WASHINGTON
The NFL has resolved the investigation into the complaints about the culture of the Washington Football Team. After an investigation by a politically-connected attorney, an oral report leads to a $10 million fine (the cost of the investigation?) and owner Daniel Snyder allegedly deciding to go into timeout while his wife takes over the reins of the franchise. Then it is all lathered up in the appropriate language for our time.
Here is the vanilla version from NFL.com:
The NFL announced Thursday it is fining the Washington Football Team $10 million based on the outcome of the review of the franchise, which was led by independent counsel Beth Wilkinson, that found the club’s workplace to have been improper for many years.
Based on Wilkinson’s review, Commissioner Roger Goodell came to the conclusion that Washington had operated “both generally and particularly for women,” per the league statement, in a “highly unprofessional” manner that included bullying, intimidation, multiple allegations of sexual harassment and a “general lack of respect in the workplace.”
“I want to thank Beth Wilkinson and her team for conducting a thorough and independent review of the Washington club’s workplace culture and conduct and providing both the club and me with a series of thoughtful recommendations based on her findings,” Goodell said in a statement issued by the league. “Beth and her team performed their work in a highly professional and ethical manner. Most importantly, I want to thank the current and former employees who spoke to Beth and her team; they provided vital information that will help ensure that the workplace environment at the club continues to improve. It is incredibly difficult to relive painful memories. I am grateful to everyone who courageously came forward.”
Tanya Snyder, who was named co-CEO of the team earlier in the week, will now assume responsibilities of CEO and look over day-to-day operations. Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder added he would be concentrating on “developing a new stadium plan and other matters.”
NFL counsel Janet Nova said Tanya Snyder assuming control of day-to-day operations was “voluntary” and no timeframe was presented for Daniel Snyder’s return to that role, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported.
The $10 million fine will be used charitably, the league announced, as it will be applied “to support organizations committed to character education, anti-bullying, healthy relationships and related topics. They will also fund programs directed more broadly at improving the workplace, particularly for women and other underrepresented groups, and training and development programs throughout the league, with recipients identified with the assistance of respected third-party advisors. We will solicit recommendations from the club, particularly for organizations based in the Washington metropolitan area.”
Snyder released a statement through the team Thursday.
“I have learned a lot in the past few months about how my club operated, and the kind of workplace that we had. It is now clear that the culture was not what it should be, but I did not realize the extent of the problems, or my role in allowing that culture to develop and continue. I know that as the owner, I am ultimately responsible for the workplace. I have said that and I say it again,” Snyder said. “I feel great remorse for the people who had difficult, even traumatic, experiences while working here. I’m truly sorry for that. I can’t turn back the clock, but I promise that nobody who works here will ever have that kind of experience again, at least not as long as Tanya and I are the owners of this team.
“I agree with the Commissioner’s decisions in this matter and am committed to implementing his investigation’s important recommendations.”
Though no timeframe is known for Snyder’s return to overseeing Washington’s daily operations, going forward there will be an abundance of changes taken on after recommendations were made by Wilkinson, who made 10 specific recommendations that Daniel and Tanya Snyder agreed to implement.
As outlined in the league press release, the recommendations were for: protocols for reporting harassment; a disciplinary action plan; regular culture surveys; regular training regarding harassment; a more diverse workforce; establishment of clear lines of authority; expansion and empowerment of HR and legal; developing formal onboarding, a performance management and compensation system and exit interview process; protecting the cheerleading team; and regular assessment of policies.
Furthermore, the Washington Football Team will have semi-annual reporting obligations through July 31, 2023. These reports to the league office, which will be through an independent third party selected by the team and approved by the NFL office, will be on progress in implementing the aforementioned recommendations, the results of the culture and other surveys and any and all complaints, including those in exit interviews or post-employment, that “reasonably present workplace-related issues of bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, or retaliation.”
Failure to implement these sanctions or to fully comply could lead to an extension of the reporting period past July of 2023 or other discipline.
