data-mm-id=”_vh2myt5a3″>The NFL has a well-earned reputation, like many extremely wealthy and profitable organizations, of being a boys' club. What the league does and how it reacts to current events are dictated almost entirely by the group of older white gentlemen. When one of these gentlemen does something that reflects poorly on the league, there are usually very few consequences. Robert Kraft's arrest has been more or less forgotten, although the events of the last six months admittedly may have played a big role in that. Former Houston Texans owner Bob McNair said he didn't want players to kneel during the national anthem in 2018 because you, "don't want the inmates running the prison." Nothing came of it other than some poor PR. Jerry Richardson sold the Carolina Panthers around the same time various sexual harassment allegations came out against him. He still made a few billion dollars and even negotiated a clause to keep the statue of himself in front of the team's stadium. As is often the case with wealthy people in the real world, ramifications for abhorrent and/or illegal behavior are usually hard to find. The NFL is now faced with an opportunity to shed that label, at least in part. No one act will fully cleanse the league of their past sins. But after the dozens of sexual harassment allegations that have come and continue to come in against the Washington Football Team, the NFL now has a chance to could set itself on the right path. The league could get rid of Daniel Snyder. Or, at the very least, hammer him hard enough with other penalties that every owner will be checking in on their workplace culture with great frequency to ensure it doesn't happen under their watch. If you missed the happenings over the last month or so, the Washington Post has done a lot of really excellent reporting, bringing to light the disgusting culture of the team's front office under Snyder's watch. In mid-July, the Post offered up accounts of 17 different women documenting the harassment they suffered while working for Snyder's team. This was followed up by another report last week in which 25 more women came forward to share similar experiences and reports of the team's video crew being directed to make an inappropriate outtake of Washington cheerleaders' photo shoot for unnamed higher executives, without the women's knowledge or consent. In response to all this, several employees were fired, Snyder and the team released statements categorically denying his involvement in any of it, and a law firm was hired for the team to undergo an internal review of its workplace culture. That is usually a recipe for a drawn-out, eight-month investigation that culminates in no consequences for those under review and the accusations fall out of the news cycle. But, as reported today by Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post, there's reason to be optimistic that Snyder might actually face ramifications for allowing this to happen under his watch: “The forcible removal of Snyder feels unlikely — owners are reluctant to set precedents and fear putting their own franchises in the crosshairs. But Goodell at least seems committed to nothing less than a full airing of Snyder’s conduct and the hostile workplace he hosted. And that’s an evolution.”- Sally Jenkins Forcing Snyder to sell, as right as it would be, is a bit of a long shot. But Jenkins reports the law firm charged with investigating the Washington Football Team, Beth Wilkins, will be reporting to the league offices and not Snyder himself. Given the NFL's track record in these types of situations, that doesn't mean Snyder is automatically in hot water, but the likelihood of some kind of consequence is much higher when the man whose property is being investigated is not in charge of the investigative team. The NFL is also reportedly hearing testimony from more than 50 women and their lawyers directly, rather than through any intermediary. While anyone with a brain would recognize how unlikely it is that Snyder blissfully went about his business and had no knowledge of the treatment women under his employ were receiving, he will not be removed as owner unless evidence ties him directly to that culture. But the NFL needs to do something if it truly wants to make changes to this sort of thing leaguewide. I don't know what those consequences would look like. A monetary penalty would be of little comfort to the women brave enough to come forward and share their experiences. Punishing the team itself by taking draft picks seems more likely, but the path to changing that kind of culture does not come from fear of repercussion. There is no easy answer, but from what Jenkins is saying, the NFL isn't trying to sweep this under the rug like in the past. And that's a start.
Related Posts
Last Sunday had the potential to change everything in the Premier League title race. Instead, it changed nothing.
Arsenal ended the weekend as they started it: five points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand.
Mikel Arteta s men took seven points from consecutive matches against third-placed Newcastle United, fifth-placed Tottenham and fourth-placed Manchester United.
They have passed the various tests left before them and maintained a healthy lead over City.
But they still have not played City themselves this season. That will change on Friday – just not in the Premier League.
The FA Cup fourth-round draw paired England s best two teams, providing a warm-up at the Etihad Stadium for their Emirates Stadium league clash in February.
…
Rotherham finally beat Morecambe in the Carabao Cup after seeing off the League Two outfit 4-2 on penalties.
The Shrimps won in South Yorkshire in 2016 and then again 12 months ago and another upset was in the offing when Michael Mellon put them in front.
Josh Kayode’s first home goal for the club levelled before the break, meaning the game had to be decided by penalties and Dillon Phillips saved two on his debut to earn a place in the second round.
Morecambe enjoy coming to Rotherham in the League Cup so it was no surprise to see them start well.
JJ McKiernan should have put them ahead inside the first five minutes when he was teed up by Mellon, but he shot straight at goalkeeper Phillips’ legs.
