On Saturday night, FrontOfficeSports.com dropped a little something into the NFL punchbowl regarding the Washington Commanders. The report indicated that the team allegedly withheld funding from the pool of visiting-team money distributed to the various franchises.
Since then, the NFL and the team have had no comment.
It’s surprising, frankly. Someone is telling the U.S. House Committee on Oversight & Reform that the Commanders have been skimming, regardless of whether the witness has any actual facts to back it up. Shouldn’t the mere suggestion of such a serious infraction prompt loud and pointed denials from the league or the franchise?
As noted earlier, it’s true or it’s not. If it’s true, game over. If it’s not, well, game on. Yell it. Scream it. File lawsuits. Issue press releases. Put the toothpaste back in the tube with a jackhammer.
They say that a lie travels halfway around the world before the truth puts its pants on. If there’s nothing to the claim that the Commanders were keeping cash that should have gone to the league, the lie has Phileas Fogged its way around the globe four or five times — and the truth is sleeping off a wicked-ass hangover.
That’s what amazing about this. The allegation is so strong, so damning, so powerful that silence doesn’t seem to be an option.
Nevertheless, we asked the NFL this morning if it has a comment or a statement regarding the ticket-money report. “No,” the league said. The team had nothing to add beyond its original comment regarding reports that the Committee is generally investigating financial improprieties.
“The team is not aware of any investigation by the House Oversight Committee regarding financial matters, despite vague and unsubstantiated claims today by anonymous sources,” a team spokesperson said at week, before the specific allegation of ticket-skimming emerged. “The team categorically denies any suggestion of financial impropriety of any kind at any time. We adhere to strict internal processes that are consistent with industry and accounting standards, are audited annually by a globally respected independent auditing firm, and are also subject to regular audits by the NFL. We continue to cooperate fully with the Committee’s work.”
Will the league or the team say anything more? We’ll see. For now, they’re not.