Sometimes there is some transparency to NFL disciplinary action, but there have been others (Spygate, Ray Rice) where secrets are kept. This is one of those. Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com:
The NFL, based on Beth Wilkinson’s investigation, generally found serious misconduct within the Washington Football Team. The NFL will not be sharing specific details about the behavior that resulted in the broad-brush findings that culminated in a $10 million fine, up to $7 million in attorneys’ fees, and a “voluntary” relinquishment of day-to-day control of the team by owner Daniel Snyder, which reportedly will end only when Commissioner Roger Goodell authorizes it.
The league’s refusal to even commission a written report from investigator Beth Wilkinson — which obviously prevents the written report from ever being released or leaked — shows that the league (in my opinion) wants to avoid the dissemination of any specific factual findings regarding things said and done. Those specifics easily would ignite social media and potentially inflame the situation, possibly resulting in the league ultimately forcing Snyder to sell the team.
Obviously, bad things happened. Bad enough to get Goodell to conclude “that for many years the workplace environment at the Washington Football Team, both generally and particularly for women, was highly unprofessional.” Goodell concluded that “[b]ullying and intimidation frequently took place and many described the culture as one of fear, and numerous female employees reported having experienced sexual harassment and a general lack of respect in the workplace.” Goodell also found that “[o]wnership and senior management paid little or no attention to these issues,” that “senior executives engaged in inappropriate conduct themselves, including use of demeaning language and public embarrassment.”
So what caused Goodell to reach these conclusions? If the league has its way, we will never know. If we ever do know, it’s not just Snyder who will have to worry about being forced to sell — it’s Goodell who will have to worry about being forced out, like in 2014 after the Ray Rice fiasco.
The league justifies its anti-transparency position by citing the promise of confidentiality that was given to reluctant witnesses. That’s a convenient, and bogus, excuse. Information can be shared without individuals being named. Also, with no transparency about who does or doesn’t want transparency, it’s impossible to know whether and to what extent these fears of coming forward were truly an issue. All we know is that, for a relatively brief media conference call on Thursday, Lisa Friel available (not Beth Wilkinson or Goodell) filibustered through self-serving talking points that undoubtedly were crafted meticulously by NFL general counsel Jeff Pash.
Attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, who represent numerous former employees of the team, have accused the league of protecting Snyder. It definitely is. But the league isn’t doing it because Snyder is particularly powerful (he isn’t) or particularly popular (he isn’t) or particularly respected (he isn’t) among his peers. They’re doing it, in my opinion, because other owners don’t want to be held to a similar standard if other situations like this emerge with other teams.
Remember when Panthers owner Jerry Richardson abruptly sold the team after stories surfaced of past confidential settlements directed at his workplace behavior? As explained by Mark Leibovich in Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times, a very real fear emerged that this was the tip of the iceberg. Some were surprised it took as long as it did for the chickens to roost in Washington. Although no other owners currently are embroiled in similar controversies, they don’t want to be. If those who would make accusations against other owners with other teams realize that the brass ring isn’t an eight-figure fine and a temporary timeout but a forced sale, they may be more likely to make accusations. (Or to settle those accusations confidentially for a major cash payment.)
Bottom line? The owners still run the league. And there may be other owners sitting in a lounge chair on the front porch of a glass house. Any stones thrown at Snyder eventually could be thrown right back at them.
Thus, in protecting Snyder, the NFL also has potentially protected any other owners who would be the next in line to be permanently canceled by the league, if that’s what had happened to Snyder.
Mark Maske says Snyder’s exile to “stadium matters” doesn’t seem voluntary despite the verbiage:
@MarkMaske
Daniel Snyder can attend games and can seek new investors in the team, source says, along with working on new-stadium issues, under the arrangement by which Tanya Snyder takes control of daily team operations. Roger Goodell must approve Daniel Snyder’s return to daily control.
