Yesterday was a completely different vibe. Some say it was a long time coming. Some say it happened 30 years earlier than we thought. But the reality is this. Dan Snyder is no longer the city’s problem. This is all new to a team like the Washington Commanders. But for the last decade plus a sellout was just another night for the Washington Capitals.
So what can the Commanders learn from the Capitals? Turns out, they can learn a lot.
Look no further than Alex Ovechkin. He supports the local teams around here and regularly attends the home openers when it comes to the Commanders.
Before the Capitals drafted Ovechkin, things weren’t going well. They couldn’t sell tickets. But since 2008 when Ovechkin helped the team turn the corner, they became the hottest ticket in town. That is the effect of the number one draft pick.
The Commanders situation is much different. There was no number one draft pick involved. But there was a person qualified enough to save the team even if it cost him $6.05 billion dollars.
That person is Josh Harris. And ever since the historic sale of the Commanders, ticket demand has been through the roof. The season opener against the Arizona Cardinals was a sellout. The next home game which comes week three against the Buffalo Bills is closing in on a sellout and as you can imagine prices for even the nosebleeds have skyrocketed.
Harris seems to know what he’s doing. He’s reached out to former Redskins players who had bad ties with the previous owner and welcomed them back yesterday with open arms. Guys like Champ Bailey, John Riggins, and RGIII.
There is still work to be done. The offensive line was bad yesterday but I saw it as more of an after effect on the Snyder holdout on Trent Williams. That o lineman was a staple for the longest time and letting him walk, not paying him, and even lying about his cancer was beyond messed up.
It will take a couple of years to truly fix the problems. But the best part is this owner knows he’s exactly that: an owner. Not a coach or a general manager. That’s something his predecessor failed to recognize.
It took time for the Capitals to become a top destination for players to come. Players had to see a great goal scorer in Ovechkin and a fan base that packs the arena and backs them.
The Commanders will become that top destination too. A new owner who isn’t toxic and a sleeping giant of a fan base that showed the world that they were back yesterday was certainly the start Harris needed.