A former Arizona Cardinals executive and his family sued the team along with its owner, lawyers and crisis communications firm for defamation and other claims in Arizona state court on Wednesday.
An NFL arbitrator awarded Terry McDonough, the team's former vice president of personnel, $3 million on Friday after finding the team and its owner, Michael Bidwill, had defamed McDonough in a statement issued to the media last April accusing McDonough of spousal abuse and neglect of his disabled adult daughter -- allegations McDonough has denied. The team issued the statement in response to an arbitration complaint McDonough filed against Bidwill accusing the owner of unlawful retaliation.