Wondering what the punishment was for the Washington Football Team after the rampant allegations of workplace misconduct?
The reality is the world will probably never really know.
“Held Accountable”
Dan Snyder has been “held accountable,” according to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but he did not explain what that accountability means.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLxYwU_HYhQ
On Tuesday, Goodell spoke with the media about various topics, including the Jon Gruden email scandal and the Washington Football Team workplace scandal.
“I do think he’s been held accountable for it,” said Goodell at the press conference. “I think the organization has been held accountable, and I think we’ve given an unprecedented fine. Dan Snyder has not been involved with the organization now for almost four months.
“We obviously focus more on making sure that policies that they had, many of which they put into place prior to this investigation, but also coming out of it, were put into place and that they will be maintained, and that we can ensure that won’t happen in this organization.”
An Organization In Chaos
The Washington Football Team has embroiled itself in a few significant scandals over the last few years. A disastrous report of the workplace culture, specifically toward women, came out in 2020.
Roger Goodell justifies the ongoing secrecy of the WFT investigation by claiming that some employees who cooperated with the investigation requested anonymity. Meanwhile, the NFL has said that the 650,000 emails they refuse to release fell OUTSIDE THE SCOPE of that investigation.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 26, 2021
Over 40 women, including former franchise employees like cheerleaders, claimed to be sexually harassed and discriminated against by multiple people within the organization. The accusations touched a wide range of people, from the players to the executives.
More surprisingly, the accusations had been occurring since 2006. Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999. He was also staunchly opposed to changing the controversial Redskins team name as well.
What we do know about Goodell’s idea of accountability involves money and power.
Money, Power, No Respect
Snyder paid a $10 million fine and stepped away from the helm of his organization, albeit slightly. His wife began running the day-to-day operations of the team in his stead. However, it is an unwritten fact that Snyder is still running the show.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will not release the findings of the WFT investigation because some of those who came forward asked for anonymity: pic.twitter.com/cio2n52xzF
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 26, 2021
Additionally, trainer Ryan Vermillion has been under investigation by the DEA for alleged illegal distribution of prescription drugs. Vermillion is not a nurse or a doctor and is therefore not authorized to distribute prescription drugs.
Earlier this month, Vermillion was placed on administrative leave by the WFT. The case is unrelated to the disciplinary actions placed on the team by the NFL.
The attorney representing the 40 former WFT employees, Lisa Banks, criticized the league for not revealing further punishment details. She cited Snyder’s multi-billion-dollar worth next to the $10 million fine as an example of no justice.
Raiders’ owner Mark Davis told reporters today that he would like the NFL to provide a written report of its findings on its investigation of the culture of the Washington Football Team.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 27, 2021
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that even Las Vegas Raiders owner, Mark Davis, wants the NFL to provide a report on its investigation into the workplace culture of the Washington Football Team.
Keeping it PC
Goodell had a response to the doubters.
“We are very cautious of making sure that we’re protecting those who came forward,” Goodell said Tuesday. “They were incredibly brave, incredibly open, and we respect the pain that they probably went through all over again to come forward, so that was a very high priority for us.
“Second would be our focus, and our focus remains is make sure that all of our clubs operate at the highest level as far as workforce and workplace and making sure that we set the highest standard. We actually spent some time talking about that today, and we’ll continue those discussions going forward, because it’s an important thing for us.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on whether Washington owner Daniel Snyder has been held accountable: “I do think he’s been held accountable for it and the organization has been held accountable.” Says league doesn’t think it’s appropriate to make more information public. pic.twitter.com/YUosliNV0c
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 26, 2021
The NFL has taken many L’s recently atop sport’s highest popularity rung. With issues ranging from systemic racism in club executive and coaching hiring to sexual harassment allegations, Goodell wants to put a lid on the bad press.
Suffocating the myriad of issues is paramount, especially only four months away from the biggest sports event of the year, the Super Bowl.
