A nasty story out of the desert on Tuesday.
Ex-Cardinals exec Terry McDonough has accused team owner Michael Bidwill of cheating, gross misconduct, discrimination, and harassment in an arbitration claim.
McDonough was the Cardinals’ vice president of player personnel from 2014 to 2019.
BREAKING: Former Arizona Cardinals executive Terry McDonough filed a claim accusing owner Michael Bidwill of cheating, discrimination and harassment, per ESPN. https://t.co/9PdNZIOq6o
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 4, 2023
McDonough maintained that both he and former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks were left no choice but to follow Bidwill’s plan to use burner phones to communicate with former Arizona general manager Steve Keim while Keim was serving a five-week suspension after pleading guilty to extreme DUI in Arizona.
McDonough said he still has the phone, which he said contains the evidence of the cheating scandal, as well as additional documentation.
The Cardinals responded, denying the allegations:
“We are reluctantly obliged to provide a public response along with broader context for some disappointing and irresponsible actions by Terry McDonough,” external public relations adviser to the Cardinals Jim McCarthy said in a statement. “Claims he has made in an arbitration filing are wildly false, reckless, and an opportunistic ploy for financial gain.
“Our position was consistent with many efforts we’ve made to accommodate Terry during his time with the team, despite difficulties in his personal life and his often volatile demeanor toward colleagues,” the statement from McCarthy said. “That’s why we are saddened to see that Terry is now lashing out at our organization with disparagements and threats that are absurdly at odds with the facts. This unnecessary and vindictive action by Terry was intended to malign his co-workers, our owner Michael Bidwill, and our team with outlandish accusations.”
For all the nasty allegations, click here.