Fans showed up early to celebrate the new day for the team, and had a lot of questions for new owners of the Washington Commanders. News4’s JP Finlay and Dominique Moody go inside the pep rally and press conference celebrating the team.
To watch the first press conference held by the new Commanders owners after buying the team, scroll to the end of this article.
Washington Commanders fans in the District and beyond are reveling in the glory of the team's new ownership, which was officially approved Thursday afternoon in an NFL owners' vote. But with the new start comes new questions.
In the moments after that sale vote, that new ownership group's leader, Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris, greeted fans of his new team with determination and excitement.
"To our team and the incredible fan base in Washington: A new era of Washington football is here. It’s time to get to work," he said.
Harris, a Maryland native, is joined by Mitchell Rales, Magic Johnson, and long-time partner David Blitzer. The new leaders are expected to host a press conference at FedEx Field on Friday afternoon.
Their group now faces the challenge of reigniting enthusiasm that Commanders fans lost over the past two decades, during the scandal-plagued previous ownership and lack of Super Bowl appearances since their legendary win in 1991.
The press conference began at 2 p.m. after a pep rally at 1 p.m.
At that press conference, Harris described a new day for the Commanders’ record on the field as well as its culture as an employer.
"In order to win, we’re going to need the best, most committed people. Starting today, we will attract those people with a culture defined by excellence, dignity, respect and inclusivity," he said.
Johnson called Friday a “proud day” for “every African American in this country, because we’ve been left out of the NFL, but we’re making strides.”
Here's what Harris and company are up against in their quest to restore the team.
Recent Snyder scandals
Dan Snyder's tenure in charge of the team brought a slew of scandals.
There were numerous lawsuits, investigations and allegations during Snyder’s tenure, which ranged from sexual harassment to financial fraud.
Momentous change for the Washington team came about after a series of investigative articles from the Washington Post in summer 2020. After that, the team finally dropped its previous name, and installed Tanya Snyder, breast cancer awareness advocate and Dan’s wife, as CEO.
The NFL also fined the organization $10 million.
Moments after the sale vote took place, the NFL also released a stunning report, and said Snyder would pay $60 million to the League over the misconduct the report confirmed.
The results of an independent investigation into Snyder's conduct and the club's financial dealings upheld allegations of sexual harassment made against him by a former cheerleader and marketing employee.
"The conduct substantiated in [the report's] findings has no place in the NFL," said commissioner Roger Goodell after the news broke. "We strive for workplaces that are safe, respectful and professional. What [Ms. Johnston experienced is inappropriate and contrary to the NFL's values."
The report also upheld allegations that the club deliberately underreported NFL revenues to avoid sharing money that was supposed to go into a collective pool — though there was not enough evidence to say whether or not Snyder was personally involved in that financial fraud.
Part of the challenge Harris and company face now is rebuilding trust in Commanders leadership.
TODAY's Craig Melvin spoke with Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers great and one of the Commanders' new owners, and asked how he planned to move the team beyond the scandals it experienced under Snyder.
"You have to let the employees know that you respect them and it will be a safe place to work," Johnson told Melvin.
"We know how valuable the employees are because they make it run every single day. And so we’re going to hire the best people. We already got a lot of great people. So this year it’s about listening, watching and really learning."
During the press conference on Friday, Johnson acknowledged the controversy faced by the team in recent years, and committed to a change, saying he joined the ownership team to win and to make a positive impact in the community.
“We want to change everything that has happened to this franchise,” he said.
Team Identity
The Commanders' old team name was controversial, to say the least. A contingent of fans argued for a name that was not a derogatory racial epithet for decades, but it wasn't until 2020 that the team finally dropped their old moniker and became the Washington Football Team.
Two years later, the club became the Washington Commanders.
The initial reaction to the name was lukewarm, even among players. Many were more enthusiastic about other options that had been eliminated from the list, like Red Hogs, Red Wolves, or the Sentinels.
While many fans have settled into the new name since it was unveiled in 2022, the change in leadership has led to rumblings that other parts of the team identity could be revisited.
On TODAY, Melvin asked Johnson if changing the team's name — again — was a possibility.
"I think, Craig, everything’s on the table," Johnson said. "Right? Especially after this year. We will see where we are with the name, but I can’t say that right now."
When asked on Friday about whether the team’s name could change again, Harris said he would listen to fans. He said his top priorities, though, are the team’s performance, the fan experience and being out in the community.
Also frustrating for a team that is, ostensibly, the hometown club for Washington D.C: The team has actually been based at FedEx Field in Maryland since 1997.
Asked by Melvin whether the team would ever return to playing within the District, Johnson still didn’t rule anything out.
"We gonna spend this year understanding what we have in place. And then I’m sure that that’ll come up. The Commanders, the name of the team will come up eventually, but right now, we’ve got enough work to do to keep us busy," he said.
Fan Enthusiasm
Fans are thrilled to see Snyder make his exit. (Crowds at the Bullpen in Navy Yard on Thursday afternoon literally sang choruses of "hey hey hey, goodbye" after news of the vote broke.)
Part of the fervor is that the team's record tanked under Snyder's leadership.
Die hard fans stuck around for bad times like they did the good.
“I’m with my team if we’re winning or losing,” a fan named William told News4’s Tommy McFly back in April, after initial reports of a sale to the Harris group. “That’s what you call a fan, a die-hard fan.”
But there's been a long run of bad times for the team.
Snyder bought the team in 1999 and took full control before the 2000 season. Since 2000, Snyder’s Washington teams registered a terrible 154-214-2 record, losing 60 games more than they’ve won. They’ve also earned just one playoff victory in 23 seasons.
That’s in contrast to the 20 years prior to Snyder’s ownership, when Washington was one of the best teams in the NFL, with three Super Bowl wins and four appearances.
“The last game I went to, I thought I was at an away game instead of a home game,” a diehard fan from Maryland said on Thursday describing all the Green Bay Packers cheese heads he saw. “We’ve got to turn this thing around. Let’s go, Commanders!” he shouted.
Also on Thursday, at Old Ox Brewery in Ashburn, Virginia, fans decked out in burgundy and gold celebrated as news of the sale finally arrived, sipping “Bye Dan” IPA.
With new owners comes renewed hope that the District will see a Commanders comeback -- but whether Harris and company can keep that enthusiasm going past the first wave is yet to be seen.
"Washington fans are passionate. The reaction is overwhelming," Harris said at the press conference on Friday.
Given that Harris bought beer for fans at Washington Commanders sale watch parties in D.C. and Virginia, it seems like the good will might just keep flowing.
