According to an arbitration claim filed Tuesday by former Arizona Cardinals executive Terry McDonough, team owner Michael Bidwill instructed him and former head coach Steve Wilks to communicate with general manager Steve Keim via burner phones while he was suspended for five weeks in 2018 following a DUI arrest.
As part of the filing, McDonough says that he and Wilks “objected to and sought to avoid participation in a scheme hatched by Bidwill to utilize burner phones to communicate with general manager Steve Keim — in violation of the terms of Keim’s suspension for extreme DUI — during a critical period of the Cardinals training camp in the summer of 2018.
“In response to McDonough’s objection to the illicit burner phone scheme, Bidwill cursed at, berated, and formally reprimanded McDonough, and ultimately demoted him — irrevocably damaging the trajectory of McDonough’s 34-year career in the National Football League. Bidwill also subjected McDonough to bullying, mocking, harassing, and abusive behavior.”
McDonough also claims Bidwell undermined head coach Steve Wilks’ one-year stint as head coach, which became a flashpoint that many pointed to in how Black head coaches don’t get a fair shake in the league.
The Cardinals denied the claims as “wildly false, reckless, and an opportunistic ploy for financial gain.”
While the NFL world waits for Commissioner Roger Goodell to rule on whether or not the situation moves to arbitration, there were lots of thoughts on the accusations.
https://twitter.com/lukezim/status/1643329910495227907
[ESPN]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.
Recent Posts
Articles
Patriots Fatigue Blinds You: Drake Maye Is a Super Bowl Threat
Eagles getting tired of Jalen Hurts
The Philadelphia Eagles are growing impatient
Bryce Young shatters Cam Newton record
Bryce Young is ascending
The pressure is on New York Giants ownership to pick the right coach
President, CEO, and co-owner John Mara can't afford another bad hire.
Edgar Wright’s ‘The Running Man’ is both better and worse than the original
The 2025 reboot is a vast improvement in terms of filmmaking, but the 1987 version is more fun.
Josh Allen punished for ‘violent gesture’ before Dolphins game
As Buffalo Bills starting quarterback Josh Allen prepares for Sunday afternoon’s showdown against the Miami Dolphins, he was...