Since Dan Snyder and his group bought the NFL's Washington Redskins back in 1999 for $800 million, the team has been less than impressive and that's putting it lightly.
In the past two decades under Snyder's leadership, Washington's regular season has been 142 win, 193 losses, and one tie that equates to a dismal 42 % winning percentage. Their poor performances have only sent them to the playoffs five times in the past 21 years and the team has only topped the NFC East three times in the same time frame. Washington has gone through a total nine different head coaches and the team has only two postseason wins to show for it.
Let's be honest here, Washington has been one of the worst performing franchise's in the league or is at least in the bottom five. The sad truth though is that their on-field struggles aren't even the worst of it.
The Name Controversy
First up, the team name issue.
As early as the 1960s, native Americans were already questioning and protesting the NFL's Washington football team name. The issue only really gained traction and major public attention in the 90s, right before Jack Kent Cooke's franchise would be sold to Snyder. The name and image used by the team was deemed derogatory and offensive by bought academics and several native American tribes and groups.
Although Washington and their owner have announced the decision to finally retire the moniker, it has still taken Snyder and his organization this long to move on the issue. And it's not like the public haven't voiced their opinions during the past decades. Through 2013 and 2014, there were several instances of picketing at Washington's games especially on the road. When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem in 2017, native Americans called out the NFL players as being hypocrites for making statements against racial injustice while one of the leagues' teams was still parading a racially offensive name.
If it weren't for public pressure and major financial sponsors threatening to pull support, who knows if Dan Snyder and his franchise would have ever changed the name on their own especially knowing the owner once said he would never change the name. In any case, the issue has been laid to rest and all that's left for us to do is wait and see what Washington fans will be screaming in the future and forward. The same can't be said for the Snyder as his org is just about to face its worst controversy to date.
Sexual Harassment, Verbal Abuse, and Washington's Toxic Culture
The proverbial cat is out of the bag, although not entirely, and Dan Snyder and the Washington franchise better strap in for one hell of a ride these coming weeks.
In a Washington Post article by Liz Clarke and Will Hobson, 15 former female employees stepped forward and shared their appalling and disturbing experiences while working within Dan Snyder's organization, including one truly sickening story involving a team trainer.
The women accused several Washington executives of harassment, verbal, abuse and grave misconduct in their place of work. Among those accused are former director of pro personnel Alex Santos, former assistant director of pro personnel Richard Mann II, former president of business operations Dennis Greene, former chief operating officer Mitch Gershman, and long-time radio broadcaster and play-by-by announcer Larry Michael. Santos, Mann, and Michael had all just recently left the organization in the past week. Dan Snyder, as the man at the top, is responsible for his organization's culture.
The many horrifying accounts from both employees and reporters close to the team did not mention Dan Snyder explicitly, but this does not leave him unaccountable by any means.
Former team vice president of communication Julia Payne's statements the story by Clarke and Hobson paints the picture of what the Washington organization has been like during Dan Snyder's tenure:
“I have never been in a more hostile, manipulative, passive-aggressive environment … and I worked in politics,” said Julia Payne, former assistant press secretary in the Clinton Administration who briefly served as vice president of communications for the team in 2003.
Payne did not witness or endure sexual harassment, she said, but she supported what many other former employees said about the culture under Snyder.
“With such a toxic, mood-driven environment, and the owner behaving like he does,” said Payne, “How could anyone think these women would go to HR?” (via Clarke and Hobson)
Under Section 8.13 of the NFL’s constitution and bylaws, the commissioner has the right to asses if a team owner or official “has been or is guilty of conduct detrimental to the welfare of the League or professional football.” Using this provision as basis, clearly Roger Goodell has the power to punish, fine, and even possibly call for Snyder to sell the team. The main question is if he should.
Back in 2018, Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, was faced with a similar predicament when an investigation led to an uncovering of sexual harassment and improper workplace conduct that had been going on within the Mavericks organization for over two decades. Instead of paying the NBA's max fine of $2.5 million, Cuban decided to donate $10 million to organizations that promote women in leadership and combat domestic violence. The billionaire owner also promoted Cynthia Marshal as the team's new chief executive officer.
So far from Dan Snyder? We have this statement posted by The Athletic's David Aldridge:
From Daniel Snyder: pic.twitter.com/LCHuQIbLtS
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 17, 2020
Although they are on the right path, a situation like this demands more accountability from the owner. And if he really believes in an “unbiased investigation” he should waive his former employees' non-disclosure agreements and let all the truth be out in the open. 14 of the 15 former Washington employees involved in the Washington Post story chose to remain anonymous in fear of violating the NDAs they signed with the organization.
For now, the jury's still out on Dan Snyder, but it's not looking good for the 56-year-old Maryland native. Ultimately his response and actions in the following days and weeks will determine if the NFL should force him out or not. If it were up to me, it would be quite simple and easy, keeping in mind that two years ago, it was revealed that other Redskins employees — cheerleaders — were mistreated for several years:
https://twitter.com/breakingnews4uo/status/1284023125626281985
Washington has barely given us quality football during Snyder's reign and all the off-field scandals are just not worth it. More importantly, punishing Snyder and all the former Washington execs would send the message that these type of monstrous and despicable actions have no place in the world, whether you're the one committing them or you are the one allowing this type of culture to continue. An most specially in a pro sports organization.
Team sports are all about communication, trust, and respect and a teams culture and identity often, if not always, starts with its leader. Now, only time will tell if Dan Snyder is the leader who can change his team's culture or he's actual root of all these problems.
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