Call to model returning boolean instead of array

Thanks a bunch for the solution.  I'm a dummy - I just realized the difference between where I was getting the boolean was that I assigned it to a variable in this one, where I simply ran the function in the others.
Returned boolean:
$var = array_sort_by_multiple_keys($teams, [
           'team_name' => SORT_ASC,
        ]);

Returns sorted array:
array_sort_by_multiple_keys($teams, [
          'team_name' => SORT_ASC,
        ]);
Time to put down my mouse and pick up a whiskey.  Thanks again.