Tanya Snyder conjures banished nickname as Washington Commanders fans demand: 'sell the team'
Sunday was a great day on the field for the Washington Commanders.
Elsewhere, not so much.
With Taylor Heinicke starting for injured quarterback Carson Wentz, the Commanders stunned the Green Bay Packers at home in a 23-21 win. They did so as fans in the stands called for owners Dan and Tanya Snyder to "sell the team."
Sunday's was the first home game in Washington since a report that Dan Snyder threatened "blow up" the NFL with dirt on fellow team owners if they they pressured him to sell. The franchise has been mired in dysfunction since Snyder bought the team in 1999, and allegations of a toxic workplace culture within the organization have amplified calls for Snyder's ouster from the NFL.
Since that Oct. 13 report, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said as much out loud.
"At this point, I’m very concerned that he needs to be removed," Irsay said at owners meetings last week.
It turns out that Commanders fans agree. Some of them at least.
Commanders fans: 'Sell the team'
Per multiple reports, a chant of "sell the team" broke out at FedEx Field on Sunday as a message from co-CEO Tanya Snyder played on the stadium's video board. Tanya is representing the team's ownership interests as Dan has technically been removed from day-to-day operations amid the investigation into the workplace misconduct allegations.
Other fans put their displeasure in writing. Several fans showed up to the stadium on Sunday with signs reading "sell the team." One even showed up with a paper bag for his head emblazoned with the same message. He says that security told them to take down their signs.
Staff making fans put the “Sell the Team” signs down pic.twitter.com/37sZsasch4
— JP Curtz (@teamsellinszn) October 23, 2022
Snyder’s security guards made me take the sign down so I put on the bag on and they made me take that off. I told them it was our franchise’s version of the cheese head. Plenty of cheese heads around us. #SellTheTeam pic.twitter.com/o73l79r5XN
— Tom Manatos (@TomManatos) October 23, 2022
The "sell the team" bag is now making repeat appearances after showing up during Washington's Week 6 game against the Chicago Bears.
This all took place on Sunday amid a celebration for the franchise as it honored team greats like Art Monk, Mark Rypien and Doug Williams in a homecoming ceremony. Even that was tinged with controversy.
Tanya concluded a speech introducing Monk, Rypien and Williams by invoking the franchise's former nickname that was changed after years of pressure because it's a slur.
Here’s the end of the video of Tanya Snyder, which includes her “Hail to the Redskins” (:20). https://t.co/XpIqKP9z3T pic.twitter.com/H5tSIWht6V
— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) October 23, 2022
As usual, Washington's NFL franchise struggles to get even the little things right.
