Daniel Snyder: The road to Hell is paved with arrogance and hubris

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - A federal judge seems to think Native Americans offended by the Washington Redskins team name are properly being sued by the NFL franchise. Judge Gerald Bruce Lee suggested during a hearing Friday that it would be unprecedented to dismiss the team’s lawsuit against five Native Americans who complained about the name to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A trademark office board decided in June to cancel some of the Redskins’ trademarks, citing federal regulations against protecting words and images that are disparaging or offensive. The team could have challenged the ruling in appellate court in Washington, but sought help instead in a venue that gives it more options, by going to a trial court to sue the Native Americans who complained in the first place.The team has used the Redskins name since 1933, and has asked the judge to reverse the trademark board’s removal of protections of six trademarks the team registered between 1967 and 1990. The team argues that the name is not offensive, and that canceling its trademarks would violate its free speech rights and take its property without compensation. A lawyer for the Native Americans, Jesse Witten, argued that his clients should be left out of the dispute and that the lawsuit against them should be dismissed. But team attorney Robert Raskopf said Amanda Blackhorse and the other defendants belong in court because they’re the ones who filed the petition.

In any dispute, there comes a point when, after recognizing that the odds of victory are diminishing, the smart person figures out how to make the best of a bad situation. They might not be happy, but they come to see that no matter what they do, they’re not going to emerge on top…so they figure out how to maximize whatever leverage they may have to create the best possible outcome.

And then there’s Daniel Snyder, who owns Washington’s NFL team…whose nickname I’ll refrain from using. I’m kinda funny when it comes to racism.

Though he’s said repeatedly that he would never change the name of his team, public opinion is not on his side, and with time the snowball of anger and opposition is only growing. Snyder increasingly looks like a spoiled, petulant child, refusing to do what he knows needs to be done because he doesn’t want to and he doesn’t want to lose face. He may be backed into a corner with no way out, but damned if he’s going to admit defeat. A smart, savvy businessperson would recognize which way the wind is blowing and gracefully accede to the inevitable. All he need do is look at the money- possibly tens of millions- he’s going to lose from his team’s trademark protection being stripped.

Snyder- who didn’t get rich by being stupid- appears to be allowing hubris to rule what should be a straightforward business calculation. This is a no-win proposition; eventually even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will have to admit to the reality of the dilemma facing the NFL and force Snyder’s hand. As it is, it looks like the league is condoning a team with a nickname that’s racist in nature and offensive to a sizable portion of the Native American population. If the team’s nickname was “Niggers” or “Kikes,” there would be no question about what needed to be done and no delay in taking action. Everywhere Snyder’s team plays, it’s met with protests and demands that the nickname be changed to something not racist and patently offensive. What else do Snyder and Goodell need in order to be able to see the blindingly obvious?

He could do the smart thing, but, being the arrogant rich kid he is, Snyder’s decided to sue Native Americans who had the “audacity” to complain about his team’s racist nickname. The only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from this turn of events is that Daniel Snyder is a truly miserable excuse for a human being. He could do the right thing, agree to change the team’s nickname, revel in the resulting goodwill, and- best of all- save himself millions.

Instead…. W. T. F???