Is the NFL a Mafia? YES.

Well, this Dan Snyder thing has become a fine kettle of fish, hasn't it?

If anything, this does seem to explain how Dan Snyder is not out of the NFL already...  (Or any of a number of the other owners...)

On Thursday, ESPN dropped an apparent bombshell, stating that Snyder had gotten a list of "dirt" on a good number of the other NFL owners, and especially on Roger Goodell, and claimed that he had enough dirt that he was untouchable -- he had, basically, enough that, if he were to go down, he'd take the entire league with him!

The first thought at least one reader of the blog had was "He doesn't have shit, or he'd have already used it."  And, until proven otherwise, that's the position I think most reasonable people should take.

But there's three other things which have already been made evident in this situation which should prove quite worrisome.

The first is a response to Al Michaels' comment from last night:  That the NFL owners would gladly prefer that Snyder sell the team.

Not.  Happening.

Dan Snyder is a sick fuck.  He gets off on the pain of other people.  The guy is the current subject of no fewer than FIVE different NFL investigations, at least a couple involving harassment/work culture.

If you think this guy is going to do Thing Number One for the betterment of the NFL, you're funny.

The second is that it was a leak from Dan Snyder's email trove (surrounding last year's claims of tanking and all that stuff regarding Miami and Cleveland) which felled Jon Gruden.

The third is a comment Snyder is claimed to have made.

In stating that he believes the NFL owners all hate each other, he made the statement that he believes the NFL is a Mafia.

Although, in my opinion, the answer is most certainly YES, there's a problem.

There is too much on and off field cooperation for it to quite get that far -- and that's too obvious, especially with more and more of the NFL-rigging conspiracy crowd now walking over to the slop/scripted plays mode of operation.

But there is a Mafiaesque untouchability in the NFL, and especially it's owners and Commissioner.

Jerry Jones?  Owners in Miami and Cleveland?  Owners stealing the minted money in long-losing franchises??