football

After 56-7 loss, Wakefield football team looks to Yorktown matchup

By Dave Facinoli

With their worst game of the season behind them, the Wakefield Warriors won’t dwell on the lopsided setback, because the high-school football team has an Arlington rival next up on the schedule.

Wakefield (3-3, 0-2) lost to the host Langley Saxons, 56-7, in Liberty District action Friday night (Oct. 10). Next up on its home field Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m., Wakefield hosts the district-leading Yorktown Patriots (4-3, 3-0).

The Warriors last defeated Yorktown during the 1995 campaign, losing 28 straight times since that victory.

“The players know it’s been a long time since we defeated Yorktown. So this is a great opportunity for us and we look forward to the game,” Wakefield coach Clarence Martin told ARLnow. “We have to get back on track this week in practice to be ready for Yorktown. They are well-coached and have size up front.”

Yorktown also will be coming off a lopsided loss when it plays Wakefield. The Patriots fell at home to the West Springfield Spartans, 31-7, in non-district play Oct. 10.

Wakefield never got going in the loss to Langley. The Warriors lost a fumble on the game’s opening kickoff, with the Saxons scoring a touchdown on their second play to build a 7-0 lead just 28 seconds into the game. Langley (5-2, 2-1) was ahead 14-0 after the first quarter and 49-7 at halftime.

The Warriors were hurt by multiple turnovers, including an interception return for a touchdown. They had just 93 total yards, with only one yard rushing, and converted only one of nine third-down attempts.

Langley amassed 450 total yards and had long scoring plays covering 70, 48 and 36 yards.

“Langley is a very good football team. They are big, and we couldn’t get anything going or get on track,” Martin said. “We never really rebounded well after that opening kickoff, and didn’t have much energy. It was kind of the domino effect after that kickoff.”

Wakefield’s touchdown came on a 30-yard second-quarter pass from Judah Connor to Xavier Winkelmann. Andrew Jackson added the extra point.

Connor threw for 92 yards, including a 33-yarder.

Chris Gilpin had 20 yards in kick returns and Chris Sewell five for Wakefield. Jackson punted five times, with his longest for 53 yards.

The loss was the second straight for Wakefield, which fell to Arlington rival Washington-Liberty, 14-10, in its previous game. Washington-Liberty (6-1) is tied for first with Yorktown in the Liberty District at 3-0.

Arlington amputee to participate in charitable Mount Kilimanjaro hike

By Katie Taranto

An Arlington man is preparing to scale the highest peak in Africa with a prosthetic leg, aiming to fundraise for clean water and inspire other amputees.

Jacob Rainey, who walks with an artificial right leg, is embarking on a seven-day, 43-mile challenge to hike Mount Kilimanjaro this February. Alongside a group including veterans and former athletes, he is raising funds for Waterboys, a clean water advocacy initiative by former NFL defensive end Chris Long.

Rainey, who shares a hometown connection and mentor-like relationship with the retired player from Charlottesville, told ARLnow that he is motivated by a desire to provide clean water around the world while inspiring people who may share a similar story of adversity.

Rainey was a high school quarterback when, in 2011, his knee was dislocated while being tackled during a scrimmage. The dislocation severed his popliteal artery, leading doctors to amputate the leg above the knee to save his life.

He returned to the field with a prosthetic leg as a captain during his senior year, and later joined the University of Virginia’s football team as a preferred walk-on. The story earned national attention from outlets like ESPN and the New York Times, which reported on the young man’s journey of fortitude.

“That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy getting involved in different foundations, giving back where I can, because I know there’s other people out there that maybe haven’t been as fortunate, in terms of the support systems and resources,” Rainey said.

This winter, Rainey, who currently works for a D.C. investment firm, hopes to continue spreading the message of defying expectations while giving back.

“You don’t let anyone else set expectations for you,” he said. “Hopefully it does reach others that can feel inspired to get going … you know, not let any sort of adversity get in their way and slow them down.”

The Waterboys’ annual hike raises funds to construct new water wells across Tanzania. Past participants have included the likes of Jason Kelce and Beau Allen, and hikers fundraise through a donation page on the program’s website.

