A new new start! All things Josh Harris and new ownership group.

[Voice_of_Reason]

2 hours ago, Koolblue13 said:

And hopefully this entire coaching staff and FO next season. Love to see what a creative young up and coming DC could do with this defense.

I actually would prefer the team wins 12 games and they make some changes but not whole sale changes because they don't feel they need to.  Probably a new GM, and Ron would either step aside or be on a new deal which doesn't give him personnel power.

 

But I don't wish for things to be blown up because that means the season stunk.  

 

I'd like a good season with the arrow pointed in the right direction.  If that happens, it won't be a complete turnover, but there will be some turnover.

 

That most likely won't happen.  But if I could draw it up, that's the way it would go.

[Koolblue13]

7 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

I actually would prefer the team wins 12 games and they make some changes but not whole sale changes because they don't feel they need to.  Probably a new GM, and Ron would either step aside or be on a new deal which doesn't give him personnel power.

 

But I don't wish for things to be blown up because that means the season stunk.  

 

I'd like a good season with the arrow pointed in the right direction.  If that happens, it won't be a complete turnover, but there will be some turnover.

 

That most likely won't happen.  But if I could draw it up, that's the way it would go.

If we have a great season, Ron moves to President, EB is the coach because he did really well and we bring in solid coordinators, that's cool, but he will be hiring a new GM. 

[Voice_of_Reason]

21 minutes ago, BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen said:

 

Sure, if you like winning games 17-16 or losing them 28-6. Ron is simply too old school to understand that QBs dominate now and not defense and running the ball...unless you have a decent lead which this team rarely does.

I'm not entirely sure of that.  I think he might understand, but he's never had the QB here (through some fault of his own, some of Dan's fault, and some bad luck) to really do anything BUT play defense and run the ball.  

 

The best QB play he got since he became HC was probably a few games when Alex Smith was playing in 2020.  And that isn't saying much because it wasn't that good. 

 

If he had a QB worth a damn, maybe it would be different.  

 

Is Howell that guy?  I have no idea.  

 

But I think it's hard to judge what Ron thinks about QB except that he knows it's important.  They tried to trade for Stafford, tried to trade up for Fields (price too high), tried to trade for Russell Wilson, did trade for Wentz.  I mean, they've taken shots.  I think it's clear they would like to have a top-end QB. They failed on some shots and the one they landed blew up in their faces.  

 

But Haskins (RIP) couldn't play, Kyle Allen wasn't very good and then got hurt, Smith had one leg, and then got hurt,  Fitz got hurt, Wentz both sucked then got hurt then sucked again, and Taylor Heinicke just sucked for 2 years and a lot of people were too blinded by moxie to see Ron knew the only way to win with a guy who couldn't actually throw the ball was to run and play defense.  

 

I don't think Ron WANTS to win games 15-12.  But he kindof had to with the miserable QB play they've had.  

 

Will this year be any different?  I have absolutely no idea.  I have no idea.  I'm somewhat intreagued by Howell, but who really knows

 

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

1 minute ago, Koolblue13 said:

If we have a great season, Ron moves to President, EB is the coach because he did really well and we bring in solid coordinators, that's cool, but he will be hiring a new GM. 

Eh, I'm not so sure Ron wants to be President. I think he actually likes to be the coach.   And I'm damn sure if he moves to President the GM and HC would work for him, and therefore he would have final personnel say, and probably keep the GM he has.  You're not going to give a guy a President role as a figurehead. And you're not going to promote somebody to President and then hire his staff for him.  And Ron won't take over the business side, he has no idea how to do that. 

 

If they have a great season, we'll see, but I think Ron's back as coach.   The question would be EB.  Would he be able to be retained or not? Dunno.  I imagine it would depend on if he got a HC offer.  

 

 

[MartinC]

Public service announcement!

 

Can I just refer you all to the edit I just added to the OP. 
 

Let’s hold any back and forth or speculation on anything name change related until/unless something substantive emerges around that. I know there were hints dropped at the press conference but we don’t want to derail/clutter this thread with lots of back and forth or lists of names starting with the word ‘Red’ …

 

Now back to your regular scheduled programming.

[Wildbunny]

6 hours ago, MartinC said:

It’s OK to make reference to Snyders ownership

I have decided for myself, that the Dan Snyder experiment never existed in my fandom. That the team I used to love was put on hold in 1999, and now we're back with a new expansion team.

Which feels great.

 

I also have to admit I had concerns regarding this place's future.

 

After seeing Harris buying rounds of beers at two different parties. I believe this place will be safe for quite some time.

 

So still good.

 

Other than that, I'm not expecting much until the end of the season, but everyone know it's a placeholder season.

[MartinC]

1 minute ago, Wildbunny said:

 

I also have to admit I had concerns regarding this place's future.

 

After seeing Harris buying rounds of beers at two different parties. I believe this place will be safe for quite some time.

