Sports
Former Phoenix Suns DEI Manager Sues Team for Discrimination, Seeks $60M in Damages
A former Phoenix Suns worker is suing the organization for alleged discrimination and wrongful termination.
According to ESPN’s Andrea Trischan, former manager of the Suns’ diversity, equity and inclusion program, he filed a criticism with US Equal Employment Opportunity and the Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. He is searching for $60 million in damages.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said it “does not confirm the existence of investigations or comment on potential investigations,” despite reports it’s leading the probe.
“Ms. Trischan filed a formal complaint … regarding ongoing racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation she experienced while working for the Phoenix Suns,” Sheree Wright, Trischan’s attorney, told the sports outlet in an email. “Specifically, Ms. Trischan endured overt racist comments and a hostile work environment that was not addressed despite reports to HR and executive management.”
Trishchan officially accepted the position because the Phoenix Suns’ diversity, equity and inclusion program manager just six days after the NBA announced that then-team owner Robert Sarver had been suspended for a 12 months following a nationwide investigation into accusations of a “disturbing workplace culture” and misconduct during his 18-year tenure as majority owner of the organization.
In addition, the NBA fined Sarver $10 million, and inside two months of the investigation starting, Trischan said she had been aware about the team’s developing diversity council without her knowledge. The Suns deny all claims.
Additionally, Sarver announced that he intends to sell the team once the investigation is complete.
“A former employee who last worked for the organization in 2023 was terminated after less than 10 months due to repeated dereliction of duty,” Suns and Mercury senior vice chairman of communications Stacey Mitch said in a press release to ESPN. “This individual made a baseless allegation to a state agency and is now attempting to use ESPN’s 2022 reporting on the previous owner to make egregious claims in support of her absurd demand for $60 million from the Suns organization.”
Under her leadership, Trischan was tasked with helping resolve concerns dropped at ESPN’s attention by current and former Phoenix Suns employees. Following an investigation into Sarver’s misconduct, the NBA ordered the Suns to not only address their diversity, equity and inclusion programs, but in addition “hire an outside firm to evaluate and provide recommendations regarding workplace training programs, policies and procedures, and hiring and compensation practices — with a focus on fostering a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace.”
Shortly after Trischan learned of the range council that had been formed without her knowledge inside the organization, a subsequent investigation revealed that the council would have included several Suns executives, including Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Dan Castello, Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales and Customer Service Kyle Pottinger, Team General Counsel Melissa Goldenberg and then-Team President and CEO Jason Rowley.
According to the criticism filed by Trischan, shortly after she initiated an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior against the aforementioned executive, she was instructed by her direct supervisor, Kim Corbitt, who can also be the top of human resources, to “cease and desist from investigating the report.”
“This interaction underscores how Corbitt’s approach fits into practices that perpetuate a hostile work environment rather than addressing the underlying issues,” Trischan’s statement read.
The filing also shows Corbitt told Trischan the rationale the chief joined the range council was to “change her image.”
It’s price noting that not one of the Suns executives listed in ESPN’s 2022 report are still with the team, except for one.
“Ms. Trischan’s claims regarding the diversity council are misleading,” a Suns spokesperson said. “The purpose of the diversity council, which is comprised of the entire executive team and other leaders of the organization, is to hear diversity data and information on DE&I initiatives to continue to support the organization’s commitment to DE&I.”
According to Trischan, she was placed on a performance improvement plan in late May and was terminated from her position in July 2023.
While Trischan and the Phoenix Suns have considered mediation to resolve the dispute, no agreement has been reached. She also has until November 13 to file a proper lawsuit, which her attorneys say is already prepared and able to file.
Sports
Mike Tyson freaks out when a teenage reporter asks about his heritage: ‘It means absolutely nothing to me’
Mike Tyson was in full “Iron Mike” mode when a 14-year-old reporter did an interview and asked him about his heritage.
Jazlyn Guerra, the young journalist behind , was at Tyson’s weigh-in with Jake Paul on November 14 before their highly anticipated match. She he asked former heavyweight champion, what sort of “legacy” he hoped to leave behind. This query received an ominous response from Tyson, who taught the young teenager a lesson on how meaningless an inheritance is for a deceased person.
“I don’t believe in the word ‘heritage.’ I think it’s another word for ego. Heritage means nothing,” he said. “It was just a word that everybody clung to. Someone said the word and everybody latched onto it, now it’s used every five seconds.
“It means absolutely nothing to me. I’m just passing through,” Tyson added. “I will die and this will be over. Who cares about legacy after that?”
After a transient, awkward pause, the Brownsville, Brooklyn native continued his vicious tirade.
