Tag: Mitchell Rales

One of the Commanders’ owners spends time with fans ahead of NFC championship

Washington fans were fired up on Saturday night and one of the Commanders’ owners dropped by for a visit.

On the same day we learned of former owner Dan Snyder’s misery regarding the Washington Commanders’ recent success, one of the new owners spent part of his evening with fans ahead of Sunday’s NFC championship game.

Washington fans held a meet-up and rally Saturday evening at the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia. The place was packed with Commanders’ fans, and JP Finlay of 106.7 The Fan and NBC 4 Washington hosted an episode of his “All Ears” podcast.

Finlay had plenty of guests, including one of owner Josh Harris’ partners, Mitchell Rales. Rales, who, like Harris, grew up in the Washington, D.C. area as a fan of the Redskins and went to games as a kid. He’s a big-time fan. And before he attended an owner’s dinner on Saturday night, Rales visited the Hard Rock Cafe, where he spoke with Finlay, mingled with fans, and took pictures.

What’s the irony that on the same day we heard about Snyder’s new life, we see one of the Commanders’ owners out spending time with fans, something Snyder would’ve never done.

Washington’s broadcast team, legendary linebacker London Fletcher and Bram Weinstein, along with Regina Jackson, the mother of star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, joined Rales.

For years, the Commanders were known as a sleeping giant. If only Snyder sold the team and they started winning consistently, the fans would return. It’s happened — and much sooner than expected.

On Sunday, if the Commanders can upset the Eagles, they’ll head to their first Super Bowl in 33 years.

The plan to buy the Commanders began 5 minutes after Dan Snyder announced his intentions

Commanders minority owner Mark Ein reveals when the plan to buy the franchise began.

Did you know that only five minutes after the announcement that Dan Snyder was going to sell, the mission to purchase the Commanders was begun?

Yes, the Josh Harris Ownership Group (HOG) couldn’t close the acquisition of the Washington Commanders until July 2023. Yet, so much hard work and perspiration went into finally purchasing the team away from Snyder.

Mark Ein, who was born in Chevy Chase, MD, and is a lifelong fan of the Redskins (now Commanders), was a guest on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast Saturday.

Ein told Sheehan that he and Harris, who were childhood friends, were actually together this week, marveling that it had already been a year since the NFL finally approved the purchase on July 20, 2023.

“Most deals of this size or complexity are not easy,” began Ein. This one had some unique components, as everyone can imagine. But you have to bring a lot of people together to pay the highest price ever for a sports franchise.”

When Sheehan asked Ein if he ever thought they would be unable to finalize the purchase, Ein didn’t hesitate to say, “Oh, sure. I mean, this started five minutes after the news hit the wire.”

“Which news, Mark?” inquired Sheehan.

“The news that Dan was really going to sell…literally within five minutes of the announcement, I texted Josh and said we have got to do this. It started then (November) and closed in July, so that is how long it took.”

Ein said that throughout the process, there were “lots of moments where it looked like it was not going to happen.”

“Our view was this franchise matters almost as much as anything in the community that we grew up in and love. With people who are deeply connected and committed to the community, there was an opportunity, and really a need for that set of people to come in and take it over and build it to the franchise we loved as kids.”

Ein is absolutely correct.

The franchise needed to be rescued.

They were rescued from not only being a losing NFL team on the field but also from those running the business side of the franchise who didn’t know what they were doing.

Thank you, Mark Ein, for taking the initiative, and thank you to the Harris Ownership Group for seizing the opportunity to bring this franchise back from the depths.

 

Commanders minority owner does not like Commanders’ name?

What does one of Washington’s co-owners think of the nickname?

Washington Commanders minority owner Mitchell Rales is not a fan of the name “Commanders?”

Burgundy Blog (from X, formerly Twitter), as a guest on the “Al Galdi Podcast” this past week, conveyed to Galdi that Rales is indeed not excited about the name “Commanders”.

An acquaintance told Burgundy Blog that at a social event a few months ago, Rales asked a few attendees what they thought of the team’s current name.

The answer he got was extremely negative, and he (Rales) corroborated his feelings of not being excited about “Commanders” either. Rales reportedly then expressed something to the effect of we will see if we can do something about that.

No, this is not confirmed. Burgundy Blog continues to hide behind his anonymity. Nor did he name his acquaintance who conveyed the story to him.

The vast majority of the fan base would certainly love to hear one of the more visible owners (Josh Harris, Rales, Mark Ein) speak negatively about the current name.

But that is not going to happen—at least for a while. The Harris Ownership Group (HOG) wisely keeps its priorities in order and realizes it can wait and see if a winning team changes the fan base’s attitude.

There has been no season with a winning record since Kirk Cousins led Washington to an 8-7-1 season in 2016. The HOG understands this fan base most needs a winning team, period.

But also, Jason Wright’s terrible television rebranding announcement was executed horribly. How did Wright and Snyder not realize Julie Donaldson would have been so much more energetic, experienced, and attractive in front of television cameras?

