Snyder's dispute is one of two NFL ownership issues pending before an arbitrator (Broncos the other)Getty Images
The NFL has "filed to intervene in the lawsuit against Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder by his three limited partners," according to Daniel Kaplan of THE ATHLETIC. While the NFL has "not as of yet filed a motion to explain its intervention (the league is now listed on the docket as an intervenor), it is not hard to discern why: the league's rules require disputes among ownership partners to be settled privately." An NFL-appointed arbitrator has "already been assigned by the league just for this disagreement." U.S. leagues like the NFL have "very intricate bylaws governing ownership, from how much equity a control-owner has to possess to how disagreements are handled among partners." Snyder's dispute is "not even the only NFL ownership issue pending before an arbitrator," as the Broncos' ownership issues are in front of an arbitrator. In fact, the NFL "just moved to give the commissioner more fining power in cases where a team is not in compliance with league ownership rules." That development is "not tied to the WFT matter but underscores how the league likely views the three LPs’ move to unilaterally take Snyder to court." The court has "sealed the case ... at least temporarily at the request of the LPs, though the docket is public." The Washington Post has "filed to unseal the case, citing the First Amendment, and a hearing is scheduled for next week" (THEATHLETIC.com, 11/25).
