Clipper Darrell

{{Short description|Los Angeles Clippers superfan}}

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| name = Clipper Darrell

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| image = File:Clipper Darrell.jpg

| caption = Clipper Darrell in 2010.

| birth_name = Darrell Bailey

| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date |50|2018|July|20}}

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| website = {{URL|clipperdarrell.com}}

}}

Darrell Bailey (born {{birth based on age as of date |50|2018|July|20|noage=1}}),{{cite news|last=Streeter|first=Kurt|title=Clipper Darrell Won't Bow to King James. But He Wants To.|date=July 20, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/sports/basketball/clipper-darrell-lakers.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721112706/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/sports/basketball/clipper-darrell-lakers.html|archive-date=July 21, 2018|url-status=live}} better known as Clipper Darrell, is a superfan of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association.{{cite news|last=Beck |first=Howard |title=NBA: Clipper fans savor moment of glory |date=May 12, 2006 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/12/sports/12iht-CLIPPERS.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117045613/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/12/sports/12iht-CLIPPERS.html |archive-date=January 17, 2012 |url-status=dead }} A season ticket holder since the 2000–01 season, he dances, leads cheers, and taunts the opposing team at home games in a half red, half blue suit—the Clippers' team colors.{{cite news|last=Markazi |first=Arash |title=A Clippers fan 'til the end -- almost |date=May 11, 2009 |work=SI.com |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/arash_markazi/04/28/clipper-darrell/?eref=T1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105010536/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/arash_markazi/04/28/clipper-darrell/?eref=T1 |archive-date=January 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|title=Come to L.A., LeBron: Clippers fans hold parade in James' honor |date=May 28, 2010 |agency=Associated Press |work=Cleaveland.com |url=http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/05/come_to_la_lebron_clippers_fan.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606144056/http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/05/come_to_la_lebron_clippers_fan.html |archive-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=dead }} One of his usual chants is "Let's go Clippers!". A personal favorite of his is "U-G-L-Y, you ain’t got no alibi, you ugly!", which he directs at opposing players when they shoot free throws.{{cite news |last=Coro |first=Paul |title=Fight breaks out in 4th quarter of Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers game |date=April 4, 2013 |work=azcentral.com |url=http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/20130403phoenix-suns-skid-reaches-games-with-loss-at-los-angeles-clippers.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240526143632/https://www.webcitation.org/6FpTnLZcZ?url=http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/20130403phoenix-suns-skid-reaches-games-with-loss-at-los-angeles-clippers.html%3Fnclick_check=1 |archive-date=May 26, 2024 |url-status=live }} He is one of the few remaining clean hecklers in the NBA.

Bailey drives a 1995 BMW 740i, customized in the Clippers' red, white, and blue color scheme. The hood features a Clippers logo and autographs, and the license plates are customized with CLIPERD. His home in Los Angeles is painted in the team's colors with a red, white and blue basketball court in the driveway and a Clippers logo on the pavement. The front door is red, and the living room is white and blue with Clippers logos prominent from the walls to the floor tiles.{{cite news|last=Markazi |first=Arash |title='Clipper Darrell,' Clippers butt heads |date=February 29, 2012 |work=ESPNLosAngeles.com |url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7631532/darrell-bailey-says-los-angeles-clippers-asked-refrain-using-clipper-darrell-name |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301155710/http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7631532/darrell-bailey-says-los-angeles-clippers-asked-refrain-using-clipper-darrell-name |archive-date=March 1, 2012 |url-status=live }}

As a student growing up in South Los Angeles, Bailey was known as a jokester. He held various jobs after dropping out of community college. In 1984, he was fired from his job and told by his boss that he would "never amount to anything". After hearing an announcer say the same about the Clippers, he decided to support the team. He was originally known as Dancing Man before changing to Clipper Darrell after a few radio appearances. He attended 386 consecutive games until the streak was broken by a trip to the hospital for high blood pressure.{{cite news |last=Lin |first=Dennis |title=Not Your Typical Fan |date=October 26, 2010 |work=NBA.com |url=http://www.nba.com/clippers/features/lin_101026.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101194422/http://www.nba.com/clippers/features/lin_101026.html |archive-date=November 1, 2010 |url-status=dead }} The New York Times called him "the team’s unofficial biggest fan".{{cite news |last=Gold |first=Jon |title=Remaking a B-Movie in Los Angeles |newspaper=The New York Times |page=SP7 |date=January 30, 2011 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/sports/basketball/30clippers.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808154859/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/sports/basketball/30clippers.html |archive-date=August 8, 2017 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 21, 2017 }} The Wall Street Journal wrote, "He’s perhaps the only superfan in the history of the Los Angeles Clippers."{{cite news|last=Gordon |first=Jeremy |title=The Ballad of Clipper Darrell |date=March 1, 2012 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/03/01/nba-los-angeles-clippers-the-ballad-of-clipper-darrell/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302133155/http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/03/01/nba-los-angeles-clippers-the-ballad-of-clipper-darrell/ |archive-date=March 2, 2012 |url-status=dead }} He is not an employee of the Clippers organization. In February 2012, there was a dispute with the team over the use of Clipper in his name. The Clippers accused him of capitalizing on the Clipper name, but later reached a mutual agreement that Bailey would notify the Clippers when appearing publicly as Clipper Darrell.{{cite news|last=Gleeson |first=Scott |title=Longtime fan Clipper Darrell is back |date=March 19, 2012 |newspaper=USA Today |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/03/longtime-fan-clipper-darrell-is-back/1#.T30fFtmXx8E |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322230511/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/03/longtime-fan-clipper-darrell-is-back/1 |archive-date=March 22, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

In 2014, former Clippers co-owner Shelly Sterling received the title of "Clippers Number One Fan” as part of the sales agreement with incoming owner Steve Ballmer.{{cite news |last1=Bolch |first1=Ben |last2=Fenno |first2=Nathan |last3=Rohlin |first3=Melissa |title=Steve Ballmer is officially new owner of Clippers, NBA says |date=August 12, 2014 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-nba-steve-ballmer-owner-clippers-20140812-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902033908/http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-nba-steve-ballmer-owner-clippers-20140812-story.html |archive-date=September 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=September 1, 2014 }} Yahoo! Sports, however, opined that Clipper Darrell was "the Clippers No. 1 fan, no matter what official documents say."{{cite news |last=Freeman |first=Eric |title=Clipper Darrell is willing to let Shelly Sterling share the title of 'Clippers No. 1 Fan' |date=August 19, 2014 |work=yahoo.com |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/clipper-darrell-is-willing-to-let-shelly-sterling-share-the-title-of--clippers-no--1-fan-002241974.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129222313/http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/clipper-darrell-is-willing-to-let-shelly-sterling-share-the-title-of--clippers-no--1-fan-002241974.html |archive-date=November 29, 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 14, 2017 }}

Bailey has a wife and four children.