I doubt he knows we exist. And if finds out he will probably ask for at least a billion back from Snyder because he hid us during diligence 🙂

[RVAskins]

Harris spoke about changing the fan experience. Here are a few changes that I think he will make. I think he will improve the food at FedEx and lower the concession prices. I wouldn't be surprised if the fee for parking was reduced as well. I think the seats that are falling apart will be replaced. I believe Ashburn will see lots of improvements pretty soon as well. The previous owner didn't care at all about the fans or the players. He was just in it for the money.

 

As a side note, I refuse the say his name anymore. From now on, I will only refer to him as the previous owner.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[DiscoBob]

This thread has finally earned the "A new start title" no longer an anustart

[madden lot]

In my opinion, i believe the energy that has become us is going to last thru this bright new season. I'm saying it now we going have a strong stellar season. 

 

You can hold me to my words.

[BurgundyBooger]

I’ve seen enough of Ron’s work to know he’s not a winner. To me it’s simple: if we don’t make it to the playoffs and win a game, get rid of him. If we do all those things and EB wants to be a HC, promote EB and get rid of Ron. If we have a great season and EB wants to be a head coach but doesn’t want to take Ron’s job, wish them both luck and find someone else.

[tomwvr]

All I want to see are some decent improvements to Fed Ex since we will be there at least 4-5 more years. 

 

If they want some fast cash - sell the property at Ashburn and lease back what part of it they need for the team. From what I have read that property is worth half a billion dollars. That would go a long way to paying for improvements for the fan experience and the players and coaches facilities.   

 

Now if they have the spare cash sitting around wait to sell the property when the stadium build starts that would be a large percent of what is needed to pay for it.

[profusion]

It's too late to change the team or even the stadium structurally in time for Week 1. However, Harris can do a ton of little things right away to make the fan experience better. It's those little things that will make the best first impression.

 

I would hope that Josh's first move has been to find a chief advisor on the football side of things. Someone who can oversee a top-to-bottom evaluation of the team and staff within a fairly short period of time.

[88Comrade2000]

6 hours ago, MartinC said:

Public service announcement!

 

Can I just refer you all to the edit I just added to the OP. 
 

Let’s hold any back and forth or speculation on anything name change related until/unless something substantive emerges around that. I know there were hints dropped at the press conference but we don’t want to derail/clutter this thread with lots of back and forth or lists of names starting with the word ‘Red’ …

 

Now back to your regular scheduled programming.

That is way down list.

[Koolblue13]

22 minutes ago, profusion said:

It's too late to change the team or even the stadium structurally in time for Week 1. However, Harris can do a ton of little things right away to make the fan experience better. It's those little things that will make the best first impression.

 

I would hope that Josh's first move has been to find a chief advisor on the football side of things. Someone who can oversee a top-to-bottom evaluation of the team and staff within a fairly short period of time.

They already put in more railings.

1 hour ago, tomwvr said:

All I want to see are some decent improvements to Fed Ex since we will be there at least 4-5 more years. 

 

If they want some fast cash - sell the property at Ashburn and lease back what part of it they need for the team. From what I have read that property is worth half a billion dollars. That would go a long way to paying for improvements for the fan experience and the players and coaches facilities.   

 

Now if they have the spare cash sitting around wait to sell the property when the stadium build starts that would be a large percent of what is needed to pay for it.

 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

I posted about this new ownership plan in the other thread but it probably belongs here...  @just654 first posted it in the now-locked thread just before it was locked. It's a very interesting read.

 

New Ownership Plan - Commanders Investment Opportunity

 

file:///Users/dzinermachine/Downloads/New%20ownership%20plan.pdf

[Warhead36]

2 hours ago, profusion said:

It's too late to change the team or even the stadium structurally in time for Week 1. However, Harris can do a ton of little things right away to make the fan experience better. It's those little things that will make the best first impression.

 

Yeah I agree with this. You're not gonna change the core of FedEx Field physically but you can change other things to increase fan experience.

 

Week 1 will probably be a sellout or close to it and since the opposing team has no real national fan presence, it should be just about all Commanders fans. I expect some special promotions and what not to really get the fans revved up.

[Skinsinparadise]

18 hours ago, redskinss said:

What I wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall. 

 

Me, too.  In Harris' shoes, I'd tell Ron dude this isn't a setup season for next season.  We got fans enthusiasm through the roof, people want to return to the party -- we don't want to crash that ship with another mediocre season.  As Harris has said multiple times publicly -- "let's go".  Ron you think this is a winning roster?  If not, what do you need?

 

My gut is they do make a move or two.  Will see.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[Skinsinparadise]

 

Keeping this honeymoon going will be a two-front battle for Harris and Co., who need to shore up the current fan base and begin attracting a new generation to take the place of those who have defected.

The loss of community is one of the biggest messes Snyder leaves behind. 

• Over Snyder’s 24 seasons as owner, the team managed just six playoff appearances, and two wins. The last: a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January 2006. 
• Nielsen research last year found 29% of D.C. area residents identified as fans of the team, down from 51% in 2004. 
• Over the last three years, the Commanders have been the target of seven investigations. The findings of one of those was released Thursday right after Harris’ deal was approved, one that led to a record $60 million fine of Snyder. 

