Tag: Commanders sale

Josh Harris missing out on the Broncos was a ‘blessing in disguise’

Josh Harris was in the running to buy the Broncos last year. One year later, he gets the team he always wanted.

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The Washington Commanders have a new owner. Last week, NFL owners unanimously approved a group led by Josh Harris to purchase the Commanders from Daniel Snyder for $6.05 billion.

For two days, the DMV celebrated. Parties were celebrating the end of Snyder’s reign. Harris even called into a local talk radio show and bought everyone in attendance a beer. Harris attended the team’s training camp pep rally on Friday after his introductory press conference.

The day before Harris was officially confirmed as Washington’s new owner, he sat down to chat with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

One of the topics Breer discussed with Harris was his failed pursuit of the Denver Broncos in 2022. Harris, the owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, became a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. He had assembled an ownership group to buy the Broncos. However, Denver was eventually sold to the Walton-Penner family for $4.65 billion.

Harris had reportedly been willing to bid $5 billion if that would have sealed the deal, but he received no assurances and moved on.

Good things come to those who wait.

When Snyder put the Commanders up for sale in November, Harris’ name was quickly mentioned as a possible buyer. After all, Harris was a Chevy Chase, Md. native who grew up a fan of the team. Harris spoke of his fandom when introduced by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last week and at his introductory press conference.

“It a hundred percent feels like a blessing in disguise,” Harris told Breer on not landing the Broncos. “I mean, listen, Denver’s a great franchise, and I’m happy I got to go through that. But at the end of the day, my deep connections to this city are so much stronger. We got a chance to do diligence, and one of the days, we went into FedExField, and we saw all the legends’ names. And I was with my team that had been with me for the Broncos; I was like, God, you got Art Monk and Darrell Green and Joe Gibbs and John Riggins. I’m pointing at all the pictures because of the emotional connections I have. And they’re like, ‘Wow, this is different for you.’ So it was very lucky. It worked out in a very lucky way for me.”

Washington fans are happy Harris is the guy, too. Look, fans would’ve been happy with anyone not named Dan Snyder. However, there are so many reasons to appreciate this Harris group. Not only is Harris a fan, but so are two of his partners, Mitchell Rales and Mark Ein. They have a passion for turning the franchise around. But his success in the business world and as a sports owner is exactly what the Commanders needed.

If there was a perfect match between a team and an owner, it was Harris with the Washington Commanders.

Dan and Tanya Snyder release statement after Commanders sale is finalized

The Snyder family congratulate Josh Harris and his fellow owners on the purchase of the Commanders.

After 24 years as owner of the Washington NFL franchise, Daniel Snyder and his wife Tanya are gone. NFL owners unanimously approved the Commanders sale to a group led by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion.

When news broke Thursday afternoon, there were multiple parties throughout the DMV, celebrating Harris’ arrival as Washington’s new owner.

Meanwhile, all was quiet from the outgoing owners.

On Friday, that changed as Dan and Tanya Snyder released a statement:

We congratulate the Harris Ownership Group on yesterday’s unanimous League approval of their purchase of the Washington Commanders. We are proud to have built the most diverse leadership group of any NFL Team, including having the highest representation of women, underrepresented groups, and the first full time black female coach in League history.

We are immensely grateful to the best fans in football, the Commanders’ faithful, for the passion and unwavering support they have shown for this team and those who represented it on and off the field. From the players who battled every week for that extra inch, to those who worked behind the scenes to enhance every facet of the organization, we thank you for your hard work, dedication and commitment to our team, fans, pursuit of excellence and most importantly, to each other.

Being stewards of this historic organization for the last quarter century has been the privilege of a lifetime. When we purchased the team nearly 25 years ago, Dan was quoted as saying “I’m a fan. A huge fan. It’s that simple.” That is as true today as it was then. During our next chapter, we are looking forward to spending time with family and devoting our energy to the causes that matter very much to us, including furthering our long-standing support of breast cancer research.

Harris, along with co-owners Mitchell Rales, Magic Johnson, David Blitzer and Mark Ein were introduced at FedEx Field Friday, which ended with them attending the Commanders training camp pep rally.

Washington fans anxious for the end of Dan Snyder era

The celebration began a day early on social media.

It’s Thursday, July 20 — and you know what that means.

NFL owners will convene in Minneapolis Thursday to vote on the sale of the Washington Commanders. A group led by Josh Harris agreed to purchase the Commanders from Daniel Snyder for $6.05 billion in May. After some twists and turns, the day has finally arrived for a new owner for one of the NFL’s flagship franchises.

