Previous reports indicated that a resolution would be coming soon in the ongoing sales process concerning the Commanders. Further developments have recently taken place, though they may not point to a sale being as likely as once believed.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos – who has long been considered the top name to watch amongst bidders for the Washington franchise – has been barred from taking part in the bidding process, as first reported by Josh Kosman of the New York Post. That news comes in spite of Bezos’ stated interest in being a candidate to buy the Commanders, as evidenced by his decision to hire an investment firm just days ago. 
Adding further clarity to the Bezos matter, Ben Standig and Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic report that the mogul’s inability to place a bid “has been a reality for months.” Tense relations between current Commanders owner Dan Snyder and Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, have been frequently mentioned as a potential obstacle to the latter becoming involved in the bidding process. The timing of reports that he has never truly been a candidate to buy the team are certainly noteworthy in light of his earlier actions, and the Post’s continuing mention of him as someone who could still play a part in a potential sale.
With Bezos presumably out of the running, two apparent finalists remain. One is Josh Harris, who was named as a prospective buyer after he toured the Commanders’ facility recently. The billionaire has an ownership stake in several pro sports teams, and took part in the bidding process for the Broncos last offseason. The identity of his primary competition as now been revealed.
Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is “involved in the bidding” on the Commanders, per the Washington Post’s Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala. That makes him the previously unidentified bidder who was mentioned as the one other than Harris to make a formal visit to the team’s facility with the bidding process close to its first major deadline. That has come and passed, and Maske and Jhavbala report that Fertitta placed a bid of just over $5.5BB; as a result, they add that the 65-year-old is not considered the frontrunner.
That figure falls in line with Standig and Kaplan’s assertion that Snyder’s asking price has come down from $7BB closer to the $6BB mark. The latter amount would still comfortably exceed the $4.65BB price tag on the Broncos from 2022, which itself shattered the North American sports record for franchise sales. The Athletic report adds that underwhelming bids could entice Snyder to simply remain his ownership stake, but also that activity surrounding a potential sale has “ramped up.”
Much is still to be determined in this situation, but Bezos being left out of the bidding process is a major takeaway from this latest set of updates. How much Harris and Fertitta are willing to pay for the embattled franchise will soon become clearer, though, if the previously reported goal of having a deal in place buy the March owner’s meetings holds true.
I hate Dan. But why sell to a person selling you out in the media when you can earn hundreds of millions annually and the value only goes up each year on your business?
Dan Snyder is a complete piece of trash and should’ve been stripped of his ownership a long time ago. What you’re saying though does make sense from his perspective, and it’s tough to argue against it. My only thought would be it seems he has a fairly contentious relationship with the other owners in the league now, which may drive him to do it.
You can’t strip a private business owner of his business. How many local business owners in your area do you detest? Don’t go there or hire them if you don’t like them.
You can’t strip a private business owner of his business? Hitler crushed every Jewish business he could find and Organized Crime outfits in America used extortion, labor racketeering and murder to put private owners out of business.
1930’s was 90’s years ago and it was done by….a politician.
Speaking of Nazi’s, watch this clip of Seinfeld. No one is made to go there and buy his soup. My understanding it’s based off a true person and restaurant in NYC. link to youtube.com
I grew up on the Skins. Gibbs, Hawgs, Mann, Manley, Butz, D Green on D… in the 80’s. Dan killed them decades ago. I have never and refuse to pay 1 penny to his business. That’s a choice.
Actually, the NFL teams are franchises and the league has rules the franchise owners must follow. One of them allows the other owners to kick out one of their colleagues if enough of them go along. It’s a business, yes, but with conditions.
If there were an actual marketplace for pro sports teams (rather than a series of cartels), Bezos could start his own club and have them play in any stadium that offered a lease.
It wouldn’t be as lucrative, of course, because you’d lose the ability to lock up all those exclusive licensing fees.
I believe you’re correct. But I haven’t read anywhere 30% (there about) are against Dan, less media people and fans.
He and his organization have broken rules and the NFLs investigation has led to stiff penalties, just ask Chucky who has nothing to do with the team.
You say. I haven’t read anywhere that the NFL is bringing charges against Dan. Frankly, I would say the Pats, with documented numerous on field cheating scandals is far worse. How do we know if people w/in their organization didn’t bet on them and win big time?
And the news of his sketchy loan and using the team as his personal piggy bank are out today, he’s not for long with this team.
The Commanders themselves aren’t a private business. The NFL is the business itself, and when you buy a franchise you’re buying in. As Ink pointed out though, there are rules, and Snyder has broken many of them. There’s precedent in other leagues for removing an owner from the group by forcing them to sell, and my feeling is that should’ve already been done to Snyder.
Franchises are private businesses. They are very public businesses, but it doesn’t change who actually owns the team. There are guidelines that the NFL has for it’s business owners. Only Bob Kraft owns the Pats, J Jones Cowboys, Dan for DC, Bidwill’s in AZ, and the oldest privately owned franchise is the Halas family Da Bears…..I’m sure some of minority owners, but that still makes them private.
As for breaking the guidelines set forth by the NFL, who doesn’t break them? Rams blew off St Louis, same for the Raiders in Oakland, LA, Oakland… Pats and Fins owners have been fined and docked picks this century. Khan moved games to England taking 2 ‘home games away’ from season ticket buyers in Jax….
Like I say, I’m no fan of Dan. But other than Indy’s owner, you don’t read or hear about 25-30% of owners trashing Dan and demanding his removal. He makes them money. The other 31 teams are fine with having a very successful ‘jerk’ in their circle.
Most of the other owners are jerks too, especially Irsay. Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones, Cal McNair all have lots of dirty laundry to wash. If the other owners push Snyder out, they all set a precedent most of them would prefer not to set.
The multi-year jihad from the Washington Post/Bezos is unprecedented. This makes Bezos no better than a racketeer attempting to force a firesale sale from an owner.
I see it differently because what value and/or purpose would the Commanders have without the other 31 NFL teams? If they were truly a private business they also wouldn’t be required to share their gate money with the visiting team. We can agree to disagree, though. I realize you’re not defending Snyder as a person. And you raise a valid point about there not being a lot of upstanding team owners.
Thanks, but your first sentence is true for all the teams. What value do they have by themselves? They work collectively at making a gigantic financial machine.
“You can’t strip a private business owner of his business.”
As others have stated, he doesn’t own a business. He owns a franchise. If your local McDonald’s started stopped selling hamburgers and started selling pasta, McDonald’s would strip that franchise owner of their franchise. It’s not a complete 1:1 analog to Snyder, but you get the idea.
One can’t buy a McD’s franchise with going through their classes. And why would you buy a fast food hamburger franchise wanting to sell Italian food?
link to mcdonalds.com
Dan bought the team in 1999 for $750m. It’s now on the market for $5b+ 24 years later. Do you really think he had 0 influence on that growth? I don’t. Like I said, I don’t like the guy, but that doesn’t mean he’s bad at business either.