More evidence has been revealed backing up recent worrisome allegations about Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell.
Last week, it was revealed that former Arizona Cardinals vice president Terry McDonough filed a claim to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell where he accused his former boss, Michael Bidwell, of cheating, harassment, discrimination, and general workplace misconduct since taking over the franchise in 2019.
The claim has now been taken to an arbitration hearing and has put a spotlight on the man that just a few years ago took over the post his father held for decades. While the original reports sent shockwaves through the organization and the league when they were revealed, a new dump of inside information seems to confirm McDonough’s claims at an executive level.
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On Tuesday, Pro Football Talk elaborated on McDonough’s accusations, which also include Bidwell burying a 2019 survey from employees that revealed a “woeful culture” inside the organization and that many Arizona Cardinals workers claimed they “were largely working in fear, which they attributed to interactions with Bidwill” himself.
Arizona Cardinals record (2022): 4-13, last place in NFC West
Well, the outlet also obtained a letter from COO Ron Minegar that was hand-delivered to Bidwell several years ago that corroborates the claims, the horrifying survey results, and can be read below.
“You are not the guy I met back in 2000. You used to smile and laugh a lot. You used to be fun to be around. You were excited about the future and what it would mean for our organization. You worked your a** off and started to see the fruits of your labor. … I acknowledge that you have had to deal with a ton of issues this past year, but you come to work angry every day. You talk down to almost everyone. You’ve become arrogant and condescending. You need to get credit for everything when things are going well and are quick to point the finger at everyone else when we are struggling.
“Our lack of sustained success combined with your daily anger is extremely frustrating and makes me feel like I’ve squandered 19 years of my career here. … Until recently, we didn’t really have a clue how our employees really feel about working here. Have we created an environment that eliminates barriers to success and motivates people to excellence? That changed when we got the first round of results from the employee engagement study. Sadly, we learned that a majority of our employees are working in fear.”
– COO Ron Minegar
In an era where leagues are very willing to push out owners following allegations of horrifying work environments, it will be interesting to see how the NFL handles this notable slew of accusations against the Arizona Cardinals owner.