Climbing one of the world’s tallest peaks is no small task. Rainey said he is preparing for the trip with vigorous uphill treadmill walks, long weekend hikes with his wife and dog, and a recent vacation spent hiking the Italian Dolomites.

“Kilimanjaro definitely makes me a little uncomfortable in terms of the challenge, which I think is a good sign that it’s the right thing to do to challenge myself,” he said.

O’Connell holds off Ireton, 33-28, to win annual football showdown

By Dave Facinoli

Although neither high-school football team has won many games in recent seasons, the Bishop O’Connell Knights and Bishop Ireton Cardinals still play their version of a Super Bowl each fall.

The annual contest pits the longtime Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) private-school rivals each year in a regular-season clash. A victory earns 12 months of bragging rights and, usually, a berth into the WCAC Metro Division playoffs.

This season’s showdown was played at O’Connell Saturday afternoon (Oct. 11) with the Knights (2-5, 1-0) winning 33-28 over the Cardinals (1-5, 0-1) of Alexandria. O’Connell also had won last season, with Cardinals winning the 2023 matchup.

In the latest showdown, O’Connell rallied from an early 7-0 deficit.

“Falling behind fueled us a little bit, and we responded well,” O’Connell junior running back Nick Morris told ARLnow.

Morris helped lead the victory by rushing for 156 yards on 17 carries, including an 80-yard third-quarter scoring run. He also caught a pass for 13 yards.

O’Connell’s offensive line leading the way for the running attack consists of Kellen Hicks, Nolan Wible, Mateo Quiroz, Daniel Erickson and James Trotter.

“I followed the blockers,” said Morris, who has stepped up as the Knights’ top rusher as multiple others at that position were lost to injuries.

Morris has a bit more than 600 yards rushing this season, including 176 in the team’s previous game and 138 in another.

“He runs hard. It was always in the plan to have Nick in our rotation of runners, but he’s our main guy now,” O’Connell coach Nick Sabatino said.

Also in the win over Ireton, O’Connell quarterback Ryan Turpin threw three touchdown passes, two to Jacob Geisler for six and 25 yards. Geisler made nice tip-toe maneuvers to stay in the end zone on both receptions. He had three catches in the win.

Turpin completed his first six passes and ended up 12 of 20 passing for 205 yards, and was intercepted twice. His other scoring pass went for 42 yards to Jon Tyler in the fourth period for the game-clinching score.

Zander Schied caught four passes for 30 yards for O’Connell and Xavier Reid caught two. Ariston Kroeger had one catch for 35 yards. Josh Taliaferro added 30 yards rushing for the Knights.

Also scoring for O’Connell was Kian Kaboli on a 30-yard interception return. The interception was his third this season.

Mitch Czernia made three extra points for the Knights, who took the lead for good in the second quarter at 14-7.

“We were able to move the ball well and we hit some big plays in the passing game,” Sabatino said. “We came back and fought after falling behind early.”

Ireton stayed close by making some big plays, as well, including a second-half interception return and a lengthy touchdown drive. After Ireton’s final score, Eli Moran recovered an onside kick in the final seconds to secure the victory.

Also on defense for O’Connell, Taliaferro had an interception that he returned 25 yards, and Jayden Campbell had multiple tackles for losses. Other tackling leaders were Taliaferro, Kroeger, Tyler, Kaboli, Hicks, Colin Castro, Tyler McManus, Kaiden Alt and Kai Molter.

O’Connell’s next game is Saturday, Oct. 18 at 12:30 p.m. against perennial WCAC Metro Division power St. Mary’s Ryken (4-3, 1-0).

NOTE: O’Connell and Ireton have played every season but one (2009) since the 1993 campaign. O’Connell has won 25 of those contests since 1993 and Ireton six. The result of the 1995 contest during that stretch ended in a scoreless tie.

W-L again routs Marshall for latest victory in district football

By Dave Facinoli

The Washington-Liberty Generals continue their winning ways against Liberty District opponents.

And for the fourth straight high-school football season, the Marshall Statesmen have been on the lopsided end of losses against W-L.

The Generals’ latest victory over Marshall came in a 31-14 road decision Friday night, Oct. 10. In the previous three years, W-L routed Marshall by 42-13, 52-26 and 27-7 scores.

