Tag: Josh Harris group

Should the Commanders’ ownership have raised ticket prices?

It wasn’t a great week to reveal season tickets were going up in 2024.

The Commanders announced this week they are raising season ticket prices for the 2024 season.

But should they?

Yes, upgrades at FedEx Field did not come for free. In fact, the new ownership was said to have to pay about $40 million of the upgrades made to the stadium that some have voiced may be the NFL’s worst.

Washington’s home-field advantage has certainly decreased over the last decade as fans grew tired of losing under previous long-time owner Daniel Snyder.

But the NFL makes so much more money in television revenue these days that ticket sales are not as significant as they once were.

Secondly, Washington’s stadium turnout on game days is embarrassing to repeatedly find as many or perhaps sometimes even more fans cheering on the visiting team.

Those opposing fans are purchasing single-game tickets in such enormous numbers that last week, some Miami Dolphins players voiced they had never experienced so much support from fans when Miami was the visiting team.

Perhaps Mr. Josh Harris and his group are not as concerned after all that many Washington fans are still not coming out to support the Burgundy and Gold home team. As long as there are enough visiting fans in the stands, might Harris only be looking at the bottom line of money?

I realize it is a business, but aren’t there ways to actually raise the number of Commanders season ticket holders? Aren’t there ways to entice more Washington fans to purchase season tickets?

After all, if they are not purchasing season tickets, that means there are going to be more single-game tickets available for the visiting team’s fans.

How badly does the Harris ownership group actually want FedEx to be nearly full of Washington fans wearing burgundy and gold? Well, if they do, isn’t the best way to work toward that end through season tickets?

If there are fewer season ticket holders next year for the 2024 season, it will be understandable. The Commanders just lost their last two games, 45-10 and 45-15. How can the fans receive the news of this increase in season ticket purchases by an average of nearly 9 percent and be excited to make that purchase for next year?

If Mr. Harris wants fewer opposing teams fans in FedEx Field in 2024, shouldn’t he be figuring out how to get more Commanders fans to invest in season tickets?

The team is terrible right now, having lost 9 of their last 11 games! If you want tens of thousands more Commanders fans to be season ticket holders, why not offer them a break? Why not offer them a deal?

Why not offer Commanders season ticket holders a 20% reduction in parking and a card that season ticket holders can purchase all concessions for 20% less? While you’re at it, why not offer season tickets at a 20% discount?

Come on, why not offer Commanders fans something to which they can respond, “Now, that’s a good deal. I need to sign up and take advantage of that deal.”

Reward season ticket holders and you will increase your season ticket members, which will increase your parking revenue and your concessions and stadium store revenue.

Reward season ticket holders, or you will only have more visiting team’s fans in the stadium in 2024.

Josh Harris looks toward the future with his open letter

It’s all about moving forward together.

Well, already, in his first weekend as majority owner of the Washington Commanders, Josh Harris has reached out to the Commanders fan base.

On Sunday, via The Washington Post and the Commanders’ Twitter page, Harris addressed the fan base as broadly and quickly as he could. In the letter, Harris opened by acknowledging this was no mere business transaction. Rather, Harris confessed it is a public trust that he is now the new owner of the historic NFL franchise.

He recalled some of the most successful names in franchise history, such as Sammy Baugh, Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Gibbs, the Lombardi championship trophies, and his being a serious fan of the franchise growing up in Chevy Chase, MD.

Harris spoke of recent years being hard, difficult years, describing them as “tumultuous.” Without mentioning Daniel Snyder’s name nor taking the opportunity to kick Snyder while he is down, Harris simply chose to call it “day one” and move forward.

He is correct. We (myself included) have voiced our frustration for decades. Even more in the last two years, we have constantly voiced our memories of such frustration and disappointments with the football decisions and behavior of Daniel Snyder.

But now we can join Josh Harris in hoping for a new day, a new era, a return to winning football. It will not be easy. It will call for great sacrifice from the ownership group, the current and future employees, staff, coaches and players.

Harris is displaying he knows he and all of the fan base can recall the past glories, but we cannot live in the past. His group must live in the present while also planning for the future as best they can.

He mentioned the franchise having respect, dignity and earning the trust of the fan base.

Leadership is difficult. Leaders must lead the way in sacrifice, vision casting and creating a culture.

Mr. Harris and his group have their hands full.

We wish him well as he begins this venture.

 

Why are the NFL owners taking so long in the sale of the Commanders?

Some advice for the NFL to get this thing done.

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Why are the NFL owners taking so long in the sale of the Washington Commanders?

NFL owners have more than a few occasions declared that they must undergo a process of vetting the new owners comprising the Josh Harris Group.

Have the NFL owners forgotten where this franchise was just one calendar year ago? Have the NFL owners already forgotten how badly they wanted Daniel Snyder out of their elite club? Have they not recalled how this once-mighty franchise that was selling out all home games, has plummeted to number 32 last season in home attendance?

NFL owners just one year ago were doomed with Daniel Snyder. The plan was Snyder would hold onto the team until his children were old enough to take the reigns of ownership. But this would also mean Snyder would hang around for who knows how many more decades?

Losing at least half of the fan base, how much more could the NFL owners permit the declining trajectory of the Snyder-owned franchise to descend lower and lower? And, for how long would they permit such a downward trend?

