Don Fehr gets a severance package

Don Fehr’s severance package comes in at about $11 million. He made $1 million a year for the past decade or so, which is way below his worth based on what he does and who he tangles with on a day to day basis. His work has put hundreds of times that amount of money into the pockets of the players he has represented. According to the article, the players had no problem agreeing to pay him his dough.


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APBA Guy
14 years ago

The comment about Berman is pretty funny, actually.

But it’s a good point. Is there anyone at ESPN not involved in some sort of shenanigan?

Since Phillips has a history of this sort of thing, one wonders about ESPN’s decision to suspend him. For what, exactly? Having an affair is only against the law in the deep South and the Taliban.

What else was going on here?

MJ
14 years ago

Since Phillips has a history of this sort of thing, one wonders about ESPN’s decision to suspend him. For what, exactly? Having an affair is only against the law in the deep South and the Taliban.

Could be a morality clause, or, iirc, that CT is an at-will state and this is a just a precursor to being fired (what I hope, not for the affair but b/c he’s a terrible “analyst”).

Jeff
14 years ago

If it was with a production assistant, wouldn’t that make him her superior?  If so, they got a sexual harassment claim just waiting there.  ESPN gets this alot, and I think they generally don’t mess around with sexual harassment.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get axed as a preemptive move to avoid the sexual harassment suit.

Jeff
14 years ago

And I definitely wouldn’t be sad to see him go!

Rob²
14 years ago

I’m pretty sure that allowing on-air personalities to sleep with low-level staffers (e.g., production assistants) is pretty much the definition of sexual harassment.

And Steve Phillips… Dude.  This is what gets your rocks off?  Sleeping with a wage-slave?  I’m sure she’s a tasty piece, but have a little self-respect.

Rob²
14 years ago

Let me also add that since ESPN canned Harold Reynolds for less (an “improper hug”, not an admitted sexual affair), you can be sure that Phillips has announced his final game for ESPN.

Bob Tufts
14 years ago

Rumor has it that Steve called Carlos Beltran’s wife and said tha Carlos was overrated…..

Steve C
14 years ago

“By comparison, NBA Players Association director Billy Hunter has seen his gross salary rise from $1,282,475 million in 2000 to $3,465,933 in 2009, according to Department of Labor records.”

Why can’t we hit up Billy Hunter to pay down the deficit, he could cut one check and still have plenty to spare.  Though he did take a hefty pay cut.

JackisBack
14 years ago

Did anyone catch a pic of her?  Steve has achieved the holy trinity in sucking at being a general manager, analyst, and being a playa.  If you going to commit to something against moral standards, atleast make it worth it.

Ron
14 years ago

The announcers and analysts aren’t in charge. The producer is, and the director has a crew.

A production assistant works for the producer. She would not work for the analyst. So how does that become sexual harrassment?

That’s like saying the new girl in the mail room works for the head of the maintenance department. I don’t like Phillips eiither, but accussing him of something he didn’t do is pretty weak.

The only question I have is why was Reynolds fired immediately, while Phillips is suspended?

Craig Calcaterra
14 years ago

Ron—there is no requirement in the law that a person need be the direct superior of another in order for there to be harassement.  The inquiry is whether, formally or informally, the person with greater power (in this case Phillips) has the ability to bring down heat on the person with lesser (the woman here) or, alternatively, is in a position to give her employment benefits. 

Could Phillips, in the ordinary course of his work cause a PA to be reassigned, fired, promoted, punished, etc? I’m guessing yes, if he or Jon Miller or Joe Morgan or whoever had a major complaint, a PA could be moved. Or, alternatively, if one of them really liked a PA, it would almost certainly be good for the PA’s career. 

I’m not saying there’s harassment here—indeed, I don’t think anyone involved in the story (the woman; ESPN) has alleged it, and the only person who seems to have actively done something wrong here is the woman who is sending the letters to Phillips’ wife, etc.

But the practical and legal matter of it is that no employer is ever going to want to have someone in Phillips’ position having a relationship with someone in this woman’s position, and they are right to take some sort of disciplinary action in my view.

As for Reynolds, I think the general consensus is that ESPN wildly overreacted, possibly because they had been accused of looking the other way in other instances with other people. Whether suspending or ulitmately firing Phillips is an overreaction is an open question. I think a key thing here is that they knew he had a history of sleeping with the help when they hired him, thus making his leash shorter.

My guess: they don’t take any dramatic action here. They simply don’t renew his contract when it’s up.