The terrible ownership and management of the Washington Commanders

When managing a professional football team, it is widely agreed upon that it takes a high level of commitment and sacrifice to make the team as great as possible. While NFL team owners have had their fair share of suspicious activity, none compares to the resume that Commanders owner Dan Snyder has built with his team. With a stadium that is falling apart as we speak and numerous allegations of poor treatment of stadium workers, this is only the beginning. These problems have been around for years and are seemingly shoved under the rug by Snyder.

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Stadium Problems

One headline associated with the Commanders is the problems with FedEx Field. While some of the issues are minor, like ridiculously high prices and sewage water falling on the stands, some issues bring into question the health and safety of the players and even the fans. In one incident, after a loss in the season finale to the Philadelphia Eagles, a group of Eagles fans saw Quarterback Jalen Hurts running and reached out their hands. In doing so, the railing that should’ve supported them collapsed, causing the fans to fall onto the field. The Commanders were sued by four of the fans for $300,000, and the situation was mostly forgotten about. The poor field construction has contributed to numerous player injuries over time. Most notably, the non-contact injury of star QB Robert Griffin III. On a bad snap, Griffin retreated backward to recover the ball, but in doing so, his leg awkwardly stretched, resulting in a torn ACL and LCL, an injury he would never quite recover from.

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Lack of Care

Dan Snyder’s ownership of the Commanders has displayed his lack of care for the team and its image. In the last season, rumors came out of a “toxic culture” endorsed by Dan Snyder. Between sexual harassment and verbal abuse of employees, Snyder was reported to have a role in the poor treatment of the employees. In another instance, Commanders were set to honor legendary Safety Sean Taylor, who tragically died early in his career in 2007. The “statue” used to honor Taylor was instead a mannequin with his jersey and a helmet on it. This underwhelming display caused outrage from social media as many agree that Taylor deserves better. Since Taylor’s passing, there has been a lack of recognition for Sean Taylor and his legacy.

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What’s Next?

There have been some rumors about the future of Snyder with the Commanders. Fans have pressured him to sell the team. In November, some high-profile names who may be interested in buying the commanders franchise, including Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z, surfaced. In another report earlier this past season, Snyder claimed that he had “dirt” on other NFL owners, trying to pose as a sort of blackmail to possibly save his image. This seems to be a defense tactic to try and take the light off what he has done wrong. Whether it is suing loyal season ticket holders in an economic recession in 2009 or throwing money left and right at mediocre players, fans have had enough for a while. It is safe to say that Dan Snyder has earned the title of the most hated man in Commanders’ history.

Stephen Avara, Junior

Steven Avara is a junior member of the Multimedia Journalism class.