Be careful over who you wish to buy the Washington Commanders.
Jeff Bezos is the crowd favorite to make owner Dan Snyder take his money, although the man who can send you to space, sell anything via Amazon, and produce a daily newspaper hasn’t even officially sent in a bid. Snyder supposedly swore never to sell the team to Bezos, but then again, Snyder also said he’d never sell the team or change the name.
So here we are – the 800-pound gorilla backing into the room as Snyder finally starts ringing the bell for another round of bidders. Just when it appeared Josh Harris was the one, Tilman Fertitta put in a bid. Then Canadian magnate Steve Apostolopoulos showed up, and now former Duke basketball star Brian Davis reportedly has cash. And, Bezos is always lurking.
Snyder is enjoying the moment, his last moment of public tolerance before finally cast from lives of Commanders fans forever. Afterwards, he’ll just be another rich guy with no public relevance, living with the Brits without even a noble title. Enjoy your tea, guv. You’ll be forgotten quicker than a politician’s promise.
Snyder needs a big payday from the team’s sale because all of his recent business deals went south. Six Flags? Johnny Rockets? Valkyrie? 980-AM? Snyder got rich thanks to the NFL purse, and that safety net will be gone, so he’s looking for a golden parachute.
Fans want Bezos for his money. He can make the RFK site happen, pay for a new stadium himself, and buy every free agent. Stop when this sounds familiar. Let me add “He just wants to win.”
But would Bezos be the best owner? Ask some of his Amazon warehouse workers how they feel.
Harris has the sports background, though the 76ers were pretty bad until recently. Harris sees the Commanders as the ultimate sports money grab. Haven’t heard a whole lot about love of the game. Well, money is the game to billionaires.
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Fertitta would at least upgrade concessions and service, but can he afford a new stadium? Making do at FedEx Field won’t last long. It’s putting lipstick on a pig.
Davis has a sports background, but where’s his money coming from, and is there anything left to compete for players and build a new venue?
Apostolopoulos has no sports background, but is a very successful leader. And, that’s what the Commanders need to rejoin the elite.
Basically, it will require picking the right financial and football people to rebuild this franchise.
It’s easy to pick Bezos and ride his money to a nicer stadium where sticker shock will have fans saying “ouch” when buying season tickets. Other owners have their plusses and minuses, too.
The biggest point of the sale is Snyder will be gone. That’s the win fans want most. Whomever follows has to be better.
Follow Rick Snider on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks
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