With the win, Washington-Liberty improved to 6-1 overall and is tied for first in the district at 3-0 with the Yorktown Patriots.

The recent triumph over Marshall gave Washington-Liberty, the two-time defending district champion, 13 straight league wins over a three-season span.

“We moved the ball pretty well against Marshall on offense. Our defenders were in good position and where they needed to be all game long,” W-L coach Josh Shapiro told ARLnow. “Marshall had a hard time stopping us. We sabotaged ourselves on several drives or we could have scored more.”

The Generals gained 355 total yards, of which a single-game season-high 220 were on the ground. Brayden Black ran for 213 of those yards on 26 carries and had four rushing touchdowns, with a long of 39 yards. His other scoring runs were for 16, eight and one yards.

“If we can run the ball, we can play with anyone,” Shapiro said.

Adding the remaining W-L scoring was Lavand Aqrawi, who booted four extra points and made a 26-yard field goal.

Generals’ quarterback Tyler Flint-Steinig was 11 of 21 passing for 135 yards. David Toepel caught five passes for 66 yards, Trevor Fullen two for 34 and Gavin England two for 15. Colby Arenson and Grant Johnson caught one each.

Jasper Dennis ran for 12 yards.

Leading tacklers on defense for W-L were Black, Lando Reed, Jeremiah Saunders, Matthew Heim, Miles Whitaker, Maximus De La Vega and Henry Fonseca-Cruz. Peter Manouilidis recovered a fumble.

Marshall had just 21 yards passing.

Behind an experienced and sizeable offensive line, the Generals have run for more than 150 yards in four of their games so far, with totals of 114, 96 and 93 in the other three.

Washington-Liberty has three regular-season games remaining, all against district rivals, including a 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 home contest against the Herndon Hornets (2-4, 1-1). Herndon was the last district team to defeat W-L, by a point in double overtime in 2023.

Also remaining on the Generals’ schedule is 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30 all-Arlington road clash against Yorktown (4-3, 3-0) and a Friday, Nov. 7 home tilt against the Langley Saxons (5-2, 2-1) at 7 p.m.

If the Generals win all three, they will have a third straight district championship.

Winning streak ends at three games for Yorktown football team

By Dave Facinoli

The three-game winning streak for the Yorktown Patriots came to an end Friday night (Oct. 10) in high-school football action.

Host Yorktown (4-3) fell to the West Springfield Spartans, 31-7, the squad’s third consecutive loss to the Patriot District team.

In this year’s setback, Yorktown broke from its winning formula against Liberty District rivals in its three previous three games that gave the Patriots a 3-0 record in the league. Yorktown did not turn the ball over during that span, capitalized on opponents’ mistakes and would bend but not break on defense.

That wasn’t the case against West Springfield, which gained 370 total yards — 284 of them on the ground — and 18 first downs.

West Springfield runningback Dillan Wickham ran for 204 of those yards and three touchdowns. The Spartans (5-2, 4-0) had four rushing TDs in addition to a field goal.

“We had trouble stopping their running game, and they exploited us and capitalized,” Yorktown coach Alec Hick told ARLnow.

West Springfield led 17-0 at halftime and was in front 31-0 before Yorktown scored a late-game TD.

The Patriots’ touchdown came on a 38-yard pass from Samson Schneider to Sammy Keiser, who had six catches for 91 yards. Schneider was 15 of 29 passing for 197 yards, and was intercepted once.

Alex Hans caught four passes for 60 yards and Brady Owens four for 42. The Patriots had just nine yards rushing.

Nate Randles, front, begins his pass route for Yorktown (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

West Springfield took control early. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Spartans put together a 79-yard multi-play touchdown drive to take a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

Yorktown responded with a march of its own, which ended at the West Springfield 15-yard line with a lost fumble. The Patriots struggled to mount any other drives until scoring their TD with just 3:34 left in the game.

“We were driving right back, but the wind went out of our sails with that lost fumble,” Hicks said. “We had not made errors like that in our past few games.”

Yorktown’s defense came up with just one turnover when Collin Damato recovered a second-half fumble. Players with tackles for losses or no gains for Yorktown were Bobby Shea, Henry Midberry, Teddy Sennott, Andrew Cole, Landon Foose, George Cocker and Sevan Raine, who made a strong tackle on the game’s opening kickoff.

