Good morning to everyone but especially to...
THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
It's a new day for one of the NFL's historic franchises tarnished by its recent past. Commanders owner Dan Snyder has reached a preliminary, nonexclusive deal to sell the team for $6 billion to Josh Harris and his group of buyers.
It's hard to understate how big of a deal this is. Snyder bought the Commanders in 1999 for $800 million and proceeded to run a once-proud organization into the ground.
The team has as many playoff wins as name changes (two) under Snyder, who grew up a fan of the team. Only the Browns and Lions have fewer postseason wins over that span.Snyder often intervened in the team's operations, which led to splashy but unproductive player acquisitions and coach hirings. Former coach Jay Gruden said Snyder "would come in off his yacht and make the pick" during the NFL Draft, overruling the team's personnel department.The team's failures on the field, though, pale in comparison to the off-field issues, which range from embarrassing to damning to horrifying. Here are some recent controversies:
Long story short, the Commanders went from flagship franchise to laughingstock under Snyder. It will take a while to get things on track, but this is a necessary step forward.
