For the most part, the Redskins and owner Daniel Snyder have had a good offseason. But the past few days aren’t among the best that Snyder has experienced since the 2009 football season ended.
For starters, Snyder is losing his entire equity investment in Six Flags amusement part as part of the troubled company’s emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Snyder also will leave the company’s board of directors. (Former ESPN exec Mark Shapiro, installed as CEO of Six Flags by Snyder, will remain in that position.)
More recently, senior V.P. of public relations Karl Swanson is leaving the Redskins. He joined the team when Snyder bought it 11 years ago, and Swanson has worked with Snyder since 1996. Though the Washington Post speculates that the departure of the man who served as Snyder’s primary media mouthpiece arises from the culture change at Redskins Park, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports via Twitter that Swanson “does need the family time he now is taking,” due to an 88-year-old mother-in-law who is in declining health and a 12-year-old daughter who “is being shuttled among friends.” (And that’s the primary problem with the widespread habit of folks being forced out of a job claiming that they are going to “pursue other interests” or “spend more time with their families.” The use of those excuses as cover for a termination or forced resignation creates suspicion even when they are the real reasons for a given move.)
We’ve heard from Swanson from time to time over the years, and even when he disagreed with one of our reports or opinions regarding the team, he was always polite, respectful, and accessible. We wish him and his family well.