Daniel Snyder’s problems will not be solved with what many consider a long overdue name change.
As the owner of the Washington Redskins faces mounting financial pressure to remove the racial slur the team has been known for for nearly 90 years, Snyder is reportedly facing increasing trouble finding like-minded voices in the organization. The Washington Post reports that Snyder has narrowed his circle of support and has led his team’s advisers to work outside of the sport.
“He checks his Rolodex and calls people at random until he gets an opinion he likes. And he follows him, “said a former Snyder employee for seven years in the middle.
Another person who worked with Snyder, 55, for five years witnessed similar cases.
“He seeks advice, but he only listens to what he wants to hear,” said the employee. “His favorite phrase is ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about!'”
Since the team’s acquisition in 1999, Snyder has ignored countless voices seeking a change in the franchise name that many consider offensive. Now, with mounting pressure from sponsors and advertisers in the wake of a national movement against racial and social injustice, Washington appears ready to adopt a new nickname, although Snyder reportedly continues to resist the idea.
“He’s in it,” a source with knowledge of Snyder’s deliberations told The Washington Post.
Head coach Ron Rivera told the newspaper that he had recently been discussing possible new team nicknames with Snyder.
“If we do it in time for the season, it would be amazing. We came up with some names, two of them that I really like, “Rivera said, without revealing the two names.
But the problems within the organization go beyond the name change, and were exacerbated by the impeachment of team president Bruce Allen, who was fired on December 30. Snyder has yet to take the job, which is reportedly causing confusion regarding decision-making.
“It kept things going,” said a former Allen employee, who advised Snyder for nearly a decade.
While Rivera has assumed most of the responsibilities regarding soccer, Snyder has reached out to partners outside of the franchises regarding business decisions, including Karl Schreiber, the chief financial officer of Snyder Enterprises. According to multiple sources in the Washington Post, Snyder has been talking to his friend and business partner Jay Leveton about the likely name change.
However, with Snyder spending most of the past three months out of the country, employees have cited a lack of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Redskins under Snyder have qualified for the playoffs five times.
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