CNN
—
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said Tuesday he thinks “there’s credit in taking away” Daniel Snyder as owner of the Washington Commanders.
Irsay was speaking at ongoing league meetings in New York and answered several questions about the controversial Commanders owner. Snyder’s time in Washington was mired in scandals and investigations into allegations of workplace conduct within the team.
Asked if he thinks Snyder should be removed as owner of the team he’s owned since 1999, Irsay told reporters: “I think that’s something we have to look at. , we have to look at all the evidence and be thorough going forward, but I think it’s something that needs serious consideration.
For a National Football League (NFL) owner to be removed by his co-owners, it takes a three-quarters vote – or 24 out of 32 owners – for the motion to pass.
When asked if other owners agreed with his sentiment, Irsay replied, “I just believe in the workplace today, the standard that the shield represents in the NFL, that you have to defend and protect that. I just think once the owners talk to each other they will come to the right decision.
“My belief is that – unfortunately – I believe that’s the route we probably have to take and we just have to finish the investigation. But I’m very concerned about the things that have happened there over the past 20 years.
Last year, after an internal investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson, the NFL fined the team $10 million and Snyder handed control of the day-to-day operations of the franchise to his wife, Tanya Snyder. . The NFL, however, declined to release its findings, triggering a House Oversight Committee review in October.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testified before a House Oversight and Reform Committee panel in June and said the culture of commanders has been “not only unprofessional, but toxic for far too long.”
Earlier this year, House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney accused Snyder ‘himself of encouraging’ the football team’s ‘toxic workplace’ and then ‘conducting a shadow investigation to target his accusers, shift blame to others, and influence the NFL’s own internal review.”
Maloney said Snyder “fired women but not men who had relationships with other employees, while defending male executives accused of sexual harassment,” according to testimony from former senior team executives during the interview. the panel’s eight-month survey of commanders’ culture and the NFL’s response.
The New York Democrat said Snyder sent private investigators to the homes of former cheerleaders, “offered silent money to buy their silence,” created a “dossier” of reporters’ communications, lawyers and former employees who had accused the team of harassment and tried to blame former team president Bruce Allen for the team’s problems.
Snyder testified before a congressional committee for more than 10 hours in July. A spokesperson said in a statement that Snyder answered all questions about workplace misconduct, described COs’ dramatic transformation in two years and expressed hope for the organization’s bright future. The transcript of Snyder’s appearance has yet to be released.
Asked about Irsay’s comments on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the commanders called Irsay’s comments “highly inappropriate.”
“It is highly inappropriate, but not surprising, that Mr. Irsay chose to publicly make statements based on lies in the media. It is unfortunate that Mr. Irsay has decided to go public with his statement today as an investigation is ongoing and the team has not had a chance to formally respond to the allegations.
“Commanders have made remarkable progress over the past two years. We are confident that when he has the opportunity to see the actual evidence in this case, Mr. Irsay will conclude that there is no reason for the Snyders to consider selling the franchise. And they won’t.
NFL commissioner Goodell responded to Irsay’s comments about Snyder when speaking to the media later in the day on Tuesday.
“We had a brief in our previous session. We had a brief report on a few matters, including an update on the investigation from Washington,” Goodell said.
“It is an ongoing investigation. That’s what we talked about. There were no interim reports. We have not received any interim reports. We don’t provide one as we don’t have one. When (former US attorney) Mary Jo White completes her investigation, we will share it with members and share it publicly as we have committed to before. I have been very clear with them that there is no reason for there to be speculation at this stage or discussion until we have the facts. That was my message to the property. And there was little to no discussion.
The NFL hired former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairwoman Mary Jo White earlier this year to investigate the allegations against Snyder.
When asked if he thought Snyder was good for the league, Goodell said he thought “everyone deserves the opportunity to make sure they know the facts.”
“Speculation is not beneficial. I feel that strongly in my heart. But I also think it’s the right thing to do for anyone. Everyone deserves a fair chance. We’ll see what the results are. of the next survey, and we’ll go from there.
