Do sports leagues have a toxic workplace culture problem?
National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver has another workplace misconduct allegation problem. This time the Portland Trail Blazers franchise ownership wants to know if its general manager Neil Olshey created a hostile work environment. The accusations came just a couple days after ESPN reported that Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver allegedly used racially insensitive language along with lewd talk. The NBA hired a law firm to look into the Sarver allegations. The Trail Blazers ownership group has hired a law firm to look into the Olshey allegations.
“The Portland Trail Blazers organization was recently notified of concerns around workplace environment by non-player personnel at the practice facility. In response, we immediately engaged O’Melveny and Myers, an outside firm with significant expertise in this area, to conduct a full, fair and independent review into these concerns and will take appropriate action based on its outcome. While we cannot comment on this pending matter, we are committed to continuing to build an organization that positively impacts our colleagues, communities and the world in which we live and play.” The Trailblazers investigation is just another probe that has become increasingly commonplace in sports. The NBA has two investigations going, Sarver and Olshey. The National Football League refuses to release its findings on the Washington Football Team’s toxic workplace culture even though a Congressional committee wants to know more about what happened with Daniel Snyder’s business and why the NFL refuses to release its investigation report. The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Snyder $10 million and Snyder allegedly has a reduced role in the day-to-day operations of the business. The National Hockey League continues to deal with the fallout from the Kyle Beach-Brad Aldrich sexual assault incident with the Chicago Blackhawks organization seemingly glossing over the charge of a May 2010 sexual assault. American sports leagues have serious problems.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
