By: Mike Rifkin
As sports fans we always talk about holding players accountable when they make a mistake. We eventually get details from the league’s investigation over the situation. The same cannot be said for owners, over the past year or so there have been three different situations with franchises accused of something.
Last Summer The Washington Post had a report this summer that former female employees of the Washington Commanders came out with reports of sexual harassment and verbal abuse from 2004-2019 . Claims included that Richard Mann the second the assistant director of player personnel asking a woman if her breasts were “real or fake”, and that this employee wanted to “squeeze her butt.” Will Hobson, the reporter who broke this story said “ The sales staff were encouraged to wear low cut blouses, tight skirts and heels.” Larry Michaels, the Senior Vice President of the team, asked employees to make a video for owner Daniel Snyder that included partially nude photos of cheerleaders from a 2008 swimsuit calendar. The lack of transparency the NFL has shown during their investigation, made congress people want evidence turned over to them. Carolyn Maloney and Raja Krishnamoorthi of the Oversight Committee have asked for the findings to be sent to Congress. In the letter Maloney and Kirshnamoorthi write “ We have serious concerns about what appears to be a widespread abusive workplace at the WFT and about the NFL’S handling of the matter.” Earlier this month six former Washington employees met with the House Oversight Committee about the allegations against owner Daniel Snyder. Melanie Coburn, a former cheerleader and director of marketing, said “ as the allegations were surfacing Snyder had private investigators sent to dozens of former cheerleaders’ homes. Coburn went on to alleged Snyder of offering money for their silence.” Coburn also went on to say “Daniel Snyder should not be managing any human beings. He needs to be held accountable for his actions.” Tiffani A. Johnston, a former cheerleader and marketing manager, said she was “strategically” seated by Snyder at a work dinner so he could put “his hand on the middle of my thigh until I physically removed it”. She said this was done purposely and without consent as he touched her in a sexual manner. Johnston also alleged that Snyder “aggressively pushed” her toward his limo later that night before his attorney intervened, advising him not to engage the “very bad idea”. Jason Friedman, Johnston’s former boss, said in a letter to Maloney that he witnessed Snyder try to grab Johnston and push her to his limo.” The NFL responded by saying that it is reviewing the new allegations.
Last week ESPN reported that the Dallas Cowboys paid a 2.4 million dollar confidential settlement after four cheerleaders accused Richard Dalrymple of voyeurism as they undressed in their locker room after a 2015 event. Darlymple the Cowboys senior vice president for public relations and communications was standing behind a partial wall with his IPhone extended towards the women undressing. Each woman received $399,523.27 after the incident. A fan of the team also saw Darlymple take upskirt photos of Jerry Jones’s daughter Charlotte in the war room during the 2015 draft. Darlymple retired after this past season. The NFL will not investigate the matter saying that the club handled the matter.
Then there is the Brian Flores lawsuit where he accuses Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross of offering him 100,000 dollars for every loss in Flores first season in Miami. Flores refuses and says he has evidence of it and the Dolphins are denying all of it. The league is looking into this matter.
The problem for me is that when the NFL investigates a player we get the evidence and are shown what the league wants us to see. When it comes to the owners they are very defensive, but we deserve to have the information offered to us in the matter at hand. Fans are consumers and should know what went on in Washington, Dallas and Miami. If the allegations are true in Miami and Washington Stephen Ross and Daniel Snyder should have to sell their respective franchises. In the case of Dallas all we want to know is why and why the league isn’t looking deeper into the matter?
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