Oct 5, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris with fans before the game against the Chicago Bears at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Commanders’ Josh Harris shares vision for turnaround

Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris said he plans to hire a head of football operations before bringing in candidates to become head coach, but he acknowledged in a public comments Monday that timing might not let him execute his ideal search sequence.

Harris addressed the players earlier in the day, then spoke in public. He said his general emotion at the end of the 2023 season was frustration and felt head coach Ron Rivera was not surprised to be dismissed on Monday.

“It’s very important to have a relationship, to have a dialogue with the players,” Harris said. “It’s very important to be engaged, particularly the captains and the leadership.”

Harris has tasked former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman, who has 30 years scouting and personnel experience, to assist with front-office decisions.

“Bob Myers is a winner,” Harris said of going outside of the NFL orbit to hire the four-time NBA championship architect. “Who wouldn’t want him on your team?”

Harris said he considered candidates throughout the season but wasn’t planning to make a change before Monday. He said he committed to the city, and to Rivera, that the coach would have the entire season to be evaluated on the Commanders’ performance after Harris led a group that purchased the franchise from Daniel Snyder prior to the start of the 2023 season.

The Commanders finished the season 4-13 and were 26-40-1 in four seasons under Rivera.

“My message to the Washington fan base is thank you,” Harris said. “You showed up in droves. We sold out every game. … The future is bright. We have a lot of cap space. We have a great ownership group. We’re very committed to winning for this city. We look forward to showing you and not telling you in future years.”

Harris spoke to Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on Monday to hand him the keys to the team temporarily and said in a “perfect scenario,” his head of football operations would discuss the head-coaching position with Bieniemy “and others.”

“We’re right there with the fans in terms of sweating every loss. The ultimate goal is to be an elite team competing for championships. When you do things quickly, sometimes you set yourselves back. … I want a winning franchise — quickly. But for me it’s about making the right decisions.”

One thing not on the Washington to-do list is reviewing the Commanders name, which some fans had speculated new ownership might do.

“In addition to picking a new head of the front office, a new head coach, we’re busy at work working on the next improvements to our stadium,” Harris said. “We’re going to be rolling out a big investment program in the next few weeks. And then obviously we’ve got our new home and thinking about that.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; General view of FedEx Field before the game between the Washington Football Team and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Sponsors return to Commanders amid new ownership

A change in ownership has translated into renewed business for the Washington Commanders.

Anheuser-Busch, which dropped its sponsorship of the Commanders in March 2022, said Thursday it has agreed to a new multi-year deal with the team.

“We are excited to have the Commanders back on our NFL roster,” said Matt Davis, the vice president of partnerships at Anheuser-Busch, in a statement. “Our history with the Washington franchise runs deep.”

Before the start of the 2022 season, the last one of former owner Dan Snyder’s tumultuous reign, the beverage giant joined healthcare provider Inova and medical billing company Medliminal as companies to end their alliance with the team.

Earlier this week, Verizon agreed to a deal with the Commanders to become the team’s official 5G network.

NFL owners voted unanimously on July 20 to approve the $6.05 billion sale of the Commanders to Josh Harris, the principal owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers managing partner Josh Harris speaks at the podium during the sculpture unveiling ceremony honoring Charles Barkley at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

New owner Josh Harris vows to bring Washington back to glory days

Incoming Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris received a hero’s welcome at the entrance of the team’s stadium on Friday afternoon, where locals celebrated a changing of the guard from Dan Snyder and embraced the local fanboy feeling emanating from the new boss.

Harris was approved as owner of the Commanders by unanimous vote of the NFL’s 32 franchise owners in Minnesota on Thursday and arrived 20 hours later to droves of grateful fans chanting “Thank you Josh.”

“We have a lot to do,” Harris said, slapping high-fives with fans hovering at the front of the stage. “We’ve got to get the team ready to win football games. We’ve go to get out in the community and start to pay it forward. We’ve got to change fan experience at the stadium. That’s what we’re focused on right now.”

Former head coach Joe Gibbs addressed the crowd to shed light on Harris, who owns a minority stake in Joe Gibbs Racing.

With head coach Ron Rivera and team president Jason Wright among existing team brass seated on stage, Harris engaged the audience with an energetic flair diametrically opposed to his predecessor.

The message from the Chevy Chase, Md., native was different, too.

Harris sprayed to every field in a question-and-answer session with fans who asked about the team changing its name for a fourth time and the future of the antiquated stadium.

“We’re going to throw a party every other Sunday,” Harris said, highlighting his experience going to the franchise’s games at RFK Stadium.

“When you have guests in your house, you treat them well. You don’t have couches that are broken. You don’t have TVs that aren’t working. That’s what we’re focused on right now. As far as the stadium experience long run, we would love to have a stadium where opposing players fear to come and our players love to come and our players love to come and feel welcome. That’s what I experienced at RFK. Whatever happens at the stadium, that’s the kind of stadium experience I want to create.”

