Just when you thought you were done with Dan Snyder now that he’s finally selling the Washington Commanders … there’s more!
It came in the form of the latest ESPN investigative feature from Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham. It details how Jon Gruden’s leaked emails eventually took down Snyder, piecing together the string that connects them.
There’s a lot to take in, but there’s one moment in the story that has NFL fans amused: Back in 2021, Snyder was trying to get the NFL to handle the impending punishment from Beth Wilkinson’s investigations into the Commanders. He and his team met with commissioner Roger Goodell and others at the league office. Here’s what reportedly happened:
When Snyder’s lawyers — famed defense attorney Joe Tacopina, assisted by Reed Smith partners [Jordan] Siev and James McCarroll — began to show a series of slides, those in the room were stunned, according to sources. What was presented was not a defense against any of Wilkinson’s findings made against Snyder; it was a series of screenshots of potentially embarrassing emails and texts from several top league executives, including Goodell’s top lieutenant, [Jeff] Pash. The rationale, according to a source with firsthand knowledge, was to argue the hypocrisy of league officials judging Snyder. The tactics were so ruthless that some attorneys felt uncomfortable. Although none of the content was sexist, anti-gay or graphic, the signal was clear: If Goodell didn’t do what Snyder wanted in terms of handling the Wilkinson report and punishment, these emails and texts would be leaked.
It became known in league circles as the “Blackmail PowerPoint.”
Fans focused on that: