American Public Favors Code of Conduct for NBA Owners
Friday, October 21, 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.
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% |
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.
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% |
“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.
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% |
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.
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% |
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.”
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% |
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.
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% |
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.
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% |
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.
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% |
“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.
Categories: Business