David Samson may have stretched himself too far.
The former Montreal Expos and Miami Marlins executive found himself in agreement with the most maligned take on the internet on Wednesday when he let out a holy “Amen” at the idea of business leaders setting fire to the global unemployment rate.
Gurner Group CEO Tim Gurner, a billionaire, went viral for making the case at a recent real estate summit. And rather than take the layup of finally zagging away from his role on The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz as “the face of corporate greed,” Samson leaned in.
“I would like it not to happen with an increase in unemployment because I would like to believe that employees are going to figure it out soon, but they’re not doing it,” Samson said. “There are companies right now where they’re being asked to come back to work and actually come into the office, the horror!”
Samson said this from his home office:
https://twitter.com/lebatardshow/status/1701952697413374057?s=46&t=td4ZnRYfgyBaXXaNadwnkw
To Samson, the pushback from labor post-pandemic can be boiled down to a refusal to work hard and capitulate to management.
“Good companies are craving good employees,” Samson said. “If you work hard, you can find a job and be paid well. But if you’re lazy, you should not be remunerated for that.”
After the show’s crew skewered him for his hypocrisy, Samson seemed to lose the plot. Getting to 50 percent unemployment would require mass job loss across the economy. But Samson related it to bankers being selfish.
“I want employees to get the hint before they’re laid off,” Samson added.
It makes sense that Samson would struggle with this one. He worked on Wall Street before being shepherded into Major League Baseball by his stepfather.
That’s fine. Everyone has a different background.
But Samson hasn’t even run a company since leaving the Marlins. It’s hard to imagine he has deep insight into workers’ viewpoints or morale in the modern age.
Yetm he sure seems to be positive that the real labor issue in 2023 is remote work and productivity. And that kicking millions of people into unemployment might just be the best way forward.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.