Dan Snyder’s Airtight Defense Of His Toxic Workplace
Well this story is simultaneously absolutely awful and yet somehow distressingly familiar to the point of almost feeling like a let-down because…well, did this really surprise anybody? Does it surprise you that the Skins organization was a misogynistic dumpster of a place to work? Does it really shock you that the same team that was doing horrible things to their own cheerleaders was a shitty place to work as a woman? I think that might be the most depressing thing about this entire article for me. I read the headline and my first thought was “Oh, so it’s just another gross toxic boys club workplace”. I wasn’t outraged. I wasn’t shocked. I was almost disappointed in how…routine it felt.
This shouldn’t feel normal. This shouldn’t be so routine that 15 women coming forward (with untold amounts of more detail either left unsaid or unable to make the story due to lawyer issues) feels almost expected. This story is horrible. It shows just how utterly gross the organization is. Make no mistake, the organization is even worse than what appeared in the article. Imagine all the information that for one reason or another couldn’t go to print. Sources unwilling to come out or commit, legal hurdles keeping things quiet…the situation is worse than reported. My sympathies go out to Emily Applegate, Rhiannon Walker, Nora Princiotti, and everyone else named and unnamed as victims to this gross behavior. This is unacceptable and you deserved support.
Now I fear they won’t even get the proper outrage or justice. Sports media figures and DC area sports journalists have been insufferably smug about hyping this story up all week. Tons of that irritating “Wow if what I’m hearing is true this is going to blow the sports world out of the water” type vague BS by people with “connections”. Just a ton of people who hear stuff and won’t report it, but by golly they want you to know that they know something big. None of them will actually offer details of any sort, they just inject themselves into the story and tease. This led to rampant speculation and had the unfortunate effect of making the story itself into the story. The drama was no longer about the substance of the report. It was about WHEN WOULD WE GET THE BOMB THAT DESTROYS DAN SNYDER, THE SKINS, AND THE NFL? At that point these stupid media personalities and cowardly sports journalists had effectively ruined the impact of what we actually got to read. The story coming out today should have been the start of a massive outrage and call to completely upturn the organization and investigate even further, possibly into other teams. Instead, the story being released into this hyped up waiting public felt like the end of the saga. The release of tension and anger instead of the start. The article was out, it is just another toxic workplace, that sucks. Congrats, you made horrific sexual harassment feel mundane. If you can’t say anything substantial and don’t know what info will actually come out, don’t be a fucking tease. Treat the situation seriously. The stories of these women deserved better than to feel like a let-down after some of the absurd things people were hinting at.
My gut reaction is that this wont do anything meaningful. It reminds me very heavily of two other recent major toxic workplace reports. Riot Games and The Dallas Mavericks. The stories read remarkably similar. In both cases, nothing much seemed to really happen. Mark Cuban caught some flack, fired some people, and promised to do better. Maybe the Mavs got better, but the efforts didn’t seem very serious. Riot Games maybe had a rough month or two but nobody truly important seemed to leave. Both stories just kind of faded. I can’t say I’m optimistic about this one performing differently. We’ve had some turnover and several of the worst people in the article are already fired. But this will probably fade. If the Cheerleader scandal couldn’t get any meaningful outrage (frankly I found that story more repulsive and awful while this came across as fairly expected garbage), I don’t have much hope here.
I know a lot of people, myself included, were hoping the story would be bad enough to get Snyder out of there. Unfortunately the story seems to leave him out of any direct behavior. I don’t doubt he knew about it at all, he’s already earned a reputation as a “meddler” in team affairs so the idea of him not being aware is extremely dubious. If he was unaware, that still makes him a garbage boss who should step down because he allowed this trash to grow under his watch without noticing or taking anything seriously. But something tells me this situation is far from unique to the Skins. It is probably rampant in the entire league. I would bet a significant sum that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have a similar toxic workplace. The Saints have an owner who helped cover up pedophile priests; I bet they got some bad culture too. This isn’t like the Jerry Richardson situation or the Donald Sterling situation. In both of those cases, the story and scandal was directly about them. This one is about the Skins as a whole, so Snyder will slip free unless more comes out. The only way the other owners could force him out if is this manages to cause enough blowback that other teams begin to get investigated, so they take Snyder out as the scapegoat for the whole issue. Again, I have low expectations this happens. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the name change was partially a way to make sure they have a way to get positive press back. It’s disgusting.
If you know of workplace harassment that hasn’t been addressed and you can help by getting involved, please do. People dealing with this in the workplace need your support. The best way to prevent a toxic culture is to speak up and push back against anything that causes this sort of harm. Listen to the stories that women, minorities, and others have to share to better open your own eyes to what can and is happening. That’s how you help. Be respectful, listen, and push back against bad behavior. Everyone deserves to feel safe and comfortable at work.
Their new name should be the Washington Rapists
New team name the Washington Predators
Fuck me, this whole off season has been a dumpster fire. It’s making it real hard to enjoy the nfl anymore…
Hearing that. 2013 and 2017 were murder as a Dolphin (the Incognito affair and Cutler as QB) – couple that with barely any free-to-air football in the UK anymore, and I’ve dialled right down on my viewing. If not for Amazon Prime and whatever internet radio I can find, there’d be nothing at all.
That’s been me. I’ve been a diehard NFL fan since I was like 5. Now, I’m just so bummed out and burnt out with all the bad news that I almost don’t care if there is a season this year.
Dave on Wednesday: “this is officially going to be the last “Redskins” comic. I can’t believe it.”
Dave on Friday: *Redskins comic*
He can never avoid this, especially with the Redskins having history that he can work with when it comes to the historical comics.
