Whether or not it always seems like it, NFL announcers talk to people. Al Michaels may be new on the “Thursday Night Football” seem, but he’s been around the league a long time, and it’s reasonable to think he’s got a lot of connections on teams around the NFL.
With that in mind, his words regarding Commanders owner Daniel Snyder rang very loudly, in which he said the NFL would be thrilled if Snyder would get out ahead of a potential ousting and sell Washington. This comes on the heels of a report that Snyder is blackmailing several NFL owners when he feels like he’s cornered.
“Just my feeling, I think what the league would love is for Snyder to sell the team,” Michaels said during the third quarter of the Bears Commanders game Thursday. “Not having to go to a vote, but just sell the team. Because it’s become a major problem around the league, obviously. And we’ll see what happens. I think it’s got a long way to go, and Dan is very well known for digging his heels into the ground.”
Tellingly, the quote came as the camera cut over to Snyder.
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“Just my feeling, I think what the league would love, is for [Dan] Snyder to sell the team. … He’s just become a major problem around the league, obviously.”
–– Al Michaels on Dan Snyder #TNF pic.twitter.com/HMCkEu8SQV
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 14, 2022
Michaels also went through a laundry list of allegations against Snyder, including “sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, (and) financial irregularities.”
Michaels has been extremely blunt the past two weeks, leveling heavy criticism against the product of Broncos-Colts last week and now coming straight out and “speculating” about the owner of a team. As Michaels acknowledged, of course, Snyder has dug his heels in, which could make him selling an impossibility.