Harris pointed to recently published franchise value numbers that showed Washington was No. 1 in North America in 2008 but has since been overtaken by multiple teams, including the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and others.

He said he does grasp the amount of work ahead to bring the franchise back to once lofty heights.

“It’s hard to imagine but I’ve seen the numbers. The Commanders were once the No. 1 franchise in the NFL back when they were the Redskins. Not the Dallas Cowboys.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders helmet on the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Vote on Commanders sale not on owners’ upcoming agenda

NFL owners will not vote on the sale of the Washington Commanders when they meet next week in Minneapolis.

Jeff Miller, the league’s vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said the league still is reviewing the details of the $6.05 billion purchase by Josh Harris and partners from Dan and Tanya Snyder.

Instead, NFL owners will be updated about where the team sale stands.

“There is work that goes into that, and staff is doing that now,” Miller told reporters on a conference call.

Miller didn’t offer a timeline for a vote, other than to say the process was taking place “expeditiously.”

Last week, the Snyders entered into the purchase agreement with Harris, who owns the New Jersey Devils of the NHL and the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA.

Once the transaction is completed, it will set a record for the highest price ever paid for a North American sports franchise.

–Field Level Media

Feb 15, 2022; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris looks on as James Harden speaks with the media during a press conference at Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Snyder, Josh Harris enter agreement for sale of Commanders

The long-awaited sale of the Washington Commanders finally is at hand.

Though the transaction is not yet complete, owners Dan and Tanya Snyder “have entered into a purchase and sale agreement” to sell the Commanders to a group led by hedge fund manager Josh Harris, the parties jointly announced Friday.

The reported price tag of $6.05 billion would break the record for the most expensive team purchase in North American sports.

“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement for the sale of the Commanders franchise with Josh Harris, an area native, and his impressive group of partners,” the Snyders said in a statement. “We look forward to the prompt completion of this transaction and to rooting for Josh and the team in the coming years.”

The sale will mark the end of Snyder’s tumultuous and controversial time owning the franchise, which was once considered one of the jewels of the NFL.

ESPN reported earlier Friday that as a condition of sale, Snyder wanted assurances from the league that a full investigative report into his activities as owner would not be made public. It was not immediately clear whether that was agreed upon.

Attorney Mary Jo White conducted an investigation into allegations of both sexual misconduct and financial improprieties under Snyder’s watch, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has publicly vowed the report would be made public.

This is the second recent major investigation into Snyder. Only limited portions of the investigative report overseen by attorney Beth Wilkerson were released in July 2021, at which time Snyder was fined $10 million and forced to cede day-to-day control of the team to his wife, Tanya.

While Snyder owned the team, it underwent two name changes — from “Washington Redskins,” using a term widely regarded as a slur toward Native Americans, to “Washington Football Team” to the Commanders, despite Snyder vowing in 2013 that he would never change its name.

The franchise went 164-220-2 and won two playoff games in six berths during Snyder’s ownership. Now, it is set tol begin a new era under Harris, whose Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

The investment group reportedly includes D.C.-area billionaire Mitchell Rales, Colombian financier Alejandro Santo Domingo and Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

–Field Level Media

Feb 15, 2022; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris looks on as James Harden speaks with the media during a press conference at Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Colombian billionaire part of Josh Harris’ Commanders group

Investors from one of Colombia’s wealthiest families are part of Josh Harris’ $6 billion bid group to purchase the Washington Commanders, Sportico reported Thursday.

Alejandro Santo Domingo and his family are worth $12.2 billion, according to Bloomberg. Harris, a hedge fund manager who is majority owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and co-owner of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, is worth $7.7 billion.

Sportico reported that apartment complex magnate Mitchell Morgan of Philadelphia-based Morgan Properties is also a part of the bid group. Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, D.C.-area billionaire Mitchell Rales ($6.9 billion net worth) and investor Mark Ein previously have been reported to be a part of Harris’ group.

The sale agreement was sent to the NFL last month.

If approved, the $6 billion price tag would set an NFL record for the most expensive sale in the league’s history, topping last year’s record-setting $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos to the Walton-Penner group.

The next step is for the NFL to either send the deal back to Commanders owner Daniel Snyder and Harris with alterations, or accept it as is, returning it to the parties for final changes and signatures.

Sportico reported that the NFL privately has expressed some concerns.

Any sale requires the approval of at least 24 of the league’s 32 owners.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder on the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Josh Harris’ deal to buy Commanders sent to NFL for approval

Dan Snyder appears to be one step closer to heading out the NFL’s exit door.

