What to think of the Josh Harris – Joe Gibbs partnership, & more

June 26, 2023

by Steve Thomas

We had some fairly positive developments last week in furtherance of Operation Goodbye Danny; namely, (1) the NFL finance committee has approved the sale, (2) the league has notified the owners that they’ll need to be available for a vote on July 20, and (3) Josh Harris has invested in Joe Gibbs Racing.  All three of these are great signs that the fate of the Redskins Washington Football Team Commanders Washington team and its fans is about to pick up.  Let’s start with the easy one – the fact that the league is finally at the point at which it is willing to set a vote on this sale means to me that NFL is finally comfortable with the Harris group’s financing.  This is a very large prospective ownership team, and they have essentially the maximum amount of allowable debt.  Rumors have persisted that the NFL was unhappy with this financing and was only considering it because they are desperate to get rid of Snyder.  I understand the concern, but the fact that the NFL’s finance committee has now apparently approved the transaction and set a date for a vote has been set seems to indicate that they’ve gotten comfortable with it.  Thank goodness.  The long national nightmare is almost over, and the true countdown to the end of Snyder’s reign of terror is finally on.

The other bit of news is equally interesting.  Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which is an investment group led by Josh Harris purchase an undefined interest in Josh Gibbs Racing, the entity that controls Gibbs’ NASCAR team.  Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment is owned by Harris and his partner David Blitzer.  This is not the entity that has bid on Washington, but it does own the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils, the Prudential Center in Philadelphia, multiple minor league teams, and an esports organization.  The NFL very likely wouldn’t approve a proposed from an entity that holds all of those other teams.  The idea that this group would turn to NASCAR is, in and of itself, not surprising; however, the timing and the selection of this particular NASCAR team is pretty insightful.

Gibbs, of course, is a hero to all Washington fans and is the biggest reminder to one of only two times in franchise history in which the team has sustained success.  It would be a surprise to me if Harris didn’t try to recruit Gibbs into his ownership group.  Gibbs clearly declined such an offer, so an investment into Gibbs’ NASCAR team is the next best thing for Harris.  Perhaps the most important early goals of Harris as the principal owner will be to rebuild the trust of the fanbase.  Based on the team’s declining ticket sales over the past several years, the fanbase has gone from one of the largest, most passionate in the entire league to one of the smallest.  Nothing other than Snyder leaving will give more hope to the fans than involvement from Gibbs, however small.  While Gibbs isn’t a part of the proposed ownership group, just the fact that Gibbs has any sort of business relationship with Harris is a good start.

I can envision Gibbs and Harris together in the owners’ suite at home games, the Washington team logo – hopefully something different than the monstruous mess they have now – splattered on a NASCAR, and Harris at a race.  All of those things will go a long way towards creating some goodwill and trust amongst the fanbase.  It’s no accident that Harris bought into Gibbs’ team in particular – there are plenty of other racing teams out there, but this is the one that makes the most sense for Harris.  In absence of Gibbs as a member of the Washington ownership group, this is the next-best thing, and will allow Harris to keep Gibbs in the loop and at least somewhat in front of the fanbase.

This is a good sign of things to come.  I’d love to see this team move into the realm of normalcy and professionalism, with a fanbase that cares and is excited about the future, and bringing Gibbs into the equation in whatever capacity with which he’s comfortable is a big step.  It shows that Harris has the ability to take a strategic look at the future and determine the best path forward.  I’m excited about a the time at which Washington is back on the top of the football mountain, and getting Joe Gibbs involved again is a good first move.  Any relationship with Gibbs is better than none.  Welcome home, Joe.  Sort of.