“Then I will die. I want people to think that I’m like this, that I’m great?” – he continued. “No, we are nothing. We’re just dead. We are dust. We are absolutely nothing. Our legacy is nothing.”
Guerra seemed momentarily bowled over by Tyson’s harsh outlook on life, but remained calm and politely thanked the champion for his insights.
“Well, thank you so much for sharing this,” she said. “That’s something I haven’t heard before.”
However, Tyson just isn’t yet done proving his thesis about the irrelevance of heritage.
“Can you actually imagine someone saying, ‘I would like my legacy to seem like this?’ You’re dead!” Tyson said. “Who the hell takes care of me when I’m gone? Maybe my children or grandchildren?
The interview quickly went viral, with many individuals expressing concern for the young Guerra.
“Oh my God, why did Mike say that to that little girl?” one user X he wrote.
“This shit just changed the trajectory of her life,” one user wrote.
“You can see her youth leaving her during this interview,” another person added. “And who thought it was a great idea for a kid to interview Tyson.”
Sports
58-year-old Mike Tyson defeated Jake Paul (27) by unanimous decision
YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul added Mike Tyson’s name to his list of unimpressive victories on November 15 after judges awarded him the victory in what was essentially an exhibition match.
According to , Netflix, which has made significant investments so as to add live sports to its portfolio, has faced backlash on social media for unreliable streaming and technical issues throughout the event’s broadcast.
On the eve of the fight on CNN, former HBO host Bomani Jones called the fight between the 2 men a “farce” and identified that the general public’s demand for the fight is a byproduct of desire. seeing someone knock Paul out.
According to The Associated Press, the fight set a Texas record for combat sports, grossing $18 million in opening revenues.
Apart from the record draw, the group was not pleased with the fight and what they witnessed, and booed because the fight became slower and slower.
The foremost event was uneven and was far more entertaining than the boxing match because Tyson looked his age.
Tyson, 58, managed to land just 97 punches over eight two-minute rounds, while Paul, 27, taunted and cajoled the much older and slower man.
In turn, the co-main event brought the most effective fight of the evening, ending with a controversial decision of the judges.
The 2022 reboot of Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, widely considered the Fight of the Year, was an exciting fight between two top contenders and was largely a disappointment.
Serrano and Taylor went to work on this fight, trading and exchanging combos in flurry of motion.
Although Taylor lost a degree for multiple headbutts and was eliminated after greater than 100 strikes, she ultimately won a unanimous decision that was met with choruses of boos from the group at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Due to the character of the controversial ending, the Taylor-Serrano fight will likely lead to a 3rd fight, nonetheless, Paul will likely proceed to be criticized for hand-picking opponents that he can very clearly beat within the boxing ring, whilst he appears to advocate for a match with Canelo Alvarez, probably boxing’s biggest draw after the Tyson fight.
“Boxing has collapsed long ago as an attraction for mainstream sports viewers, and in the age of social media, viewers seem more excited to watch a YouTuber fight a nearly 60-year-old former heavyweight champion than a real fight between boxers who are relevant to the sport,” wrote Keith Reed, author and sports editor, in an article for MSNBC. “This strikes me as symptomatic of our culture’s rejection of skills, qualifications, and experience as prerequisites for central office – in any profession, from the president of the United States on down.”
Sports
Long-time NBA assistant Phil Handy coaches the Unrivaled team
Longtime NBA assistant coach Phil Handy will develop into the head coach of an as-yet-unnamed team for the first time in the first season of the latest Unrivaled women’s skilled basketball league in 2025, sources tell Andscape.
The 3v3 league will debut in Miami in January 2025, and 36 basketball players will play in six teams. Unrivaled’s co-founders are WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
“I’m so excited to be a part of the first season of Unrivaled with some amazing coaches and athletes,” Handy told Andscape on Friday. “Supporting women in sport has been a long-standing passion of mine and I actually appreciate the opportunity to proceed to contribute to their development and success.
“I have always seen basketball as more than gender – it is about the skill, dedication and heart that athletes bring to the game. Exploring this deeper this off-season before the (WNBA) season starts in April feels like a meaningful and exciting way to stay connected to my roots. I love training athletes.”
Handy, 53, won three NBA championships as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. The former University of Hawaii guard was an assistant coach with the Lakers from 2019-2024 . , Raptors from 2018-2019 and Cavaliers from 2013-2018, after serving as player development coach for the Lakers from 2011-2013. The San Leandro, California native is widely known for running improvement camps around the world and training elite players in the offseason, including the late Kobe Bryant, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and USC women’s basketball goaltender JuJu Watkins.
The inaugural season of Unrivaled will begin on January 17, 2025. Team assignments, rosters and schedules might be announced on November 20.
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