DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Dan Snyder to "Blow Up" the NFL

This entire thing is a travesty. There are too many injustices to list, but Snyder, the Commanders, the NFL, and now political parties are looking filthy!

No good ever comes from an organization investigating itself. Whether it's the NFL or the cops. Outside, independent investigations should always be the way to go about any investigation of wrongdoing. Such investigations where organizations investigate themselves is like letting the fox guard the hen house.

Add this perspective to Milk's article.

despicable...

The entire story is dirty. Snyder acts like some kind of drug lord and the NFL turned a blind eye for a long time. It took a Federal investigation to get the NFL to even consider punishing Snyder.

Maybe that's what you felt was happening - but in fact what was actually happening was posters pointing out that the transgressions of another person - be it owner, player, front office - doesn't change what Watson was accused of and found guilty of by the retired judge who is the only person to have heard all the evidence that was available. This would be true of any walk of life - it is not a defense to claim that others do worse and therefore you/someone should be treated with leniency. Watson has to own what he did, there is no way round it.

Snyder is a slimey scumbag - I don't think anyone ever has disputed that. There are a few owners I do not care for and he's top of the list.

In some people's world multiple sexual assaults isn't as bad as white color crime. I'm glad I'm not a part of that world.

Is the NFL blown up yet?

Snyder will be chortling all the way to the bank when he sells for over $5B after purchasing the team for $800M.

Good money in being a villain.

Sardonic humor at its best.

Boatload of money....

I can't fathom $6 billion.... just crazy.....

j/c...

Too long to post the entire article. Great job of reporting by Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN.


'He was free and clear': How the leak of Jon Gruden's email led to the fall of Commanders owner Dan Snyder

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id...nyder-demise-washington-commanders-owner

The situation goes from 'strange' to downright obvious when you consider that this went on during Snyder-gate. I don't enjoy watching football as much as I like to see folks (NFL) that try to get one over on the people under them and/or the public get what's coming to them. As someone that doesn't stand to lose much more (as far as I can tell since his job prospects have been zero since the fallout), I hope Gruden says "f it" and drags down as many as he can with him.

NFL was in the midst of sweeping all the Redskins dirty laundry under the rug and it wouldn't go away. They did an incredible job of keeping the investigation under wraps, though considering they were getting hammered on all sides for it. Then randomly Gruden's emails (from when he was with ESPN and not even in the NFL) get somehow leaked and the attention magically shifts. This is the kind of thing that gets my blood pressure up just thinking about it.

Not gonna repeat from the PF thread, but I hope everyone gets what's coming to them. NFL has been loading up on bad karma for a LONG time and I hope it all comes back on them.

Commanders’ Dan Snyder fined $60 million for sexually harassing employee, financial improprieties

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder sexually harassed a team employee and oversaw team executives who deliberately withheld millions of dollars in revenue from other clubs, and he has agreed to pay a $60 million fine, the league announced Thursday.

The NFL released a 23-page report detailing the findings of an independent investigation into Snyder’s conduct just minutes after its owners unanimously approved the sale of the Commanders to Josh Harris for a record $6.05 billion. The fine represents 1% of the sale price; Snyder bought the team, then known as the Redskins, for $800 million.

The investigation was led by former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White and conducted by her law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton. The league had pledged to make the findings of the probe public.

Investigators concluded that Washington withheld $11 million in revenue that should have been shared with other teams, an amount the report suggests may have been far greater. White’s firm was unable to reach a conclusion about tens of millions of additional dollars that may have been withheld in part because Snyder and the team did not cooperate fully with the investigation, according to the report.

The report concluded that Snyder sexually harassed former team employee Tiffani Johnston, allegations that Johnston first made last year in front of a House committee. Snyder placed his hand on Johnston’s thigh at a team dinner and pushed her toward his car as they were leaving the restaurant, the report said.

“The findings do speak for themselves. In both cases, it’s inappropriate, it’s wrong, it doesn’t match our values,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said at a news conference in Minnesota after NFL owners voted.

Snyder has denied Johnston’s allegations and repeated that denial in an interview with White’s investigators. He only agreed to speak with investigators for one hour, the report said.

Investigators spoke with Johnston several times and “found her to be highly credible,” the report said, and her account was corroborated by witnesses and other evidence. The investigation also substantiated claims by another former employee, Jason Friedman, who told the House about financial improprieties.

“Dan Snyder has been forced to sell the team he said he would never sell, pay a massive fine to the NFL and there now exists an extensive public record of his personal wrongdoing and the misconduct that occurred under his leadership,” attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, who represent Johnston and Friedman, said in a statement. “We are proud of our clients’ courage in coming forward publicly and working tirelessly to hold Mr. Snyder accountable.”

