A New Start! (the Reboot) The Front Office, Ownership, & Coaching Staff Thread

[Voice_of_Reason]

10 minutes ago, FLSkinz83 said:

I'm surprised Rivera didn't tell JDR to be quiet long ago.    I thought telling some guy on twitter to bite deez nuts would be the last straw.

For what it's worth, I thought that was actually pretty funny.

 

And if I remember correctly, that was actually in response to a football related thing.  

11 minutes ago, Jumbo said:

as the avenging owner of  "america's ass" likes to say, "i can do this all day"

I really really wish I understood this reference.  

 

 

[FLSkinz83]

4 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

For what it's worth, I thought that was actually pretty funny.

 

And if I remember correctly, that was actually in response to a football related thing.  

I really really wish I understood this reference.  

 

 

 

Oh, I thought it was funny as well, but it's not a great look for your D-Coordinator, especially when he's constantly on twitter saying other stuff.

[Darrell Green Fan]

As bad as it was I don't think that was a fireable offense.  As bad as he's been it won't help the team to fire a DC this late in the offseason.  

[Voice_of_Reason]

3 minutes ago, FLSkinz83 said:

 

Oh, I thought it was funny as well, but it's not a great look for your D-Coordinator, especially when he's constantly on twitter saying other stuff.

Eh, I think those types of things in June are just humor.  I'm sure the guys in the locker room got a chuckle out of it.  

He probably shouldn't have risen to the bate.  

 

But it was harmless and funny, so I didn't care about this one.

[TK]

56 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

 

I really really wish I understood this reference.  

 

 

[bird_1972]

1 hour ago, FLSkinz83 said:

I'm surprised Rivera didn't tell JDR to be quiet long ago.    I thought telling some guy on twitter to bite deez nuts would be the last straw.

 

Yeah, he has a long pattern of not being able to exercise restraint and professionalism publicly. I can't see why he doesn't understand he's a public figure and reflects on the team given his leadership position. 

 

If he was a much better D-coordinator I could at least understand why the team tolerates it but he's not, so I don't.

[SkinsFTW]

2 hours ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

I'd be completely, totally, and absolutely shocked if every team in the NFL didn't have $250M Cash MINIMUM sitting on their balance sheet (and conversely in a "bank account" at any given time. I wouldn't be surprised if that number was closer to $400M.  For every team including this one.  

 

Then build your basketball court sized arena already and stop begging for money, Dan!!! 

[Voice_of_Reason]

42 minutes ago, SkinsFTW said:

 

Then build your basketball court sized arena already and stop begging for money, Dan!!! 

Why would you spend your own money if you could spend somebody else’s?  

Either take a loan, Especially when interest rates are so low, or get the government to pay for you.  Granted, interest rates have gone up.  But they are still low.

 

I know you’re half tongue in cheek, but if I was in that position, I’d never want to spend my own assets unless I had to.

 

Stadium is a big capital thing.

 

Now, they should just shut up and pay Terry.  That’s what the money is there for. 

Edited June 12, 2022 by Voice_of_Reason

[@DCGoldPants]

4 hours ago, NoVaSkins21 said:

Maybe it's been said, but IMO JDR was probably given an ultimatum to delete his Twitter account or be fired.  Right course of action by him, but beyond stupid things done that lead up to that.

 

I don't think this was the case. But he probably was told that next time it won't be a fine. Maybe he's smart enough to realize he can't guarantee restraint after a few adult beverages while watching TV. So, he make the wise move to delete the account and maybe the app from his phone. 

 

Whats his annual salary? 

[CommDownMan]

5 hours ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

I really really wish I understood this reference.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spelled out for ya. 

[88Comrade2000]

Homelander would kick Captain America’s ass.

[TheShredder]

6 hours ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

NOBODY KNOWS HOW MUCH CASH THE TEAM HAS.  Well, some people do.  The NFL, the auditors, etc.  They aren't saying.

Yeah bro, I totally agree with that!

