Wednesday’s news that Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and his two siblings want to transfer their interests in the team to trusts established for their children felt like a convenient strategy for avoiding a potential effort by the league to force Steve Tisch out.
But there’s an important caveat. Via Ben Horney of Front Office Sports, Steve Tisch would continue to serve as the franchise’s chairman of the board.
Tisch and his siblings currently hold 23.1 percent of the team. If the proposed transfer is approved by the league, they would own no portion of the franchise.
If Steve Tisch would own none of the team, it makes no sense for him to continue in such an important role, even if the title is largely ceremonial and even if the transfer is coincidental to the emails he exchanged with Jeffrey Epstein. Those communications came to light in late January. Steve Tisch initially said he had a “brief association” with Epstein, but the facts suggest otherwise.
More importantly for the league’s purposes, the emails contain problematic references to women. It’s possible they point to an effort by Steve Tisch to engage in Harvey Weinstein-style quid pro quo sexual harassment, with Steve Tisch possibly exchanging tangible career benefits for sexual favors.
The NFL’s position has been to wait for the facts, not to aggressively seek them out. A full investigation, as we’ve previously explained, is required. Action may be justified under the Personal Conduct Policy, especially if the league means what it says when it claims that owners are held to a higher standard than players and other non-player employees.
If Steve Tisch is stepping aside from ownership to avoid scrutiny, he should step aside completely. Transferring his ownership interest while sticking around as the chairman of the board isn’t a solution. Instead, it’s a reminder that the league has failed to show any affirmative curiosity in the face of evidence that more than justifies the kind of robust review that plenty of players have faced over the years.