Shams: Blazers investigating Olshey for misconduct

[DavidSterned]

Its scumbag hunting season and I’m loving it

The NBA is leading the way of major sports in showing some accountability.. big props to Silver

That said, always thought Olshey was a good GM so hope it turns up empty/minimal.. but if he made his bed, gotta lie in it

He's been an awful GM every step of the way and has completely pissed away Lillard's entire prime, which now appears to be coming to a close.

The fact that he's a total asswipe on top of it is just the cherry on top of the poop sundae.

[t-time]

So is he mean to his staff all the time, or just some of the time? Do some people like him ? Do the people that like him offset the people that think he is a big meanie?

Find a job elsewhere if you don’t like where you work. If you can’t find a job elsewhere be grateful you have a job.

To the journalist that wrote the article about the golf - you are in my prayers and I hope you get the support you need.

[DTP]

I feel like the league would be better off if every team's HR Department was hired and managed by the league instead of the individual franchises.

[HollowEarth]

Is it really that hard to keep your hands, mouth, and junk to yourself while at work?

He hasn't been accused of that yet. The accusations in the articles are that he was an ****, created a toxic work environment, and ran employees off by being ****:

Trail Blazers staff members have allegedly been "subjected to intimidation and profanity-laced tirades, among other bullying tactics" under Olshey, according to Haynes. Multiple employees have reportedly taken issue with Olshey's treatment of staffers.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/neil-olshey-allegations-trail-blazers-investigation/f5xglb34fco71qr73pqxtqnie

Which is like of course still grounds to lose your job

You are not serious. How is that enough to fire somebody? If that's true, at least 80% of RealGM posters would be unemployed. Oh wait... well, maybe you are right.

Yeah, running staff off and creating a bad work environment is the opposite of good management. It's not a McDonald's where you can just demote a manager back down to the cash register. What would be your threshold for firing a manager?

[Mephariel]

If you look deep enough, everyone has something they can be fired over. Literally everyone. This is heading down a dangerous path

You really believe every executive and owner in the league has a fireable incident their file somewhere? That’s disheartening.

Absolutely. If you look hard enough at anyone something is going to come from it. I'm sure Riley or Masai have cursed someone out and made them want to cry. Calling that a toxic workplace is just stupid

There is a difference between cursing out someone and this:

"Allegations against Olshey include creating a toxic and hostile work environment where employees felt bullied and intimidated, per Haynes. The alleged mistreatment reportedly dates back nearly a decade, and has led to mental and physical stress for employees of the team."

[johanliebert]

People are too sensitive these days.

[5paceman]

Paul Allen's estate was worth an estimated $20 billion when he died. Whatever Olshey is making, I'm sure the Blazers can afford to eat it.

Ya Im sure they can. Doesnt mean they want to eat millions of dollars though. Guess what if youre a family worth billions of dollars, Im sure you got some cold people running that fortune. Im sure if they can find a way to get rid of someone who clearly has worn out his time there, without having to pay him millions of dollars, they're going to try and do that.

And they could just as easily not give a sh*t. This is pure speculation on your part, and if there's anybody who could absorb this kind of loss, the steward of one of the largest fortunes in the world can easily do that.

Pure speculation on both your parts. But I'll say that large fortunes aren't amassed or sustained by leaving money on the table. Don't think that's how billionaires think unless they are remarkably benevolent. Sooner see that benevolence in charity than company contracts. Here we have a passed away Paul Allen's team under new control that doesn't have the same ties. It's probably someone's job to see this situation and determine whether they can or should try to not pay him on some breach of contract with the help of counsel.

[Mephariel]

People are too sensitive these days.

Maybe...or people are just willing to fight back now. I remember Olshey's generation always brags about how people needs to work and if they don't like the pay, they should get another job. Well, all the restaurant workers ARE getting other jobs. Now the owners are bragging and crying and raising wages. Wages that they once said was impossible.

Are people sensitive or are they just willing to give the middle finger back now? If anything, people finally toughened up. Just cause the bosses have gray hair doesn't mean they can do anything they want.

[JN61]

Old rich white men treating everyone like garbage. Shocking.

