New Commanders owner Josh Harris wants to change culture, win championships

LANDOVER, Md. – For Josh Harris, the Washington Commanders are not just the team he grew up rooting for as a kid from Chevy Chase, Maryland. The organization runs through his DNA.

“This franchise is part of who I am,” Harris said, “and who I became.”

Harris – owner of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and now the principal manager of an ownership group that purchased the Commanders from Dan Snyder for a record $6.05 billion – said at FedEx Field on Friday that he appreciates his newest title is not simply about being a fan.

“I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to this city, to win championships, to create a positive impact on the community and create great experiences and memories for future fans, just like I had growing up as a kid,” said Harris. “I’ve done this before and I believe that we are up to the task.”

At a fan rally, fans chanted “Thank you Josh!” as Harris and his ownership group, including Magic Johnson, greeted the Washington faithful.

“I can’t thank you enough for still being with us,” Harris told the crowd.

Replacing a hated figure

Few owners in American professional sports history sowed discord between an organization and its fan base than Snyder. On Thursday, four local radio stations threw a “Burgundy and Sold” party at The Bullpen, a Washington, D.C. watering hole. Revelers filled the air with more cigar smoke than a graduation party, puffing away on a permanent past and exciting future.

“We thought (Snyder) was going to pass it down to his kids,” Max Cabrera, who was carrying a flag with a yellow background and burgundy “W,” told USA TODAY Sports. “But he did such a bad job at just keeping it himself that we’re happy now.”

Cabrera, a 42-year-old from Vienna, Virginia, added that he was “glad it’s done” in reference to the Snyder era, which was marred by scandal off the field and consistently subpar teams.

“A lot of stuff happened that was unfortunate,” Harris said Friday in a tacit reference to Snyder’s tenure. “We’re focused on changing the culture. … We got to get in there.”

Harris also said he wants to create a management team where not everybody looks the same.

“When you own a sports team in a city, everyone looks at what you do,” he said.

Beyond addressing the on-field product for the 2023 season and manageable fan experience upgrades, Harris said the work of regaining community trust will begin immediately.

“We will work tirelessly to make you proud of this franchise,” Harris said.

Harris called into one of the radio shows on-site at the bash and bought everyone in attendance a drink.

“That’s a varsity move right there,” said Cabrera, who picked up a “Bye Dan” beer from a local brewing company with the intention of getting Harris to sign the can so he can place it on his mantle at home.

More alumni back

Harris said some of his earliest memories are walking down East Capitol Street to RFK Stadium in northeast Washington. Back then, there was a 20-year waiting list for season tickets, as a young Harris cheered for players such as Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Theismann and Darrell Green. Green was in attendance Friday, along with franchise legends Doug Williams and three-time Super Bowl winning coach Joe Gibbs.

“This group is a Washington group,” Gibbs said. “And I think they kind of understand the history, and the culture.”

Harris and his other owners met with the group of franchise greats Friday morning to give them an idea of what they think is important. Gibbs met Harris and one of his partners, David Blitzer, roughly a year ago for a reason unrelated to the Commanders. Three months later, the team went up for sale, and he’s developed a friendship with them.

“I think they want to do things the right way,” Gibbs said. “I think they’ve got real experience … it’s a new vision going forward.

“This group is focused on winning and putting together an organization – and then a team – that everybody can get behind,” he said.

Harris' involvement

The job of Harris and his ownership team, he said, is to deliver an organization that can win.

He also tempered expectations.

“This is not going to be easy,” he said.

Mitchell Rales, one of the minority stakeholders in the new group, was also forthright.

“Why do we exist? We are here to ignite and inspire all of the communities we serve by winning championships,” he said.

Rales later added: “We’re here to really build this again from the bottom up, the right way.”

Harris wanted fans to know that there were a lot of sleepless nights in recent months and that they won’t stop anytime soon.

“This is an amazing day,” Harris said, “but I’m stressed.”

In the short-term, Harris reiterated Friday, there isn’t much the new owners can do ahead of the 2023 season. FedEx Field’s ingress and egress practices, along with the stadium’s food options, will be reviewed.

As for how Harris will juggle his other business and professional sports responsibilities, he expects to be present in the daily operations of the Commanders.

“You can’t mail it in,” Harris said. “I’m really excited to be back in D.C.”

What about a new stadium? Or the name Commanders?

Harris said he looks at Commanders home games as throwing a party every other Sunday eight or nine times per season.

“When you have guests in your house, you treat them well. You don’t have couches that are broken. You don’t have TVs that aren’t working,” he said.

Ideally, Harris said Washington’s stadium would be one fans and players love and feel welcome in and an environment that opposing players detest.

As far as the nickname Commanders, he sounded like Johnson, who on the “TODAY” show said “everything is on the table” when it came to making changes, including the team’s name.

“It’s not about how I feel,” said Harris, who was explicitly asked whether he liked the name or not. “It’s about how the city feels about all of this stuff.”

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josh Harris' Commanders goal: 'Create great experiences'