the controversial owner puts the Washington Commanders up for sale

They are not the first club owners to have a scandal. They won’t even be the last. But even in the American NFL’s gallery of shame, Dan and Tanya Snyder take the cake.

The couple who own the Washington Commanders football team have been accused for years of transgressive behavior, sexual harassment and racism.

Dan Snyder is being investigated by several prosecutors, a special congressional committee and the NFL. Even during the NFL team owners meeting, it was suggested that he be removed from their ranks.

Snyder shrugged and sat quietly. Until Wednesday. In a press release, Dan and Tanya Snyder said they hired a law firm to investigate the sale of the commanders.

In other words, Washington is for sale. Those who want to buy the organization should bring in at least $ 5.5 billion, more than has ever been paid for an NFL club.

Washington Redskins was once a powerhouse in the NFL. Particularly in the 1980s, the Redskins were considered one of the strongest teams in the league, having won three Super Bowls (1982, 1988 and 1991).

It all happened with Jack Kent Cooke as the owner. The Canadian multimillionaire who also owned the Los Angeles Lakers basketball club and the Los Angeles Kings ice hockey club. When Kent Cooke died in 1997 at the age of 84, a certain Dan Snyder was eager to take over his stock.

In 1999, Snyder paid $ 800 million for club and stadium shares. Since he did so with borrowed money, Snyder then sold 35% of the shares, only to buy back that minority stake in 2021 for another $ 800 million.

Within five years, he ensured that the club’s annual revenue increased from € 100 million to € 245 million. A great deal, one might say. But this was to the detriment of the team and especially the fans.

Sportingly, there was little to celebrate under Snyder. The top club of the past rarely reached the play-offs and never made it past the first round. The loyal fans have noticed that the prices of tickets, parking and refreshments have increased enormously and have stayed more and more at home.

Snyder even went so far as to sue fans who were unable to pay for season tickets due to the financial crisis. And although Snyder has been busy with plans for a new stadium for years, the old one is now known for its overdue maintenance.

For example, in 2021 a sewer pipe exploded from the toilet room, forcing several fans to hurry for cover:

The proverbial drop, however, was a series of articles in the Washington Post in which more than 40 women shared their stories of sexual harassment and discrimination by Snyder and his direct colleagues.

A commission led by attorney Beth Wilkinson concluded in July 2021 after an investigation that sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment were commonplace in Snyder’s circles.

Surprisingly, that investigation cost the manager of another team. The e-mails between Washington employees and Jon Gruden, then head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, turned out to be steeped in racist and homophobic profanity. Gruden was fired on the spot.

What about Snyder? He got away with a $ 10 million fine imposed by the NFL. Snyder promised to leave the day-to-day management to someone else and shortly thereafter appointed his wife Tanya as the new manager.

And then there was the matter of the name change. For decades, Native Americans have protested the offensive name Redskins, but it was only when the Black Lives Matter movement rocked the United States that their complaints were truly heard.

The pressure on the then Redskins’ management had greatly increased, but owner Snyder didn’t want to know more for a long time. He didn’t go around until the big companies that sponsored the club moved out.

FedEx’s role in this was important. That club – and as the stadium’s namesake sponsor – announced it would discontinue financial support to the club if the Redskins’ mandate was not given up.

Eventually, the Snyders gave in. Since 2020 the club has been living as the Washington Football Team and since this summer the club has been known under the new name of Washington Commanders.

But the suspicion remained that the change was being implemented with some reluctance. Last October, Tanya Snyder added fuel to the fire by ending a rally honoring the club’s longtime heroes with the rallying cry: “Hail to the Redskins. And let’s beat Green Bay! ‘

A second NFL investigation is still ongoing into the transgressive behavior of Snyder and his entourage, and Snyder has also had to answer a Congressional commission for his conduct and suspected financial fraud.

At the last club owners meeting in mid-October, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay even called for Snyder’s removal from the property. This would have required the consent of 24 of the 32 owners and proved to be an illusion.

And so Snyder is still in place in Washington, much to the dismay of his own fans. ‘Sell the team’ he played from the stands last week during the home game against the Green Bay Packers.

A game ended unexpectedly with a victory, so much so that the Commanders still have a (small) chance to participate in the play-offs. Perhaps this is an extra incentive for rich candidates to free Washington from the Snyders.

Incidentally, Snyder himself does not rule out the possibility that he will only sell a minority stake. One thing is certain: his departure would have been a relief for many.