Washington Commanders owner/managing partner Josh Harris met with the local media before Sunday’s preseason finale against the New England Patriots.
It was the first time Harris had spoken in front of the assembled media since the January and February hirings of Adam Peters and Dan Quinn.
As you would expect, the media had several pertinent questions for Harris, ranging from a new stadium to the current product to, yes, the team name.
The team name remains a divisive subject among Washington’s fan base. Some loved the name but are happy with the current leadership group. Others have embraced the new name and just want to focus on winning.
However, a large section of fans still hate the current name and hope the old name can come back. Harris put an end to that talk.
Josh Harris: “We’ve been very clear. For obvious reasons, the old name can’t come back. But right now we’re focused on things that unify the team around our football team and unify the city around our football team. The first objective is we got to start winning football games.”
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 25, 2024
Harris understands the new name isn’t overly popular with the entire fan base.
Josh Harris on Commanders name struggling to take hold – “it does matter…The old name can’t come back…The first objective is we’ve got to win football games.” Says name debates while trying to bring fans back and find new stadium isn’t top of mind.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 25, 2024
Harris made it clear he understands the fans’ frustration, as he grew up a fan of the team. However, he and his partners were working on things that unify the city. One of those things is honoring the franchise’s past. One of those things was bringing back the gold pants.
Kudos to Harris for answering some difficult questions, which was something the previous owner would never have done. There is no easy answer regarding the Washington name debate, but Harris was honest, which was refreshing.