The hardest part of following the Washington Commanders’ scandals, has become tracking them all. That says something in itself. The latest allegation is that Washington did not share home ticket sales with opposing teams. Is it true?
A report from A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports alleged that, “the Commanders did not pass along the required 40% share of ticket sales to visiting teams.”
According to the report, at least one person gave information to Congressional investigators in the House Oversight Committee. The Committee has been examining the finances of the team and owner, as well as the hostile workplace allegations.
Since the article was released, there have been some legal back-and-forths from both sides of the equation.
The Commanders released the following statement:
Committed perjury?
Strong words.
Strong legalese words.
So perhaps not surprisingly, there was a legalese response from attorney Lisa Banks:
“The Washington Commanders just released a statement to members of the media. In that statement, they defamed my client Jason Friedman, who came forward at the request of the Congressional Oversight Committee and testified truthfully, with evidence. Unfortunately, Mr. Friedman is unable to defend himself publicly due to contractual constraints that prevent him from speaking freely. He would be happy to recount his testimony if Dan Snyder and the Washington Commanders allow him to do so. I will await their response.”
Ugly right out of the gate.
Public Reaction
As has become the norm, fans immediately split into happy-clappers and doom-and-gloomers. The happy-clappers stating that there is clearly no empirical evidence, and that it can’t possibly be true. The doom-and-gloomers immediately calling for Dan Snyder’s head on a chopping block and for him to sell the team.
There was also a faction of people that took the opportunity to complain that all the sexual misconduct in the world hadn’t rocked the ownership boat as much as potentially ripping off other NFL owners had.
The reality is that it’s currently all speculation and that little has happened yet.
Could it be enough to force Dan Snyder to sell the team?
That’s probably unlikely. Some patsy in accounting can easily take the fall. Perhaps the league would levy a fine that needed to be paid and make it all go away.
It does however bear mentioning though, that the constant scrutiny and micro-analysis of ownership, might be getting a little uncomfortable for other NFL owners’ tastes.
All it ever takes is 24 other NFL owners having grown wary of the controversies and bad press that have piled up in Washington. And against ownership factions in general.
So while the latest scandal may not be enough to oust Snyder, don’t underestimate it’s effects either.
The rope that has been extended to Snyder by both the league and it’s commissioner Roger Goodell, is getting thinner and thinner.
And eventually that rope is going to break.