The league has reportedly received the terms of a proposed $6 billion sale of Snyder’s Washington Commanders to a group headed by Josh Harris, a hedge fund manager who is majority owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and co-owner of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

If approved, the $6 billion price tag will set an NFL record for the most expensive sale in the league’s history, topping last year’s record-setting $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos to the Walton-Penner group.

The next step is for the NFL to either send the deal back to Snyder and Harris with alterations, or accept it as is, returning it to the parties for final changes and signatures.

Once the league approves the terms, any sale would still have to be approved by three-quarters of NFL owners. A vote for final approval could take place in May at a scheduled spring meeting of all NFL owners.

Harris, 58, is familiar to NFL owners, having also bid to buy the Broncos last year.

His group in the Commanders bid reportedly includes Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and D.C.-area billionaire Mitchell Rales.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders helmet on the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Commanders to be sold for record $6B to Josh Harris group

The group led by Josh Harris has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Washington Commanders for a U.S. sports franchise record $6 billion, Sportico reported on Thursday.

Per Sportico, Commanders owner Dan Snyder and the Harris group — which includes billionaire Mitchell Rales and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson — are hoping to complete the contract in the coming days. Harris is the principal owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils.

ESPN reported last month that Snyder received a pair of $6 billion offers, with the other coming from Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who was rumored to be in the mix, did not submit an offer, multiple media outlets reported.

The price tag of $6 billion smashes the previous record sale for a U.S. sports franchise, set last August after Walmart heir Rob Walton purchased the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion.

In August, Forbes valued the Commanders at $5.6 billion, sixth among the NFL’s 32 teams. Snyder also owns FedEx Field and the 264-acre property that surrounds it, plus the 150-acre team headquarters in Ashburn, Va.

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta was also in the mix to purchase the club Snyder has owned since 1999.

“I’ll be flat-out honest,” Fertitta told CNBC on Thursday. “I made a bid on the Washington Commanders for $5.6 billion. That’s the value that Forbes had them at, and at some point you’ve got to draw a line in the sand on everything and that’s where we are. If they can get somebody to pay them more than that, good luck to them. … I don’t think $6 billion is the right number.”

Harris and Rales have net worths of $5.8 and $5.5 billion, respectively, according to Forbes.

–Field Level Media

Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; ESPN analyst Magic Johnson before game one of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Magic Johnson joins Josh Harris’ bid for Commanders

Magic Johnson is joining billionaire NBA and NHL team owner Josh Harris’ bid to purchase the NFL’s Washington Commanders, Sportico reported Monday.

Harris also welcomed Johnson into the fold last season when he made an unsuccessful bid to buy the Denver Broncos.

Commanders owner Daniel Snyder, long embroiled in several controversies and accusations of an abusive work environment and financial improprieties, is looking to fetch $7 billion in a potential sale of the team, Front Office Sports reported last month.

Johnson, the 63-year-old NBA legend and former Los Angeles Lakers part-owner, is a member of the ownership group of the Los Angeles Dodgers and is said to bring “both money and expertise” to the table for Harris’ bid.

ESPN reported this month that Washington, D.C., billionaire Mitchell Rales joined Harris’ bid as well.

Harris is the principal owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils and is the general partner of Crystal Palace of the English Premier League in soccer. Rales is the founder of Danaher Corp.

Snyder reportedly has barred Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos from placing a bid on the Commanders. That could clear a path for Harris’ group of investors.

Harris lost out to Walmart heir S. Robson “Rob” Walton, like Bezos one of the richest people in the world, in the race to buy the Broncos last year.

–Field Level Media

Feb 15, 2022; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) and owner Josh Harris (L) pose for a photo after speaking with the media at Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Report: D.C. billionaire joins Josh Harris in bid to buy Commanders

Washington D.C. billionaire businessman Mitchell Rales is teaming with fellow billionaire Josh Harris in a bid to buy the Washington Commanders, ESPN reported Thursday.

Rales and Harris reportedly have a combined net worth of 11.8 billion.

Commanders owner Daniel Snyder reportedly is looking to fetch $7 billion for the team. In August, Forbes valued the Commanders at $5.6 billion, sixth among the NFL’s 32 teams. Snyder also owns FedEx Field and the 264-acre property that surrounds it, plus the 150-acre team headquarters in Ashburn, Va.

Harris is the principal owner of the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers and is the general partner of Crystal Palace of the English Premier League.

Rales, 67, is the founder of Danaher Corp.

Dan and Tanya Snyder hired Bank of America Securities to help with a potential sale of the team in November amid myriad investigations into alleged financial improprieties and rampant sexual harassment under Snyder’s watch.

Harris and Rales are in competition with Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertita, who reportedly submitted a $5.5 billion bid to buy the Commanders last month.

Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos reportedly hired an investment firm to explore the possibility of bidding on the Commanders. A subsequent report, however, said Snyder barred Bezos from placing a bid.

–Field Level Media