Merged: Danny Ferry mega thread

[TheNorthCydeRises]

As one general manager said last March, an aphorism that was repeated almost verbatim by another GM two weeks later, "Danny isn't in exile because he's a racist. Danny's in exile because he's an asshole." This sentiment conforms to the general perception, even by many in the game who think highly of his abilities, that Ferry has far too much self-regard relative to personal accomplishment.

*******

Tried to tell all of you Ferry lovers this back last October.

[nathan2331]

Wow, @Diesel was right this entire time.

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[Guest]

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The law firm that investigated former Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry said it found no evidence that his comments on a conference call about NBA forward Luol Deng were "motivated by racial, ethnic, or country of origination bias or animus," and that Ferry repeated comments that were not his own, according to documents obtained by ESPN.

On the call, which occurred June 6, 2014, Ferry characterized Deng as a player who "has a little African in him," and added, "He's like a guy who would have a nice store out front and sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back." Ferry has maintained he was reading from a scouting report prepared by a third party.

The incident prompted the Hawks to conduct an internal investigation by Atlanta-based law firm Alston & Bird, led by partner Bernard Taylor. In a letter to Ferry dated June 19, Taylor wrote that he believed the team provided access to all of Ferry's work emails, in addition to 24,000 documents. Taylor said the firm also performed 19 witness interviews.

"We reported the results of our work to the Hawks," Taylor wrote. "In summary, the facts indicated that you repeated comments that were not your own about Mr. Deng from a scouting report during the call, and there was no evidence to indicate that during the call you acted in a manner motivated by negative bias toward Mr. Deng."

A settlement to buy Ferry out of the remaining three years of his contract and a formalization of his departure was approved by the Hawks' board of managers Friday, with the Atlanta-based limited partners dissenting. The letter from Taylor was written as a condition of the settlement. Ferry had requested a statement to that effect in September.

An overview of Alston & Bird's findings was reported to Atlanta's ownership Sept. 10, although the firm didn't produce a written report. Ferry remained on an indefinite leave of absence following Taylor's findings.

Two things jump out to me. One, Ferry made a request for these findings to be released last year but that was denied for some reason...strange. The other thing that I find strange is that a Law Firm had "findings" but did not produce a written report.......seriously? How is it that you can disseminate information without it being written down somewhere?

[AHF]

Two things jump out to me. One, Ferry made a request for these findings to be released last year but that was denied for some reason...strange. The other thing that I find strange is that a Law Firm had "findings" but did not produce a written report.......seriously? How is it that you can disseminate information without it being written down somewhere?

You can guarantee it wasn't released because Gearon was making the call and wanted to damage the team and Ferry to get his way. It would have been strange if he allowed the full Deng discussion or the full law firm report, etc. to go public. You know he was irate that as much got out through other channels as did.

In terms of there being no written report, that had to be express direction from the owners. Law firms typically memorialize even oral advice if they do a real investigation and make findings like here.

[Guest]

You can guarantee it wasn't released because Gearon was making the call and wanted to damage the team and Ferry to get his way. It would have been strange if he allowed the full Deng discussion or the full law firm report, etc. to go public. You know he was irate that as much got out through other channels as did.

But how would Gearon have control over that, seeing as he was not in control of the organization? I think there might be more to it.

In terms of there being no written report, that had to be express direction from the owners. Law firms typically memorialize even oral advice if they do a real investigation and make findings like here.

Interesting to know, and this is kind of what I figured. I would guess that even the most incompetent law firms would produce some sort of a written report. So why would you not want this to be written down somewhere? All kinds of strange to me.

[Jody23]

Seems like there is more to all of this, but I think the league wants to keep Gearon quiet. They were furious with him for leaking the Ferry stuff to the media in the first place. I suspect the only reason he and his buddies were allowed to have a percentage of ownership was to keep them from making things messy again and not because Ressler and company wanted them involved.

[JETSET]

Man f*** this organization. They deserve what they get if this ends up blowing up in their face.

[RandomFan]

It seems like it gets even worse considering the letter Ferry was also sent Friday from one of the owners. None of this explains why Ferry is now gone; in fact, it makes me question why in the hell he IS gone.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2015/06/20/investigation-finds-no-evidence-of-bias-by-ferry/29052077/

 

 

ATLANTA (AP) — An independent investigation has found former Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry was not motivated by racial bias in making statements which ultimately ended his time with the team.

 

A letter summarizing the investigation by the Atlanta law firm Alston & Bird was obtained Saturday by The Associated Press, as was a letter from Hawks co-owner Todd Foreman to Ferry.

 

The Hawks agreed to a buyout of the final two years of Ferry's contract on Friday. Ferry spent this season on an indefinite leave of absence following his racially derogatory comments about potential free agent Luol Deng.

 

Alston & Bird partner Bernard Taylor said in the letter, dated Friday, that the review of more than 24,000 documents and 19 interviews provided no evidence of "negative bias toward Mr. Deng, his race or his country of origin."

 

Foreman's letter, also dated Friday, said Ferry was not the cause of the controversy.

