big story coming on the Washington no-name-yet team… scandals brewing

Harrison Weinhold@RadioHarrison
This will be a story about how the front office for the past 10 years has hidden and protected men in the building against sexual assault and harassment allegations and legal action. Look at recent firings and retirings if you need specific names, but they’ll be out soon

Front office and team personnel fucking media members in exchange for scoops and leaks. Protecting leadership, coaches, players from getting in trouble with their wives, etc and then using that information for blackmail, leaks and to keep people obedient (Gruden, Allen, McLovin).

it’s a massive boys club + mafia-style organization where the loyal are protected and act with impunity while a gaggle of media reporters are all heavily aware and involved in all the above information – but say nothing because access is gold in a major sports media market.

We can trace this back to the catfish no one looked into because they were all feeding “her” scoops (JLC), RG3’s dick pics, the cheerleader scandal, all the way up to today when almost every real story broken by media is a leak made available through horse-trading.

It’s the most toxic organization in sports for over a decade. To think that level of toxicity wasn’t pervasive off the football field is naive. They trot out fan favorites as window dressing while talentless leaders keep jobs because it’s too dangerous not to. That’s over now.

Just a quick download of logic in how news stories are put together.

1. source A comes through with big nugget
2. reporter has to get corroborating evidence
3. reporter writes the story, gets a couple people to confirm – or (bruce Allen) leaks all his personal emails
4. go to the team a couple days before you publish, tell them what you know, get a reaction
5. team goes in full crisis management mode – FUCK CHANGE THE NAME. FUCK FIRE THOSE DUDES. FUCK FUCK
6. Story drops.
7. “yeah we fucked up, we’re changing stuff now – see? the name?”

Let’s all live in reality here. They’re handling this no better than they handle a bad player signing or a bad leak. It’s obvious CYA (cover your ass) stuff that won’t work. This is sex scandal stuff and possible Rooney rule violations (again, only Bruce could know that). wake up

the team made multiple women sign NDA’s and paid them off after he sexually harassed or assaulted them. This isn’t news if you’ve been remotely paying attention to the team. Its the entire front office culture there and has been for over a decade.

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
The Washington Post is preparing a story about its NFL team that is expected to highlight the culture that is existed. Within the past week, front office members Richard Mann III and Alex Santos, as well as radio play-by-play voice Larry Michael, all left the organization.

Washington’s NFL team hired DC attorney Beth Wilkinson to review the organization’s protocols, per league sources. While Wilkinson is expected to conduct a deep dive into the organization’s past culture, team officials are highly upset/frustrated about speculation running amok.

Ryan Winnick@rwinnick
People seem to forget that redskins cheerleaders had their passports taken and had to take topless photos while the redskins invited spectators.A+ org

Tina Butera, M.D.@TinaBMD
Gruden covering up assault and drugs was pretty public. And he was well know for his drunk escapades and extra marital affairs at several Ashburn bars. Not sure why this would be so secret.

Exclusive: Fifteen women who worked for Redskins allege sexual harassment by former scouts and members of owner Daniel Snyder’s inner circle https://t.co/MwMTOFupF9

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 16, 2020

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The much-anticipated Washington Post report is out, and it says 15 female employees of the Washington NFL team allege they were sexually harassed https://t.co/oNAInYeDhf

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 16, 2020

Five takeaways from Washington Post’s Redskins story on alleged sexual harassment

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/16/redskins-story-report-takeaways/

As owner Daniel Snyder prepares to rename Washington’s NFL team amid extreme pressure and the franchise’s minority owners are actively seeking to sell their shares, several women have detailed repeated instances of sexual harassment that have lingered around the organization for some time.

In interviews with The Post, 15 former female employees described numerous incidents in which executives and scouts made unwelcome overtures or comments of a sexual nature and in some cases were encouraged to wear revealing clothing and flirt with clients to close sales calls.

“I am done with the NFL,” one of the women said, adding that the team “has killed any dream of a career in pro sports.”

1. The team environment tolerated frequent sexual harassment and verbal abuse of female employees.

Over the past several years many of the team’s current and former employees have been critical of the culture they experienced under Snyder and former team president Bruce Allen. In The Post story, the 15 former female employees detailed their experiences in a workplace where executives berated them and commented inappropriately about their appearances.

The women said they often felt helpless and believed complaints about the executives’ behavior were ignored. One woman, Emily Applegate, said she assumed Allen, who was not accused of inappropriate behavior, knew what was happening because his office was just 30 feet away from her and saw her “sobbing at my desk several times every week.”

Allen, who was fired at the end of last year, did not reply to interview requests.

2. Washington’s NFL team didn’t have the proper structure to handle harassment complaints.

The story notes that the team’s human resources staff consisted of one full-time staffer, who also performs administrative duties at the team headquarters. That means just one person is responsible for more than 220 full-time employees.

