As a Washington Commanders fan, the news that Daniel and Tanya Snyder may be on the verge of selling some or all of the franchise gave the me most feeling of promise of my football team in a long, long time. I did have the feeling back in 2012 when RGIII was taking the NFL by storm and it turned out to be a false feeling of hope.
This could be, too.
If it isn't, we will soon be embarking on a great moment in the history of this franchise. Ever since Snyder bought the franchise and took control in 1999, a once proud franchise has been run like a cheap, rinky-dink organization filled with yes men and ego. On the field, the team has barely won -- just six playoff berths and two playoff wins in 23 seasons. Off the field, the organization has been the subject of Congressional inquiries, investigations into the workplace culture, constant battles over the team's former name, financial irregularities, letting the stadium turn into a dump, threatening to dish dirt about fellow owners and all kinds of missteps of the general running of the franchise.
Fans ... and I'm one of them ... are done with him. I used to think that having an owner who was willing to spend would trump his off-putting nature, but that changed when his money wasn't helping to win and his actions were too disgusting to defend. Under his watch, he turned the team into not just a laughingstock but one fans weren't embarrassed to embrace.
So what happens if he actually sells the team? What should we, the fans, hope for?
A NORMAL FRONT OFFICE
First and foremost, this needs to become a workplace that people want to be a part of. It should go without saying but ... employees need to feel safe. Cheerleaders don't need to be asked to hang out with friends of Dan. No one needs explicit photos of themselves emailed all over the place. It isn't too much to ask to have an exemplary workplace where great minds and talents want to work together to make this franchise great.
A NEW STADIUM
This is a big one for me. Obviously, FedEx Field is falling apart and was already an albatross of a stadium well before then. A new stadium is needed. What worried me is that the Commanders were going to end up with a second or third rate stadium because ... well ... that's the kind of guy Snyder is plus none of the local lawmakers wanted to really deal with the devil that is Snyder. What should be a race between locales in Maryland, Virginia and DC to lure the Commanders to their state/district turned into a hoarder trying to rent someone's B&B. My fear is that a stadium deal would be done under Snyder's watch and no matter who owned the team would be stuck with a newer, crappy stadium. A least a new owner could have better relationships with local politicians and architects (and fans) to give us the best stadium possible to compete for decades to come. There is already rumors swirling that the new owner may be able to built on the old RFK site, something Washington wasn't willing to do for Snyder.
HOPE WITH THE ROSTER
One of Snyder's worst points as a fan is how he meddled in football decisions. His wants usually went against what the football people felt was best and it hindered the organization's progress. The RGIII draft pick is a perfect example. Head coach Mike Shanahan didn't want Griffin III as his quarterback but Snyder pushed for it to be done. Despite the then-Redskins selecting RGIII with the No. 2 overall pick, Shanahan still drafted the guy he wanted, Kurt Cousins, in the 4th round of the same draft. Cousins, while now with the Vikings, is still in the league. RGIII has been out of the league for a couple of years and hasn't been a starter for quite some time. That isn't the only instance of Snyder falling in love with a player that the football people didn't want (the late Dwayne Haskins is another example). Every team misses on draft picks, but not all do so at the behest of an owner that runs his franchise where no one can push back. A new owner doesn't promise this will happen, but the hope is that it will.
THE NAME
There will be a sizable section of the fanbase that will whine to the new owner to change the name back to the Redskins. Those people need to get it into their heads that this not only won't ever happen but it shouldn't ever happen. That's done.
Having said that, is anyone really married to "Commanders"? Sure, the NFL and Nike and a lot of other folks have had to align with the current name because, well, it was Snyder's pick and we all had to deal with it. I will admit that I hated the name when it was revealed as a possibility and was a little pissed when it was chosen. Even as the team is halfway through the season, I still cringe when I say the Commanders name (and it feels even weirder typing it). If the name stays, it stays, and I will eventually just be all in on it because I have to. But if the new owner wants to, ya know, revisit some of the more popular suggestions (like RedWolves or Football Team) then I'd be all for that.
CARE ABOUT US
One of Snyder's biggest problems is he cared about being the owner of the Redskins/Football Team/Commanders than about what he was before he owned them -- a fan. Not only did he routinely put an inferior product on the field, he gouged fans, let the stadium literally fall apart, sued fans, fought against anyone he felt went against him and then wasn't willing to really listen to the fans during the name change. The Commanders are the only team that suddenly has a large crowd for their opponents during home games, but it is heartbreaking for a franchise that once proudly proclaimed how long their season ticket waiting list was. For fans that watched Joe Gibbs and Jack Kent Cooke deliver three Super Bowl championships from 1982 to 1991 and was alongside the 49ers as one of the premiere franchises of that decade, the fans that have stuck around during the last 23 years deserve much better and should be applauded to stick with a franchise that has all but abandoned them.
It is a fractured fanbase. Some are very angry that the Redskins name was retired and will never really root for the franchise again. Others have moved on to a more healthier NFL relationship. Some like the Commanders name and others hate it. But we all hate Daniel Snyder.
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