 

"At the heart of this dispute was an unfortunate disagreement amongst owners," Foreman said.

 

Foreman thanked Ferry for his "many contributions" in shaping the roster of a team which won a franchise-record 60 games and advanced to its first Eastern Conference final.

 

Foreman said following the investigation the Hawks "wholeheartedly denounce any accusation or implication that you acted with racial bias while carrying out your duties as Hawks general manager."

 

Taylor wrote the evidence confirmed Ferry was repeating statements from a scouting report of Deng during a conference call with the Hawks' ownership group. In the meeting, Ferry described Deng as someone who "has a little African in him."

 

"In summary, the facts indicated you repeated comments that were not your own," Taylor wrote to Ferry, adding the GM then "strongly" recommended the team attempt to sign Deng.

 

Deng, who is from South Sudan, signed with the Miami Heat.

 

With Ferry on the indefinite leave, basketball operations responsibilities shifted to coach Mike Budenholzer and assistant GM Wes Wilcox. With the buyout, Budenholzer and Wilcox could be assigned those duties on a full-time basis.

 

So, the report seems to suggest Ferry did nothing wrong. Explain to me again why Ferry is no longer the GM? That's a rhetorical question - I already know the answer is because of Douchebag Gearon. But it still aggravates me. And now we are still stuck with this douchebag for some reason? SIGH!

Edited June 21, 2015 by RandomFan

[MaceCase]

The sale simply had to happen as bloodlessly as possible meaning that the Gearons had to be placated in some manner or way lest they throw anymore tantrums.

What's sad is the fans that somehow feel vindicated by the simple fact he was bought out because they never liked him.

Was he a bad GM? Uhm, not only did he turn in the best roster in Atlanta Hawks history he also had them finish in the top 2 spots in the league, final 4 in the playoffs.

Was he a racist? Unequivocally no as has been proven through the investigation and his contrition afterwards but some feel as if he owes them a personal apology from his knees regardless.

Was he an asshole? This is a reason to see someone fired? Well damn, I guess half of the top athletes and executives in the world will be out of work by tomorrow. Because he refused to kiss the ring of their fav (oh wait, there are none) he's out of work. God bless those that are actually applauding nepotism over results.

[ATLien_]

Was he a racist? Unequivocally no as has been proven through the investigation and his contrition afterwards but some feel as if he owes them a personal apology from his knees regardless.

Was he an asshole? This is a reason to see someone fired? Well damn, I guess half of the top athletes and executives in the world will be out of work by tomorrow. Because he refused to kiss the ring of their fav (oh wait, there are none) he's out of work. God bless those that are actually applauding nepotism over results.

Like I mentioned in the other thread I don't like being worked or lied to. Koonin has been hawking(pun intended) for the better part of a year no decision can be made until new ownership is in place. Then a week before the owners are in place he's saying Danny's fired and the ASG made the decision and negotiated the settlement. The latter half of that may be true, but the first half certainly isn't unless a year long direction was changed in a week span.

I don't like the decision, but I could deal with it better if the Ressler gang was owning it. Most people don't try to CYA in the first week of a decision their sure of. I honestly think what's taken place is the best case scenario assuming Ferry wasn't going to be brought back, but the double speak of the organization is making me nervous as hell.

[lethalweapon3]

No matter what kind of orifice people perceived that Ferry was, Junior has been multiple-scales greater in that regard.

 

"The owners who talk too much." - KG

 

I was troubled and disappointed by Ferry's selective CliffsNoting last summer, once his commentary was dragged out into the public sphere by the fall. By more than equal measure, as a Hawks fan, I have been pleased with Ferry's actions and decisions in the months that followed.

 

Danny voluntarily took himself out of the toxic fray and refused to crawl back into the viper's pit so long as Junior was slithering around and capable of spewing more venom.

 

He declined appealing to the public with the "I'm the REAL Victim Here!" card that all too many caught with their pants-down (BRUCE) are willing to play.

 

He expressed contrition to, and sought reconciliation with, Luol Deng and the aggrieved local public. But he rightfully refused to allow Junior and the outgoing regime to poison-pill him for any future work.

 

And he made the outgoing regime, whose pockets are now greatly fattened by way of his strategic decision-making, pay him, handsomely, on the way out the door.

 

~lw3

[RandomFan]

Like I mentioned in the other thread I don't like being worked or lied to. Koonin has been hawking(pun intended) for the better part of a year no decision can be made until new ownership is in place. Then a week before the owners are in place he's saying Danny's fired and the ASG made the decision and negotiated the settlement. The latter half of that may be true, but the first half certainly isn't unless a year long direction was changed in a week span.

I don't like the decision, but I could deal with it better if the Ressler gang was owning it. Most people don't try to CYA in the first week of a decision their sure of. I honestly think what's taken place is the best case scenario assuming Ferry wasn't going to be brought back, but the double speak of the organization is making me nervous as hell.