Suddenly, during the 2022 season, it was announced Snyder was surprisingly looking to sell. Who would have dreamed the Josh Harris group would agree to overpay $6 billion for a franchise in decline and in need of a new stadium as well?

By the new year, the Snyder’s offices at the Ashburn facility were cleaned out, and Snyder did not even show up for Sonny Jurgensen’s No. 9 retirement ceremony. He was really done with the franchise. He was already moving on!

Isn’t this better (much better) than the NFL owners could have ever imagined? It has been Christmas for the NFL owners. They have been given a huge gift, and frankly, are they showing the gratitude they should display?

Josh Harris has incredibly provided the NFL owners the opportunity to rid themselves of Daniel Snyder, to help the Washington franchise regain a financial stability it once enjoyed for decades.

Yet, why are the NFL owners dragging their feet on this? Why won’t they go ahead and confirm Josh Harris has the new owner of the Washington Commanders?

Sometimes I wonder if this is a game of “chicken.” For instance, what if Harris suddenly proclaimed to the owners, “I’m sick of you not trying to help this franchise get ready for this season from a business side of things. So, you have two weeks to vote and confirm my ownership, or I am out. You can find someone else to replace ‘Mr Snyder’.”

Would we hear a different tune from the owners? Would they suddenly put their feet to the task and ‘get ‘er done’?

These delays, according to head coach Ron Rivera are costing the Commanders. They cannot have contract talks with any of their players who are entering the final year of their contracts, such as Kam Curl and Montez Sweat.

With modern-day technology, why can’t the NFL owners simply Zoom together and resolve this issue, allowing the Commanders to get back into business?

It is a competitive disadvantage. In addition, we are now being told this vote on the sale of the Commanders from Snyder to Harris may not be voted upon until August? Seriously?

“You cannot be serious!” (think John McEnroe).

Come on, NFL owners, get moving and do your part.

Brian Davis’ UEE files suit, still desires to purchase the Commanders

Brian Davis is suing Bank of America, still wants to purchase the Commanders.

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Former Duke basketball player Brian Davis is in the news again regarding the Washington Commanders.

Davis had been in the news a few weeks ago, stating on the Junkies of 106.7 The Fan program that he had billions in cash and could buy the Commanders.

Friday, Davis’ company Urban Echo Energy LLC filed suit against Bank of America to credit $5.1 billion to its account.

The plaintiff believes owner Daniel Snyder would have accepted his offer to purchase the Commanders over the offer by Josh Harris. But, according to Davis, the Snyders were not aware of the $5.1 billion was being held in limbo by Bank of America.

The Plaintiff is also declaring that he has now suffered damages because another party (Josh Harris) has later entered his bid for the Commanders, and the bid was accepted by the Snyders, setting the transaction in motion.

The Plaintiff is also asserting that Bank of America’s actions also led to devastating reputational damage.

Davis is claiming he is still desiring to purchase the Commanders and that he still needs immediate access to these funds to make a competing offer for the purchase of the Commanders.

We now await word to see if the court will feel there is any merit to these charges thus far.

Readers will recall that Davis never really was able to explain to the Junkies on their program segment where the actual money would be coming from, nor how he has that much money.

Many might also recall the red flag that was raised when Davis had claimed to have outbid Harris. Strangely Davis claimed to have outbid Harris by an entire billion dollars.

Readers might want to read Daniel Wallach for his explanation of what has thus far transpired. Here is the first of his thread posted Monday.

Jim Irsay comments on Harris group and NFL hoping to get deal done

Jim Irsay was talking about the Commanders again.

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Jim Irsay was again commenting about the Commanders.

Monday at the NFL owners meeting which is taking place Monday through Wednesday, Irsay expressed some comments regarding the Harris group hopefully getting the deal done in the purchasing of the Washington Commanders.

Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, had recently expressed some anger feeling the Commanders had broken the NFL’s tampering rules. Irsay had warned that tampering with Colts retired quarterback Andrew Luck would bring a team trouble.

But Monday, Irsay was speaking as representing the finance committee overseeing the sale of the Commanders by Daniel Snyder to the Josh Harris group.

The finance committee had met earlier Monday, and consequently, it was very reasonable that one of the committee members would update the media or answer questions.

Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, provided some of Irsay’s statement:

Listeners and readers may find themselves wondering if there has been some discussion or debate regarding the NFL rules and policies being altered. Irsay did bring up the rules and said the NFL was not changing them. Then Irsay went as far as to offer that NFL owners are looking for the same type of cooperation they received from the Broncos’ sale to the Walton family.

On the one hand, the NFL does not want to alter the rules, change the policies, or change the procedures. On the other hand, might the Harris group be responding that the world of NFL sales and purchases is escalating? In this case, the purchase price is $ 6.05 billion. This necessitates a plurality of people making a purchase, not simply a single owner.

Was Irsay speaking to the Harris group through the media about rules, policies and cooperation? Or might Irsay have been hinting that the NFL is not going to update its policies for the Harris group purchase?

Might we be in the middle of an old-fashioned game of chicken? The owners want to rid themselves of Daniel Snyder so much; might Harris actually possess more leverage than we imagined at first?