Head coach Dan Quinn recently wearing the T-shirt containing the “W” logo while also adding the feathers from past Redskins logos ignited excitement in the fan base. Hopes were raised of a change from Commanders.

But for now, we wait…

 

Commanders owner Josh Harris thought Jeff Bezos would outbid him for the team

Josh Harris thought Jeff Bezos would win the bidding for the Commanders.

When former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder finally put the team up for sale in November 2022, many believed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos would be the logical buyer. The NFL had gone into business with Amazon, and there were rumors that others wanted Bezos in the NFL’s inner circle. Additionally, Bezos owned a home in D.C. and The Washington Post.

You can count Josh Harris, the eventual winner of the Commanders’ bidding process, among those who believed Bezos would own the team.

“When the Commanders were potentially for sale, it started at 26North, and I had moved on, and my friend Mark Ein, who is sitting in the audience there, said, ‘Come on, Josh, let’s look at the Commanders,'” Harris said at CNBC Ceo Council Summit.

“And I said, come on, I am not going to price the Commanders for Jeff Bezos. I’ve done this before, and we’re going to spend a lot of time and get outbid. And that started a whole process of first Mark nagging me, introducing me to Mitch Rales. We created this incredible group and ultimately went through a super-complicated process which I can go into, but basically, it’s one of the harder deals I’ve ever had to accomplish.”

Harris was referring to the process of needing a large group to buy the Commanders, which has led the NFL to rethink how team sales could go in the future.

Harris was a finalist to purchase the Denver Broncos in 2022 and was willing to pay $5 billion. However, he received no assurances and moved on before the Walton-Penner family bought the team. Harris later called that a blessing in disguise, as Washington was the team he grew up rooting for as a native of the area.

Here’s the full video of Harris’ appearance, courtesy of our friends at Hogs Haven.

Dan Quinn wanted the Commanders’ job before it was open

One source told a local radio host last month that Dan Quinn badly wanted the Washington job.

On Thursday, a local radio show host took great joy in being right about Dan Quinn being named the Commanders’ new head coach.

Chris Russell, the Team 980 host (1-4 pm, M-F), began his show with a bang. “We have something to be excited about!” Russell howled. “The Commanders have hired themselves a great head coach! That a boy, Adam Peters! That a boy, Josh (Harris), Magic (Johnson), Mark Ein, Mitchell Rales!”

Russell then reminded his listeners that he needed to be honest, admitting that Raheem Morris was his first choice when the process was launched. “Raheem Morris was No. 1 on my list. But Dan Quinn, as soon as Raheem Morris was off of the board, was the guy that I was hoping would get this job.”

“I told you guys, the day after the Dallas Cowboys game, the final game of the season, that I was told by someone in the Dallas Cowboys organization that Dan Quinn wanted this job and was very eagerly anticipating a call from the Commanders. He got it the next morning and wanted this job in the worst way.”

“Yelling into his microphone, Russell continued, “Boy Wonder, Ben Johnson did not want the job! The hell with him! Mike Macdonald didn’t want the job! The hell with him!”

“Dan Quinn wanted the job! (He) was aching to be the head coach of the Washington Commanders! And yet, some of you are already poo-pooing that, like you got a piece of discarded trash! People, adjust your prism. That’s absurd.”

Russell then reminded his listeners who were criticizing Quinn’s hiring that Quinn did not come to the Commanders because he would have all the power. He is not; he is working for Adam Peters, the GM.

The afternoon host then reminded his listeners that Quinn has much experience, having won an NFC Championship with Atlanta and gone 10-6, winning a playoff game the year after offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s departure.

His opening closed with Russell challenging his callers to call him and say why they do NOT believe in second chances for Dan Quinn when they certainly believe in second chances for themselves and their family.

Commanders Wire welcomes Dan Quinn to the Commanders. Hope you can get this thing turned around and enjoy a decade of success here, Dan.

Commanders reportedly down to 2 candidates for next head of football operations

The Commanders are down to two candidates for their next head of football operations.

And then there were two.

The Washington Commanders fired head coach/head of football operations Ron Rivera on Monday, one day after the team finished 4-13, and quickly went to work, finding his replacements.

Washington requested permission to speak with Adam Peters (49ers assistant GM), Ian Cunningham (Bears assistant GM), Alec Halaby (Eagles assistant GM), Mike Borgonzi (Chiefs assistant GM) and Glenn Cook (Browns assistant GM) to fill the head of operations role.

After interviewing all five candidates over a two-day period on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Commanders are down to two: Peters and Cunningham.

Peters and Cunningham will now go through a second round of interviews that will include owner Josh Harris’ minority partners, David Blitzer, Magic Johnson and Mitchell Rales, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

Harris promised a thorough but rapid process when he spoke to the media on Monday. That’s been the case. Washington has also requested permission to speak with at least seven head-coaching candidates but has yet to begin that process as it wants to have the new head of football operations in place beforehand.