No more fans saying, “We will believe it when we see it,” or “It will never happen.”

It’s happening, folks.

At some point Thursday afternoon, a depressing 24-year chapter in Washington’s 91-year franchise history ends when NFL owners unanimously approve Harris and his partners as the Commanders’ new owners.

There will be parties celebrating Washington’s fresh start.

On Wednesday, fans, media and others took to Twitter to celebrate a day many thought would never come.

Report: Legal issues ‘threaten to complicate’ Commanders sale

No one thought this would be easy.

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The worst possible scenario for Washington Commanders fans is Daniel Snyder remaining the owner of the team. While that appears highly unlikely, a new report from The Washington Post early Thursday morning says that legal issues could “threaten to complicate the approval and closing” of Snyder’s sale to a group led by Josh Harris, per Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala.

The Washington Post reported that it was uncertain if the complications would impact the NFL’s plans next week to approve the sale from Snyder to the Harris group.

The complications, or at least part of the issue, are related to the leak of the Jon Gruden emails in 2021 that led to his resignation as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Apparently, the complications aren’t minor.

That person described the complications as “significant” and “not just some small snag,” expressing the view that the issues could delay the owners’ approval of the sale and the closing of the deal if they’re not resolved. But the person also left open the possibility that Snyder and his attorneys merely are attempting to extract last-minute concessions from the NFL on legal indemnification related to Gruden’s lawsuit against the league, and the issues will be resolved in time for the owners to ratify the deal as expected next Thursday.

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‘Everything remains on course’ for Commanders’ sale

Everything continues to be headed in the right direction just ahead of training camp.

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We are only two weeks away from the Washington Commanders officially having a new owner. The NFL called a special July 20 meeting for owners, where it was expected there would be a vote on the sale of the Washington Commanders.

Current owner Daniel Snyder agreed to a deal in principle in May to sell the franchise he’s owned since 1999 to a group led by Josh Harris.

As we get closer to the start of training camp — Washington reports to Ashburn in three weeks — that means we are only two weeks away from the NFL’s meeting to vote Harris’ group in as new the Commanders’ new owners.

And, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post, “everything remains right on course” for the NFL finance committee to recommend approval of Harris’ $6.05 billion bid for the Commanders.

Washington fans have waited years for this day. And with only two weeks remaining until NFL owners vote on Washington’s new ownership, fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief and begin to look ahead.

Vote on Commanders’ sale could come in ‘late July’ or August

It sounds like the plan is for Josh Harris to be in charge before Week 1.

Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder finalized a deal with Josh Harris to sell the franchise on May 12. With Snyder and Harris agreeing to a deal just 10 days before the NFL owners’ meetings began in Minnesota meant there would be no vote on the sale.

The NFL confirmed last week that a vote would not take place at this week’s owners meetings.

On Monday, Colts owner Jim Irsay spoke of the Commanders’ sale and the challenges that remain before the other owners vote to approve Harris becoming Washington’s next owner.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also spoke, saying he anticipates the deal being done but said there was no timeline.

The challenges Irsay spoke of aren’t the financing but the number of limited partners involved in this deal. Harris has at least a dozen partners in the deal. Each of Harris’ partners must be vetted through the NFL’s finance committee.

If you’re concerned about the finances of Harris’ ownership group, you shouldn’t be, as Harris and his partners have an estimated net worth of around $100 billion.

It will get done, but Commanders’ fans want to know when.

According to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, the owners could schedule a vote “over the next five weeks.” From that point, when could the vote actually take place?

From Perez:

The special meeting where owners will converge for the vote could occur as early as late July, although the same source said August would be more likely.

Perez has been all over reporting on the Commanders’ sale, often a step ahead of everyone else. Training camp begins in late July, so the next bit of news in Washington’s sale could come sometime after the Commanders report to camp. The good news is that Harris and his group would be in place before Week 1.

Commanders fans, media react to potential end of Dan Snyder era

Washington fans and media reacted to the latest on Dan Snyder Saturday night.

There was some breaking news on Saturday night that Daniel Snyder no longer owns the Washington Commanders!

Then an hour later, we read that this is untrue and premature. What is the truth?

Specifically, the alleged news was that Josh Harris had reportedly purchased the Commanders for $6 billion.

Here are some of the best Twitter reactions on Saturday night, and some are hilarious.