One of the more interesting angles from this week’s league meetings in Dallas was the state of the Washington Commanders. Would an owner speak out against Washington owner Daniel Snyder, as Colts owner Jim Irsay did in October at the owner’s meetings?
There has been little revealed since it was revealed that Snyder had hired Bank of America to help him explore potential transactions with the team. No one knew if Snyder was looking for a minority partner or to sell the team outright.
Many have weighed in on the topic and believe Snyder will ultimately sell the Commanders.
But what if Snyder decides to keep the franchise once he determines his price isn’t met?
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated brought up several good points that will scare Washington fans and make NFL owners nervous, too.
Breer wrote in his column that everyone was almost sure that the only way for Snyder to get out from under all of the investigations he’s currently facing would be to sell the team. While those investigations may not completely end, Snyder and his family would be away from public scrutiny.
This quote from Breer should concern Washington fans.
The next question, then, is whether or not the public can trust the NFL, and Snyder, to get to the right place on this. And for two months, it’s seemed like an ever-narrowing path ahead could only lead Snyder to a sale. But after what I saw Wednesday, I’ll leave Dallas less sure of that than I was when I arrived.
If you’ve ever spent any time listening to sports talk radio in the DMV, you’ll quickly learn that Washington fans are a pessimistic bunch. Snyder made them that way, after all. While most fans have expressed excitement about what a post-Snyder era would look like, others have remained unconvinced he’ll eventually sell the team until it actually happens.
Here are some things to remember. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform issued its report on the Snyder investigation last week. While there were concerning issues in the report, there was nothing new. And that investigation is over.
What if Snyder hired Bank of America to appease other owners but never intended to sell the team? Perhaps Snyder is biding his time until some of the other investigations, including Mary Jo White’s, conclude.
For what it’s worth, The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Bank of America was “moving forward with the process for him to consider offers to purchase all or part of his franchise.”
While those materials probably will not specify whether Snyder intends to sell the entire franchise or a portion of it, four people familiar with the process said they believe a full sale is the most likely outcome.
Judy Battista of the NFL Network said her sources still believe the Commanders will be sold in full.
On NFL Network, @judybattista cites three sources as saying "the expectation here is the (Commanders) will be sold, and the belief is that it will be sold in full."
— michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) December 14, 2022
There was a more hushed tone regarding Snyder and the Commanders this week, and that was by design. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t want a repeat of Irsay’s comments. And while Irsay didn’t change his opinion from his initial comments, he did seem to take a different approach this time around.
Many around the NFL believe Snyder would never sell to Jeff Bezos who owns The Washington Post. Snyder has long despised the Post for what he perceives as negative coverage of the team and himself.
What’s different now?
Some have surmised that Snyder’s wife and co-owner, Tanya, being booed at an October home game was too much for the family. It wasn’t long after that the news broke concerning Snyder exploring potential transactions.
Here’s another excerpt from Breer’s article.
But one experienced league executive floated to me the possibility that Snyder eventually plays the role of Lucy in pulling the football away from Commanders fans at the very end. This exec was suspicious that Snyder could set his price exorbitantly high and refuse to sell the team if that price wasn’t met, then keep the Commanders when bidders fail to get there.
Let’s say the number for Snyder is the one most mentioned—$7 billion. And then let’s say that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whom Snyder doesn’t want to sell to in the first place, is just a stalking horse (which I’ve heard speculated) to drive bidding into the stratosphere, and the actual bidders know it, and top out in the $6 billion range.
Goodell wasn’t saying much about the Commanders after the meeting. Of course, that was expected. However, there was some concern when Goodell said this:
“So I really feel like, from the standpoint of cooperation, we know, because we have audits going on with the club, that because of the discipline, because of the terrific investigation led by our independent counsel in this case, the change has occurred in the Washington Commanders organization,” Goodell said. “That’s verified by audits. That’s the outcome we were seeking; that’s the outcome we all wanted, so I don’t have anything further to say about it.”
The Commanders did release a statement but only saying they were focused on football and the big game Sunday against the New York Giants.
Washington is in the middle of a playoff race, currently holding the No. 6 spot in the NFC playoff picture.
We’ll continue to follow this story.
