LANDOVER — As he made his way outside to the “Legends Plaza” section of FedEx Field, the stadium he now owned, Josh Harris was immediately swarmed by a sea of fans. Wearing a burgundy-colored Commanders hat and a white polo, the new Washington owner shook hands, posed for pictures and signed autographs.
As he weaved through the crowd, with security flanking him, Harris couldn’t stop smiling. The 58-year-old then got on stage, bending down to give the spectators in the front rows a series of high-fives.
For the first time in what had to be years, if not decades, people were happy to see an owner at Washington’s stadium. And he was happy to see them.
“I can’t tell you how much it means that you all are still with us,” Harris said to the crowd “Let’s go!”
The day after he was unanimously approved to buy the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion, Harris made his long-awaited introduction to the Burgundy and Gold faithful and laid out his vision for the franchise. During a press conference earlier in the afternoon, Harris said he felt a “tremendous sense of responsibility” to turn around the Commanders, win championships and make the necessary investments required to make Washington one of the premier brands in the NFL once again. He also endorsed team President Jason Wright and coach Ron Rivera.
But more so, Harris delivered remarks that fueled optimism and reignited excitement that had been hard to find in the final years under (now-former) owner Dan Snyder. Over the course of Friday afternoon, several thousands of fans enthusiastically turned out to see what the new regime would entail. Wright said that in response to the sale, the team’s Sept. 10 season opener was already almost sold out.
Harris’ introduction also included appearances by a litany of team legends like Darrell Green and Joe Gibbs, as well as current players in wideout Terry McLaurin and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.
Throughout the day, there were constant reminders that this was indeed a new era.
To the Commanders fans, our promise to you is straightforward: We will work tirelessly to make you proud once again of this franchise, like my family was when I grew up here,” said Harris, a Chevy Chase native. “This is not going to be easy. My job is to deliver an organization that can win. It’s on me. And it’s on us up here (on the stage).
“Our work begins today, and I’m so excited to be on this journey together with the city.”
That stage that Harris referenced included Wright, Rivera, Harris’ wife and four of the 20 limited partners that now have a financial stake in the Commanders. No name with Harris was bigger than NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, whose appearance Friday seemed to generate even more excitement for fans than Harris.
But Johnson, who said it was a dream to own a piece of an NFL franchise, made sure to keep the attention on Harris — and what the group will do for Washington. When he first got up to speak, Johnson recalled the first meeting between him and Harris. He said he asked the private equity billionaire one question: Did he want to win?
“He said, ‘Yes’ and I said, ‘I’m in,’” Johnson said. “Because I don’t invest in sports teams just for ego. I invest to win. And we want to change everything that has happened to this franchise.”
Harris and Johnson, of course, have experience in building successful businesses and sports franchises. But on Friday, Harris, also the owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, acknowledged that the specifics NFL will be “very different.”
Still, there were philosophies, he said, that he would look to carry over, such as investing in analytics and sports science. “You win championships with the best people,” he said. “You win by investing.”
That aspect drew positive reactions from McLaurin and Allen — both of whom appeared to be cognizant of the differences that Harris would provide. Addressing the crowd, Allen said he waited “seven years to see the fanbase like this.” McLaurin, meanwhile, told reporters that he was excited to finally be able to focus primarily on football.
“That’s the best part of it all, to be honest,” McLaurin said. “To be kind of truly be able to focus on the field, to hear that from the ownership, they echoed that same sentiment that the players have been feeling internally for so long where we just to get to focus on our jobs.
“It’s like a clean slate for everyone,” he said later.
In recent years, that slate was muddled by the near-constant controversy generated by Snyder. Even upon the embattled billionaire’s departure, the NFL issued a $60 million fine to Snyder after a 17-month investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and financial improprieties. Asked about what he makes sure changes, Harris said there would be “zero tolerance for ethically challenged behaviors,” emphasizing his team would be diverse and inclusive.
“It’s all about culture,” Harris said.
The differences between the reception of Harris and Snyder, however, couldn’t have been starker.
Less than 24 hours earlier, at a bar near Nationals Park, fans celebrated Snyder’s departure by chanting “f—- Dan Snyder!” repeatedly. On Friday, the team’s faithful — perhaps some of the very same ones who were at the previous night’s gathering — erupted into chants of “Thank you, Josh!” shortly after Johnson got done addressing the crowd.
Harris stood there and smiled before receiving a high-five from Johnson.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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