73-0, last team to integrate, Lombardi’s deathbed season, final victim of the Dolphin’s perfect season (though they put up a good fight), among others though lesser known.
Though for the good, implications that Sam Baugh may have been making up for some of his interceptions by picking off opposing QBs himself since the game was a 2 way game back in the days, 3-0 in 1987 replacement games including the game where they won against Cowboys regulars who tried to take advantage of it (the Redskins regulars were going to do the same in response before Gibbs talked them out of it), and Doug Williams’ second wind (also Elway’s second L).
Forgot about Riggins’ run against the Dolphins.
To be fair, even though its tagged as Redskins, this is a comic about the team formerly known as the [REDACTED]s.
The Washington Rollsafes
Just another on the long list of horrible systemic issues to blow up in 2020 where a couple fall guys will get fired and nothing meaningful will change.
I don’t think anyone will even get fired. All the people named have already left the team. They’ll just use that to cover themselves.
TBF three of them left within the last few days… i.e. “you can resign now with some integrity or we can throw you out when shit hits the fan”
Snyder needs to be forcefully shown the door. This will suck football-wise, because a competent owner might create a competent team. But his ongoing ass-hattery is absolutely taking a dump ALL OVER the shield.
When it takes the even-greater incompetence of someone like Trump to put you in a good light? Time to walk out that door and absolutely let it slap your ass on the way out, Daniel. We glued two dozen rusty nails to it… for your pleasure, not ours.
Can you make a comic about Nascar?
I don’t follow Nascar closely enough and while I’m aware of the recent news with Bubba I still don’t consider myself educated enough to touch it
You could do Gibbs’ 1992 retirement where he venture into Nascar.
Didn’t just venture, he’s in the NASCAR hall of fame.
Or he could do the many pro football figures who tried to follow Gibbs into NASCAR with results mostly ranging from poor to laughable:
– Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach were notable partners in Hall Of Fame Racing, who fielded slow cars for career back marker Tony Raines in 06 and 07.
– Terry Bradshaw was involved in a Busch Series effort in the mid-00s that fielded Dale Earnhardt’s less popular son Kerry and several other journeymen.
– Dan Marino was the celebrated co-owner a teal and orange #13 car in 98, a second car from Bill Elliott’s struggling team. Sponsorship evaporated during the year and the #13 didn’t make it to 99.
– Shortly before his death, Reggie White helped start a program with Joe Gibbs to field minority drivers. This idea was later co-opted by NASCAR itself for its “Drive For Diversity” program. Current Driver Aric Almirola (who has Cuban heritage) came through the old Gibbs program.
– Brett Favre and Jim Kelly were both small partners in mid-pack Busch Series teams in the late 90s and early 00s.
– Former 49ers placekicker Mike Cofer actually raced in the Truck Series a few times and won a race in the old NASCAR Southwest Series.
– Jerry Glanville raced in several stock car series from the Busch and Truck Series down to old Winston West and Hooters Pro Cup series.
Interestingly, football players who got involved with Indycar racing ownership had more success, though most of them latched on to existing efforts. Joe Montana and Jim Harbaugh were involved in championship-winning efforts with Chip Ganassi Racing and Panther Racing respectively. After briefly moonlighting as a sports car racer, Walter Payton was involved with Chicago-based Dale Coyne’s Indycar team, a perennial Indycar underdog, during the last several years of his life.
It would be neat to have a Wide World of Sports segment randomly throughout the year. Just when the news is too big to ignore. It could even have a gag like the Nike designers but with newscasters. Or not I love other sports but I come here for Football.
The Washington Victim Blamers.
….that’s fucked up.
LOL
Maybe that was the true reason for him agreeing to a name change. Well played Snyder.
no….
transparently played
While Snyder apparently wasn’t in on the harassment he allegedly made an exec do literal cartwheels at a meeting because said exec was a former male cheerleader.
Dude, I can’t remember if you came from Something Awful or KSK, but I really appreciate the humor filled comics + insightful, socially progressive commentary.
Basically – I came for the (big) dick (Nick) jokes, stayed for the quality content.
Thanks!
I started in something awful but within the first year making the comics I was working at KSK, so your confusion is understandable
“I think that might be the most depressing thing about this entire article for me. I read the headline and my first thought was “Oh, so it’s just another gross toxic boys club workplace”. I wasn’t outraged. I wasn’t shocked. I was almost disappointed in how…routine it felt.”
What if this was Dan Snyder’s plan and it was his people leaking all that info out? Let people make wild speculations and then when the facts come out it’s underwhelming?
I always find it news like this extremely shocking. A little background: I live in Atlanta, which is in the racist sexist homophobic south. My wife is Black. Being married to her I understand the challenges she faces on a daily basis especially in construction, a male dominated industry yet my wife is probably is in the top 1 percentile of earners for her position. My sister who works for Cisco in Atlanta is the same way. Even though she went to a top 115 school they have been grooming her for management because she is awesome. Like I get there is sexism, I just find it surprising how little personal experience I’ve witnessed in the deep south. I worked as a hiring manager for a major software company in Atlanta for 5 years, and not only was our female hire count high, they typically had higher starring salaries and a large percent were later moved into leadership positions. To me I know there is a ton of progress to be made but I see these incidence as good news in a sea of bleak, and help but think if these companies in the deep south can get there what is stopping us
Poor Darren Haynes. Didn’t those women consider the possibility that it would ruin his week’s vacation when they decided to talk about sexual assault being part of the Skins’ culture? Won’t somebody please think of the sports journalists!