Story by
A very memorable anniversary for the Commanders
- Story by
- A very memorable anniversary for the Commanders
Somewhere, some Washington Commanders fans are celebrating.
Oh, they are not literally celebrating now in 2026, but they sure were literally celebrating three years ago when it was announced the Washington Commanders had been sold to a new ownership group led by Josh Harris .
I was only age 36 in 1999, when it was announced Daniel Snyder was becoming the new owner of the Washington Redskins. Many of you won't believe me, but it honestly was a red flag when quickly GM Charley Casserly announced he was leaving his post. What in the world? Now, of course, I had no idea what had transpired. However, Casserly, as it turned out, was not overreacting.
Advertisement
The next offseason, Snyder was showing everyone he could be the GM himself, signing aging veterans to ridiculous contracts (Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier). QB Brad Johnson had just passed for 4,000 yards in 1999, but no, Snyder wanted Jeff George, so he signed George. It managed to divide the team. They finished 8-8, and head coach Norv Turner didn't finish that season, having been fired by Snyder in December.
Snyder appeared to have made a great move, persuading Marty Schottenheimer out of retirement to coach the Redskins. But after an 8-8 2001 season, Snyder moved on, hiring a college coach who took the job while admitting he wasn't too fond of some of the aspects of the NFL.
How bad was it? Spurrier had said early he took the job because Snyder promised a GM hire was coming. When it had not come after two years, Spurrier resigned, walking away from $15M. Fans often don't give Spurrier credit for walking away. Nearly all coaches ensure they get the money. Spurrier just wanted to get away.
For a brief term, Snyder had persuaded Joe Gibbs out of retirement to coach the Redskins. After two playoff seasons in four years, Gibbs too departed. Snyder illogically hired Jim Zorn to be his offensive coordinator, then wondered why NFL coaches refused to become the head coach. Well, of course they refused, Mr. Snyder. You were not permitting them to hire their own staff. So, Snyder elevated Zorn to head coach, though Zorn had not even been a coordinator.
Advertisement
You can't make up this stuff, even if you tried. Dan Snyder has been gone for three years, July 20, 2023. Josh Harris is human, so he can and does err. But don't the memories of Daniel Snyder cause us to be more thankful that God, in his providence, gave us Josh Harris?
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: A very memorable anniversary for the Commanders
