Tag: Dan Snyder

4-Down Territory: Worst NFL owners, biggest schedule beefs, undrafted players to watch

In this week’s “4-Down Teritory,” Doug and Kyle discuss worst owners, best undrafted free agents, and 2023 NFL schedule beefs.

In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” Kyle Madson of Niners Wire and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire get into a few important items as NFL teams put the first minicamps of the 2023 season in the books.

  1. Who is the worst owner in pro football history, and why might it be Dan Snyder?
  2. Who are the undrafted first-year players to watch as rookie minicamps turn to minicamps to training camps?
  3. Which team has the biggest legitimate beef with the NFL”s schedule-makers?
  4. And which team has the easiest path to success from a schedule perspective?

You can watch this week’s episode of “4-Down Territory” right here:

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Commanders sale to Josh Harris could change future NFL team purchases

The Commanders’ sale could mean big changes in the future when teams are up for sale.

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The NFL — and Washington fans — are finally getting what they’ve wanted all along: Commanders owner Daniel Snyder is selling the team.

It became official Friday when a statement from Snyder and his wife/co-owner, Tanya, confirmed that, yes, he was selling the team to a group led by Josh Harris. Others confirmed, with statements from Harris and two of his partners, Mark Ein and Magic Johnson, and legendary Washington head coach Joe Gibbs.

While there have been many ups and downs throughout this process, with fans wondering if Snyder would ultimately decide to keep the team, that’s not happening. But there have been hurdles outside of Snyder, mainly the NFL’s stringent rules on new potential owners.

One of those rules requires the new primary owner — in this case, Harris — to pay 30% down in cash. That’s not an easy task unless you’re the Walton family or Jeff Bezos. However, Harris, who owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils is worth well over $7 billion, while his primary partner, Mitchell Rales, is worth over $6 billion. In addition, Harris has a super-impressive list of investors that also includes Ein, Johnson, the Santo Domingo family, Eric Schmidt and others.

But according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Harris and Rales “may be taking on more than the allowable amount of debt to purchase the team.” This means while the NFL would love to approve the sale tomorrow, it’s not quite that easy as the NFL Finance Committee must vet each of Harris’ partners. Harris, of course, was vetted last year when he was runner-up to the Walton-Penner family for the Denver Broncos.

Breer thinks this Commanders’ purchase highlights some of the flaws in the NFL’s current setup and it could change for future team purchases.

But this sale could be the one that changes how NFL rules read on buying a franchise, mostly because the prices of the teams, in 2023, have skyrocketed to the point where the pool of potential buyers is pretty microscopic. And if guys such as Harris and Rales aren’t ready to pony up the actual cash needed to finish a sale like this one inside the NFL guardrails, that’d probably be a pretty good sign that change should be afoot soon.

Something to keep in mind with the Harris group, they will also be funding a new stadium. So, while they are purchasing the Commanders for $6.05 billion, it’s actually much more considering the work in front of them. 

What is clear is that this is an impressive group full of successful businessmen, two of whom [Harris and Johnson] have had success as professional sports owners. The future is full of promise for the Commanders and their long-suffering fans. 

Where are we in the process of the Commanders’ sale?

We are one step closer to a new owner for the Commanders after Friday. What’s next?

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On Friday, there was another announcement regarding the potential sale of the Washington Commanders by longtime owner Daniel Snyder.

So, where are we today, and where are we in the process of this future sale?

On April 13, a nonexclusive deal with the Josh Harris group was announced. That agreement was not final, nor was it a signed deal exclusively with Harris.

Friday, May 12 a new stage in the process was reached. This was an exclusive deal with the Harris Group, and the amount of $6.05 billion was confirmed.

Though his office was cleaned out at the Ashburn facility months ago, though there were multiple reports that Mr. Snyder was moving forward toward an actual sale of the team, up to that point the one person we had not heard from that Snyder was absolutely selling was Daniel Snyder himself. That statement finally arrived on May 12.

Next, the NFL Finance Committee will look at the particulars of the deal and then recommend it to the other owners for a vote. A vote in the affirmative for the sale to the Harris group will require the approval of at least three-fourths (24) of the league’s 32 owners.

Questions remain regarding the Mary Jo Wright report. Don Van Natta Jr. reported Friday that Snyder is seeking to limit the release of Mary Jo White’s report. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has previously stated that there will be a written report made public.