John Riggins is expected to attend the Commanders’ Week 1 opener vs. Cardinals

The times are changing.

John Riggins is one of the greatest players in the rich history of the Washington NFL franchise. Riggins played 14 NFL seasons, nine of those in Washington, finished his career with over 11,000 rushing yards, 104 touchdowns, a Super Bowl champion — and MVP — and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Yet, over the years, Riggins has had a contentious relationship with the franchise with whom he is beloved. “Riggo” was one of the former players who never shied away from his disdain for former owner Dan Snyder. Riggins once said Snyder had a “dark heart.”

When the franchise was rebranded to the Commanders in 2022, Riggins was outspoken about the name.

“I feel completely disenfranchised,” said Riggins. “I can’t understand how anyone who once played under the old franchise name could possibly want to be a part of anything to do with the Washington Commanders.”

In December, the Commanders honored “The Hogs,” the team’s legendary former offensive line in which Riggins is an honorary member. Several members of the group, including Riggins, did not attend the celebration.

However, things have changed. Snyder is gone. Yes, the Commanders’ name remains — for now — but new owner Josh Harris has made it his mission to right many of Snyder’s wrongs. One of those wrongs is the fractured relationship between the team and its alums.

On Wednesday, The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., hosted Harris and one of his partners, Mitchell Rales, for an interview. Riggins was in attendance and was seen speaking with Harris and Rales.

This was a big step for Riggins and the franchise. But that’s not the end. Sam Fortier of The Washington Post revealed that Riggins “is expected” to attend Washington’s season opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The times are indeed changing.

Mitchell Rales on Commanders’ former name: ‘That ship has sailed’

A name change is on the table after the season, but not the old name.

When Josh Harris and his partners took over as owners of the Washington Commanders in July, the topic of another name change lingered. Harris and one of his partners, Magic Johnson, dropped the old Redskins name multiple times. In an appearance on the TODAY Show, Johnson told Craig Melvin that “everything is on the table” as it pertained to a name change.

Since that time, Harris has been asked about a potential name change. He often instead says his focus is on improving the fan experience, FedEx Field and the 2023 season. He never confirms or denies if his group is considering a name change.

That led to a petition from the Native American Guardians Association [NAGA] to create a petition to bring the “Redskins” name back. Everyone knew that wasn’t happening, but until team president Jason Wright said the old name was not even a consideration recently, there were no denials from the franchise.

On Wednesday, Harris and partner Mitchell Rales were interviewed at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., and were interviewed about several topics related to the Commanders.

Of course, the name was among the topics. And Rales quickly put the debate about the old name to bed.

“We could take the easy way out and say we’re not focused on that right now,” Rales said, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. “What I can tell you is we’re not focused on the previous name. That ship has sailed. We’re not going to relitigate the past. We’re about the future. We’re about building the future and not having a divisive culture that we’re engaged in. We’re going to look at everything come the end of the year and think about a lot of different things and do a lot of testing and see what people think. And we’ll learn. The beauty is we have the time to look at all of this stuff intelligently and make fan-based decisions.”

Now that’s the perfect answer. Rales hit on everything. He put the debate to bed if there was a debate left. He acknowledged that a name change was in play and that the fans would be involved.

And unlike the previous name change, fans should feel confident that Harris, Rales, Johnson and the rest of the ownership group are serious about including the community and fans as a part of any potential rebranding.

LOOK: Josh Harris is at the Commanders’ preseason game; in the stands

Washington’s owner had a unique seat for the preseason opener.

In his first game as owner of the Washington Commanders, Josh Harris was in Cleveland to support his team. Harris and minority partners Mitchell Rales and Mark Ein were all in Ohio to support the Commanders in their preseason opener Friday against the Cleveland Browns.

It’s not a surprise that Harris and some of his partners were in town. Harris, flanked by his son, was seen on Washington’s sidelines speaking with team executive Marty Hurney.

Once the game began — after a weather delay of over an hour — you’d expect Harris to take his seat in the press box.

Not Harris.

In no way would the previous owner have sat in the stands amongst the fans, whether it was behind Washington’s bench or not.

In case you missed Rales and Ein, here they are on the field ahead of the game.

Commanders 2023 training camp roundup: Notes and highlights from Day 13

A roundup of highlights, observations and notes from Day 13 of Commanders training camp.

The Washington Commanders completed Day 13 of training camp Wednesday, and next up is a trip to Cleveland to face the Browns in the preseason opener.

After a wild Friday that saw multiple scuffles, things have calmed down a bit since head coach Ron Rivera gave the Commanders Saturday off.

Washington has practiced four consecutive days in preparation for the opener, and there has been encouraging progress on offense, according to offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

What happened on Wednesday?

Here are the top highlights/videos from some of those in attendance from Day 13 of training camp in Ashburn.