Have Opinions Changed About Dan Snyder?

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March 5, 2021

by Dave Earl

The Year That Was 2020

While the fans have built a strong opinion (for or against) about Dan Snyder over the decades[i], the 2020 offseason was a pinnacle of his tumultuous ownership. The start of that year saw the outing of the much maligned Bruce Allen and the surprise hire of Ron Rivera no one believed Dan could manage (BTW Happy Thanksgiving everyone). As the year went on and some negative reports swirled, the fans saw something which was truly unprecedented in a Snyder owned team. While rightful pessimism did exist we watched as Ron cleaned house of everyone with ties to Bruce Allen and trusted advisors to Dan himself. There was no longer that middle man (or clique) that existed between head coach and the owner as Ron Rivera was the only true voice in Dan’s ear. As the offseason progressed the organization became more inclusive and diverse with the hiring of Jason Wright and Julie Donaldson. Let’s be honest: there was a different feeling about this year compared to years past, BUT the reports and controversy came fast and furious.

The reports of sexual harassment and trafficking began to leak out quickly, tarnishing any hope we saw as fans going forward. Although Snyder made a sexual harassment settlement[ii] in 2009, the new statements made were egregious to say the least. As we are very well versed on this situation and the improper handling, there is also a sense of apathy for Dan too. Now I am in no way saying Dan is a victim here but his lawsuit[iii] does help show that behind closed doors there is more to these stories too. As these stories became more prevalent and overshadowing the retirement of the Redskins name, there certainly seemed to be the typical “Nothing ever changes with Dan” remarks as the year closed out.

Even through all the controversy and scandals we watched a team led by a head coach fighting cancer, a quarterback achieving the impossible and unprecedented fan interaction by Jason Wright and Julie Donaldson. A year which concluded in a division title behind a stout defense and the future Comeback Player of the Year Alex Smith. With the football side showing all the positive signs going forward, Dan Snyder and his squabbles[iv] with the minority owners still manages to temper hope and excitement.

So Where Are Fans Today

Opening dialogue with fans, I’ve noticed a few share a more positive future pointing to his hires and the makeup of this current roster. I have always sensed many tend to try to separate Ron Rivera and football operations from Dan and his continued distractions. There is still a sense of frustration and fatigue for sure among this fan base, as you can see below:

This thread produced more of a mix in rationale than the other groups to which I posted this topic:

What I Have Noticed

While I have found both purely venomous opinions and those trying to apply some logical reasoning, a common theme is just frustration and fatigue. Fans are exhausted by the idea that maybe this time Dan has changed and others are just simply numb to that idea all together. Honestly, who can blame them at this point? After nearly 30 years of ownership Dan Snyder has made this bed, which only time and winning can heal? Or will it!

The problem Dan has right now comes in two factions, which are the Golden-era fans and the younger generation fans who only know Dan Snyder as the owner. The Golden Era fans, after years of relevance with the team being a contender year after year, have sat by watching a once-proud franchise torn down to its foundation. Long gone is the time of Jack Kent Cooke, Joe Gibbs, The Diesel clinching the first-ever Super Bowl win, Doug Williams making history and a 1991 team regarded as one of the best teams ever in Super Bowl history. This, plus so much more, was a staple of the Golden-era fans who never for a second thought this team could ever fall this far from grace. The current generation knows nothing but dysfunction and losing over the years.

My final thought here tells me that even if Ron Rivera finds a way to make the team relevant and to win a Super Bowl, fans will love this team in spite of Dan Snyder. Dan has such a horrible reputation among this fan base that the majority may never respect or like Dan Snyder no matter how successful the team becomes. The only person Dan has to blame for this is himself – the shame of it all is that in 2020 we may have very well witnessed a coup against him yet most just don’t care.

 

[i] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sportingnews.com/us/amp/nfl/news/daniel-snyder-redskins-timeline/193z6ghhzskkb1vbqskgvzucmr

[ii] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/sports/daniel-snyder-sexual-misconduct-settlement/2020/12/22/f81131d8-4339-11eb-a277-49a6d1f9dff1_story.html%3foutputType=amp

[iii] https://frontofficesports.com/dan-snyder-lawsuit-washington-football-team-moag/

[iv] https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/4125267001