I looked at the basic numbers to get some kind of perspective on Dan, team finances, and stadium costs. The one thing that's clear is Dan Snyder can't afford to build a 3B stadium without taxpayer money and the trend for NFL franchise acquisition has projections at 8B after 2025. Dude can double his net worth by doing nothing for 4 years. Sic

[Peregrine]

On 6/10/2022 at 10:30 PM, Conn said:

You can fine almost anyone in the NFL for “conduct detrimental” for basically anything. Your argument doesn’t really hold water anyways because if the team didn’t have the authority to fine him, Rivera personally certainly wouldn’t. 

No you cant.  Conduct detrimental has to be conduct first of all, and almost always has to involve something such as an arrest or charges.  An opinion on twitter would be an absolute lawyer field day.

 

If the team fined him, legally they would be required to say THEY issued the fine unless he just volunteered, you have no idea what you are talking about.

[spjunkies]

4 hours ago, Peregrine said:

No you cant.  Conduct detrimental has to be conduct first of all, and almost always has to involve something such as an arrest or charges.  An opinion on twitter would be an absolute lawyer field day.

 

If the team fined him, legally they would be required to say THEY issued the fine unless he just volunteered, you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

He probably would've been clear if he left it at the comments made on Twitter.

 

Where he went completely wrong was when he doubled down and took the time during a team media session and went on his little rant. His actions during that day were certainly detrimental to the team.

[BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen]

Update on "Jackboots" Del Rio:

 

Last Friday, Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera did something highly unusual, if not unprecedented. He fined defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio $100,000 for a tweet that downplayed the Jan. 6 insurrection and compared that event to protests following the death of George Floyd. In a statement, Rivera said the Commanders would donate the $100,000 to the U.S. Capitol Police Memorial Fund.

 

The oddity of Rivera’s action invites questions about whether and how Del Rio could challenge the fine, if he pays it at all. The situation further raises the possibility of a new NFL precedent wherein head coaches, perhaps at the urging of general managers or owners, can fine members of their coaching staff for their speech.

Rivera’s statement doesn’t clarify from where he obtained authority to fine Del Rio, whose 27-year-old son, Luke, is the Commanders’ assistant QB coach. The 59-year-old former Oakland Raiders head coach and retired Pro Bowl linebacker described what he termed “two standards” for society’s reaction to protests. One, he said, sees “no problem” when “people’s livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down” while the other regards “a dust-up at the Capitol” where “nothing burned down” as a “major deal.”

 

 

In a subsequent tweet published last Wednesday, Del Rio apologized for downplaying the insurrection as a dust-up. He acknowledged that description was “irresponsible and negligent.” Del Rio, who deleted his Twitter account this past weekend, also wrote he “stand[s] by my comments condemning violence in communities across the country” and that he’ll continue to advocate for the right to peaceful protest.

 

Del Rio’s remarks may have harmed his employer’s overall reputation and shot at a deal for a new facility. Last Thursday the Virginia General Assembly pushed off a vote on a new stadium for the Commanders, though ESPN reports the postponement might have happened regardless.

 

And while Commanders defensive players have indicated to journalists they are relatively unconcerned about what Del Rio said, NAACP president Derrick Johnson urged the team to fire Del Rio. Over the weekend retired Hall-of-Fame safety Ed Reed blasted the fine as insufficient while former NFL coach Jeff Fisher criticized Rivera and the Commanders for placating those who push “narratives.”

 

An employer ordinarily has one or two sources of authority to punish an employee.

 

The first is through contract. While most American employees are at-will, NFL coaches typically have contracts. NFL players similarly sign contracts, though players also gain rights and obligations through a CBA negotiated by their union. NFL coaches aren’t unionized. They can join the NFL Coaches’ Association, a non-union advocacy association that represents coaches in licensing deals and other ventures, but Del Rio has no union to advocate for him.

 

A workplace policy is the second source. Like most companies, NFL teams have written policies that employees must assent to before they can begin work. Those policies cover assorted topics, including allowable Internet use, restrictions on smoking and drugs, anti-discrimination rules, safety obligations, vacation and time off procedures and reimbursements. Of relevance to Del Rio, workplace policies usually address discipline and grievances.