“That was a big hit, the way we wanted to start the game,” Hicks said.

Yorktown plays the host Wakefield Warriors (3-3, 0-2) in a district all-Arlington showdown in its next game at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. Yorktown and the Washington-Liberty Generals (6-1) are tied for first in the district with 3-0 records.

“We will work in practice to get better, like we did after our first two losses,” Hicks said.

O’Connell finds challenge, if not always success, in meeting nearby football rivals

By Dave Facinoli

They haven’t won any of the games, but Bishop O’Connell’s high-school football schedule the last three seasons has included the addition of a trio of nearby opponents.

The Knights have played the Flint Hill Huskies and Potomac School Panthers for the first time ever in private-school contests, and resumed an all-Arlington rivalry with the public-school Washington-Liberty Generals.

Until they met in their 2025 season openers, O’Connell and W-L had not played for more than 40 years.

Playing those opponents makes sense, as each is in close proximity to O’Connell. Potomac School in McLean is less than four miles to the west, W-L about the same distance to the east, and Flint Hill is located in relatively close-in Oakton.

Third-year O’Connell head coach Todd Sabatino was significantly involved in adding those opponents to the Knights’ schedule. He said the games make for natural rivalries and provide good competition for the Knights.

O’Connell lost to Potomac School by scores of 28-14 this year and 9-6 in 2024. In its recent 55-22 loss to Washington-Liberty, the Knights trailed just 27-22 in the third quarter. Five turnovers helped the Generals pad the score.

Flint Hill defeated O’Connell in an initial meeting between the two in 2023, and could meet again in the future.

O’Connell’s most recent game against its new opponents was a 28-14 loss to visiting Potomac School on Oct. 4. The Knights had leads of 7-0 in the first quarter and 14-13 at halftime, but didn’t score again and fell to 1-5.

Potomac School’s two second-half touchdowns were the result of a fumbled O’Connell punt that set up a TD, then a punt return for a score. Another costly second-half O’Connell mistake was a turnover coming on a fumble into the end zone at the Panthers’ one-yard line.

Penalties also proved costly for O’Connell.

“We just can’t afford to have mistakes like that,” Sabatino said. “We were leading and could have won this game.”

The Knights were significantly shorthanded at running back because of injuries to multiple players. The one running back who did play and was productive was junior Nick Morris. He ran for 176 yards on 21 carries, including an 11-yard touchdown run.

“Nick was about the only one we had, and Nick ran hard,” Sabatino said.

O’Connell quarterback Ryan Turpin completed his first nine passes and finished 10 of 16 for 96 yards and a touchdown pass of nine yards to Jacob Geisler. Mitch Czernia kicked two extra points.

Zander Schied caught three passes and Geisler, Xavier Reid and James Fatzinger caught two each.

On defense, Jayden Campbell made nine tackles (four for losses) and recovered a fumble. Kaiden Alt also had nine tackles and Eli Moran made seven. Ariston Kroeger caused a fumble and had a tackle for a loss, as did Fatzinger, Kai Molter and Tyler McManus.

Morris had four tackles.

Another nearby opponent O’Connell has scheduled in recent years are the St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Saints of Alexandria. The Knights have defeated the Saints in the majority of those initial meetings, winning 38-12 this season.

Next up for O’Connell is its opening Washington Catholic Athletic Conference contest of 2025 against the visiting Bishop Ireton Cardinals (1-4) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. O’Connell defeated Ireton last season.

NOTE: In O’Connell’s previous game, Kian Kaboli had two interceptions.

Large teen gatherings after Yorktown and W-L football game prompt police response

By ARLnow.com
1/3

The Washington-Liberty Generals narrowly defeated the Yorktown Patriots last night.

The Thursday night, cross-county game at Yorktown’s Greenbrier Stadium ended with a score of 21-18, the Gazette Leader reported. But the night’s drama did not stop there — large groups of teens leaving the game gathered at a local shopping center and a local fast food restaurant.

Police responded to at least two locations: the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center just down the street from the stadium and further up Langston Blvd at the McDonald’s.

