The NFL won’t say whether it’s investigating the origin of the leaks of emails that brought down Raiders coach Jon Gruden and exposed a too-cozy relationship between NFL general counsel Jeff Pash and former Washington president Bruce Allen. One of the few potential suspects has denied on the record any role in the leaking of emails.
In response to former Washington cheerleader and cheerleading marketing director Melanie Coburn expressing a belief that Snyder leaked the emails, Snyder mobilized his lawyer to deny, deny, deny.
“Any suggestion by Ms. Coburn that anyone associated with the Washington Football Team was behind any leaks concerning Jon Gruden is categorically false and part of a pattern of misinformation being spread by Ms. Coburn,” Jordan Siev said in a statement issued to Fox News, via the New York Post.
Coburn believes Snyder leaked the emails in order to place all blame for the workplace dysfunction on Allen. However, the leaks have created major issues for the WFT, renewing calls for transparency in the investigation and, more specifically, the release of 650,000 emails that, according to the league, were sent to and from Allen over a 10-year period.
It makes no sense for Snyder to invite that scrutiny. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time Snyder did something that makes no sense.
Regardless, someone with access to the emails leaked the Gruden emails and then the Pash emails. The leaks, which possibly came from different people, could have come only from someone who had the ability to leak the emails. Not many did, or do.
Thus, if the NFL wanted to get to the bottom of the leaks, it quite possibly could. If it did, however, it then would potentially have to impose discipline on an owner. If, of course, the league office’s investigation didn’t ultimately point a finger right back at the league office.
The league won’t investigate, because the league doesn’t want to identify the leaker or, more importantly, to disclose the leaker. The league also has no desire to released the emails or any other information regarding the investigation, and the league hopes to run out the clock before anyone gets to whatever it is that someone is trying to hide.
Plenty continue to encourage us to push for the truth. Anyone who knows anything and would like to help us keep nudge the rock of concealment toward the cliff of transparency, let us know if you have any information.