Mellon did open the scoring midway through the …
Mikel Arteta believes Declan Rice’s potential return to West Ham will be “beautiful” – if the Arsenal manager decides to play the midfielder in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash.
The 24-year-old England international moved across London in the summer, the Gunners paying a club-record £105million to prise him away from the Hammers.
Rice, who captained West Ham to victory in the Europa Conference League final in the last of his 245 games for the club he joined at the age of 14, could be in line for his first return to east London having shone in the opening months of his fledgling Arsenal career.
“It will be his first time back at his old club and a beautiful moment for him, I think,” Arteta said on the eve of the fourth-round tie.
“I think it …
Celta Vigo have temporarily removed Santi Mina from their first-team squad pending disciplinary proceedings after the forward was sentenced to four years in prison for the sexual abuse of a woman.
A ruling handed down by the Third Section of the Provisional Court of Almeria sentenced Mina in relation to an incident on June 18, 2017.
According to Spanish news agency EFE, Mina s friend and fellow footballer David Goldar was acquitted.
Mina s legal representation confirmed he will appeal the decision.
In a statement reported by EFE, they said: With important errors in the assessment of the tests carried out and therefore of the events that occurred, [the legal team] will proceed to file the corresponding appeal in the coming days.
Celta subsequentl…
The only way is up for Arsenal after another humbling defeat, this time at Manchester City, who saw two potential Premier League title rivals draw at Anfield.
Mikel Arteta endured a miserable return to the Etihad Stadium, with the latest poor result seeing the Gunners end the day at the bottom of the English top-flight table having played at least three league matches for the first time since October 1974.
The rest of the fixtures were much closer, including a lively capital clash and a four-goal draw in the north east that saw late, late drama.
Using Opta data, Stats Perform takes a look at the key statistics from some of Saturday s most notable fixtures.
-9 Arsenal are only the second team in Premier League history to lose their first three matches i…
Thiago Alcantara are unlikely to leave Liverpool in the January transfer window, according to Rudy Galetti. The Italian journalist has claimed that it is very likely that the Spanish midfielder is likely to stay at Anfield until the end of the season and then leave on a free transfer.
The 32-year-old is out of contract at Liverpool in the summer of 2024. It is unlikely that the former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners are going to hand him a new deal. Thiago has been on the books of Liverpool since the summer of 2020 when he joined from Bayern Munich.
Thiago has made 67 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. The midfielder has scored two goals and given four assists in those games. Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League table at t…
Milan s hopes of finishing in Serie A s top four received another blow on Saturday as they were beaten 2-0 by relegation-threatened Spezia.
The Rossoneri headed to Stadio Alberto Picco on a seven-match league unbeaten run but still stinging from Wednesday s 2-0 first-leg defeat to city rivals Inter in the Champions League semi-finals.
Stefano Pioli s men put in another frustrating display against stubborn Spezia, twice denied by the post before Przemyslaw Wisniewski and Salvatore Esposito struck late on as the hosts claimed three points for the first time in nine league games.
The result means fifth-placed Milan remain two points behind fourth-placed Inter and three ahead of Roma, though both of those teams could yet take advantage of their latest slip-up this we…
In his heyday, Arsene Wenger was widely praised for his trust in young players and eye for developing talent.
After all, Cesc Fabregas, Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie are just a few of the players he helped nurture into top-level international footballers.
But for every Henry is a superstar who got away… Or so Le Professeur would have us believe.
A football manager can t sign everyone, but as the joke goes, Wenger seems to have tried to buy all of them all of the players. Or, all the really good ones anyway. Funny, that.
The Frenchman has been doing the media rounds of late and most recently floated the idea of Cristiano Ronaldo playing alongside Henry, Robert Pires, Sylvain Wiltord and Dennis Bergkamp in an interview with the BBC.
Manchester City will be aiming to get back to winning ways in midweek as they tackle Burnley in the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup.
Heading to Turf Moor, Pep Guardiola s men will be reeling from their shock defeat to Leicester City but have a great chance to reach the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, the Clarets have not reached this stage of the League Cup in some time so a win against the Citizens could help them finally get their season up and running after a tricky start.
Burnley
It s certainly not been the start to the 2020/21 that Sean Dyche and Burnley would have envisaged, with an injury-hit Clarets side losing their opening two Premier League matches to Leicester City and Southampton. The Carabao Cup has been a welcome distraction so far though having reached the f…
Bernardo Silva made amends for his midweek penalty miss as holders Manchester City returned to the FA Cup final with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
Silva badly fluffed his lines as City were agonisingly knocked out of the Champions League on penalties by Real Madrid on Wednesday but he was the match winner as they bounced back at Wembley.
The Portugal international turned home the only goal of a tight encounter six minutes from time to keep alive City’s hopes of retaining the domestic double.
final bound!
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
Chelsea were left to rue wasting a host of chances, with Nicolas Jackson particularly culpable, on what proved a bad day for the Senegal forward in front of goal. The Londoners were also frustrated no…