The report also concluded that a former team executive improperly took possession of a photograph of Johnston from a calendar shoot of the team’s cheerleaders. Johnston was wearing lingerie in the photo, which had not been edited “to fully cover inadvertent exposures.” Investigators found insufficient evidence to show Snyder was personally involved in that incident.

White’s firm did not conclude whether Snyder was personally aware of the financial misdeeds, but witnesses told investigators that Snyder repeatedly pressured team employees to improve its financial performance, telling them, “every dollar matters.” Documents detailing how the team moved revenue into accounts that shielded the money from other teams were shared with Snyder on at least one occasion, the report said.

“At a minimum, (Snyder) was aware of certain efforts to minimize revenue sharing, at least some of which were later found to be in violation of the NFL rules,” the report said.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said White’s findings contradicted Snyder’s sworn testimony and introduced two bills intended to protect American workers from the abuses committed by Snyder and the Commanders.

In order to skirt NFL revenue-sharing rules, Washington would classify team-related revenue as money made from special events such as concerts, college football games or soccer games.

“(I)f the NFL had a jail ... we would be in it,” a team employee wrote to its chief financial officer in 2010 after agreeing to allocate NFL revenue to a college game.

Friedman alleged that the Commanders had “a second set of books,” and the investigation corroborated his account. Among its findings were that millions of dollars in revenue from “tickets sold or bartered with sponsors at falsely undervalued prices” were moved into accounts that hid the money from the league.

In addition to the $11 million that White’s firm found the team withheld from the league, forensic accountants who reviewed the team’s books identified another $44 million in parking, license and other revenues that were transferred from accounts holding league revenue into special events accounts.

The report notes that the team’s revenue-shielding scheme “appear(s) to have become more aggressive after its ticket sales began deteriorating in 2008.” Washington had long touted a decades-long waiting list for season tickets, but demand cratered under Snyder’s stewardship of the team, which went 166-226-2 overall and won only two playoff games during his 24 years as owner.

Snyder long had a reputation for squeezing every possible dollar out of fans, from aggressive pricing of parking and concessions to charging fans to attend training camp. He even filed lawsuits against fans for canceling their season tickets. The District of Columbia Attorney General’s office reached a settlement with Snyder over the team’s failure to return season-ticket security deposits.

White’s firm wrote that while Snyder and the team pledged to fully cooperate with investigators, they did not. Instead, the Commanders failed to produce requested documents, declined to let investigators speak to the team’s external auditors, and engaged in other tactics that “delayed and impeded the investigation.”

“Evidencing his individual failure to cooperate, Mr. Snyder engaged in months of scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling of his interview,” the report said.

https://apnews.com/article/dan-snyd...ithheld-bf6a2ec478e15355e0bd026cf24dfb65

NFL owners approve $6.05B sale of Commanders to Harris group

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Washington Commanders no longer belong to Dan Snyder.

NFL owners voting during a special session Thursday unanimously approved the team's sale from the Snyder family to a group led by Josh Harris.

The Harris group is paying $6.05 billion, a record sum for a North American sports franchise. Snyder had owned the majority of the Commanders since 1999, and his family became the sole owners after he bought out his limited partners two years ago.

Harris said he felt "humbled and awed" to be the new owner.

"I feel an awesome responsibility to the city of Washington," Harris said. "I know what I've got to do. It comes down to winning. It's on me and on our ownership group to deliver. That's what we're going to do."

Harris grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and recalled early memories of walking past RFK Stadium, site of the franchise's former home. He rattled off the team's former greats, from quarterbacks Sonny Jurgensen in the 1960s and '70s to cornerback Darrell Green and wide receiver Art Monk.

"This franchise is part of who I am," Harris said. "But being a fan is not enough. To be successful, we need to win championships, create a positive impact on the community and create incredible memories for our fan base much like I had as a youth growing up in Washington."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called Harris a "great addition" to the NFL, pointing to his record in business, sports and his work in communities.

"As someone who grew up in Washington, I know how important that franchise is to that community," Goodell said. "The franchise is in good hands with this group. ... They want to put that franchise where they think it belongs, where it's respected -- not just in the community, but worldwide."

Harris and Snyder entered into an exclusive agreement May 12, but the NFL's finance committee, according to Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, wanted Harris to adjust his offer to get in compliance with NFL guidelines. Harris could not carry more than $1.1 billion in debt, and the committee wanted him to have more equity in the purchase. The primary owner must put up 30% of the sum.

Getting the bid in compliance, among other issues, had caused the vote to be delayed.

The finance committee met with Harris for the first time June 7 in New York, which led to Irsay being more optimistic that a deal would be approved.

Thursday's special session lasted nearly 2 hours, 45 minutes before the sale was officially approved.

