Majority of fans say $10 million fine and one year suspension “strong enough” for Phoenix Suns owner; By 3 to 1 say Paypal should be able to walk away from sponsorship
South Orange, NJ October 19, 2022 – 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.
Should NBA owners be subject to a specific code of conduct like the NBA players?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 73% | 75% | 69% | 77% | 75% |
| No | 13% | 14% | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 14% | 11% | 19% | 10% | 11% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
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.
If there were to be an NBA owners code of conduct, who should be responsible for writing it? Please select all that apply.
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| NBA Players | 20% | 24% | 14% | 34% | 19% |
| NBA Owners | 26% | 32% | 19% | 39% | 28% |
| Congress | 9% | 11% | 6% | 16% | 8% |
| An independent third-party | 55% | 57% | 53% | 53% | 59% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 19% | 11% | 29% | 7% | 13% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
“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.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fined Robert Sarver $10 million dollars and suspended him from all NBA activities and associations for 1 year. Was this punishment strong enough?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 45% | 51% | 37% | 54% | 49% |
| No | 30% | 31% | 30% | 33% | 30% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 25% | 18% | 33% | 13% | 21% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
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.
Under the bylaws of the NBA, this is the maximum fine the and the longest suspension an NBA commissioner can hand out to an owner. Should owners be subjected to greater punishments?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 47% | 52% | 41% | 56% | 50% |
| No | 26% | 29% | 21% | 26% | 30% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 27% | 19% | 38% | 18% | 20% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
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.”
Should Robert Sarver be forced to sell the team?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 35% | 41% | 28% | 55% | 35% |
| No | 33% | 35% | 30% | 29% | 37% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 32% | 24% | 42% | 16% | 28% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
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.
Sports journalists estimate that the sale of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury will generate $500 million or more in profit for Robert Sarver given his initial investment of the teams. Should Robert Sarver be allowed to keep the profits from the sale in light of his documented misconduct?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 45% | 52% | 36% | 56% | 50% |
| No | 28% | 27% | 29% | 27% | 27% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 27% | 21% | 35% | 17% | 23% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
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.
Should PayPal be allowed to end their sponsorship agreement early?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 60% | 65% | 55% | 66% | 63% |
| No | 21% | 21% | 21% | 23% | 20% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 19% | 24% | 24% | 11% | 17% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
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.
Should all NBA league and team sponsorship agreements have a clause enabling either party to walk away if the team or person they are sponsoring engages in conduct they don’t agree with?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 62% | 67% | 56% | 69% | 66% |
| No | 16% | 17% | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 22% | 16% | 29% | 15% | 17% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
“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.”
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Charted questions below.
ABOUT THE POLL
The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.Recently chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research,its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to Fox News and most points in between.
This poll was conducted by telephone February 25-27 among adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
Media: Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com;
Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034
October 2022 Poll Results FINAL
This SHSP was conducted October 7th through October 11th and includes responses from 1,579 US adults with a margin of error of 2.5%. The sample mirrors the US Census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region.
Q1. Which of the following statements best describes you?
- I am an avid sports fan 17%
- I am a sports fan 39%
- I am not a sports fan 43%
With the backdrop of a November 2021 ESPN story detailing allegations of racism and misogyny pertaining to Robert Sarver, owner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Phoenix Suns and Women’s NBA Phoenix Mercury, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ordered an independent investigation of the Sun’s organization.
This investigation found Sarver used the “N-word” multiple times and was also involved in “instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees,” including “sex-related comments” and inappropriate comments on employees’ appearances.
Q2a. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fined Robert Sarver $10 million dollars and suspended him from all NBA activities and associations for 1 year. Was this punishment strong enough?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 45% | 51% | 37% | 54% | 49% |
| No | 30% | 31% | 30% | 33% | 30% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 25% | 18% | 33% | 13% | 21% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
Q2b. Under the bylaws of the NBA, this is the maximum fine the and the longest suspension an NBA commissioner can hand out to an owner. Should owners be subjected to greater punishments?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 47% | 52% | 41% | 56% | 50% |
| No | 26% | 29% | 21% | 26% | 30% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 27% | 19% | 38% | 18% | 20% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
As part of their collective bargaining agreement, NBA players are subjected to a code of conduct with specific rules and regulations. Owners of NBA teams do not have specific conduct rules and regulations and instead have a more general agreement amongst themselves which they must follow.
Q2c. Should NBA owners be subject to a specific code of conduct like the NBA players?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 73% | 75% | 69% | 77% | 75% |
| No | 13% | 14% | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 14% | 11% | 19% | 10% | 11% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
Q3. If there were to be an NBA owners code of conduct, who should be responsible for writing it? Please select all that apply.
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| NBA Players | 20% | 24% | 14% | 34% | 19% |
| NBA Owners | 26% | 32% | 19% | 39% | 28% |
| Congress | 9% | 11% | 6% | 16% | 8% |
| An independent third-party | 55% | 57% | 53% | 53% | 59% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 19% | 11% | 29% | 7% | 13% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
PayPal, the current jersey sponsor for the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, want to break their contract with both teams. The PayPal chief executive stated, “We have reviewed the report of the NBA league’s independent investigation into the Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and have found his conduct unacceptable and in conflict with our values.”
Q4a. Should PayPal be allowed to end their sponsorship agreement early?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 60% | 65% | 55% | 66% | 63% |
| No | 21% | 21% | 21% | 23% | 20% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 19% | 24% | 24% | 11% | 17% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
Q4b. Should all NBA league and team sponsorship agreements have a clause enabling either party to walk away if the team or person they are sponsoring engages in conduct they don’t agree with?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 62% | 67% | 56% | 69% | 66% |
| No | 16% | 17% | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 22% | 16% | 29% | 15% | 17% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
In response to public uproar from current players, social activists, sponsors and even a Suns’ minority owner, Robert Sarver as publicly committed to selling the Suns and Mercury.
Q4c. Should Robert Sarver be forced to sell the team?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 35% | 41% | 28% | 55% | 35% |
| No | 33% | 35% | 30% | 29% | 37% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 32% | 24% | 42% | 16% | 28% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
Q4d. Sports journalists estimate that the sale of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury will generate $500 million or more in profit for Robert Sarver given his initial investment of the teams. Should Robert Sarver be allowed to keep the profits from the sale in light of his documented misconduct?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 45% | 52% | 36% | 56% | 50% |
| No | 28% | 27% | 29% | 27% | 27% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 27% | 21% | 35% | 17% | 23% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
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.
Media: Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall University
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034; Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com
ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall has been showing the world what great minds can do since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 rigorous academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Seton Hall embraces students of all religions and prepares them to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. In recent years, the University has achieved extraordinary success. Since 2009, it has seen record-breaking undergraduate enrollment growth and an impressive 110-point increase in the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen. In the past decade, Seton Hall students and alumni have received more than 30 Fulbright Scholarships as well as other prestigious academic honors, including Boren Awards, Pickering Fellowships, Udall Scholarships and a Rhodes Scholarship. The University is also proud to be among the most diverse national Catholic universities in the country.