NFL owners reportedly counting votes on removing Dan Snyder

A change in ownership would really signify a new era of Washington Football. Between the Commanders rebrand launch in February and debuting a new set of uniforms, there’s palpable excitement about what the future holds in Ashburn.

Unfortunately, any excitement fans have generated comes with a limit thanks to embattled owner Dan Snyder continuously embarrassing the franchise. Over the last several months, though, it’s felt like Snyder has slowly been losing his stranglehold on ownership of the Washington Commanders.

The laundry list of run-ins include withholding documents from investigation into the club’s toxic workplace culture and the NFL commandeering his attempt to look into the allegations levied against him by former employee Tiffani Johnston.

In light of the allegations that claim the Commanders cheated other teams out of millions in ticket revenue, it seems Snyder is on thin ice with the NFL.

According to a bombshell report from Jarrett Bell of USA Today, league owners are “counting votes” on potentially removing Snyder from office. Bell’s source is an anonymous NFL owner, so there appears to be fire near this cloud of smoke.

NFL owners are reportedly counting votes on removing Commanders owner Dan Snyder.

"“If that happened (withholding ticket revenue) I think that’s the nail in the coffin,” one team owner said of Snyder’s ownership. “For the first time, there’s been chatter,” another team owner told Bell regarding a potential ouster. “We should really think about doing something if they find something there.”"

This reported move against Snyder comes in the wake of the investigation into Washington that alleges it withheld as much as $5 million in refundable deposits from season ticket holders. The House Oversight and Reform Committee sent a 20-page letter to the Federal Trade Commission detailing the allegations.

According to NFL rules, teams must shared 40 percent of home ticket revenue with the league, which disseminates the money to visiting teams. The letter accuses Snyder of using two separate accounting books to track finances.

Per the letter, Washington executives directed employees to “establish road blocks” to prevent season-long subscribes from obtaining their security deposits, which allowed the team to retain the money without any backlash.

Washington’s former vice president of sales and customer service, Jason Friedman, told the Committee that Snyder and former Chief Operating officer Mitch Gershman ordered him to track down “dormant” fan accounts where the unclaimed deposits could be transferred back into Washington’s account. The funds would then be converted so it wouldn’t have to be shared with the league.

Commanders fans have lived this movie countless times over the years, so they’ll be reluctant to believe Snyder is actually on thin ice.

It’s no coincidence that Snyder could finally face the music now that he’s affected the league’s revenue stream. Of everything he’s been accused of (fostering over a toxic workplace culture that included allegedly sexually harassing female employees), it’s almost a shame this could be the straw that breaks the camels back.

Whatever happens, owners genuinely appear fed up with Snyder.

"“There’s growing frustration about the Washington situation and not over one issue, but over how much smoke there is,” one owner told Bell. “I think everybody’s getting tired of it.”“There are some owners who believe the league will be better off with a different owner in Washington,” another owner added."

It’ll take 24 votes to get it done. Cross your fingers, folks.