 

I get where you are coming from, and that very well may be true. However, I can't help but think this is more an act of defiance from Levenson than it is a lack of spine from the new ownership group. There is no proof of this, it's just my opinion. But to me this reads as Koonin being correct all along - a decision wasn't going to be made until the new ownership group took over. That decision was probably already discussed and made that Ferry was going to be released once they took over. Levenson, being made aware of this decision decided to flip the script and reward Ferry for the good that he did, and also for how Levenson feels Ferry is a victim of a witch hunt from Gearon by not only granting him his fully remaining salary, but even more money to make up for Gearon's bullshit.

 

Call it Levenson's final act as majority owner to take care of Ferry in the best we he had left, and a final act of throwing up a middle finger in Gearon's direction. Again, this is all speculation. But if you assume something like this is how it went down, then Koonin hasn't really been lying about the decision making process, as you imply he might have been. Seeing as how the Atlanta partners voted against the Ferry buyout, it does lend credence to my scenario. They obviously didn't want it to happen. They seemed content on waiting until the new owners took over and Ferry was sent uncerimoniously packing with probably much less money, and perhaps no letter clearing his name.

 

Also under this scenario, the new ownership group has nothing to be ashamed of, or look cowardly about. They don't have any control over the team right now, at all. It's not like they could tell Levenson and the other owners they don't have permission to do this. Especially if they had already made a closed-door decision that Ferry was not coming back anyway.

Edited June 21, 2015 by RandomFan

[AHF]

The new owners made this call and part of the condition of the sale was that the old owners would do this prior to the sale and they would pay for it.

The fact that Ferry got MORE than he is entitled to under the contact is remarkable. There is no way that is a parting gift from Levenson who would need other owners to authorize it. Most likely he got it in exchange for waiving defamation and libel claims based on Gearon's campaign to destroy his reputation and force the other owners to get rid of him.

[bumpyphish1]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13120618/law-firm-says-no-evidence-danny-ferry-was-motivated-bias-luol-deng-comments

 

Law firm: 'No evidence' Danny Ferry was motivated by bias in Luol Deng comments

20h - NBA ATLANTA HAWK

 

           - Kevin Arnovitz, Brian Windhorst

 

The law firm that investigated former Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry said it found no evidence that his comments on a conference call about NBA forward Luol Dengwere "motivated by racial, ethnic, or country of origination bias or animus," and that Ferry repeated comments that were not his own, according to documents obtained by ESPN.

"The facts indicated that you repeated comments that were not your own about Mr. Deng from a scouting report during the call," the law firm that investigated former Hawks GM Danny Ferry, above, said in a letter. Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images

On the call, which occurred June 6, 2014, Ferry characterized Deng as a player who "has a little African in him," and added, "He's like a guy who would have a nice store out front and sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back." Ferry has maintained he was reading from a scouting report prepared by a third party.

The incident prompted the Hawks to conduct an internal investigation by Atlanta-based law firm Alston & Bird, led by partner Bernard Taylor. In a letter to Ferry dated June 19, Taylor wrote that he believed the team provided access to all of Ferry's work emails, in addition to 24,000 documents. Taylor said the firm also performed 19 witness interviews.

"We reported the results of our work to the Hawks," Taylor wrote. "In summary, the facts indicated that you repeated comments that were not your own about Mr. Deng from a scouting report during the call, and there was no evidence to indicate that during the call you acted in a manner motivated by negative bias toward Mr. Deng."

A settlement to buy Ferry out of the remaining three years of his contract and a formalization of his departure was approved by the Hawks' board of managers Friday, with the Atlanta-based limited partners dissenting. The letter from Taylor was written as a condition of the settlement. Ferry had requested a statement to that effect in September.

An overview of Alston & Bird's findings was reported to Atlanta's ownership Sept. 10, although the firm didn't produce a written report. Ferry remained on an indefinite leave of absence following Taylor's findings.

Edited June 21, 2015 by bumpyphish1

[bumpyphish1]

And, the obvious next question would be....is it too late to bring him back?

 

My guess would be yes, fwiw.  What a travesty.

[Jdawgflow]

Another theory is that Ferry might have stayed on if Gearon was not part of the new ownership. Doubt it but it is certainly possible knowing that those two would not have been able to work together in the future.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Jdawgflow

[TheTruth]

And, the obvious next question would be....is it too late to bring him back?

 

My guess would be yes, fwiw.  What a travesty.

Eh, ASG knew about these findings (an overview even though there was no written report submitted) way back in Sept. And apparently (due to the promotions), new ownership wants to wash their hands of it. So no, that ship has sailed.

[lethalweapon3]

Hi @bumpyphish1, that thread is here!

 

http://hawksquawk.net/community/topic/403156-merged-danny-ferry-mega-thread/

 

Merge in a minute.

 

~lw3

[Vol4ever]

IMO this is what you get with socialist political correctness. I wish Danny well wherever he lands.

[bumpyphish1]

I think it's a little ridiculous when a story this significant comes out it gets merged into this megathread that has like 50 different ongoing discussions going on.

 

I really do wonder sometimes if the mods have OCD.