Pressure is mounting for NWSL owners of the Portland Thorns and Chicago Red Stars to sell
Content warning: This story covers accounts of sexual, verbal and emotional abuse.
The GIST: Pressure is mounting on two NWSL owners to sell. After an independent investigation, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) published a groundbreaking report on Monday detailing systemic abuse across the league and negligence from the likes of Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson and Chicago Red Stars founder Arnim Whisler.
The findings: The report focused on the actions of three former male coaches — Paul Riley, Rory Dames and Christy Holly. At the time of the incidents, multiple players reported instances of verbal, emotional and sexual abuse by all three coaches to higher-ups at their respective clubs, the league and the USSF.
- Many leaders, including Paulson and Whisler, feigned ignorance after receiving these reports of abuse, and orchestrated cover-ups.
The business impact: Additionally, the report shared that the NWSL lost a major investor due to unsavory conduct in 2018. A prospective buyer of the struggling Boston Breakers learned about Holly’s relationship with a player he previously coached, Christie Pearce Rampone.
- Holly was being considered for a position with Boston, so the investor emailed then-president Amanda Duffy about how pervasive such dynamics were. Duffy replied to the email without answering the question, and the Breakers folded weeks later.
For more coverage of the independent investigation, listen to yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It.
The response: On Tuesday, three Portland supporter groups called for the sale of the Thorns and its MLS equal, Timbers FC. The groups also said president of business Mike Golub and Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson — who used discriminatory and abusive language according to the report — “have no place” in the club.
- USWNT and Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn echoed the sentiment yesterday, saying, “every owner and executive and U.S. Soccer official who has repeatedly failed the players…should be gone.”
The next steps: Led by former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates, the investigative team recommended that the NWSL consider punishing owners after its own investigation with the Players Association wraps up (likely following the 2022 season). The USSF only has the ability to sanction the league as a whole, rather than individual bad actors.
- This responsibility usually lies with leagues — the NBA issued a suspension to Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver last month, and MLS forced Dell Loy Hansen to sell Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC in 2020.
- In the meantime, Paulson, Golub and Wilkinson removed themselves from Thorns operations — but notably not the Timbers — yesterday. Whisler did the same, and relinquished his role on the NWSL’s board of governors. Still not enough.
Zooming out: Public pressure caused Sarver to quickly start the process of selling the Phoenix basketball teams, and a repeat scenario could follow in the NWSL. Questions exist about the price tag for established clubs, but the market may have some clues — private equity firm Arctos bought a 15% stake in Portland last year at a $600 million valuation.
- And the response is warranted. Conduct from league leaders cost the NWSL an entire club four years ago and above all, endangered the safety and wellbeing of its players, ultimately proving them unfit to run a sports organization.
