Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling agreed to pay $2.725 million to settle a U.S. government lawsuit in which he was accused of housing discrimination. The Justice Department said the settlement is the largest ever obtained by the government in a discrimination case. “Housing is a basic human need, and yet decades after passage of the Fair Housing Act far too many still encounter barriers like discrimination,” Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez said. “The magnitude of this settlement should send a message to all landlords that we will vigorously pursue violations of the Fair Housing Act.” The government sued Sterling in August 2006, accusing him of discriminating against black and Hispanic prospective tenants in buildings he owns the Koreatown area in Los Angeles. The Sterling Family Trust denied liability as part of the settlement, saying it would cost less to settle than to continue fighting the lawsuit. This is not the first lawsuit of this kind brought against Sterling. In 2003, 19 plaintiffs sued, accusing Sterling of driving blacks and Latinos out of buildings. He was ordered to pay a settlement and pay $5 million in plaintiffs’ attorney fees alone. OTHER NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) Does the NFL Salary Cap Still Work? Browns Fire GM George Kokinis After 1-7 Start UFL Failing to Dazzle at the Turnstiles DeMaurice Smith and Roger Goodell to Testify Regarding "StarCaps" Case Buccaneers Fire Back After Report That Team May Be Up For Sale (THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) Panel Installs Mike Ouellet As Acting Executive Director of NHLPA Ian Penny Steps Down as Interim Exec. Director of NHLPA NBCU & VERSUS: An Alternative to ESPN? (SPORTS BASH) 5,855 You Twit: NBA Players Make MLB Look Anti-Social The Joy of Six When Is Shane Victorino Going to Show You the Finger? George W. Has to Go to Japan To Play Baseball NFL, MLB Tell States to Get Off Their Lawn When it Comes to Drug Policies (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) Ranking Who in MLB Got the Biggest Bang For the Buck in 2009 Holliday, Lackey, Highlight 79 MLB Players Opting for Free Agency World Series Averages 19.4 Million Viewers, Up 42% From 2008 Deciding Game 6 of World Series Overnight Ratings Up Nearly 40% from '08 Matsui, Damon, Guerrero Highlight List of 183 Potential MLB Free Agents Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter Follow The Biz of Basketball on Twitter Follow the Business of Sports Network on Facebook