 

 

These employment materials often contemplate discipline not through fines but rather via warnings, administrative leaves—where an employee accused of wrongdoing remains paid but is told to stay away pending an investigation—unpaid suspensions or termination. Employers usually adopt the practice of progressive discipline, wherein, as a first step, an employee is warned and then given an opportunity to improve performance before harsher measures are applied. It’s unknown if Del Rio, who joined the Commanders in 2020, had previous missteps.

 

Sports leagues operate differently. CBAs allow the league and team to impose fines on players. Leagues have also fined and suspended coaches and executives, though as Sportico previously reported, there are unsettled legal questions regarding a league punishing a person who it neither employs nor is governed by a CBA.

 

Del Rio’s contract isn’t publicly available, though NFL coaches’ contracts aren’t known to contain language regarding a head coach or supervisor fining an assistant coach. Noted sports attorney Tom Mars, who has litigated contract disputes on behalf of NFL and NCAA Division I football coaches, told Sportico in a phone interview that he has seen numerous NFL coaches’ contracts and has “never” seen such a term. Mars explains that these contracts often contain language prohibiting coaches from damaging the team’s reputation.

Sportico has obtained language from several NFL coaches’ contracts. One expresses that the coach has an obligation to “conduct and express” themselves “both publicly and privately, which promotes the best interests of the Club, the NFL and professional football, in general.” Another says the coach “shall not engage in conduct in disregard of public conventions or morals or inconsistent with any reasonable standards communicated by the [Club to the Assistant Coach].”

 

But as Mars stresses, it’s not certain that political commentary, even that which offers unpopular sentiments, would rise to a breach of duty.

 

“By characterizing the Jan. 6 insurrection as a ‘dust-up’ and trying to defend that characterization just because the U.S. Capitol wasn’t burned down,” Mars says, “Coach Del Rio came across as the village idiot of the NFL. That said, the rights afforded by the First Amendment include the right to make a fool of yourself on every news and social media platform in the free world.”

 

Mars also emphasizes that a breach itself would not support the use of a fine. The contract would also need to contemplate a fine as an acceptable punishment for violating that term. Mars suggests other assistant coaches, even those who have been very critical of Del Rio, should be mindful of the precedent being set. If they say something controversial that bothers the coach, general manager or owner, could they now be fined too?

 

One other instance of an assistant coach being fined by their employer occurred in 2016, when the University of Georgia (not its head coach) fined then-assistant coach Shane Beamer $25,000. The fine concerned an incident from two years earlier when Beamer, employed by Virginia Tech, had received leaked game-plan information in a scandal that became known as Wakeyleaks.

 

Del Rio has options, but they’re limited. If he wishes to challenge the fine, his contract might contain language requiring he first attempt to resolve his grievance through mediation (which is non-binding) or arbitration (which is binding) or both. As shown in Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the leagues and several teams and in Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the league and Roger Goodell, the NFL maintains that disputes between NFL coaches and teams must go to arbitration as overseen by the league. Flores challenges that assertion on grounds such a process is inherently biased, an argument that a Nevada judge recently found persuasive in rejecting the NFL’s attempt to dismiss Gruden’s lawsuit.

 

In any lawsuit that is not preempted by arbitration, Del Rio would likely argue the Commanders are in breach of his contract by imposing an unauthorized or excessive fine. He might also contend the team has tortiously interfered with his prospective employment with other NFL teams and defamed him. The team could counter that the fine is permitted under employment language, that it reflects a remedial measure—he pays the fine and learns from his mistake—rather than the more severe option of termination, and that defamation law doesn’t apply since the team, through Rivera, has only offered an opinion on what Del Rio said.

 

If Del Rio doesn’t pay the fine, the Commanders could withhold the money from his future paychecks. The team could also fire him for cause and contend it doesn’t owe him any money going forward. Alternatively, Del Rio could quit, though depending on how much money is owed on his deal, that move might cost him much more than $100,000.

 

https://www.sportico.com/law/analysis/2022/could-jack-del-rio-sue-1234678526/

 

 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

I will not delve into the political side of what’s taken place.

 

I’ll just say that I disagree entirely with what Del Rio said, but at the same time - I think fining him for saying it was overboard.  In fact, I’d rather see him flat out fired vs. making a statement with a fine, and forcing him to issue a public statement that you know damn well isn’t sincere.  
 

Ultimately, it was just another all around bad look for the franchise.

