ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders have dismissed an employee following the release of a video in which he made controversial remarks about the team's players, accused Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones of racism, and referred to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as a "$50 million puppet."
Rael Enteen, who served as Washington’s vice president of content for the past four years, also criticized the team’s fans, calling them "mouth breathers."
A team spokesperson confirmed Enteen's dismissal on Thursday but provided no further comment.
Enteen had been suspended on Wednesday after the video, posted by the O'Keefe Media Group, circulated on social media. The video revealed that Enteen had met a woman via the dating app Hinge, who turned out to be an undercover member of the media group. The pair reportedly met twice in June at restaurants in Washington, D.C.
In a statement released Wednesday, the team announced it was investigating the situation. Less than 24 hours later, Enteen was terminated.
"The language used in the video does not align with the values of the Commanders organization," a spokesperson for the team said in an initial statement.
In the video, Enteen is seen telling an undercover reporter, "Over 50% of our roster is white and religious, and they believe God says, 'F--- the gays.' That's their interpretation, not mine. Another significant portion of the team consists of low-income African Americans who come from communities that are often very homophobic."
Enteen also commented on the NFL leadership, saying, "I don’t think the commissioner hates gay or Black people. But Jerry Jones, who essentially runs the NFL, I believe, does."
Regarding the NFL's social justice efforts, Enteen described them as "performative," adding, "It’s not out of the goodness of their heart. It’s because George Floyd changed the game. ... The NFL, like any corporation, prioritizes the bottom line above all else."
In the video, Enteen commented that the league’s significant revenue allows it to "faux-prioritize DEI" (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) primarily for the sake of positive PR.
He went on to describe the fanbase, saying that many are "high-school-educated alcoholics" and referred to them as "mouth breathers."
Regarding the players, Enteen remarked that some are "dumb as hell" while others, who start out smart, "don’t stay that way after getting hit in the head too many times." He suggested that players who "get their heads knocked around" are more prone to believing in conspiracy theories.
In conversation with an unidentified reporter—heard but not seen on the video—Enteen explained that his role was essentially to sell hope. Referring to a past incident at the former FedEx Stadium where fans reported a sewage smell from leaking pipes, Enteen said he downplayed the situation on social media by claiming it was just water, adding, "That is state-run media."
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