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Friday 14 april 2023

AP source: Dan Snyder agrees to $6B sale of NFL’s Commanders

By ROB MAADDI and never sell. That changed
STEPHEN WHYNO after multiple investigations
AP Sports Writers by the league and U.S.
A group led by Josh Harris Congress into Washington’s
and Mitchell Rales that in- workplace misconduct and
cludes Magic Johnson has potential improprieties. The
an agreement in principle congressional investigation
to buy the NFL’s Washing- found Snyder played a role
ton Commanders from in a toxic culture.
longtime owner Dan Sny- Indianapolis Colts owner
der for a North American Jim Irsay in October be-
professional sports team came the first to suggest
record $6 billion, accord- there was “merit to re-
ing to a person with knowl- move” Snyder, a nearly
edge of the situation. unprecedented move that
The person spoke to The would have also taken
Associated Press on condi- a three-quarters majority
tion of anonymity Thursday to happen. Instead, two
because the deal hasn’t weeks later, Snyder and
been finalized. wife Tanya hired Bank of
Another person told the AP America Securities to ex-
a deal hasn’t been sent to plore a possible sale of the
the league for approval team.
yet. Washington Commanders’ Dan Snyder poses for photos during an event to unveil the NFL football It quickly became ap-
team’s new identity, Feb. 2, 2022, in Landover, Md.
A Commanders spokesper- Associated Press parent the Snyders, who
son said the team was not bought out the previous
in position to comment. The before getting the Com- Angeles Dodgers, was also the league’s owners, which minority owners in 2021,
league declined to com- manders. part of Harris’ bid for the could happen as soon as were not looking for new in-
ment. The news was first reported Broncos. their next meeting in Minne- vestors to buy in and main-
Once the deal is approved, by Sportico. Rales, co-founder of the sota in May but may take tain controlling interest.
Harris would own controlling This price for the Com- Danaher Corporation and longer. It would need 24 Canadian investor Steve
stakes in teams in three of manders shatters what Har- a Maryland resident, and of 32 votes to pass, which Apostolopoulos and Hous-
the four major North Ameri- ris and Blitzer paid for those Johnson were relatively is not expected to be a ton Rockets owner Tilman
can pro sports leagues. organizations and tops the late additions to the group. problem after the Broncos Fertitta were among the
He and David Blitzer have previous record of $4.65 Rales and Harris grew up in sale was unanimously ap- other bidders after early in-
owned the NBA’s Philadel- billion set when Walmart Bethesda in the Washing- proved and given Snyder terest from D.C.-area busi-
phia 76ers since 2011 and heir Rob Walton’s group ton suburbs and give the was beginning to fall out of nessman Todd Boehly and
the NHL’s New Jersey Devils bought the Denver Bron- team local ownership roots. favor with the group. mortgage executive Mat
since 2013. cos last year. Johnson, the The sale of the Command- Snyder bought his boyhood Ishbia, who instead paid
Harris has owned a piece basketball Hall of Famer ers is pending the execu- team in 1999 for $750 million $4 billion to buy the NBA’s
of the Pittsburgh Steel- who also owns part of Ma- tion of a contract and then and despite mounting criti- Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s
ers, which he needs to sell jor League Baseball’s Los approval from the rest of cism repeatedly said he’d Mercury.q

First QB helmet designed to help reduce concussions approved

By ROB MAADDI than a 1,000 concussions has a deformal outer shell, sions on helmet choice. The linemen.
AP Pro Football Writer on field, we have a pretty which means when you only other position-specific The memo sent to teams
The first quarterback-specif- good database of how take an impact in any lo- helmet already approved also includes the results of
ic helmet designed to help these injuries occur,” NFL cation on that helmet, it will is the Vicis Zero2-R Trench the 2023 helmet laboratory
reduce concussions has executive Jeff Miller told deform or basically dent in for offensive and defensive testing study.q
been approved for use by the AP about the helmet- that location to absorb the
the NFL and NFLPA, the AP to-ground impacts. “This impact,” Neubauer said.
has learned. helmet performs better in “What that means for us,
The helmet, manufactured laboratory testing than any as designers or engineers,
by Vicis, reduces severity of helmets we have ever seen as we’re looking to opti-
helmet-to-ground impacts, for those sorts of impacts.” mize it for different types
which league data says The helmet performed 7% of impacts, we’re able to
account for approximately better than the most popu- change unique locations
half of quarterback con- lar helmet worn by quar- to try to optimize the im-
cussions, including the one terbacks last season, the pact mitigation in any one
suffered by Miami’s Tua Ta- league said in a memo area.”
govailoa last season when sent to team executives on It’s unknown how many
his head slammed vio- Thursday. quarterbacks will switch to
lently against the turf dur- Jason Neubauer, an ex- the new QB-specific hel-
ing a Thursday night game ecutive for Vicis, said the met. The league and the
against Cincinnati. company began designing players’ union share infor-
“We’ve now analyzed with its Zero2 Matrix QB helmet mation from the helmet Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa looks to pass
our engineers and with the in early 2022. studies with teams so play- during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green
Players Association more “The unique thing is that it ers make informed deci- Bay Packers, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Associated Press