The Washington Commanders began their 2023 Training Camp in Ashburn this week. Open practices for fans began on Thursday, and at the “Back Together Saturday” themed celebration yesterday – Commanders Park was “sold out”.
Somewhere in the region of 10,000 fans descended on the OrthoVirginia Training Center on Saturday. The buzz is real. After all, what could be more galvanizing to the fan base, than finally being free of the ole ball and chain?
With the $6.05 billion sale to Josh Harris, Dan Snyder’s tenure in the NFL came to an end. The league agreed to the deal yesterday.
After twenty plus years of ownership, Dan and wife Tanya took one last opportunity to prove that they just don’t get it.
Here is the prepared statement that they issued:
A fan base is collectively pinching itself worldwide. Is this just some dream, or did Dan Snyder really vacate his throne?
8,821 days. That’s how long the reign of horror lasted in Washington D.C. Exactly 24 years, one month and 24 days of Snyder ownership.
But it’s finally over. It’s really finally over.
Right?
Did somebody slap the no take backs on it yet?
Sometimes you wish for something so hard, that when it happens, it’s hard to reconcile in your own mind. Case in point? Dan Snyder selling the Washington Commanders.
Sure it was weeks ago that Snyder reached an agreement in principle, to sell the franchise to Josh Harris and his group for $6 billion. Admittedly, it felt safe to say then that the reign of terror was finally coming to an end.
But for some reason, it still didn’t seem “done” as nothing had been said publicly by the Snyders.
That changed yesterday.
According to NBC Sports Washington, the sale of the Washington Commanders, “will be over soon.” According to whom, you may ask? Well there weren’t any sources actually listed for the claim, but apparently it will be done, “As soon as March.” Does making it plural and stating that “sources” are making the claim, somehow make … Read more
With nothing to play for but pride, the Washington Commanders handed the Dallas Cowboys their proverbial behinds in the final game of the 2022 regular season. Washington outclassed the Cowboys 26-6 largely on the strength of a colossal effort from their defense.
In what may very well have been the very last time that the Commanders took the field with Dan Snyder as owner, there wasn’t much to play for. Perhaps that’s fitting given the tumultuous times of the past two decades-plus under Snyder’s thumb. Washington were eliminated from Wild Card contention in Week 17, and no result from them in Week 18 was going to change that.
Given that, the Commanders chose to sit some regulars in lieu of evaluating some talent that had seen little or no playing time this season. That included getting quarterback Sam Howell his first start.
There’s a good chance if you’re poking around the world of the Washington Commanders online this week – you will likely find some common verbage.
“Nothing to play for.”
“Play the young talent.”
“No playoffs again!”
What there hasn’t been much of, is the thing that might be the most exciting of all.
A seemingly overlooked thing that might make this meaningless game, the most meaningful game in 20-plus years.
There’s a chance that it could be the last game ever with Dan Snyder as the owner.
Washington does not play in the NFL’s Week 9. However, that seemed to only intensify the mountain of off-the-field distractions going on with the organization.
Here are the things that happened that did not involve emails, the NFL, Washington, and Congress. And then some things that did.
Forbes just released it’s list of Most Valuable Sports Teams in 2021. Washington was ranked number nineteen. They were the eighth ranked NFL team. In 2010, the Washington Football Team was the third most-valuable sports team in the world.
According to Forbes, Washington’s current value is $3.5 million, and they have experienced a 23% increase in value over the last five years.
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal just posted his General Manager Power Rankings based on how teams have drafted recently. How did the Washington management group fare in respect to others? It didn’t. The rankings left off the nine teams that have one draft (or less) of experience, so that left Washington’s three-headed approach off the list.