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Dan Snyder reportedly has gathered enough info on other owners and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that they’re worried about what could transpire if there’s a move to push Snyder out as the owner of the Washington Commanders.
That revelation was among new claims in an exhaustively reported story ESPN published on Thursday, an article that detailed what the Commanders owner has done and could do to retain ownership of the franchise he’s helmed since 1999.
“They can’t f–k with me,” Snyder allegedly said.
A Commanders spokesman called such allegations “simply ridiculous and utterly false.”
“Dan has never said that nor does he think it,” the Commanders spokesperson said in a statement to Front Office Sports and other outlets. “Owners have a shared love of the game, a mutual respect for each other and our organizations, and a strong working relationship that has enabled the League to continue to grow and adapt to enhance the experience of professional football for everyone.”
Beyond the potentially damaging info dug up by private investigators allegedly accumulated against Goodell and at least six NFL owners, the story also laid out some other new reporting.
- Snyder agreed to step down from day-to-day duties at the conclusion of the independent investigation led by former assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Wilkinson, something the team confirmed after the story was published and added there are currently no restrictions on Snyder. Snyder’s wife, Tanya Snyder, has been representing the team at league meetings as co-CEO.
- Lawyers tried to keep an accuser — whom Snyder settled with for $1.6 million over allegations Snyder groped her on his plane in 2009 — from talking about the alleged incident with anyone, including Wilkinson. That included a second offer to the accuser, according to the woman’s lawyer. Snyder has long denied the claim, including in a Congressional deposition.
- The “dirt” compiled includes information on longtime Snyder ally and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
A Commanders spokesperson called the ESPN report “part of a well-funded, two-year campaign to coerce the sale of the team, which will continue to be unsuccessful.”
