The Commanders Have New Commanders!

On July 20, 2023, NFL owners unanimously voted to approve the sale of the Washington Commanders.[1] A partnership led by Josh Harris will take over control of the franchise.[2] The franchise has been under the ownership of Dan and Tanya Snyder since May 1999.[3]

The sale was approved by the NFL owners just over two months after Josh Harris’s group entered into a purchase agreement with the Snyders to purchase the Commanders for a record breaking $6.05 billion.[4]

Harris is the co-founder and managing general partner of the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) conglomerate.[5] HBSE has a hand in several professional sports franchises, including the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils, and Crystal Palace FC.[6]

Other members of the ownership group include HBSE co-founder David Blitzer, Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson, Mark Ein, Lee Ainslie, Eric Holoman, Michael Li, Marc Lipschultz, the Morgan family, Doug Ostrover, the Santo Domingo family, Michael Sapir, Eric Schmidt, and Andy Snyder.[7]

The group looks to correct the issues the Commanders faced, both on and off the field, under the tenure of Dan Snyder.[8] In 2021, the Commanders (then the Washington Football Team) were fined $10 million after the NFL hired independent counsel, Beth Wilkinson, to investigate the franchise.[9] Based on Wilkinson’s review, the NFL determined that the Commanders had, for years, fostered a toxic work environment that was “highly unprofessional.”[10]

Then, on the same day the owners approved the sale, it was announced that another investigation into the Commanders had been conducted by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White.[11] This investigation found that there was further misconduct and financial improprieties made by former employees of the Washington Commanders, including instances of sexual harassment made by Dan Snyder, himself.[12] The NFL fined Dan Snyder another $60 million as he was on his way out of the door.

On top of the misconduct the Commanders have seen off the field, their on-field performance has been lackluster under Dan Snyder. In the 24 seasons Synder owned the franchise, Washington had a 164-220-2 record with only 6 playoff appearances.[13] While Washington made the playoffs as recently as 2020, the team has not won a playoff game since 2005.[14]

The league has been trying to find a suitable replacement for Snyder since it has become evident that misconduct was rampant under his supervision. Fans have also been upset by the way in which the franchise has been run, which was exacerbated when Snyder’s misconduct came to light.

Josh Harris has successfully operated his current franchises, leaving the league and fans hopeful he will be able to turn the franchise around. Players and fans have noted that the changes they have seen since Harris has taken over have hugely improved their experience.[15] Harris is sure he will be able to move the franchise in the right direction.[16]

[1] https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-owners-approve-sale-of-washington-commanders-to-josh-harris-group

[2]Id.

[3] https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/news/washington-commanders-dan-snyder-tanya-snyder-owner-josh-harris

[4] https://www.nfl.com/news/josh-harris-group-enters-into-purchase-agreement-with-synders-to-buy-commanders-

[5] https://www.hbse.com/our-team/

[6]Id.

[7] https://www.commanders.com/news/josh-harris-announces-acquisition-of-washington-commanders

[8]Supra n.1.

[9] https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-fines-washington-football-team-10m-following-investigation-into-team-culture

[10]Id.

[11] https://www.nfl.com/news/findings-and-outcome-of-mary-jo-white-investigation-into-commanders-announced

[12]Id.