American Public Favors Code of Conduct for NBA Owners  

With Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver under fire following revelations of racist language as well as inappropriate, “sex-related” comments and “inequitable treatment of women,” 75 percent of sports fans believe that a code of conduct for owners should be adopted, just as there is one for NBA players.

This was among the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted last week among 1,579 adults across the country. The poll, featured a national representative sample weighted on U.S. Census Bureau figures for gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent.

When asked who should compose such a code and to “check all that apply,” 57 percent of sports fans chose “an independent third party,” 32 percent said “NBA owners,” 24 percent said the players and 11 percent said Congress.

“For as long as anyone can remember, players have been subject to a code of conduct and the ‘conduct detrimental to the integrity of the game and league’ clause,” said Professor Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management within Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business, which sponsors the Poll. “The NBA functions as a profit share model with players essentially having an equitable stake in the teams and the league. The overwhelming majority of sports fans understand that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander – especially if they’re in business together.”

Is a $10 Million Fine and One Year Suspension Enough for Robert Sarver?
Asked if the $10 million fine imposed on Sarver was strong enough punishment for his conduct, 51 percent of sports fans said it was with only 31 percent saying it was not.

The fine was the largest in NBA history and the maximum that a commissioner could impose. But sports fans responding to the poll said, by a 57-29 percent margin, that owners should potentially be subjected to greater punishment.

Should Sarver Be Forced to Sell? And Should He Keep the Profits?
Asked if Sarver should be forced to sell his team(s), avid fans said yes by a 55-29 percent margin, while sports fans in total said yes by 41-35 percent. The general public said yes by only a 35-33 percent margin with 32 percent at ‘don’t know/no opinion.”

Despite the support for the fine levied against Sarver for his behavior, all groups widely agreed that he should be allowed to keep the profits from a sale, with sports fans saying yes by 52-27 percent.

Should PayPal Be Able to Walk Away from its Sponsorship Deal?
Asked if PayPal should be allowed to end their sponsorship agreement with the Phoenix Suns and the Mercury, a wide majority said they should, with sports fans saying yes by 65-21 percent.

By a similar margin, people felt sponsors should have a clause in their agreements that allows them to walk away from deals if the team or its personnel engage in conduct they don’t agree with.

“Brands pay sports teams in sponsorship deals for an association that is positive,” said Seton Hall Marketing Professor Daniel Ladik, who is chief methodologist for the poll. “What happens when brands break bad? The public seems to understand that a contract that doesn’t deliver what was bargained for is essentially null and void.”

An online version of this release, along with charted questions may be found here. 

About the Poll
The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted regularly since 2006, is performed by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. This poll was conducted online by YouGov Plc. using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography, based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S residents. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to CNBC, NPR, Yahoo Finance, Fox News and many points in between.

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