Insider report indicates Dan Snyder willing to use “dirt” on other owners to keep his team

Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder claims “dirt” on fellow NFL owners and commissioner Roger Goodell that could “blow up the league.” 

It’s become apparent that Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder is reviled by his team’s fanbase and other owners in the National Football League. Now, he might also be feared.

According to a report dropped by ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham, and Tisha Thompson. It’s been revealed that Snyder has gathered enough secrets to “blow up” several NFL owners, the league office, and even commissioner Roger Goodell.

On Thursday’s Get Up, Wickersham spoke to Mike Greenberg about the findings, how revealing this information was, and what it says about the current state of ownership in Washington.

"“(Dan Snyder) has told people that he has used private investigators on them and he has some stuff that could blow up the league. He has told someboday and that “they (the league) can’t F with me.” He has denied saying those things but we have first-hand knowledge that he did say that and it’s not landing very well at 345 Park Avenue (NFL office in New York) and fellow owners.”"

Well, of course, how would it be landing well? Furthermore, are we surprised that Snyder would engage in such behavior? If we were to just read the bombshell report as a whole, details from Snyder’s entire tenure thus far, including the “tantrum” Snyder threw in a 2003 league meeting about the Super Bowl not coming to FedEx Field and instead moving to Arizona, there’s enough telling information there.

The report brings up a growing consensus around the league that, despite news releases to the contrary, the Commanders have struggled to establish a more inclusive culture. There was the name change from the Redskins to the Football Team and, ultimately, the Commanders. There was also the ongoing sexual assault scandal, in which ESPN and the Washington Post reported just how alarming the process was.

"“For years, it seemed that Snyder’s biggest off-the-field problem was his stubborn refusal to rename his team. That changed in 2020, when a Washington Post report on the team’s culture included numerous allegations of chronic sexual harassment and multiple incidents of misconduct, including some made by former team cheerleaders who accused team executives of creating videos of them partially nude, making disparaging sexual remarks, asking for dates and telling female employees to flirt with suiteholders.Snyder dismissed the report as “a hit job.” The team hired Beth Wilkinson, a veteran Washington, D.C., lawyer, to investigate the claims in July 2020. But Snyder was “actively interfering” with the Wilkinson inquiry by using private investigators to “harass and intimidate witnesses,” congressional investigators found. Goodell and the league took over the investigation in August 2020.The congressional inquiry would later uncover internal documents showing how the league and Snyder’s legal team had secretly struck a deal, known as a “common interest agreement,” that meant both had to sign off before any information was released.”"

Daniel Snyder claims he has “dirt,” which could be damaging to the entire league if true.

Fans of the Washington franchise have called for Daniel Snyder to be removed several times, and many have complained about the stadium. The report quotes a senior team executive saying FedEx Field “is a disaster.” Many will recall last season, a railing gave way during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and Eagles fans collapsed onto the field, nearly hitting Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Additionally, as it pertains to any form of league support/allies, it’s being reported by ESPN that Snyder has repeatedly asked Cowboys owner Jones to have his back and to persuade fellow owners not to throw him out. Cowboys spokesman Jim Wilkinson declined to comment when asked if Snyder had reached out to Jones about this story.

The issue with removing Snyder from ownership is that Goodell cannot do that. Last June, Goodell testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, telling Rashida Tlaib that he does not have the authority to remove Snyder. Yet, according to Wickersham and co.’s report, Goodell has the authority to recommend the removal of an owner to the other 31 owners under the NFL Constitution. Goodell later testified that he was “not aware” of any option for Snyder’s removal being discussed among owners.

This story looks to have no end in sight, at least not now, and what comes after all of this remains to be seen. We have seen one owner (Donald Sterling) in the NBA be removed from their position and another (Robert Sarver) in the process of being more or less forced out, and somewhere down the line, we might see it in the NFL with the nation’s capital.