Since former team president Brian LaFemina acknowledged in 2018 there was no season-ticket waiting list, fans have bailed in droves, making FedEx Field the least-attended NFL stadium in 2021 and 31st last season. 

Even deep into the Snyder tenure, the season-ticket base held on, hoping for a return of the glory days. In 2015, the team ranked sixth in the NFL in attendance. But with little star power and little hope on the horizon, the “emperor has no clothes” moment arrived quickly. 

The team had been propping up numbers by flooding the market with cheap tickets — that ended in 2018, and the team finished that season ranked 27th in attendance.

 

Winning Back Deserters  

With the rise of two teams that have eaten into Washington’s traditional fan territory (Baltimore and Carolina), it’s fair to wonder if the team will ever be able to fully replenish the season-ticket base.

Last year’s Team Marketing Report Fan Cost Index ranked the Commanders the 19th most expensive team to watch, a surprising number given the cost of living in the D.C. market.

Wright, a former McKinsey partner, doesn’t see a path where the team can cut its way to success.

“Tickets go for as cheap as $400 for the entire season on the upper level,” Wright said in March. “We need to think about how to get people to buy into what’s already a very low price point. It’s hard to think that further drops in price, when we’re already in a wealthy market and we’re bottom of the league in prices, (is beneficial).”

Wright noted that exit surveys compiled by the NFL place the team in the second quartile of fan experiences when Commanders fans leave after wins. After losses, of course, the stadium ranks near the very bottom.

“We compare very favorably to other stadium experiences when we win,” he said.

 

The Commanders have already surpassed total revenue for tickets and suites compared to all of 2022, according to data provided by the Commanders. Year-over year, ticket sales are up 52%, and suite sales are on pace to double last year’s figure.

Harris alluded to past high-profile issues at the stadium when asked what the early priorities will be.

“We’re gonna throw a party every other Sunday, and when you have guests in your house, you treat them well,” he said at Friday’s introductory news conference. “You don’t have couches that are broken, you don’t have TVs that aren’t working, so we’ve got to get after all that, and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”

While some former fans — and Gen Zers who grew up not knowing only Snyder’s dysfunction — might never come back, there are some opportunities for the new group to make inroads.

Wright has often spoken about further connecting the team to the community at large, including the area around the stadium in Prince George’s County, which is predominantly Black. The team was the last in the NFL to integrate, but has chipped away at that deficit in recent years.

Harris has been outspoken on issues of race and equality in the past, and having Magic Johnson, who has previously invested in inner city businesses in Washington, on the team will undoubtedly provide a big boost.

 

“I invest to win,” Johnson said. “And we want to change everything that has happened to this franchise. We see [Washington legends] in the front row. Not only did they win Super Bowls, they also made the community great. And we want to invite the community to be a part of what we’re building here.”

 

‘I Totally Have Hope’

Female fans are another potential target market, as the Harris group works to undo the damage done by years of negative headlines under Snyder, including Thursday’s Mary Jo White report, which substantiated allegations of sexual harassment against Snyder.

Three years ago, The Washington Post exposed the toxic workplace that existed under Snyder as several former employees went on the record to describe their experiences. 

Melanie Coburn, a former cheerleader who also worked as the cheerleading marketing director, had been among the most outspoken former employees in recent years. On Thursday, she joined the “Burgundy and Sold” party at a massive D.C. outdoor bar organized by four area radio stations. 

Mixing among the masses was Mark Ein, one of the Commanders’ new co-owners. 

“My only closure [of the Dan Snyder era] was a three-minute embrace of Mark,” Coburn said. “I was sobbing. I thanked Mark, and he replied, ‘Thank you. You’re the brave ones.’ I was literally shaking and bawling. He choked up a little bit. 

“Mark and the other owners have integrity. I do believe in this ownership group. They’re real people. I totally have hope.”

[Califan007 The Constipated]

^^^ That last paragraph...damn.

 

I'm gonna quote that part of the article the next time some moron on Twitter starts claiming the women who came forward are just "money grabbers" and should go away now.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Califan007 The Constipated

[Warhead36]

Is it safe to buy Commanders merchandise now? I wanna get a jersey. Thinking McLaurin or Allen.

[NoVaSkins21]

54 minutes ago, Califan007 The Constipated said:

^^^ That last paragraph...damn.

 

I'm gonna quote that part of the article the next time some moron on Twitter starts claiming the women who came forward are just "money grabbers" and should go away now.

With the dark cloud finally gone, fans are right to have hope and dream of what could be now with this franchise.  The sky's the limit now with this team and the possibilities

[Riggo#44]

More class, dignity, and professionalism in that one letter than that colostomy bag of a former owner showed in 24 years, cumulatively.

[SkinsFanRob]

Am I the only one that thinks winning back the fans won’t be that hard? They didn’t want to leave. The team use to be important to a lot of people. 90 percent of them were waiting for a reason to come back. I think the stadium will be rocking come week 1. 

[Professor_Nutter_Butter]

1 hour ago, Warhead36 said:

Is it safe to buy Commanders merchandise now? I wanna get a jersey. Thinking McLaurin or Allen.

Yes