Please avoid antagonistic racial commentary thx.

What about Jordan?

[JN61]

bullying/verbal tirades seem to be the main issues: https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/john_canzano/2021/11/canzano-trail-blazers-gm-neil-olsheys-tired-bully-act-should-have-been-over-long-ago.html

Wait that's it? So they're complaining about a boss being a boss?

Bullying is not an acceptable form of leadership.

So Jordan about to lose his team?

[jbk1234]

This smells of I want to fire the guy but I don't want to get stuck paying the rest of his contract.

[Soulyss]

This smells of I want to fire the guy but I don't want to get stuck paying the rest of his contract.

Well, it's tough to talk about how important culture is for a franchise top to bottom when the GM who's saying it is a f-bombing **** who people go out of their way to avoid. People who are in executive leadership positions simply don't retain talent if they manage / behave this way.

There have long been leaks around Neil's behavior in Portland, I am frankly shocked it took this long for something to happen formally. Neil is a very expensive hostile work environment lawsuit waiting to happen.

Also not related, but probably SUPER related... Home town GM Danny Ainge is available for work.

[bbalnation]

Anyone saying "this is not wanting to pay out a 20 million dollar contract" is really missing the dollar value of basic branding & public relations.

It costs more than 20 million dollars in damages in organizational and personal branding (Blazers & Judy Allen herself as a female billionaire), public relations, lawyers, human resources, consulting agencies, etc. And that's away from the basketball side, in already unstable period where their franchise player is at a questionable point, and that could also affect their dollar earnings (playoff revenue is a thing, and its served portland well... long term organizational success also yields a higher valuation).

[jbk1234]

This smells of I want to fire the guy but I don't want to get stuck paying the rest of his contract.

Well, it's tough to talk about how important culture is for a franchise top to bottom when the GM who's saying it is a f-bombing **** who people go out of their way to avoid. People who are in executive leadership positions simply don't retain talent if they manage / behave this way.

There have long been leaks around Neil's behavior in Portland, I am frankly shocked it took this long for something to happen formally. Neil is a very expensive hostile work environment lawsuit waiting to happen.

Also not related, but probably SUPER related... Home town GM Danny Ainge is available for work.

He's been Portland's G.M. for nine years. This behavior didn't start last week. They've tolerated until now. It's a pretty convenient from ownership's perspective that it's coming out just as they're thinking about dropping the axe.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

This smells of I want to fire the guy but I don't want to get stuck paying the rest of his contract.

Well, it's tough to talk about how important culture is for a franchise top to bottom when the GM who's saying it is a f-bombing **** who people go out of their way to avoid. People who are in executive leadership positions simply don't retain talent if they manage / behave this way.

There have long been leaks around Neil's behavior in Portland, I am frankly shocked it took this long for something to happen formally. Neil is a very expensive hostile work environment lawsuit waiting to happen.

Also not related, but probably SUPER related... Home town GM Danny Ainge is available for work.

He's been Portland's G.M. for nine years. This behavior didn't start last week. They've tolerated until now. It's a pretty convenient from ownership's perspective that it's coming out just as they're thinking about dropping the axe.

That's how I feel about the leak that they are investigating him, it doesn't matter what the results are, it still tarnishes his reputation and telegraphs some airspace between the two sides setting up a convenient departure.

My guess is that Olshey's behavior doesn't rise to the level of misconduct but is probably solidly in the realm of toxic management. That sort of style can get results for a short period of time, you chew someone out and for the next couple months they try harder, but you chew someone out year after year and they stop caring, stop going above and beyond, stop trying to grow and improve. Most of us have probably run into managers like that and they just get less effective as time goes on, as compared to quality managers who support their subordinates to help them grow and get more out of them as time goes on.

I doubt a single Blazer fan would be sad to see Olshey go. I'm glad it looks like the organization is showing the same cracks with his time here, for a while it seemed like Vulcan (Allen estate's financial managers) were content with a 1st round playoff treadmill team, but it is long overdue to switch up our GM after being stagnant for this long.

Although I dont know how I feel about them trying to get out of paying the guy, that feels like two **** fighting over the same dollar and I just want them to rip it in half and both be left with nothing.