Commanders fans celebrate as Dan Snyder finally agrees to sell franchise to Josh Harris - “Long nightmare is over”

Tanya and Dan Snyder finalized the sale of the Washington Commanders to the Josh Harris-led group for $6 billion. The confirmation of this transaction will end Snyder’s over two decades of ownership. He bought the then-Washington Redskins for $800 million.

But since he took ownership of one of the NFL’s storied franchises, the team has been mired with futility and off-field controversies. The Commanders have made the playoffs only six times during Snyder’s tenure, winning only twice.

Worst yet, the Commanders have been mired with allegations of unsafe workplace conditions for women due to incidents of sexual misconduct. Furthermore, Snyder is being investigated for keeping two accounting books and short-changing season ticket holders.

With Snyder on his way out, Washington Commanders fans shared their celebratory mood on Twitter:

The final price that Dan Snyder agreed to is the highest amount for a professional sports team. It is way higher than the $4.65 billion paid by the Walton-Penner family for the Denver Broncos last year. Meanwhile, Sportico estimated the Commanders’ worth $4.78 billion, making it the eighth most valuable NFL franchise.

From Dan Snyder to Josh Harris’ group: A brief timeline of the Commanders’ sale

Sportico revealed in mid-April that Dan Snyder and the Josh Harris-led ownership group agreed in principle to buy the Commanders franchise. The group includes Mitchell Rales and former NBA superstar Magic Johnson. Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos also submitted a bid, but the Snyders went with Harris.

Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Redskins

There was also speculation that Amazon owner Jeff Bezos would submit a bid. However, he pulled out his intention for the sixth-oldest NFL franchise. While the exact reason for backing out was unknown, the Bezos-owned Washington Post has published articles critical of the Commanders.

But while Harris had the upper hand in the bidding, former Duke basketball player Brian Davis submitted a $7 billion bid for the Commanders. However, Pro Football Talk host Mike Florio revealed that Davis must have at least $2.1 billion of his own money to bid for the team.

The source of Davis’ funds was said to be questionable, with some football fans citing Saudi Arabian investors as the real root of the money.

Aside from the franchise formerly owned by Daniel Snyder, Harris also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils. He is also a general partner of the English soccer club Crystal Palace F.C. He has an estimated net worth of $6 billion.

Meanwhile, Rales co-founded the Danaher Corporation in 1984. He is also the chairman of ESAB and Enovis. The Pittsburgh-born businessman and art collector has a $5.3 billion net worth.

Finally, Johnson has an ownership stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also heads Magic Johnson Enterprises, which invests in movie theaters and restaurants in the United States. He has a net worth of around $620 million.