Dell Loy Hansen was irritated after Real Salt Lake boycotted their game.
Toxic ownership is the surefire way to ruin team chemistry and prevent sustained success, and Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen recently revealed himself as one of those dreaded owners who put his feelings and profits first and success on the field a distant second.
After Real Salt Lake chose to postpone their match against LAFC due to the Jacob Blake shooting, Hansen claimed he was personally offended by this display. This before hinting protests like this make him question if he wants to own the team and pump money into it in order to make them a contender.
Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen on a local radio station regarding the players decision to not play last night. He went on to say that “it’s taken a lot of wind out of” how much he wants to invest in the team.
— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) August 27, 2020
Unreal. https://t.co/tew666lQYu
Some want Hansen to sell Real Salt Lake.
Hansen, who made his money in real estate, became a minority owner in 2009 before taking full control in 2013. While RSL made the MLS Cup Finals in ’13, they haven’t advanced past the conference semifinals in any season since. Considering the solid roster and coaching staff, that’s a touch disappointing.
Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore claims that Hansen’s comments are unbecoming of an MLS owner. Altidore, who is a part of a group looking to purchase RSL from Hansen, advocated for him selling the team.
He needs to sell the team then. I’m involved in a group that’s ready to purchase it. Time for change. https://t.co/ETiM3YUyxr
— Jozy Altidore (@JozyAltidore) August 27, 2020
In addition to voices from inside MLS pressuring Hansen, Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has made his feelings on Hansen owning the local soccer club crystal clear. Mitchell is hopping on Altidore’s bandwagon, as he wants Hansen out at Rio Tinto.
https://twitter.com/spidadmitchell/status/1299019617210445835
Who would’ve thought that players of all ethnic and national backgrounds choosing to take a stand for racial equality could offend someone as powerful as Hansen? If this protest is really making him think about selling the team, he probably didn’t have that much interest in helping them win in the first place.