Four weeks ago today, the chairperson of the House Oversight Committee announced during the testimony of Commissioner Roger Goodell that a subpoena would issue to Commanders owner Daniel Snyder. And the Committee seems to be no closer to serving that subpoena than it was nearly a month ago.
One week ago today, the last communication occurred (at least the last one disclosed publicly) between the Committee and Snyder in the awkward dance regarding whether he’ll testify (he says he will), whether his lawyer will accept the subpoena (she says she won’t), whether he’ll even be subpoenaed at all (if he’s out of the country, he apparently can’t be). The parties tentatively agreed to a July 28 date for the deposition; that’s only eight days away.
Meanwhile, and as the @DanSnydersYacht account on Twitter continues to document, Snyder’s superyacht and jets remain in countries other than the United States. Planned or not, Snyder has remained away from the reach of Congressional process servers for, by all appearances, the entire four weeks since Congress said Snyder will be served.
He refused an invitation to testify when Goodell did because, put simply, it was better for Snyder to not speak at all. Currently, it remains better for Snyder to duck the subpoena than it does to put himself in position to accept it, because it will be better for him to never speak before the Committee.
How will this play out? Is he truly committed to remaining at sea and/or on foreign soil until the Committee decides to move on — or until those in power move out?
It possibly will become more conspicuous on August 13, when the Commanders open the preseason at FedEx Field against the Panthers. If Snyder (who attended preseason games last year even though he is under ill-defined double-secret probation from Goodell) doesn’t attend his team’s practice games, it will become a little more obvious that he’s willing to stay out of the country until the November election and/or the January arrival of a new House of Representatives. And if, on September 11, he’s not present for the Week One game against the Jaguars, it will become even more obvious that Snyder is running out the clock by living on his yacht.
Through it all, the league office doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. Which serves only to reinforce the perception that the powers-that-be are afraid of Snyder. And the media can only write or say so much about it.
Has he been served yet? No.
Has he been served yet? No.
Has he been served yet? No.
It’s another way that Snyder benefits from the fact that so many fans and media already harbor a bad opinion of him. As his yacht remains in harbors other than its domestic one, those who have developed a strongly negative opinion about Snyder won’t be changing their feelings as he continues to accept the Committee’s terms voluntarily, and as he continues to evade being involuntarily compelled to do so.