Josh Harris knows what he’s getting into with the Washington Commanders.
He’s already been an NFL team owner, even if his controlling stakes in the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils are much higher than the 5% of the Pittsburgh Steelers he will have to divest before his $6.05 billion purchase of the Commanders concludes.
But beyond his decade-plus run in team ownership, Harris is also from the D.C. area, as are a handful of his many limited partners. While Harris was busy amassing his fortune, Dan Snyder led a group to purchase the Commanders for $800 million in 1999.
Snyder quickly laid out what not to do as a new owner, as he alienated what had been one of the top fanbases in American sports with a mixture of money-making tactics, meddling with football operations, and losing seasons.
There will certainly be a honeymoon period for Harris, and he’s expected to leave management intact after he takes over — at least to start. That’s what he did with the 76ers and Devils. He eventually oversaw rebuilds of both now-surging franchises who remain alive in their respective playoffs currently.
But soon enough, fans will want wins, a new stadium, and, yes, possibly a new name.
