Watching the Golden State Warriors and their coach Steve Kerr trying to manage the situation over Draymond Green striking a fellow player, Jordan Poole, during a practice session, makes me glad I’m retired.
Having to deal with two employees who are in conflict with each other was one of the worst aspects of the jobs I held, and it happened more often than anyone wanted to admit.
Competition among teammates is natural. After all, they’re usually not related or even friends before getting hired. Most often they didn’t even know each other until recently. And if you are a good manager, you try to bring together diverse teams of people who represent all the different communities in our society, which increases the risk of conflicts.
Journalism may not be as fiercely competitive as pro basketball, but it has its moments. Some of the hardest cases I faced involved people who not only didn’t like each other, they fundamentally disagreed with each other — politically, philosophically, or over tactics or who should get credit for what.
All of that stuff is thorny to manage but at least none of my employees ever came to blows, so far as I know.
I’ll say this: If there is one coach who can handle this it is Kerr. He’s demonstrated time and again not only that he is a winner but that he is a man of principle who speaks his conscience and doesn’t avoid difficult situations.
And this is a difficult situation. Both Green and Poole are stars — Green is the bigger star, older and larger physically, which only make what he did all the more unforgivable.
Kerr hasn’t really shown his cards yet. Green is spending time “away” from the team, which may indicate he’s been suspended and he also sounds contrite in his public comments, which may be too little too late in this case. There is some effort by the Warriors to trace who leaked the security video that caught the punch, but that is a diversion and very much beside the point.
The fight happened and there have to be consequences. It can’t be hushed up because the public knows about it. Green already had a tarnished reputation in many fans’ eyes.
No, I do not envy Kerr in this one. Then again, I’m glad I’m retired.
NEWS LINKS:
Blast Damages Crimea Bridge, Dealing Blow to Russian War Effort (NYT)
Blast hits Crimea bridge crucial to Russia's war (Reuters)
Putin faces more grim choices after blast hits his prized Crimea bridge (CNN)
How Ukrainians, targeting by drone, attacked Russian artillery in Kherson (WP)
UN: Ukraine nuclear power plant loses external power link (AP)
U.S. Navy jet flew across Baltic hours after Nord Stream burst (Reuters)
Nobel Peace Prize Winners Share a Past Shadowed by Russian Abuses (NYT)
VIDEO: ‘We Will Not Stop,’ Ukrainian Rights Group Reacts to Nobel Peace Prize (Reuters)
How Hitler’s Enablers Undid Democracy in Germany — The way the Nazis used “the politics of legality” to gain absolute power after a failed coup is an ominous lesson about the fragility of a republic. (Atlantic)
As Ian's death toll rises, questions swirl on why more Floridians didn't evacuate (NPR)
Many of Hurricane Ian’s Victims Were Older Adults Who Drowned (NYT)
Disasters like Ian pose extra risk for fragile older people (AP)
Atlanta DA seeks testimony from Michael Flynn, Newt Gingrich in election interference case (WP)
The shoes keep dropping in Georgia (Politico)
Gov. Newsom takes action as frustration over rising gas prices continues to climb (CBS)
New York Faces Record Homelessness as Mayor Declares Migrant Emergency (NYT)
What’s Behind ISIS Khorasan’s Relentless Attacks on Mosques in Afghanistan? (HS)
Ex-Oath Keeper: Group leader claimed Secret Service contact (AP)
'Malicious and targeted' sabotage halts rail traffic in northern Germany (Reuters)
The latest challenge for Iran’s government? School girls joining protests (NBC)
A rally in the U.S. dollar is expected to hit corporate financial results, potentially presenting another obstacle to stocks in a year that has experienced a painful market decline. (Reuters)
Anti-abortion activists are falsely claiming that hormonal contraception can cause abortions. (Reveal)
Arizona court halts enforcement of near-total abortion ban (WP)
Michigan assistant Mike Hart carted off field after reported seizure (Yahoo)
Draymond Green taking time away from Warriors after punch (ESPN)
For Draymond Green, the video changes everything (The Athletic)
North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile, Japan says (CNN)
Pakistan’s Unseen Climate-Change Survivors (New Yorker)
A Lost Manuscript Shows the Fire Barack Obama Couldn’t Reveal on the Campaign Trail (NYT)
Lawyer: DA Jenkins is stalling 5-year-old homicide case against SFPD officer (Mission Local)
Man Not Accepting Any More Television Recommendations At This Time (The Onion)
No comments:
Post a Comment