Washington NFL Franchise History for $500, please:
“May 25, 1999”
“What is the day Daniel Snyder officially became the owner of the Washington Redskins?”
“Yes, correct.”
It was indeed 24 years ago Thursday when NFL owners cast a vote approving “Mr. Snyder” as Washington’s new owner to replace Jack Kent Cooke, who had died on April 6, 1997. By the way, the vote was unanimous.
That moment Daniel Snyder bought the Washington Redskins in 1999. pic.twitter.com/1pt5rmYjKK
— Eric Pesola (@epesola) August 14, 2020
Snyder paid a then-record $800 million for the franchise and the rights to the then-Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, which is now FedEx Field.
The 34-year-old Snyder was so happy he stated, Buying the Redskins is “the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m a fan, a huge fan. It’s that simple.”
Snyder, on that day, spoke to the fans acknowledging they wanted to win, he wanted to win, and they were going to win.
From that first day 24 years ago, Snyder was always the majority owner. There were also minority owners that were family members and Fred Drasner and Mort Zuckerman. Drasner and Zuckerman had known Snyder from being original investors in his Snyder Communications.
Interestingly enough, “finance committee chairman Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, described Snyder as ‘passionate about the game. You don’t have to worry that the new steward of the franchise has anything on his mind but winning. A unanimous vote doesn’t happen very often in this league. I have a bias for owners who are passionate and will put winning on the field above everything else.”
