{"id":1188772,"date":"2023-07-20T19:06:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-20T23:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/?p=1188772"},"modified":"2024-07-16T15:31:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T19:31:45","slug":"nfl-owners-approve-sale-of-the-washington-commanders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/nfl-owners-approve-sale-of-the-washington-commanders\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Owners Approve Sale of the Washington Commanders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UPDATED, July 24, 6:30 p.m. EST<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is finally official. The long-awaited sale of the Washington Commanders football franchise is finally in the books.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Magic Johnson (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

During a special league meeting in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Thursday, the NFL team owners unanimously approved a group led by Josh Harris to purchase the franchise.\u00a0 It came at a hefty price tag \u2014 a record-breaking $6.05 billion.\u00a0 Harris and his group purchased the franchise from former owner Daniel Snyder, who owned the local team since 1999 when he bought it from the late Jack Kent Cooke for $800 million in 1999.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris\u2019s group includes NBA Hall of Famer Earvin \u201cMagic\u201dJohnson<\/a> and billionaire Mitchell Rales, who, like Harris, is from Maryland. There are 20 limited partners in the Harris group, just under the NFL ownership limit of 25. Each partner had to be vetted for financial and security reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson wrote in a tweet following the announcement, \u201cGod is so good\u2026I still can\u2019t believe it! I am currently living in an answered prayer. Since beginning my journey as an athlete and now businessman and team owner, it\u2019s all been a dream that has come full circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI grew up playing football as a kid, I\u2019m a huge NFL fan, and I watch games every week,\u201d Johnson continued. \u201cNow, I get to co-own a storied franchise, the Washington Commanders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remembering the Commanders’ Glory Days<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the 80s and early 90s, the hometown team was among the most respected in the NFL, winning four Super Bowls and five NFC championships.  The team was so popular that there was an incredible waiting list of fans vying to purchase season tickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the purchase of the team by Snyder, things changed dramatically.  It was fraught with several coaching changes, a carousel of quarterbacks, and failure to make the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a press conference announcing the purchase, Harris told reporters, \u201cAs a lifelong Washington football fan that grew up in Chevy Chase, I\u2019m incredibly excited and humbled by the opportunity to serve alongside my partners as stewards of this great franchise on behalf of Washington, D.C.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of my first memories as a child was walking down east Capitol Street, walking in the RFK Stadium, hearing the roar of the crowd, feeling the rumble,\u201d Harris added. \u201cI grew up watching Sonny Jurgensen, Billy Kilmer, Joe Theismann, Mark Ripkin, and Doug Williams. The Hogs, Joe Gibbs, Darrell Green, Art Monk, and three Super Bowls. And, that\u2019s the Washington, then Redskins, now Commanders, that I remember. This franchise is part of who I am and who I\u2019ve become as a person.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut being a fan is not enough to be successful,\u201d Harris continued. \u201cTo be successful, we understand that we need to win championships, create a positive impact on the community, and create incredible memories and great experiences for our fan base, much like I had as a youth growing up in Washington. We\u2019ll have more to say in the days that come, but today I want to leave it here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo our team and the incredible fan base in Washington, a new era of Washington football is here. It\u2019s time to get to work,\u201d Harris concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Hopes for Commanders’ Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the second greatest day for this proud franchise,\u201d said Butch \u201cThe Coach\u201d McAdams, a D.C. native and sports radio host for “In and Out of Sports\u201d on WOL Radio.  \u201cThe first was when they defeated the Buffalo Bills in the 1992 Super Bowl. Then disaster struck when Dan Snyder took over.  He essentially destroyed this franchise.  I can\u2019t think of a worst professional owner in sports during my lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McAdams said, \u201cWhen the news broke, the first thing I could think of was Martha and the Vandellas\u2019 song, \u201cDancing in the Streets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D.C. At-Large City Council member Kenyan R. McDuffie, a longtime fan, issued the following statement, in part, on the sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, we celebrate the approval of the acquisition of the Washington Commanders by the Josh Harris Group. This momentous occasion marks a new chapter in the team\u2019s history, heralding an exciting future for both the Washington Commanders and the possibilities for the Nation\u2019s Capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnder the new ownership, we can look forward to the start of a strengthened bond between the Washington Commanders and their passionate fan base,\u201d McDuffie added. \u201cWith a renewed focus on community engagement and social impact initiatives, the team\u2019s presence in the nation\u2019s capital has the potential to extend far beyond the playing field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wish the Josh Harris Group, the players, and the loyal fans all the best as the team begins a new chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am encouraged by the new ownership,\u201d noted Romanda Noble-Watson, a DC native who serves as communications director for high school athletics.  \u201cNow the team can return to being the one we can be proud of.  As fans, we all want the team to do well.  This is a good start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Commanders finished 8-8-1 last season, in last place in the NFC East.  Under the new leadership, the team\u2019s first exhibition game will be on Aug. 11 in Cleveland against the Browns.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fans will get a chance to see the team when it starts the regular season at home on Sept. 10 when they host the Arizona Cardinals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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