Roger Goodell Praises 'Remarkable' Commanders Owner Josh Harris

Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris has a fan in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 20, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders have a new owner in town ... and his name is Josh Harris.

For the first time since 1999, the Commanders are under ownership of someone not named Dan Snyder.

The $6.05 billion sale was unanimously approved by all 31 other NFL owners at their meetings in Minneapolis.

After news of the sale broke, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sang Harris's praises.

"Congratulations to Josh Harris and his impressive group of partners. Josh will be a great addition to the NFL. He has a remarkable record in business, sports, and in his communities," Goodell said. "The diverse group that Josh has put together is outstanding for its business acumen and strong Washington ties and we welcome them to the NFL as well."

Goodell revealed that him and Harris have a history, dating back to when Harris held interest in owning the Steelers.

"I met Josh several years ago, prior to his acquisition of an interest in the Steelers and have been fortunate to get to know him better over the past few months. I know he has a commitment to winning on the field, but also to running an organization that everyone will be proud of -- and to making positive contributions in the community."

For Harris, owning a professional sports franchise is nothing new, as he has headed up the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA since 2011. (And he owns the NHL's New Jersey Devils as well.) For SI.com's Albert Breer, due to Harris' previous involvement at the highest level, there will be no great educational climb for Harris once he takes over Washington.

"Harris shouldn’t have the learning curve most NFL owners do, because he had to learn the ropes, and stub his toe a bunch, in his stewardship of the NBA’s Sixers and NHL’s Devils. He’s also got an intimate understanding of the psyche of the fan base since he was a part of it growing up in the D.C. suburbs," Breer writes.

Harris' tenure as Commanders owner begins Friday when the team will host a pep rally to celebrate the sale.

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Published Jul 20, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.