(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The Washington Commanders are under new ownership, as they were recently purchased by a group headed by billionaire investor Josh Harris and NBA legend Magic Johnson.
It is therefore a new era for the franchise, and there seems to be the hope and optimism that comes with a clean slate.
One question posed in the wake of this ownership change is whether the team may go back to being known as the Redskins, but Harris said it won’t be happening.
UPDATE: #Commanders Owner Josh Harris confirms the team won’t be going back to #Redskins, via @JPFinlayNBCS
“Sports are supposed to bring people together and it was becoming a distraction. I don’t want distractions now. I want all the focus on the players and winning and… pic.twitter.com/3N028qzFKU
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 8, 2023
The team ditched the moniker “Redskins” for the 2020 season when it became known as the “Washington Football Team” until last season when it took on the Commanders name.
Since 1999, they had been owned by Daniel Snyder, and that tenure was rife with controversy and poor play on the field.
Snyder was embroiled in multiple scandals and allegations, as many claimed that the franchise had a toxic workplace environment.
When it came to the bottom line, the team has made the playoffs just six times since 1999, which comes in stark contrast to the success it once enjoyed.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the then-Redskins were one of the NFL’s marquee franchises, and they won three Super Bowls in 1982, 1987, and 1991 under then-owner Jack Kent Cooke.
This season, the Commanders will have a new quarterback in Sam Howell, who started and appeared in one game last year as a rookie.
It will be difficult for them to make the playoffs, especially in a competitive NFC East, but they can certainly establish a foundation for future success.
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