA has "an awful lot of African American players, its steeped in African American culture. And I suspect that the NBA is going to be deeply concerned in resolving this." Silver had said the NBA needs to confirm authenticity of the audio tape and interview both Sterling and the woman in the recording. He called the tape "disturbing and offensive" and promised to investigate quickly. Casey Hayward Packers Jersey . The solutions? Not so much. Given an extra week to stew over the worst start in 45 years, Tomlin is tweaking the lineup hoping to find a spark that will help his team begin the long road back to respectability. Mason Crosby Jersey . All that matters to the son of a high school coaching legend is that hes the one they selected. "Its been my life-long dream to be an NFL head coach," Pettine said Thursday, "and however that opportunity presents itself, its fine with me.MONTREAL - Without suspended scoring star Marco Di Vaio, the Montreal Impacts disappointing start to the MLS season may have been predictable. Montreal (0-3-0) directed 25 shots toward the Seattle goal on Sunday, but couldnt find the net. And then the Impact fell victim to defensive lapses as the Sounders spoiled its home opener at Olympic Stadium with a 2-0 victory on Sunday. An own goal off a Lamar Neagles header only eight minutes in and a goal from Obafemi Martins early in the second half was all Seattle (2-1-0) needed against a punchless Montreal attack. "When you look at the game in terms of possession and our ability to get in good spots and get quality crosses in, to come away with nothing — it just seems were not getting any little breaks," said the Impacts still-winless new coach Frank Klopas. "The guys worked hard and nothings going for us right now. Thats the frustrating part." Di Vaio, a 20-goal scorer last season, and midfielder Andres Romero finished serving the three-game suspensions they incurred in a skirmish at the end of a playoff game in October. Both will be back for Montreals game Saturday in Philadelphia. Without their 38-year-old Italian striker, they have managed only two goals in three games. But the hard part for Klopas, whose mandate was to tighten the defence, was that they have conceded six. Defender Matteo Ferrari said it would be unfair to expect Di Vaio to step in and solve all the teams problems right away as he hasnt played a real game in five months. He hopes to see better all-around play from the team. "We have to work hard on the defensive part — not just the four on the defence but the attitude of the team," said Ferrari. "We took six goals. Its too much. "But I want to stay positive. Its the beginning of the season and the coach knows what to do, so forget about the standings right now and just keep working." Still, it should help to have an experienced finisher. The Impact had a 25-9 edge in attempts on goal and 6-4 lead in shots on target. What was missing was someone to bury the chances as forward Andrew Wenger and midfielder Felipe Martins fired blanks for a second game in a row. Down 2-0 in the second half, the Impact went on full attack. Substitute Blake Smith nearly had one in the 84th minute, but his shot was swept off the line by Djimi Traore. "Two factors (Di Vaio) brings — fear to the other team because maybe theyre more on their heels, and maybe more confidence to our team knowing that we have a guy that can change a game on the spur of the moment," said Impact mmidfielder Patrice Bernier, who played his first home game since he was named team captain. Tramon Williams Jersey. . "Thats a benefit, but still, as a team, we have to be a unit. We create chances, but maybe give a little to much to the other team. Maybe his fresh legs that can give us a spark in Philly so we come out with some points." The Sounders, coming off a 2-1 defeat last week to Toronto FC, could easily have been up by three goals in the first half. Neagle, who spent the 2012 season with Montreal before being traded back to the Sounders, headed a Gonzalo Pineda free kick out of a crowd and saw it hit the crossbar and deflect off goalkeeper Troy Perkins and into the net in the eighth minute. "It comes off the bottom of the crossbar, hits me in the arm and goes in," said Perkins. "You can sit there and say hed have been better off just watching it, but I tried to make a play and was a little unlucky." Seattle nearly had another in the 17th minute, but Perkins reached back to get a hand on Martins header. And in the 32nd minute, Neagles long low shot went off a goalpost. The Sounders struck again in the 58th minute, when Neagle passed across the front of the goal and Kenny Copper chipped it back for Martins to head into an open side with the Impact defence standing still in front of Perkins. "I knew wed absorb some pressure," said Seattle coach Sigi Schmid. "We wanted to get forward on the counter and I figured we could create some chances off that. "Its been a long road trip with the extra day, but I thought we did a good job. Perkins makes an unbelievable save on Obafemis header and Lamars unlucky when he hits the inside of the post and it goes across in the first half. But I thought we did what we needed to do." The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed a day due to fears of an accumulation of snow on the domed stadiums roof, which is slated for replacement. Montreal is 4-2-3 in games played at the Big O. "When we trained on Saturday we had a little more of a fun training session,"said Schmid. "The guys had a bit of fun with it. We just told them it was Groundhog Day and well repeat everything again." Notes: It was Montreals first loss to Seattle in three MLS meetings. . . The Sounders were without their big off-season signing Clint Dempsey due to a two-game suspension for hitting Toronto FC defender Mike Bloom in the groin last week. ... Montreal has two more games at Olympic Stadium, April 5 against New York and April 12 against Chicago before moving outdoors to Saputo Stadium. ' ' '