At least three police units responded to the shopping center, where dozens if not more than 100 teens were gathered in the parking lot, prompting a call to police about rowdy behavior and cars being blocked.

“I was working at Lee Harrison Shopping Center last night and HUNDREDS of Yorktown students flooded the area,” an anonymous tipster wrote to ARLnow, claiming that they were “screaming at each other and threatening patrons.”

The crowds could be seen in traffic camera images, above, but video reviewed by ARLnow did not show any destructive behavior.

The same could not be said about a large group that gathered at the McDonald’s at 4834 Langston Blvd last night around the same time. Police responded to the fast food joint for reports of kids inside destroying things.

“At approximately 9:51 p.m. on September 14, police were dispatched to the report of disorderly conduct,” Arlington County ploce spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined a large group of juveniles entered a business, damaged property and stole a poster. There are no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.”

Savage, responding to a follow-up question from ARLnow, noted that the damaged items were all posters — not the life-sized Ronald McDonald figure that some teens allegedly tried to steal just before the start of the school year.

On the Lee-Harrison gathering, Savage said that “police were dispatched to the report of a large group of juveniles in the parking lot allegedly acting disorderly.”

“Officers responded to the area and the group subsequently dispersed,” she added.

A home run or strike out? Arlington seeks public input on athletic field use proposal

By James Jarvis
Athletic field in Quincy Park is used for soccer practice (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington County is looking to tweak how its athletic fields are used and reserved.

Through Sept. 8, residents will have the chance to participate in a survey which county staff plan to use to develop policy that will “ensure more equitable access for recreation.”

The study is part of the Public Spaces Master Plan which calls for the county to solicit feedback from residents every five years on how frequently and at what times of day people use the fields.

The county started gathering feedback in 2021 and surveyed 107 people which was used to create an “Athletic Field Draft Availability Framework.”

In the initial survey, residents highlighted that there was not enough time and space dedicated to unscheduled casual “drop-in” or “community use” of athletic fields for community activities and requested better access to lighted fields — currently 36 out of 96 fields have lights — on weeknights and weekends.

The issue of access to athletic fields for unplanned athletic and non-athletic activities has become increasingly contentious in recent years.

Before it was adopted in 2019, the Public Spaces Master Plan came under fire from opponents who argued the county had set aside more space for athletic fields than it needed, reducing the amount of available land for other facilities, such as parks and schools.

In 2021, the Aurora Highlands Civic Association wrote numerous letters to the Arlington County Board and circulated a petition pushing for “open access” to nearby diamond athletic fields during hours when there are no scheduled games “to relax, throw frisbees, sunbathe, or even write petitions.”

However, proponents claim demand for scheduled use of sports fields is growing and believe the county should invest to help solve this problem.

To resolve these issues, Jennifer Fioretti, deputy director of Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation, said county staff have proposed two solutions via the Athletic Field Availability Draft Framework.

First, staff have developed a formula that calculates the “utilization rate” for each field in the county. Fioretti said she believes this strategy will help the department better understand individual field use, thereby improving “operational efficiency.”

“We will use the data, for example, to inform the re-balancing of scheduled activities and to create opportunities for community use that may have not been available in the past,” she told ARLnow in an email.

Second, county staff propose reclassifying the six fields currently labeled as “Drop-In/Community Use” to a “Permit Takes Priority” status.

Fioretti said the six drop-in fields, which include Gunston 3, Barcroft 5, VA Highlands 2, Westover, TJ Lower Field and Rocky Run, can still be reserved, which causes confusion because “Community Use/Drop-In” implies there are no activities scheduled.

The idea, she noted, is to “further simplify our field designations” in order to “spread scheduled community time throughout the County.”

“By eliminating the Drop-In/Community Use designation we will be identifying community time and scheduled sport specific times at more locations throughout the entire county,” Fioretti said.

Of Arlington’s 96 athletic fields, 12 are currently “Permit-Only,” 78 are “Permit Takes Priority,” and 6 are “Drop-In/Community Use fields.”

By participating in the second survey, residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback about the proposal which Fioretti said will help county staff determine whether it is “on the right track” or whether its proposal needs to be modified.