A.J. Perez, reporter of Front Office Sports stated Friday that White’s report may not be made available until late in the 2023 calendar year.

Daniel Wallach, Legal Analyst at the Athletic stated Friday that White “has told lawyers and witnesses involved in the case that she expects her entire report to be made public, not just her findings.”

There may always remain uncertainty regarding Snyder’s personal involvement in sexual harassment. It is very difficult to prove in cases where it has occurred. Yet, the sexual harassment that was too often in the facility does indeed fall under his watch. He was the boss, the owner. “The buck stops here” does apply in leadership. As has often been said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

The NFL is going to want to see this sale finalized. They desire the removal of Daniel Snyder.

It’s difficult for Washington NFL fans to be patient regarding this, but they might as well because the process is still continuing further down the road, though perhaps not as quickly as most would like.

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Report: Magic Johnson recently met with Maryland Governor before Commanders’ sale was finalized

Could the Commanders remain in Maryland past 2027?

Shortly after the news broke Friday afternoon that Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder had agreed to sell the franchise to Josh Harris, one of Harris’ partners, NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson sent out the following tweet.

As it turns out, before Harris’ deal with Snyder was finalized, Magic was already at work, per A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports. Perez has been front and center throughout Washington’s sale process and reported late Sunday night that while it was unclear what the two discussed, Johnson met with Maryland Governor Wes Moore met only days before Harris reached an agreement with Snyder.

This comes as Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland are all ready to potentially make their individual cases to build the next Commanders’ stadium.

Shortly after the Commanders released a statement Friday from Dan and Tanya Snyder confirming they had agreed to sell the franchise to Harris and his group, Moore’s press secretary, Carter Elliott, responded with the following tweet.

We know Washington, D.C. wants the franchise back in the District, but that’s complicated. Maryland wants the team to remain, but FedEx Field is an issue. The Commanders’ lease expires in 2027 but could be renewed.

Before things went south for Snyder last year, Virginia was ready to do help build a stadium in The Commonwealth.

Snyder had no options remaining, which was a big issue with fellow NFL owners. With a new ownership group that has deep local ties, everything is back on the table.

And for Josh Harris, it’s good to have Magic Johnson on your side.

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Robert Griffin’s reaction to Daniel Snyder selling the Commanders

Never forget, Dan Snyder was Griffin’s biggest fan and their relationship damaged the franchise

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Giddy, silly, youthful, frivolous, over the top.

Those all came to mind when watching in disbelief the way Robert Griffin III responded to the breaking news that Commanders owner Daniel Snyder and Josh Harris had reached an agreement in the sale and purchase of the Commanders.

Griffin was asked live on air, “As a person who was once the face of this franchise, what is your reaction to this news?” Griffin pumping his fists up and down raised his voice in glee, “Oh my gosh! Feels, Yes! Yes! Yes! Come on man!”

Just as soon as he had expressed himself in the outburst, he noticed he had gone over the top and did apologize. We will give him credit for that. He then countered, “Listen the fans (pause) I’m sorry, I’m sorry, let me calm down.”

“The fans have been waiting for this moment; it feels like a decade.”

To observe such a display by Griffin when knowing he himself in 2013 had ran to the owner and undermined the coaching staff which included Mike Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, and Sean McVay?

Following a promising 10-6 2012 NFC East championship season, the 2013 team floundered miserably as Griffin touted himself a pocket passer, refusing to run the offense which would bring him the only success he would experience as an NFL quarterback.

Here was Griffin a decade later on ESPN distancing himself from the very owner who had been his biggest supporter at a time Griffin needed an owner to look him in the eye, telling him to work it out with his coach.

Robert got his way ten years ago, but he lost the team, and the organization lost 13 of 16 games. In one of worst seasons in modern Washington football history, Snyder took Griffin’s side and at the end of the season, both Shanahan’s and LaFleur ceased from being employed by the Redskins.

How does Griffin manage to forget it was Snyder who brought Griffin to Washington trading the 6th and 39th overall 2012 selections, the 22nd overall 2013 selection and the 2nd overall selection in the 2014 draft to the Rams for Griffin?

We can thank Robert for the 2012, 7-game winning streak to close the season, and we should. But after that, isn’t Robert still living in denial that he burned bridges here with the franchise and his teammates?

Now he conveniently piles on top of the disgraced owner because it is the popular stance to take, seeing Snyder was a very unsuccessful owner?

It was not a professional, mature moment for Griffin, nor an honest one.