[Darrell Green Fan]

4 hours ago, spjunkies said:

 

He probably would've been clear if he left it at the comments made on Twitter.

 

Where he went completely wrong was when he doubled down and took the time during a team media session and went on his little rant. His actions during that day were certainly detrimental to the team.

 

This is what people are failing to understand. He was not fined for just his Tweet. He stood up and took questions in an official capacity as an employee of the team and made the infamous "dust up" comment. 

 

That's not just saying something on Twitter, this is in fact "conduct detrimental to the team" I do believe. .  

Edited June 13, 2022 by Darrell Green Fan

[Corcaigh]

1 hour ago, Darrell Green Fan said:

 

This is what people are failing to understand. He was not fined for just his Tweet. He stood up and took questions in an official capacity as an employee of the team and made the infamous "dust up" comment. 

 

That's not just saying something on Twitter, this is in fact "conduct detrimental to the team" I do believe. .  

Yeah … his commentary was not limited to Twitter. It was during practice at a company press conference.  A senior staff making political statements in public and in the workplace is a big failure in leadership.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Corcaigh

[Captain Wiggles]

Company presser as well as decked out in company gear. Bout as workplace as ya get. Pretty clear why the team needs to distance themselves from JDR comments. What well run business wouldn't? 

 

I know I know "well run" the team is not. 🤭

Edited June 13, 2022 by Captain Wiggles

[MartinC]

4 hours ago, BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen said:

That said, the rights afforded by the First Amendment include the right to make a fool of yourself on every news and social media platform in the free world.”

 

The number of people in this Country, including some who, apparently, have law degrees who don't understand the very simple language of the first amendment continues to amaze me. But let's say at a minimum it does not do what is suggested in the above sentence.

[Voice_of_Reason]

17 hours ago, TheShredder said:

Yeah bro, I totally agree with that!

I looked at the basic numbers to get some kind of perspective on Dan, team finances, and stadium costs. The one thing that's clear is Dan Snyder can't afford to build a 3B stadium without taxpayer money and the trend for NFL franchise acquisition has projections at 8B after 2025. Dude can double his net worth by doing nothing for 4 years. Sic

Well, he doesn't have the cash to build a $3B stadium.  Frankly, very few people do.  

 

But if he wanted to build a $3B stadium, he could without taxpayer money.  He has a $4B (minimum) asset he can borrow against.  Believe me, there are a ton of ways he could finance it all by himself.  (This is tangental to the business I've been in.  I'm not an expert in lending or lenders, but there's no question he could get the funding if he wanted to.

 

He could also:

- Sell part of the team to a minority owner for cash, and use the cash to pay-off the debt he currently has, and then build the stadium.

- Create a separate corporation to build the stadium, and take partners strictly for that.  There would be a bunch of real estate investors and Private Equity who would be interested in that type of an arrangement.  Maybe even the Lerners.  

 

There are probably other ways he could do it at well.  

 

He doesn't NEED tax payer money.  

 

But he would LOVE taxpayer money.  

 

I will say this, if I was in his position, there is NO WAY I'm building FedEx II in Landover and letting the state invest in the surrounding development.  That's horrible business.  If I'm going to foot the full bill for the stadium, I want ownership of everything around it also.  Unless the state will contract to me to develop the surrounding area, it's a total non-start from a business perspective.  I'd just sit and wait until I could get something in VA.  Or say "screw it" and go build in VA on my own.  

[Darrell Green Fan]

9 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

Well, he doesn't have the cash to build a $3B stadium.  Frankly, very few people do.  

 

But if he wanted to build a $3B stadium, he could without taxpayer money.  He has a $4B (minimum) asset he can borrow against.  Believe me, there are a ton of ways he could finance it all by himself.  (This is tangental to the business I've been in.  I'm not an expert in lending or lenders, but there's no question he could get the funding if he wanted to.

 

He could also:

- Sell part of the team to a minority owner for cash, and use the cash to pay-off the debt he currently has, and then build the stadium.

- Create a separate corporation to build the stadium, and take partners strictly for that.  There would be a bunch of real estate investors and Private Equity who would be interested in that type of an arrangement.  Maybe even the Lerners.  

