New Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris spoke Thursday at the Sports Business Journal’s Dealmakers conference in Washington, D.C., and discussed several topics concerning his franchise.
Harris talked about the disappointing results of this season, the future, a potential new stadium, improvements to FedEx Field and even briefly discussed the name, all courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
While Harris spoke on several interesting topics concerning the franchise, one quote really stood out.
Commanders owner Josh Harris: “It’s a long journey. … There’s no shortcuts to the top. There’s shortcuts to the middle. You want to be 8-8? I can get you there quickly — 8-8-1. You want to be great? There are no shortcuts.”
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 1, 2023
Why does that quote stand out?
Washington finished 8-8-1 last season. The Commanders finished 7-9 and 7-10 in the two seasons before that. For years, Washington fans have wanted the franchise to either be really bad — to pick high enough to land difference-making players — or, preferably, be really good.
Some may think Harris is taking a shot at current head coach Ron Rivera. He’s not. That’s not his style. That’s something former owner Dan Snyder would’ve done, only he wouldn’t have spoken to the media, choosing instead to leak it.
Harris was speaking in general terms. Specifically, he was speaking to the fans. For one, he is a fan, so he understands the struggles of Washington’s fans throughout the years. His message is simple: We are going to do everything possible to build a winner.
Rivera didn’t come to Washington for mediocrity. That was the Snyder way. Keep the team competitive enough to keep people interested. But he wasn’t capable of building a winner. And he certainly wasn’t going to invest in building a winner.
Harris is. He’s proven it in business, in the NBA and in the NHL.