Florio:
The strangest aspect of Thursday’s action against the Washington Football Team comes from the status of owner Daniel Snyder.
The statement announcing the $10 million fine and other financial punishment explains, in the 28th of 29 paragraphs, that co-owner Tanya Snyder will manage the operations of the team on a day-to-day basis and represent the team at league meetings, indefinitely. Both the league and the team insist that this measure was voluntary, even though the statement from the league does not say that.
Frankly, it feels negotiated. A quit-in-lieu-of-being-fired outcome that allowed Snyder to avoid the indignity of being suspended, but while still as a practical matter being suspended. A deal made as part of the broader resolution of the situation, so that there would be no appeals or acrimony or litigation.
We should note, that while Snyder still owns the team, a lot of WFT’s recent hires have been much out of character – president Jason Wright, coach Ron Rivera, front office honchos Marty Hurney and Martin Mayhew. A whole cast of diverse other faces who were named in the NFL’s announcement.
We note that Snyder, often a football meddler, apparently wasn’t even in April’s draft room. This was written by Chris Russell of SI.com at the time:
On Thursday evening, the Washington Football Team proved they are changing the franchise for the better with another pick based off value over popularity.
One thing that seemed to be missing from the puzzle was an important piece to the puzzle. Dan Snyder, WFT’s controversial owner.
Sources have confirmed to WashingtonSI that Snyder was not present during the selection process, although the exact reason is not be known. One of the sources told us that Snyder completely trusts and believes in head coach Ron Rivera and his staff that he has continued to be completely hands off.
With the selection, Rivera and first-year GM, Martin Mayhew, selected Jamin Davis, the athletic linebacker from Kentucky at the No. 19 selection.
That process is something that has been mentioned several times over the last year-and-a-half. Rivera’s presence, along with Mayhew and executive Marty Hurney in football operations, plus WFT president Jason Wright and his team in business operations has limited Snyder’s involvement.
Is there communication? Of course.
Snyder has offered support to all parties involved but currently has been busy fighting his own legal battle both with Beth Wilkinson and the NFL along with legal filings on just about anyone that he believes crossed him and defamed his reputation.
Snyder — as far as we know —was in the draft room last year for the selection of Rookie of the Year Chase Young. This is not because he wanted to interfere, but because the trust between coach and owner was still blossoming.
Remember what happened in 2019, when Snyder famously ‘came off the yacht,’ as coach Jay Gruden sarcastically joked?
Overall, this isn’t an enormous drama but it is significant to the process of WFT’s future. Everyone WashingtonSI has spoken to behind the scenes continues to strongly say that Snyder has changed for the better.
We say this: The more success Rivera and the business operations have – and are allowed to have – the better off the organization will be for the future.
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Something to keep an eye out with QB RYAN FITZPATRICK from John Breech ofCBSSports.com:
If Ryan Fitzpatrick ends up being the starting quarterback for the Washington Football Team this season, there’s a chance he could end up breaking an ugly NFL record.
Over the course of his career, Fitzpatrick has lost to 28 different NFL teams and if things go sideways this season, that number could shoot up to 31, which would set the NFL record. As things currently stand, there are seven different quarterbacks who have all lost to 30 different teams.
Those seven quarterbacks include everyone from a Hall of Famer (Brett Favre) to a likely Hall of Famer (Drew Brees) plus three players who were selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft (Drew Bledsoe, Carson Palmer, Alex Smith). Besides those five, Matt Hasselbeck and Jon Kitna have also lost to 30 different teams, according to Pro Football Reference.
There are three QBs who have beaten all 32 teams, QB TOM BRADY can become the 4th in early October:
Player Beat Not Beat
Drew Brees 32
Brett Favre 32
Peyton Manning 32
Tom Brady 31 New England Patriots
Kerry Collins 31 Miami Dolphins
Aaron Rodgers 31 Green Bay Packers
Ben Roethlisberger 31 Pittsburgh Steelers
Alex Smith 31 Kansas City Chiefs
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