A scramble to find a new team name and logo. A league investigation into a years-long pattern of alleged sexual harassment in the front office that has led to the dismissal of several high-profile employees. An owner waging a defamation suit against a media company. A head coach undergoing cancer treatment. And a team that, frankly, hasn't been very good.
That is the playing field that awaits Jason Wright and the Washington Football Team this season.
Wright, who was hired as the team's president this summer to help lead it out of multiple crises — becoming the first Black president of an NFL team in the process — told Cheddar in an interview on Tuesday that his first priority is to fix an office culture so that "all colleagues, especially women, feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work."
"That's not just a moral imperative," Wright said. "It's a business imperative."
"The data says if you have more than one woman engaged on a decision, the collective intelligence of that team is higher than it would be otherwise."
Wright's focus on data-based analysis should not come as a surprise. After he retired from the NFL in 2011, the former running back enrolled in the prestigious Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, where he received his MBA. Wright then became a partner at the uber-selective management consulting firm McKinsey before taking the NFL gig. It's a pedigree that should help him as he deals with an entirely different crisis in the form of the coronavirus (at last, one not of the team's making).
"I think the NFL is doing everything it can" when it comes to preparing to start a season in the midst of a pandemic, Wright said. "And at the same time, I'm still very concerned."
Not for a lack of preparation or execution, but because of how "unpredictable" and "tricky at every turn" it has been to control the virus. Wright noted that the data is always shifting, and that will in turn force the NFL and the team front offices to have to adapt to a changing landscape — much in the way a quarterback sometimes has to change plays on the fly.
Because of the size of NFL rosters and the physical space required to play, Wright said a "bubble" format is just not possible. He's focusing on a "behavioral bubble" that stresses the importance of individual behavior to players and staff, and how "one weak link" can send a season off the rails. (see: Marlins, Miami; Cardinals, St. Louis).
And then there's the ongoing search for a new name and logo after the team jettisoned its 87-year-old mascot this summer, acknowledging its racist past in the midst of sweeping social and racial justice protests.
Asked by Cheddar if Wright could divulge any hints about the new name, he demurred.
"You're not getting anything out of me."
This Sunday the Daytona 500 Race went into an exciting overtime when 27-year-old Austin Dillon finally pulled into first place during the final lap. The Daytona 500 winner joins Cheddar to explain the emotions that came with the big win.
We're a week into the Olympics and by now most viewers have noticed that Ralph Lauren, Nike and Under Armour are the official sponsors of Team USA gear. Joining The Long and The Short to discuss the benefits of outfitting Team USA is Nick Martell and Jack Kramer, Co-Founders & Co-CEOs of MarketSnacks.
Dwyane Wade made headlines for his recent trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers back to the Miami Heat, but the NBA star is also busy with a film that hits close to home. Alyssa Julya Smith caught up with the basketball player at a screening of his new film "Shot in the Dark," which he acted as executive producer alongside fellow Chicago-born star Chance the Rapper.
Billionaire Tom Steyer is putting his personal fortune behind an effort to get President Trump out of office. Special counsel Robert Mueller has indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities for allegedly meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Coinbase users took to social media and Reddit to complain about glitches on the platform. Coinbase says the root of the problem is credit card processing managed by Visa. But, Visa says they didn't cause the problem.
The NBA star says, "Anytime I can give any word of advice, anytime I can be a role model to anybody, I try to be there because I know who I was, and I know what it took and how many people it took to help me get to the point of success."
Your Future Home: Housing trends and tips with Quicken Loans. On Between Bells: "Black Panther" finally hits theaters. plus, a night of near misses for Team USA at the Winter Olympics. We're joined by FHM, Citi, LiveScience, and more.
At this year's Winter Olympics, young stars are making big statements across a number of events. Mikaela Shiffrin, 22, took home gold in the giant slalom last night - setting up a big showdown between Shiffrin and skiing legend Lindsey Vonn in the downhill race later this week.
NBA All-Star Weekend is here. The League's best will go head to head in a number of contests, but with injuries plaguing many of the NBA's top players, will people still tune in?
Angela Ruggiero, Olympic gold medalist and CEO and co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab, joins Cheddar live from PyeongChang, South Korea to share her thoughts on the first week of the Olympics. She also discusses the technology she's been seeing at the games.
Amazon surpassed Microsoft in market cap. McDonald's is making its Happy Meals healthier. Washington D.C. reacts to the Florida high school massacre. Plus, we hear from an entrepreneur who started the first studio of its kind in the fitness industry.
