As the NFL owners meeting has once again highlighted, accountability in the NFL only applies to those who are expendable.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said he believes Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder was “held accountable” after the league’s investigation into Washington’s workplace culture. Goodell cited the “unprecedented” $10 million fine as proof that Snyder, whose net worth is $4 billion, was made to pay.
The Washington Post detailed the culture of sexual harassment and verbal abuse in Washington back in 2020. But aside from the slap on the wrist for the billionaire owner, there will be no consequences. The NFL doesn’t even plan on releasing the written report from its investigation into the team. For Snyder, the story ends here.
Jon Gruden wasn’t so lucky. The former Las Vegas Raiders head coach had several of his emails leaked to the public during the investigation into Snyder. Gruden was publicly shamed, resigned from the team, and likely will not work for any NFL team for some time. Aside from sending the emails that got him into trouble, Gruden’s biggest mistake was not being a billionaire team owner. Is it any wonder that Raiders owner Mark Davis is the only one who doesn’t appear to be satisfied with this process?
More: #Raiders owner Mark Davis said he was disappointed with the timing of the Jon Gruden emails. He says the league had the emails for months so why did they wait until the season to inform him about them? https://t.co/WLhgnZh8pm
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 27, 2021
This is how the NFL operates and always will. Any level of moralizing from the league about any issue, whether it’s political or cultural, always comes from a place of convenience. When that person is expendable (as Gruden was to the league office), they bring down the hammer. But when there’s anything serious at stake — for example, the possibility NFL teams or the league office would have to punish someone important or influential (such as Snyder) — they typically fold.
Snyder was never going to be held accountable. It would have been disruptive to punish him or to publish such a report. That’s how the NFL operates.
The league should really just stop pretending that it cares about moral principles.