Women, interviewed by The Post said they often were told informally by veteran female staffers which male employees avoid and to stay away from places such as the open stairwell in the middle of the team’s facility, where men could look up their skirts.

In a statement, the team said it hired a new human resources manager in 2019, and this employee works with the team’s legal department on any issues involving employee conduct.

3. Snyder belittled executives, helping to create an uncomfortable workplace for everyone.

Snyder was not accused of harassment but was described as belittling to his senior employees. Women who worked for Dennis Greene, the former president of business operations, said Greene made them uncomfortable by encouraging them to wear low-cut blouses and tight skirts when meeting sales clients but also were conflicted in their feelings about him given the way they saw Snyder treat him.

For instance, a former employee said Snyder constantly teased Greene about being a cheerleader in college and once made him do cartwheels at the end of an executive staff meeting.

Both Snyder and Greene declined to comment for the story.

4. The team has hired an outside attorney to study the franchise’s culture.

In a statement on Thursday, Washington’s NFL team said it has hired D.C. attorney Beth Wilkinson and her law firm Wilkinson Walsh “to conduct a thorough independent review of this entire matter and help the team set new employee standards for the future.”

Wilkinson’s review is the second the franchise has undertaken in recent days. On July 3, the team announced it is doing a “thorough review” of its longtime name “Redskins.” Earlier this week, the team said that review has started and will result in its retiring the name ‘Redskins.’

5. Alex Santos, Richard Mann II and Larry Michael all left the team after complaints were raised.

Several women interviewed described incidents of inappropriate touching and comments from Santos, the former director of pro scouting. Mann, the former assistant director of pro scouting, was accused to sending flirtatious and sexual texts to two former female employees. Many women said Michael, the team’s longtime play-by-play announcer, made objectifying and off-color comments about female employees.

Santos and Mann were fired last Saturday this past week, and Michael abruptly announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon.

Santos, Mann and Michael each declined to comment.

Washington owner Snyder vows culture change amid allegations

https://apnews.com/d5368ad730adeb5c8f69d39c2cfa7753?utm_medium=AP_NFL&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter

Washington NFL owner Dan Snyder said Friday he’s committed to improving the culture inside the team after allegations of sexual harassment, while the league will wait for a law firm’s review before taking action.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that 15 female former employees said they were sexually harassed during their time with the team. Snyder said the behavior described in the story “has no place in our franchise or society.”

He hired District of Columbia law firm Wilkinson and Walsh to conduct an independent review of team policies, culture and allegations of workplace misconduct. The league said in a statement it will meet with lawyers after the investigation is complete and will act based on the findings.

Snyder also pledged to make organizational changes.

“Beth Wilkinson and her firm are empowered to do a full, unbiased investigation and make any and all requisite recommendations,” Snyder said. “Upon completion of her work, we will institute new policies and procedures and strengthen our human resources infrastructure to not only avoid these issues in the future but most importantly create a team culture that is respectful and inclusive of all.”

He said the commitment to establishing a new culture and higher standard began with the hiring of Ron Rivera as coach this year. Rivera told The Athletic he was brought in to change the culture and “create an environment of inclusion.”

The NFL said it expects the team and all employees to be cooperative but is not yet making its own review of the team.

“These matters as reported are serious, disturbing and contrary to the NFL’s values,” the league said. “Everyone in the NFL has the right to work in an environment free from any and all forms of harassment.”

Director of player personnel Alex Santos, assistant Richard Mann II and longtime broadcaster and senior vice president Larry Michael are no longer with the team. Michael announced Wednesday he was retiring after 16 years.

Santos, Mann, Michael and former business executives Dennis Greene and Mitch Gershman were mentioned in the Post story.

Washington N.F.L. Harassment Report Shocked Many, but Not Women
Diversity and inclusion advocates said until the league fully addresses its toxic relationship with women, “those stories will keep coming.”

link https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/sports/football/sexual-harassment-washington-dan-snyder.html?smid=tw-share

After news broke Thursday that there were accusations of rampant sexual harassment within the Washington N.F.L. franchise, several colleagues at women’s organizations hopped on their group chat.

None of them were surprised that The Washington Post reported that 15 women brought harassment claims against male co-workers. Some members of the group chat had previously counseled the N.F.L. on workplace culture issues and all were familiar with how difficult it could be to nudge the male-dominated pro football industry forward.

“If the leadership was OK with a disrespectful, racist and objectifying team name, it wasn’t really a stretch to think that it was going to be translated into the workplace culture there,” said Linda Seabrook, general counsel and director of workplace safety and equity for Futures Without Violence, referring to the team’s long battle against changing its name, which Native Americans (and many dictionaries) consider to be a slur. Washington’s owner, Daniel Snyder, recently folded under pressure from sponsors to change the team’s identity and imagery.

