Commanders deny wrongdoing
The NFL’s Washington Commanders denied several allegations of financial impropriety in a letter sent Monday to the U.S Federal Trade Commission.
The 19-page letter — including testimony, emails and other documents — came as a response to the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform asking the FTC to look into the team’s business practices. There are more than 80 pages of signed affidavits, emails and text-message exchanges laid out as the team’s evidence.
The committee last week told the FTC it found evidence of deceptive business practices over the span of more than a decade, including withholding ticket revenue from visiting teams and refundable deposits from fans. The NFL said it engaged Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White “to review the most serious matters raised by the committee.”
The letter, signed by Jordan W. Siev from the law firm Reed Smith, denies all of those allegations and takes aim at the motives and character of former team VP of sales and customer service Jason Friedman, whose testimony against the team framed the committee’s recommendation.
Siev argues no financial investigation is warranted, saying the committee never requested information about the allegations made.
Congress began looking into the team’s workplace misconduct after the league didn’t release a report detailing the findings of an independent investigation into the matter, which led to a $10 million fine but no other discipline. The committee said the NFL and the team “have taken steps to withhold key documents and information.”
Friedman testified before Congress saying the team had two separate financial books: one with underreported ticket revenue that went to the NFL and one with the full, complete picture. According to testimony, owner Dan Snyder was aware of the numbers shared with the league while also being privy to the actual data.
College basketball: Vanderbilt sophomore G Scotty Pippen Jr., the son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, will enter the NBA draft pool. Pippen Jr. was a first-team All-SEC selection after leading the conference in scoring at 20.4 points per game . ... Iowa State PG Tyrese Hunter, the Big 12 freshman of the year last season, plans to enter the transfer portal. Hunter averaged 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals.
Hockey: Dryden McKay, the Minnesota State goaltender who won this year’s Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top player, accepted a six-month ban from competition for an anti-doping rule violation. The period of ineligibility began April 14. McKay played his final NCAA game for the Mavericks on April 9, losing 5-1 in the Frozen Four national championship game to Denver. McKay told ESPN that he was notified on Feb. 1 that a urine sample collected on Jan. 23 returned a positive test for ostarine, a muscle-growth drug considered a banned substance. The 24-year-old McKay opted to turn pro after this past season but he wasn’t selected in the NHL draft and is a free agent.
NBA: Celtics G Marcus Smart was named the league’s defensive player of the year. Smart is the first primary guard to win the honor since Gary Payton in 1995-96.