#Redskins are total disaster as Dan Snyder mulls name change

Daniel Snyder’s problems won’t be solved with what many consider to be a long overdue name change.

As the Washington Redskins owner faces growing financial pressure to eliminate the racial slur the team has been known by for nearly 90 years, Snyder is reportedly facing increasing trouble finding like-minded voices in the organization. The Washington Post reports that Snyder’s shrinking his circle of support has led to his top team advisers both working outside the sport.

“He goes through his Rolodex and calls random people until he gets an opinion he likes. And he follows it,” a former employee under Snyder for seven years told the outlet.

Another person who worked with the 55-year-old Snyder for five years witnessed similar instances.

“He seeks advice, but he only hears what he wants to hear,” the employee said. “His favorite phrase is ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about!’”

Since acquiring the team in 1999, Snyder has ignored countless voices seeking a change to the franchise’s name many find offensive. Now, with mounting pressure from sponsors and advertisers in the wake of a nationwide movement against racial and social injustice, Washington appears set to adopt a new nickname, though Snyder reportedly remains resistant to the idea.

“He’s bunkered in,” a source with knowledge of Snyder’s deliberations told The Washington Post.

Head coach Ron Rivera told the newspaper he had been recently discussing potential new team nicknames with Snyder.

“If we get it done in time for the season, it would be awesome. We came up with a couple of names — two of them I really like,” Rivera said, without revealing the two names.

But problems within the organization go beyond the name change, and they were exacerbated by the removal of longtime team president Bruce Allen, who was fired on Dec. 30. Snyder has not yet filled the position, reportedly leading to confusion regarding decision-making.

“He kept things running,” a former employee said of Allen, who provided counsel for Snyder for nearly a decade.

While Rivera has taken on the majority of responsibilities regarding football, Snyder has turned to partners outside the franchises regarding business decisions, including Karl Schreiber, the chief financial officer of Snyder Enterprises. According to multiple Washington Post sources, Snyder has been speaking with friend and business partner Jay Leveton, about the likely name change.

However, with Snyder spending most of the past three months out of the country, employees have cited a lack of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Redskins under Snyder have qualified for the playoffs five times.