May Washington Commanders Dan Snyder’s NFL ownership end soon - MSNBC

Let the civilian suit by Karl Racine, the Washington, D.C., lawyer general, against Washington Commanders squad proprietor Dan Snyder connected grounds that the franchise has been immersed successful “a toxic civilization of intersexual harassment” beryllium your reminder that Snyder’s past of bullying and mismanagement arsenic franchise proprietor runs wide and it runs deep. Over 23 years, helium has taken 1 of the astir invaluable brands successful the National Football League and made it not lone mean but embarrassing. I moved to D.C. the twelvemonth Snyder bought the team, and I tin archer you that pursuing the franchise past was much similar religion than fandom. 

Snyder’s past of bullying and mismanagement arsenic franchise proprietor runs wide and it runs deep.

Today, the squad is amended known for Snyder’s meddling, for play that is middling and for bare seats successful FedEx Field successful Landover, Maryland, which is regarded arsenic the worst stadium successful football. Taylor Swift’s nationalist stadium circuit volition not see FedEx Field — contempt it being the lone due venue successful the District, Maryland oregon Northern Virginia. Swift has her fans successful the DMV, and they are not happy.

Of course, until recently, the sanction of the squad was an anti-Indigenous slur, and Snyder lone relented to alteration it erstwhile sponsors and minority-share owners threatened to bolt.

Yet aft astir a 4th period defined by mediocre play connected the tract and nationalist embarrassments disconnected it was ne'er capable for the NFL owners to perceive the district’s fervent prayers and unit this antheral out. But a bid of events that includes the lawyer general’s suit gives america crushed to anticipation that Snyder is puffing connected his past cigar. The different franchise owners did not attraction erstwhile Snyder was lone the team’s fans’ problem. But present helium has go a liability to them, 30 of the astir almighty radical successful the sports world, and helium will, I believe, not past long. 

First, determination were accusations and Washington Post investigations that accused Snyder of overseeing a profoundly sexist, hostile and adjacent sexually transgression workplace. Then an ESPN probe claimed Snyder — feeling besieged  — hired backstage investigators to excavation dirt connected chap owners and connected NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. That surely did not assistance him marque friends and really alienated his champion person among the bosses, the antheral who has been described arsenic his “firewall,” Dallas Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones.

Then Jim Irsay, the proprietor of the Indianapolis Colts, a antheral with immoderate past scandals of his own, did thing that I tin accidental with assurance is unprecedented successful NFL history. He publically called for Snyder’s removal from the ownership ranks. News rapidly followed that Snyder had enlisted Bank of America successful what whitethorn beryllium an effort to prosecute a sale. In different words, the humor is successful the water. Fans are already imagining imaginable alternate franchise owners.

They are besides fantasizing astir a caller stadium, possibly 1 built successful the district. If Snyder is not the look of specified a deal, determination whitethorn beryllium opportunities for that to happen. The fans are not the lone ones fantasizing astir this. It is good known that the ownership fraternity is becoming impatient with Snyder’s inability to bash what galore of them person done with ease: get a publically funded NFL stadium.

Commanders players are rightly upset that the squad brought up their teammates’ trauma successful an effort to people a inexpensive governmental point.

Racine’s suit against Snyder’s squad argues that by hiding its allegedly boorish behaviour toward pistillate employees of the team, the Commanders person been selling a family-friendly merchandise nether mendacious pretenses. A bizarre, written reply to Racine by the Commanders “external counsel,” whose wording is remarkably akin to Snyder’s, not lone cited the August shooting of Commanders rookie moving backmost Brian Robinson Jr. (for which 2 teenage suspects person reportedly been arrested connected robbery charges) but added snarkily that the lawyer wide should beryllium much acrophobic astir "making the streets safe" than astir the Commanders’ workplace culture. 

Commanders players are rightly upset that the squad brought up their teammate’s trauma successful an effort to people a inexpensive governmental point. Left tackle Charles Leno, Jr. told The Washington Post that “of people it’s upsetting,” that Robinson ”never should’ve been portion of” the team’s effect and that Robinson’s “feelings and what he’s gone done should beryllium a wholly abstracted deal.”

The adjacent time Snyder’s squad acknowledged that what had happened to Robinson should person been kept “separate and apart” from the team’s effect to the lawsuit.  

Having upset fans, his chap franchise owners, the commissioner and the players connected the team, Snyder is present moving retired of allies. Yes, if helium gets the $7 cardinal he’s rumored to privation if helium sells the team, that volition cushion his fall, but Snyder doesn’t look to beryllium agelong for the NFL.

Good. His leaving wouldn’t beryllium the aforesaid arsenic a Super Bowl win, but it could inactive animate a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.