NEW YORK – For the first time, an NFL owner has publicly called for serious consideration of removing Washington’s Dan Snyder from NFL ownership.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay held an explosive interview scrum at the fall meetings Tuesday, calling Snyder’s missteps as an owner, particularly with misconduct in the workplace, “seriously serious.” worrying”.
“I think there is merit in removing him as owner of the [Commanders]Irsay said from the lobby of the Conrad New York Downtown hotel. “It is considered that it should be removed.”
Mary Jo White’s investigations into years of alleged workplace misconduct and financial irregularities under Snyder in Washington are at the root of the problem, said Irsay, who stressed that the league could “potentially” have a majority vote of the owners to remove Snyder. White, a former US attorney for the Southern District of New York and former chairwoman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, is investigating the matter on behalf of the NFL.
The league requires 24 of 32 owners to approve such a vote, which has never been done at the NFL level.
Irsay said Tuesday’s meetings will not be voted on and owners need to know more about the status of the investigation.
A recent ESPN investigation detailed the affair as it painted Snyder’s cunning schemes against other owners, using private investigators to acquire “dirt” from his past.
“Some of the stuff I’ve heard doesn’t represent us at all,” Irsay said. “I want the American public to know what it’s all about as owners … You can’t get away from the fact that, I think it’s in the best interest of the National Football League that we look this square in the eye and deal with it.”
Snyder sent a letter to other NFL owners address the ESPN investigation and refute its alleged use of private investigators.
“That is patently untrue and is intended to erode trust and goodwill between owners which I take very seriously,” he told his counterparts, according to the letter, obtained by ESPN and dated Oct. 17. “I have never hired any private investigator.” to investigate any owner or the Commissioner. I have never instructed or authorized my attorneys to retain any private investigator on my behalf for such purpose. And I never would.”
A vote to remove Snyder as owner could come as soon as the winter meetings, Irsay said, noting that owners should receive a full and detailed status report.
“That’s not what we stand for in the National Football League,” he said. “I think owners have been painted wrong many times by various people and various situations. That’s not what we do.”
A spokesman for the commanders called Irsay’s comments “inappropriate” and said the results of the current investigations will make Irsay see Snyder in a better light.
“It is highly inappropriate, but not surprising, that Mr. Irsay chose to make public statements based on falsehoods in the media,” the Commanders spokesman said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that Mr. Irsay chose to go public with his statement today, while an investigation is ongoing, and the team has not had the opportunity to formally respond to the allegations. The Commanders have made remarkable progress over the last two years. We are confident that when he gets a chance to see the real 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.”
Irsay said that Snyder’s problems have a “long, long history” and that allegations of workplace misconduct span more than a decade. In July, Snyder began testifying before a congressional committee investigating the team’s history. The hearing was not made public.
White’s investigations into the workplace and financial allegations continue. Irsay said league owners should be “updated much more fully and clearly.”
While Irsay wasn’t sure if Snyder could be persuaded to sell the team, he said the owners have “full authority” to remove him from his seat.
“This was presented to us and we have to act,” Irsay said. “To protect and be an example of what we want to be.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters here Tuesday night that he had “little to no discussion” with owners on the Snyder issue, largely because White’s investigation is not complete.
“It is an ongoing investigation. We don’t provide anything because we don’t have them,” Goodell said. “When Mary Jo White is done with the investigation, we will share it with the members and we will share it publicly. I made it very clear to them that there is no reason to speculate at this point until we have [the investigation].”
Asked if he was surprised Irsay was taking a public stand, Goodell added: “No.”
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam told ESPN he didn’t know Irsay would make his comments and plans to wait for White’s investigation before making decisions.
“It’s premature for anyone to comment,” he said. “We have to follow the process.”