How long will it take new Commanders owners to clean up Dan Snyder's mess?

How long could it take Josh Harris' ownership group to clean up Dan Snyder's mess once their purchase of the Washington Commanders is confirmed?

Dan Snyder's time with the Washington Commanders won't be remembered with any great fondness. His two-decade reign as owner brought little success on the field, a crumbling stadium, poor infrastructure, critical free-agent errors, and disgraces aplenty thrown in for good measure.

Thankfully, this is almost at an end. Snyder has agreed to sell the Commanders for a whopping $6.05 billion to the ownership group led by Josh Harris, who has plenty of experience running sports teams and boasts a wealth of heavy hitters within his consortium to further raise expectations.

The transaction still needs approval from the NFL, which shouldn't be a problem considering how eager most owners are to rid themselves of Snyder. As for fans, they've already begun focusing on the future with a sense of optimism that hasn't been evident across the franchise for some time.

Josh Harris has huge mess to clean after Commanders purchase

This is all well and good. But one cannot put into words the ungodly mess Snyder has left behind.

Washington's reputation is in tatters thanks to Snyder. Significant investment is also needed to improve facilities, which should also see a new stadium enter the discussion as a matter of extreme urgency.

Building back the Commanders' relationship within the community is another project for Harris and his team to undertake quickly. Fans left in their numbers thanks to disenchantment at the way Snyder ran things, which was nothing short of disastrous to one of the NFL's storied franchises that once sat at the league's top table.

A 43-page document obtained by ESPN surrounding the sale highlighted the hope for an injection of revenue once Snyder's dark cloud is lifted. The prospectus also suggested that $1.5 billion in public funds might be attainable from the state of Virginia for their new stadium site.

"The Commanders historically ranked top in the league across all local revenue metrics and attendance. However, the team has significantly spiraled as a result of allegations against current ownership," the prospectus states. "As ownership changes, we see opportunities to substantially drive local revenue and bring the team back to a top NFL market."

- Sale prospectus via ESPN

While this is all positive and should be treated as such, it could be years before the Commanders have an industry leader on and off the field. Talk of a stadium change by 2031 is also seen as incredibly far-fetched by one source speaking to Seth Wickersham and John Keim of ESPN.

"A source with intimate knowledge of the complications and dynamics in getting a stadium built believes that 2031 is too optimistic, given that the team has no site, no deal and no financing -- and that Harris' group is believed to not have the ability to write a check for a new stadium. For some owners, a finished stadium can take upward of a decade to complete. "

- Seth Wickersham and John Keim, ESPN

The document also revealed that the Commanders owe a whopping $1 billion to the NFL. What this astronomical sum relates to wasn't disclosed, but it's yet another indicator of Snyder's mismanagement of team business and the magnitude of Harris' upcoming clean-up operation.

Starting fresh trumps everything else right now. Nothing is going to happen overnight, but fans can relax safe in the knowledge there are far more competent figures leading the charge from the moment Snyder sells up and leaves town.

And we can all be thankful for that.