Why This Is Dan Snyder's Final Straw

Author: Brett Sapin

There are few spectacles quite like the spectacle of the NFL. The allure of the bright lights, the fame, and of course, the money, all bring millions of Americans together each Sunday, as well as attract and hire the brightest minds to run each franchise like a well-oiled machine. Being a part of a professional sports team, whether as a player, coach, executive, etc., should be a dream come true. Yet as a lifelong fan of the Washington Redskins, what I have seen from owner Dan Snyder, year in and year out, is disappointing; and that’s to put it lightly. “Mr.” Snyder has turned the NFL dream into a circus act. This offseason hit Daniel Snyder like a truck on I-95, because not only was he forced to change a name that frankly needed to be changed a long time ago (and that he said he would never change), he now has 15+ women coming forward accusing his inner circle and other front office executives of sexual harassment. I mean I love football as much as the next guy, but the way Dan Snyder treats this team and the way he runs it is just mind-boggling to me. And this report by the Washington Post is just stunning. The lack of awareness this front office continues to display is so egregious, it is a damn miracle Dan Snyder still owns this team.

As soon as marquee names like Larry Michael and Alex Santos started to retire and get fired, I knew what was happening. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that any guy who has worked at a place 10+ years and all of a sudden gets fired or retires, especially in the entertainment business, usually has done something pretty serious to leave. But to see this report and see the texts these guys sent to these female employees, to see the lack of an HR representative there to properly receive these complaints against these men and the lack of a response to the complaints, it all just leaves a terrible taste in my mouth, a familiar taste that I’ve tasted countless times throughout my years as a fan of this moronic franchise.

Look at the successful franchises in this league, Daniel, and tell me which one of them makes their COO do cartwheels for their enjoyment? Which Super Bowl-winning franchises in recent years let sexual harassment run rampant enough to a point where you are pimping your cheerleaders out and female employees basically avoid a staircase because they don’t want creeps looking up their skirts? Daniel Snyder, you are a fucking idiot, and we do not deserve you ruining this franchise with your presence, because before you, we were all good! We won several rings and were a wildly successful franchise (albeit with the racist name), but all you’ve given my generation of fans is letdown after letdown after letdown.

Whenever I hear my older family members talk about the Skins, they remember the days of Joe Theismann, of the great Doug Williams and Art Monk, of the fearsome Hogs who brought DC multiple Lombardi Trophies. When I think of this team, I think of sub-.500 records, failed draft picks, woeful free agent signings, and not even a single great playoff performance. The last game I attended was the 2012 Wild Card game against the Seahawks and you know why? Because after waiting 2 hours to get into parking, for a shitty game where we would see the last of goated RG3 (who sadly tore his ACL yet again) it took another 3 hours to leave the Fedex Field parking lot. At that point I decided this team wasn’t worth it anymore, and I was 12! I stopped giving a shit about this team at 12 years old, because even then I realized this franchise wasn’t ever going to be anything, not with the way things were and are. This has got to be the last straw for Daniel Snyder, because if Roger Goodell is the smart businessman he claims he is, then it would absolutely behoove him to remove Snyder from his ownership. All Snyder is doing is diminishing his league’s value and reputation. And for all the scumbags that harassed those women, and for the people that let it happen, you deserve the punishment coming your way. And Dan Snyder, it has been a real pleasure, but if you had any shred of intellect, you would realize your Day of Reckoning is here, and if you aren’t prepared to face the music, then you better get out of DC.