“There are stories after stories of women who have been harassed, marginalized and tokenized within the N.F.L.,” Seabrook said. “And until leadership makes it a priority to change workplace culture, those stories will keep coming.”

Six years ago, after the Ray Rice domestic violence case, the N.F.L. ignited a national debate about how the league and its players treat women, prompting Commissioner Roger Goodell to highlight the N.F.L.’s reform efforts. At a nationally televised news conference, he promised changes to the league’s personal conduct policy, saying, “We will make it happen.” He added: “We will get our house in order first.”

Yet continued reports of domestic violence and sexual assault within the league are reminders that the N.F.L.’s work is far from done. And women’s groups that have pushed the league to make substantial efforts to prevent sexual harassment and domestic violence are painfully aware of how far the league still has to go.

“Change takes time, but you need to have a will and a will is more than words,” said Rene Redwood, a consultant for inclusion and equality who has advised the league on issues of race and abuse. “They’re good at the marketing aspect, saying what they think people will think is important rather than doing the systemic work, whether race or gender.”

Redwood questioned whether the N.F.L. has provided enough resources or the motivation for its teams to keep female employees safe and to give those women equitable chances to succeed. In her view, there are few mechanisms for the league to enforce its guidelines or hold teams accountable for failing to abide by them.

Redwood and other women who advised the N.F.L. said that the league reacted fastest when it perceived that it had an image problem or was under financial pressure, and since few sponsors walked away from the league after the Rice case, organizational reform has been slow.

“As long as they generate revenue, why bother to change?” Redwood said.

The team in Washington has hired the law firm Wilkinson Walsh to review the claims of the women who told The Washington Post that they were sexually harassed while employed by the team. Snyder, the team’s owner, said on Friday in a statement that the behavior described in the article published Thursday “has no place in our franchise or society.”

“This story has strengthened my commitment to setting a new culture and standard for our team, a process that began with the hiring of Coach Rivera earlier this year,” he said in the statement, referring to Ron Rivera, who was hired in December 2019.

The league, in a statement, said the allegations “are serious, disturbing and contrary to the N.F.L.’s values.”

Sunu P. Chandy, the legal director for the National Women’s Law Center, said league and team leaders should immediately re-evaluate and change how they run their male-dominated workplaces, including by installing multiple mechanisms to report harassment and abuse so that every employee can be comfortable at work every day.

“If I was in charge of the N.F.L., I would be asking myself, ‘What kind of culture are we creating here with any team affiliated with us?’” she said, adding that leaders can, and should, decide to be a force for good and not just remain complacent.

One of the hurdles to changing behavior in the N.F.L. is the structure of the league itself. Like most sports leagues, the N.F.L. is essentially a trade organization with 32 franchises across the United States. It has control over some functions, like negotiating broadcast contracts and labor agreements, and it handles marketing and the scheduling of games, but each team is run as its own business entity.

The league establishes guidelines for the workplace that teams must follow, and in some cases, the commissioner can assess financial and other penalties to clubs that violate those rules. But the league office cannot tell a team who to hire.

“There’s no question it’s a juggling act for the N.F.L. to maintain their profits while trying to do the right thing, and there is often a connection between those two things,” said Kim Gandy, the former chief executive of the National Network to End Domestic Violence who advised the N.F.L. after Rice assaulted his then-fiancée.

In recent years, the N.F.L. began anti-harassment training at the league office and clubs undertook their own training efforts. In February, the league’s workplace diversity committee told teams that by next spring, they have to submit plans for unconscious bias training and anti-racism training. The league separately conducts inclusive leadership for employees at its headquarters.

In 2019, 36.8 percent of the people hired at the N.F.L.’s headquarters were women, up nine percentage points from 2010, according to data collected by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. Since 2014, the league has hired several women to fill key positions, including chief operating officer, vice president for social responsibility and a former prosecutor to run investigations into player misconduct.

But the N.F.L. head office has a lower percentage of women in its ranks than those of other major sports leagues, such as the N.B.A., W.N.B.A. and Major League Soccer. Overall, the institute gave the N.F.L. a “C+” grade for its gender diversity in 2019. In 2016, the league expanded the N.F.L.’s so-called Rooney Rule, decreeing that at least one woman would have to be interviewed for any executive position openings in the league office.

At the club level, the number of women in senior and professional administrative jobs has risen just five percentage points during the past decade. The league does not provide a breakdown of hiring by team, so it is unclear how diverse the front office is at the Washington club.

Still, employing more women at the league office and within its teams, said Seabrook, of Futures Without Violence, won’t solve the recurring mistreatment of women unless there is more fundamental change.

“You can promote all the women you want and put them into all the top positions you want, but if you’re not creating accountability and buy-in in fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace, it doesn’t mean much,” she said.