The debate around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in sports took an ugly turn this week thanks to a now-deleted FanPost on SB Nation’s Washington Commanders site, Hogs Haven.
The post, written by Xavier LaFlamme, targeted former team president Jason Wright, blaming him for a range of the team’s past issues and claiming his tenure was “defined by DEI optics and botched jobs.”
Jason Wright: A Case Study
-> Jason Wright’s time as Washington’s president was defined by DEI optics and botched jobs. From mishandling Sean Taylor’s jersey retirement to the “Commanders” rebrand, it was all about checking boxes, not leadership. #NFL #DEI #Commanders… pic.twitter.com/rtJdQWuyzJ
— Xavier LaFlamme (@xlaflammer) February 12, 2025
This drew an incredible amount of criticism from others on social media.
@xlaflammer I took the time to read your piece on Jason Wright where you essentially eviscerated him calling him, “a coporate suit playing team president like a little girl plays house with her dolls”. The vitriol with which you attack this man seems personal, unhinged and…
— Disco (@discoque90) February 13, 2025
this nfl scout took 3,000+ words to complain about off field stuff under dan snyder, blamed jason wright for all of it, and states without proof that the color of wright’s skin was why he was hired, and for some reason hogs haven published it. definitely dei https://t.co/aH2FKk9VN7
— Colin Dunphy (@mofopod) February 13, 2025
Thread
Glad @HogsHaven removed that offensive article.
Jason Wright made mistakes, for sure, and he’s openly admitted so. But he also navigated through a lot of toxicity and left having a done a lot of good behind the scenes.
— T “Resh” Manuel (@reshmanuel) February 13, 2025
It’s important to note that this was a FanPost, not a typical site article. SB Nation’s team sites have long served as a hub for fan-driven discussions, allowing users to go beyond comments and message boards to publish their own content. While that fosters engagement, it also means that controversial posts — like LaFlamme’s — can be mistaken for official site coverage.”
The problem? Even with a ‘FanPost’ disclaimer, anything published on a site’s domain can still be perceived as representative of that site — especially when shared on social media. While SB Nation distinguishes FanPosts with a ‘By/For Fans’ label, that nuance is often lost when a post spreads online.
That’s why Hogs Haven repeatedly responded to critics, emphasizing that this wasn’t an official site article.
It’s a fan post. It’s not an article from Hogs Haven writers.
— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) February 13, 2025
The site eventually deleted the article, which sparked further criticism from LaFlamme, who said he was also banned from the site.
The losers at @HogsHaven has taken down my Jason Wright Case Study after 14 hours.
Add them to the list of people that cannot handle the truth. Extremely disappointed.
Marxist organization blocking free speech and discourse for what? First ever post and banned within 14 hours.… pic.twitter.com/GSxZVco290
— Xavier LaFlamme (@xlaflammer) February 13, 2025
SB Nation associate director (NFL) Jeanna Kelley noted that LaFlamme’s post violated community guidelines, and the ban came after threats.
Hi Xavier. Your post violated our community guidelines and the terms of service you agreed to when you created an account to post on Hogs Haven, and that is why it was removed. Thanks, and have a great day.
— Jeanna Kelley 🏝️🥥 (@jeannathomas) February 13, 2025
I work for SB Nation and am responsible for Hogs Haven, and I am clarifying why your post was removed because your understanding of that was incorrect and you threatened Bill H. over it, which is not remotely OK. Hope this helps, have a great day
— Jeanna Kelley 🏝️🥥 (@jeannathomas) February 13, 2025
This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of a larger debate over DEI initiatives in sports and business. Following the 2024 election and vocal opposition to DEI from figures like President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, many companies have shut down such programs. The NFL, however, has not.
It’s also worth noting that Jason Wright’s hiring was not tied to the league’s “Rooney Rule,” which only expanded to include club president-level positions in 2021 — one year after Washington brought him on. While he was the first Black team president, he wasn’t heavily linked to most of the team’s major scandals, many of which stemmed from predecessor Bruce Allen’s tenure.
This situation only further highlights the challenges of SB Nation’s FanPost model.
The company once had dedicated sites for nearly every major sports team, emphasizing fan-driven content that closely resembled official articles. But in recent years, SB Nation has cut ties with many of these sites and laid off national staffers, making it notable that a FanPost — rather than a staff-written piece — sparked this level of backlash.
We’ll see if that leads to rethinking the FanPost model or an emphasis on preemptive moderation rather than moderation after the fact.
