Commanders drum up bipartisan support

Jun. 9—With each passing day, the Washington Commanders are doing more for the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers relations than any other entity.

No matter how much I despise the Black and Gold, and they their avian division rivals, we can take solace in the fact that the other isn't as unlikable as the Commanders.

Ravens fans are losing their minds that Lamar Jackson was absent from OTAs. Steelers supporters are speculating which of Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph and Kenny "Small Hands" Pickett takes the season's first snap under center.

Washington's faithful are wondering when their organization will cease banging its head against a wall.

The latest example of negative press originated from a Tweet Monday by Commanders' defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio that stated the following in reference to the upcoming Jan. 6 hearings:

"Would love to understand 'the whole story' about why the summer of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of personal property is never discussed but this is??? #CommonSense."

Don't worry, I'm not about to advocate for firing, or even reprimanding, Del Rio for expressing his opinion. I don't care.

I also respect a good double down, like Del Rio did at his media availability on Wednesday (even though he walked it back later in the day).

"If we're going to talk about it, why are we not looking into those things," Del Rio said in reference to the protests following George Floyd's death in 2020. "I can look at images on the T.V., people's livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem.

"And then we have a dustup at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we're going to make that a major deal."

Del Rio doesn't seem like an idiot, he earned a political science degree from the University of Kansas in 1990 while he was a player on the Kansas City Chiefs, so I'll chalk up his misinformation on the 2020 protests as an honest mistake.

The following isn't an opinion, I'm just stating a fact. According to the Associated Press, more than 10,000 people were arrested protesting police brutality following George Floyd's death.

Many were minor arrests, like curfew violations or failure to disperse, but hundreds were arrested on burglary and looting charges.

Those offenses were handled at the local level and made headlines in municipalities. If you weren't aware of that fact, it's likely because you don't consume a wide enough range of news sources.

No matter which issue you believe to be of greater importance — the George Floyd protests or the Capitol Riot — it's a falsehood to say those people didn't face consequences.

And why is the Capitol Riot making more headlines right now? Because there is an upcoming congressional hearing on the matter.

There is a congressional hearing on everything that pertains to the federal government.

In 2005, the House Committee on Government Reform conducted an 11-hour hearing on steroids in baseball. Last year, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation brought in witnesses to discuss name, image and likeness for NCAA athletes.

The Commanders' organization knows the process all too well, as Washington owner Dan Snyder and National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell were invited by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to discuss yet another black mark on the team.

For those unaware, several former Washington Commanders employees detailed widespread sexual harassment and abuse by team executives, including Snyder. The Oversight Committee is also interested in the League's handling of the issue, which fined the team just $10 million.

Illegally entering the Capitol Building, as much as you or I may think it's a non-issue, is a federal issue.

Property damage at the local level, which was already handled by municipal law enforcement and judicial systems, is not a federal issue.

With all that said, I still don't care that Del Rio stated an opinion publicly. Just like I didn't, and still don't, care about football players taking a knee during the national anthem — an act of peaceful protest.

I feel sorry for Washington fans because while our two other regional teams, the Ravens and Steelers, are excited for the upcoming season, the story from the Commanders' camp is anything but football.

Maybe that will change. With Snyder still in charge, I doubt it.

Alex Rychwalski is a sports reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @arychwal.