"It's going to be a great day for the NFL," Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said before the meeting. "It's a hallmark day. Excited about the prospects of going into Washington and giving them some capital punishment."

Harris' group includes NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and billionaire Mitchell Rales, who, like Harris, is from Maryland. There are 20 limited partners in the Harris group, under the NFL limit of 25. Each partner had to be vetted for financial and security reasons.

"This is truly the biggest achievement in my business career and a historic moment for the entire Black community," Johnson posted to Twitter on Thursday. "Talk about God's perfect timing. This was the right organization for me to be a part of given it's global appeal, history of winning, and the diverse fanbase and DMV community. ... I am honored and ecstatic to be a co-owner of the Commanders franchise!"

Harris -- along with David Blitzer as part of the Harris-Blitzer Sports Entertainment group -- also owns the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils. Harris also is a general partner of Crystal Palace F.C. in the English Premier League and a minority shareholder in Joe Gibbs Racing.

Harris co-founded Apollo Management, an asset management firm, in 1990. He has a net worth of $5.8 billion, according to Forbes.

Taking over distressed assets launched Harris' wealth. And that's what he will be doing in Washington.

Snyder had been the subject of multiple investigations over the past three years, leading to speculation about his future as an owner and causing numerous fans to lessen their attachment to the franchise. But on Oct. 18, after Irsay had told reporters there was "merit" to removing Snyder as owner, Snyder released a statement along with his wife, Tanya, that said they would not sell the team.

However, on Nov. 2, the Snyders released a statement saying in essence that they would consider selling the franchise. It was unclear at the time if they meant some or all of the team, but it soon became clear it would be a full sale, based on conversations with people close to the situation. In December, Snyder cleared out his office at the practice facility.

The NFL on Thursday fined Snyder $60 million after attorney Mary Jo White released her findings following a lengthy investigation into the now-former owner. That investigation began after a House Oversight Committee review into workplace misconduct as well as a referral to the Federal Trade Commission for alleged financial improprieties by Snyder.

Snyder purchased the team in 1999 for $800 million. From 1971 to 1992, the organization appeared in five Super Bowls and won three -- with all those titles occurring in a 10-year period that ended in 1991 under former coach Joe Gibbs.

Under Snyder, Washington had a 164-220-2 record, for a .427 winning percentage; only five teams compiled a worse winning percentage in that span. Since 1999, Washington won the NFC East four times but fared poorly in the playoffs, going 2-6. The organization's eight playoff games were fewer than all but three teams in the past 24 years.

The Commanders last won a playoff game in 2005.

It was just as bad off the field, with a number of controversies over the years slowly eroding what once had been among the strongest fan bases in the NFL.

In 2019, Washington ranked 30th in percentage of seats sold and 20th in average attendance per game. Last season, the Commanders ranked last in both. The last time Washington finished higher than 20th in percentage of seats sold was 2007 (second), although with a seating capacity that once topped 90,000, it ranked among the top five in attendance from 2006 to 2014.

In July 2020, The Washington Post first reported several instances of sexual harassment by former employees. The Post and other outlets also detailed a workplace culture that had deteriorated under Snyder. The NFL investigated these claims and fined the team $10 million in July 2021 for what attorney Beth Wilkinson termed a toxic workplace culture.

A month later, the Post reported more allegations, including that a lewd video had been made at Snyder's request from outtakes of a cheerleader photo shoot. Snyder denied the allegation.

The House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into the team's workplace in October 2021. That led to separate investigations by the attorneys general in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia into alleged financial improprieties. The U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of Virginia also launched an investigation into the same issues.

Snyder's legacy also includes changing the name of the franchise, retiring its original one in July 2020 and temporarily going by the Washington Football Team before settling on Commanders in February 2022. Snyder had hoped to build a new stadium in the Washington, D.C., area, but numerous politicians and team officials said no one wanted to make a deal with him.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38043528/nfl-owners-approve-605b-sale-commanders-harris-group

Washington RedHogs coming soon.

From my understanding they're looking for a new stadium deal that may include moving the team out of DC.

I am quite sure he will miss the slightly over 1% of the sale price he will have to pay as a fine. What a huge punishment.

$60 mil seems like a lot of money to me.

Oh how will he ever survive with only the 5 billion in profit left.

Now we wait to see what their new name will be

My dad taught me something when I was quite young when I told him something I wanted "Only cost $20". He explained to me what that meant. He said if you have 10k, $20 dollars wasn't a lot of money. But if all you had was $100, $20 was 20% of everything you had and in fact was a lot of money.

When Snyder just got over 6 billion dollars, 60 million isn't a lot of money "to him". It's all relative.

Really Snyder ruined the team. And hear that the coaches, players, staff that have worked for him or used to in the past, made him an very unpopular person like his former NFC East counterpart Jerry Jones.