 

There are probably other ways he could do it at well.  

 

He doesn't NEED tax payer money.  

 

But he would LOVE taxpayer money.  

 

I will say this, if I was in his position, there is NO WAY I'm building FedEx II in Landover and letting the state invest in the surrounding development.  That's horrible business.  If I'm going to foot the full bill for the stadium, I want ownership of everything around it also.  Unless the state will contract to me to develop the surrounding area, it's a total non-start from a business perspective.  I'd just sit and wait until I could get something in VA.  Or say "screw it" and go build in VA on my own.  

 

With DC and VA now off the table, at least for the time being and Snyder has no interest in waiting any longer, that kind of leaves Maryland. As the state will not offer anything other than infrastructure that kind of leaves the current location which has the room to build a new one without the need to tear down existing fed Ex Field.  

[Voice_of_Reason]

Regarding Jack, Galdi really said it best this morning on his podcast: He put the team into a position where they couldn't look good, and that was unimaginably stupid on his part.

 

I think there were probably some who were irked by his twitter comments.  They really could have mostly handled that internally.  I think Ron has some experience doing that, and I think they could have made sure it wouldn't effect the locker room or the play on the field.

 

However, where JDR completely failed the team is when he stood up in front of a microphone, at a team facility, in team branded clothing, and made a political statement.  He forced the team, and Ron, to take a side.  You never want to put your organization into a position to take a side on your personal political beliefs.  

 

"I'm and American and I'm able to say what I want, and I defend your right to do the same" would have been absolutely fine. 

 

Where he screwed up was when he tried to explain what he was saying.  THAT is when he got into trouble.  And he would have gotten in trouble if he was going the other way also.  The minute you talk personal politics at a company "sponsored" event, you've crossed the line.  (Minus the special "the views expressed on this program are solely those of the guest and do not represent those of the station/company."

 

If he had gotten up there and spouted off some anti-GOP stuff, it would have been just as inappropriate. 

 

He's entitled to his opinion, and he's entitled to share that opinion.  

 

He's NOT entitled to share that opinion when acting as an "officer" of the company he works for.  And THAT is where he got in trouble.

 

And further, if he tries to make this an employment law thing, and doesn't pay the fine, or fights it, or whatever, most likely, he's going to lose in court, be out the $100k and a job.  So my guess is his lawyers are probably telling him the best thing he can do is pay the fine and then do his job as best as he possibly can.  And don't try and fight the NFL on freedom of speech issues, which you will almost certainly lose.  

 

But the problem now is this has turned into a political story.  Tucker Carlson has weighed in, and called Ron a Fascist Moron.  Tucker is the #1 cable news show, watched by MILLIONS of people every night, and they just heard that.  

 

It's just entirely bad for business. And Jack should know better. 

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

11 minutes ago, Darrell Green Fan said:

 

With DC and VA now off the table, at least for the time being and Snyder has no interest in waiting any longer, that kind of leaves Maryland. As the state will not offer anything other than infrastructure that kind of leaves the current location which has the room to build a new one without the need to tear down existing fed Ex Field.  

He should just wait.  See if the environment changes for VA.  It won't for DC.  But if the scandals get resolved and the team has a good season, and there are some fans in the stadium, the entire situation could change for next year. There's no rush.  They own the stadium.  Nobody is kicking them out.  It's better to get it done right than done quickly.  

 

The last stadium was rushed because JKC wanted to see if before he died. And then didn't.  Don't make the same mistake twice.  

[ntotoro]

1 hour ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

He should just wait.  See if the environment changes for VA.  It won't for DC.  But if the scandals get resolved and the team has a good season, and there are some fans in the stadium, the entire situation could change for next year. There's no rush.  They own the stadium.  Nobody is kicking them out.  It's better to get it done right than done quickly.  

 

The last stadium was rushed because JKC wanted to see if before he died. And then didn't.  Don't make the same mistake twice.  

 

I don't think it will in Va. A good number of state politicians on both sides of the aisle were against it as it was. He has no friends left anywhere and good luck getting the voters to "yay" giving him a loan to build a stadium in their backyards, infrastructures already taxed (functionally, not monetarily) as they are.