4 best (almost) moments of Dan Snyder’s time as Commanders owner

Dan Snyder spent money as Commanders owner

Dan Snyder was about as different as he could be from the man who preceded him as owner, Jack Kent Cooke. But one thing they had in common is that they were not stingy.

Snyder, especially early on, was always willing to spend money on players.

As with everything related to Snyder’s ownership, this had the reverse King Midas effect, because spending on the wrong players does a lot of damage. And boy did he find some of those.

The Adam Archuletta contract is still the biggest head-scratcher of all because the player simply was not very good. But admit it – when Bruce Smith and Deion Sanders came to town, you were excited, weren’t you?

I know it sounds ludicrous today. But I remember how happy we all were when our owner went out a grabbed Albert Haynesworth before anybody else even picked up the phone.

These were mostly bad decisions, but wasn’t it nice to be in the mix for star players? Wasn’t it better to have an owner who would rev up the jet and open the checkbook? Would you rather have Bill Bidwell, instead?

When things began to sour in the early years, especially under Steve Spurrier, that was the refrain you’d hear from Snyder supporters. The man truly wants to bring a winner to Washington Commanders fans.

I believe that to be true. Unfortunately, he also wanted to make headlines by assembling a fantasy football team of star players, and he never really figured out that those two goals often work against each other.

It’s a hard lesson for an egotistical man. I’d suggest that Jerry Jones has been struggling with the same lesson ever since Jimmy Johnson left the Dallas Cowboys.

Snyder did not build infrastructure. Commanders’ facilities have never been good. He has rarely identified and nurtured young talent in coaching or administration. But he was willing to spend money, and he should get some credit for that.

He just spent it on the wrong things.