Several Bidders Submit Bids for Washington’s Leaders Dan Snyder: Sources

Written by Ben Standig, Daniel Kaplan, and Jeff Howe

Several bidders have submitted offers to buy the Washington Leaders from Dan Snyder, including the group that considers former NBA star Magic Johnson to be an investor, people familiar with the negotiations confirmed to the athlete Tuesday.

The first bid, led by businessman Josh Harris and including Johnson, meets Snyder’s $6 billion offering price, According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed that the second offer was led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos and Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets. ESPN reported that the Apostolopoulos-led group’s bid also meets the $6 billion asking price.

If either is accepted, a standard rate paid for a North American sports franchise will be set. The Denver Broncos sold for $4.65 billion last year.

Harris’ bid for the Broncos fell through, but the Washington, D.C.-area native is aiming to add an NFL team in his hometown to a sports franchise portfolio that includes the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and a minority stake in the Premier League’s Crystal Palace. In addition to Johnson, Harris’s group includes Mitchell Rales, founder of Danaher.

Any sale requires 24 yes votes for approval after a review by the NFL Finance Committee. Based on last year’s Broncos schedule, the process is expected to take about two months. The league that screened Harris in the Denver bid may speed up the sale.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, among the league’s most powerful figures, said this week at an owners’ meeting that he doesn’t expect a vote on a potential sale: “No. No, there won’t be one here.”

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos worked with investment bank Allen & Co. while he was considering interest even though, at least initially, he was excluded from the bidding process.

The story with Washington, at least in the beginning, is less about who comes and more about who goes. Snyder, 58, bought the three-time Super Bowl-winning franchise that originated in 1999 for a then-$800 million. On-site fan and producer support waned over the next 24 seasons.

Washington has reached the playoffs only six times, finishing with more team names (three) than postseason wins (two, none since 2005) under Snyder. The next two decades were marked by more off-field mayhem than victories. Snyder plunged into controversy after a series of reports of harassment and a toxic work environment within the team’s headquarters.

Snyder, a co-owner of his wife Tanya Snyder, is also increasingly facing debt and cash flow issues. The NFL approved $450 million in debt forgiveness in March 2021 for Snyder to buy 40.5 percent of the franchise owned by his three minority partners for $875 million. ESPN reported last month that federal prosecutors are investigating Snyder and the leaders for bank fraud after his former associates alleged that Snyder obtained a $55 million line of credit without their consent.

With pressure mounting on Snyder amid scandals and investigations, the possibility of a sale became more apparent last fall. At a league meeting in October, Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters that he believed there was a “merit” to removing Snyder as Washington’s owner and that Snyder could be voted out by 24 of the 31 other owners.

On November 2, Snyders announced that it had hired Bank of America Securities to “look at potential transactions.”

Shortly after Washington fired two football employees and its longtime broadcaster for unspecified reasons in July 2020, details of the harassment and other workplace misconduct emerged via a series of investigative reports from The Washington Post. Numerous investigations followed, including from the NFL and the House Oversight Committee, which led to more than 50 former employees coming together to share their stories.

In terms of Washington’s on-field product, concerns about Snyder’s football acumen and constant interferences on the football staff through draft picks and agent signings began early with the firing of head coach Marty Schottenheimer after a promising first season in 2001. They’ve remained throughout his two-year run. For more than decades, Snyder’s heavy spending on players and coaches has led to little success.

Harris, also 58, grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, like Snyder, and attended the county field school. Co-founder of Apollo Global Management and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. Harris and partner David Blitzer bought the 76ers in 2011 for $280 million, the Devils for $320 million in 2013 and a minority stake in Premier League franchise Crystal Palace in 2015.

For any new owner, the to-do list will include resuming stalled plans for a new stadium, identifying potential changes with the coaching and football staff and restoring a fanbase that – over the past 24 years – has gone from leading the league in attendance to ending in 2022. A change of ownership alone will renew interest. to many.

The Harris-led group declined to comment.

How does this affect the footballing side of the organisation?

Over the past decade, Washington’s front office has compiled lists as it deals with the Snyder tax. Midfielders, star players, or anyone with options refrain from signing on unless the money is very good. That’s changing without Snyder, though he’s unlikely to be a factor this year with the bulk of free agency in the rearview mirror.

Whether head coach/front office lead Ron Rivera, hired in 2020, gets the chance to test this new world next year, it will likely be clear if the leaders finish with their first winning season in four attempts during his tenure. Or not, depending on Harris’ wishes. This is one of the many questions we will have with the new owner moving forward.

Rivera said Tuesday that the decision on whether to pick Chase Young’s fifth-year defensive option, which comes with a guaranteed salary of $17.4 million, will wait until there is more clarity on the ownership situation. The deadline is May 2. – stand

(Photo: Denny Medley/USA Today)