An ESPN report may spell trouble for someone in the NFL.
If you are an elected official in the District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia, how likely would it be that you will be rushing legislation through some government body giving money to fund a stadium to the owner of the National Football League’s Washington Commanders, Daniel Snyder? There probably isn’t much support to sink hundreds of millions of dollars of public money to build Snyder a stadium in any of those three areas. At least not after an ESPN investigative report that painted Snyder as a guy who might dig up unflattering dirt on someone in the NFL and threaten to use it if someone came after Snyder’s business and tried to strip him of the football team.
According to the ESPN report, Snyder told an associate he has enough secrets to “blow up” several NFL team owners, as well as the league office and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. A Commanders’ flak said, “it’s hard to imagine a piece that is more categorically untrue, and is clearly part of a well-funded, two-year misinformation campaign to coerce the sale of the team, which will continue to be unsuccessful.” If the story is untrue, then Snyder ought to sue for slander and libel. Snyder has survived despite a workplace misconduct investigation that led to his punishment, which was a suspension and a $10 million fine and turning the franchise’s day-to-day operations over to his wife Tanya. He has also been accused of sexual harassment and his business has been accused of financial improprieties. In Congress, a House panel has investigated his handling of the franchise and the assorted allegations against him and the business. Snyder is pushing ahead trying to get a new stadium, last winter, Virginia lawmakers were seriously thinking of putting up money for a Snyder stadium-village. That disappeared because of the allegations against Snyder.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
