Jerry Jones called the sale of the Washington Commanders a “great day for the NFL” on Thursday, with the price tag reaching $6,050,000,000. But that doesn’t mean the Dallas Cowboys owner is completely playing nice with his longtime rival.
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Throws Shade at Ex-Commanders Owner and Team
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Jones began by saying to reporters that Washington being in the process of having a new owner is great for the league.
#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones upon arriving at the special NFL meeting to approve the #Commanders sale: “I think it’s going to a great day for the NFL.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 20, 2023
But that’s not all. After throwing shade at former owner Dan Snyder who put the team up for sale, Jones fired off one more message for Washington: The Cowboys plan to deliver ‘capital punishment’ following the completion of the Commanders’ sale.
“It’s a hallmark day,” Jones said. “Excited about the prospects of going into Washington and giving them some capital punishment.”
Jones’ Cowboys are entering 2023 training camp during the week of July 24 eyeing a long-awaited return to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys’ last appearance in the big game was Super Bowl 30 — now 28 seasons ago for the franchise.
Snyder Sends Final Message After Completion of Sale
When the 2023 season begins, Jones and the Cowboys will welcome in a new ownership group in the NFL — and owners the Cowboys will face twice a year.
Snyder, however, penned one last message following the full completion of the Commanders’ sale to the Josh Harris-led ownership group. Via Snyder’s wife Tanya, the statement read:
“We congratulate the Harris Ownership Group on yesterday’s unanimous League approval of their purchase of the Washington Commanders. We are proud to have built the most diverse leadership group of any NFL Team, including having the highest representation of women, underrepresented groups, and the first full-time black female coach in League history.
“We are immensely grateful to the best fans in football, the Commanders’ faithful, for the passion and unwavering support they have shown for this team and those who represented it on and off the field. From the players who battled every week for that extra inch, to those who worked behind the scenes to enhance every facet of the organization, we thank you for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to our team, fans, pursuit of excellence, and most importantly, to each other.
“Being stewards of this historic organization for the last quarter century has been the privilege of a lifetime. When we purchased the team nearly 25 years ago, Dan was quoted as saying “I’m a fan. A huge fan. It’s that simple.” That is as true today as it was then. During our next chapter, we are looking forward to spending time with family and devoting our energy to the causes that matter very much to us, including furthering our long-standing support of breast cancer research.”
Snyder’s time as owner, though, was filled with controversy that ultimately helped lead to the sale of the team.
Snyder was accused of creating a hostile work environment, especially for women — which included this $60 million fine story involving former employee Tiffani Johnson, which is the largest fine ever levied against someone in the league.
Snyder was additionally accused of financial improprieties involving the IRS and NFL and lastly, his Washington teams were a woeful 164-220-2 overall with him as owner…including only appearing making the playoffs just six times in the 24 seasons Snyder was the owner.
Along with the Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Harris, other minority owners for the Commanders include business partner David Blitzer, five-time NBA champion Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.