Robert Griffin III’s reaction to Dan Snyder selling the Commanders is exactly what every fan feels

Robert Griffin III was THRILLED to hear the Snyders had agreed to sell the Commanders.

Former Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III joined the NFL fans who rejoiced at the pending sale of the franchise.

Word broke on Friday that the Snyder family had agreed to a sale of the Commanders to an ownership group led by businessman Josh Harris and featuring former Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson.

Plenty of people were overjoyed at the pending sale, as team co-owner Dan Snyder had become a widely disliked figure in the NFL for courting numerous controversies and scandals during his tenure running the team.

Griffin was drafted with the second-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and struggled with the team after his promising rookie season.

When asked about the team finalizing its sale by ESPN colleague Field Yates, Griffin didn’t hide his enthusiasm for the news as he pumped his fists in the air and said “yes!” a few times.

“The fans have been waiting for this moment for, it feels like a decade,” a jubilant Griffin said about the Snyders selling the team.

Many Washington fans agree with Griffin’s sentiment about the Snyder family’s time running the franchise coming to an end, and it doesn’t appear like Dan Snyder will be missed by those in the NFL.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

Twitter reacts to Snyder & Harris agreement for Commanders sale

Some excellent reactions here.

On May 12, 2023, the Commanders announced that owners Daniel and Tanya Snyder have reached an agreement with Josh Harris regarding the sale of the Washington Commanders.

What was a month ago a non-exclusive agreement has now become exclusive. What was once a possibility now moves to the next phase of receiving the approval of the National Football League owners.

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Of course, there was much reaction on Twitter. Here is a sampling:

Joe Gibbs prepared to help Harris group reconnect to fans, community and former players

Joe Gibbs plans to “fully support” Josh Harris and his ownership group with the Commanders.

The easiest way for any newcomer to ingratiate themselves with Washington Commanders’ fans is through Joe Gibbs.

The most legendary figure in franchise history, the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach is beloved and respected by all of his former players, the community and fans — young and old.

When Ron Rivera was contemplating accepting the head-coaching job in late-2019, he spent a lot of time with Gibbs, as both were based in Charlotte. Rivera has leaned on Gibbs over the years.

Gibbs was also tight with owner Daniel Snyder over the years. Snyder revered Gibbs, but Gibbs’ goodwill couldn’t even help Snyder with the fans.

Shortly after Snyder reached an agreement to sell the Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris Friday, Harris’s most well-known minority partner, NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, released a statement.

Also releasing a statement was Gibbs:

We aren’t sure if this was strategic on the part of Harris to have two very popular figures release a statement, excited about the future of the Commanders, but it was smart. Washington fans were excited.

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Magic Johnson releases statement after Josh Harris group reaches deal to buy the Commanders

Magic Johnson is “so excited” to become part owner of the Commanders.

The NFL world was buzzing Friday afternoon around the end of the day when NFL insider Ian Rapoport sent out the following tweet:

Josh Harris had reached a deal with Dan and Tanya Snyder to buy the Washington Commanders. The two sides agreed to a deal in principle last month, but this one is signed and binding. The only thing keeping Harris and his group from becoming the next owners of the Commanders is a vote by the other NFL owners. Harris needs 24 votes to confirm his ownership, and, as expected, that will not be a problem.

One of Harris’ partners, NBA legend and successful businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson, released a statement.

Washington fans were fired up. Not only because of Snyder selling the team, but Magic Johnson is a beloved figure, and he’s also experienced success with pro sports ownership, as has Harris.

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NFL fans rejoiced over Dan Snyder finally agreeing to sell the Washington Commanders

Dan Snyder’s days of owning the Washington Commanders are coming to a close.

The Washington Commanders are about to have a new ownership group making the calls for franchise decisions.

After years of controversy and fan unhappiness under the co-ownership of Dan Snyder, the team has agreed to a sale with a group led by businessman Josh Harris.

The sale has been anticipated for some time, and it could be finalized by the end of the month by the NFL’s owners, per NFL’s Ian Rapoport.

Snyder’s tenure over the Commanders coming to its close sparked a jubilant reaction in Washington’s fan base, one ready to see the Snyder family move on from owning its football team.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is part of Harris’ ownership group that is purchasing the Commanders.

The Snyders reacted to the news via the team’s Twitter account.

The relieved response came from all corners of the NFL world who tired of Dan Snyder’s impact on the team and the game.