Here are some last minute, Arlington-related holiday gift ideas

By Matt Blitz
Snow falls in Rosslyn in 2020 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Christmas and Hanukkah are nearly here, which is undoubtedly provoking panic among last-minute shoppers.

Luckily, ARLnow has an Arlington-centric holiday gift guide for all those who looking for the perfect present for the the gondola fans and local literature enthusiasts in you life.

Below are eight great, last-minute Arlington-related gifts.

Silver Diner item up for auction (via Real Food for Kids)

After 26 years, the Silver Diner in Clarendon is now closed with the new Ballston location opening this past week. Now, a number of items from that restaurant are up for auction.

Money helps supports the local non-profit Real Food for Kids. The auction ends next week, on Dec. 22.

This summer, local elected officials again introduced joint legislation to remove Robert E. Lee’s name from the historic home at Arlington National Cemetery. While the bills stalled, it was actually George Washington Parke Custis who had the house built to honor George Washington.

This definitive biography by local author Charlie Clark provides the first-of-a-kind look into the life of George Washington Parke Custis and the history of Arlington’s first family.

Cans of New District beer (file photo)

With word coming that a new indoor dog park and bar may be replacing Green Valley’s New District Brewing, now is the time to stuff those stockings with beer.

Four packs of beer, including the National Landing IPA and Potomac Paddleboarder Blonde Ale, are available in the taproom whenever the brewery is open. All the beer is now packaged at their facility with its crowd-funded canning line.

Little Michael Visits Fire Station 8 book cover (via Amazon)

Help that little Arlingtonian in your life to learn local history with this book written by community leader Wilma Jones.

It tells the story of a third grader in 1955 who visits the Halls Hill fire station. For decades, Fire Station 8 was the only one in Arlington that was staffed by African-Americans.

The original station was demolished in June with a new station now in the midst of construction. It’s expected to be completed sometime late next year.

Pickleball being played outside at Walter Reed Community Center (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

Pickleball has taken Arlington by storm, even as the pickleball pop has driven some locals mad.

The county is providing a chance to get in on the craze by offering pickleball classes for all ages. The classes begin in February and continue through April, but can be purchased now.

But be careful about where you play so the county doesn’t get sued.

Inner Ear Recording Studios t-shirt (screenshot via Amazon)

Demolition day may be looming for the building that once housed legendary Inner Ear Studios, but the recording studio still lives in Don Zientara’s Arlington basement. Some have called it “the Abbey Road of Arlington.”

A t-shirt with the original Inner Ear logo is available from ARLnow on Amazon.

Ballston resident Isa Seyran serves up dishy stories in his new book detailing working in the local restaurant scene.

The subject of a recent ARLnow Press Club feature, Seyran shares a number of anecdotes in the book about working for some of the most famous chefs in the D.C. area.

Arlington Gondoliers sweatshirt

Sure, it’s actually Arlington, Texas that’s getting an XFL team, and not Arlington, Virginia, but that didn’t dissuade us from asking readers on social media what they would have named the football team.

One answer stood out:

The Arlington Gondoliers

ARLnow designed a logo and put it on a bunch of swag so everyone can support the local team that never was.

  • Bonus: Items from a local holiday market

If you are still in need of more last-minute gifts, the Forever Grateful Market in Crystal City is happening this weekend.

Get your Arlington Gondoliers football gear here

By ARLnow.com
Arlington Gondoliers sweatshirt

Arlington (Virginia) does not have its own XFL football team, no matter what The Rock tweeted.

It is, in fact, the Arlington in Texas that will have a team, along with D.C. and six other cities.

Given the enticing prospect of an Arlington, Va. team, however, we asked our Twitter followers what a hypothetical pro football squad should be called.

One name stood out.

https://twitter.com/sharrowsDC/status/1587091196190416896

https://twitter.com/HundredACR/status/1587096651998658567

So we did the only sensible thing: design a logo for this hypothetical team.

Whether you want to envision the Gondoliers as part of The Rock’s league or the new name of a certain for-sale pro team after it’s bought by a certain billionaire with a big stake in Arlington, you can now show your team pride with some exclusive merch.

In the meantime, the original way to show your gondola support has made Washingtonian’s list of 9 DC-Themed Gifts Only a Washingtonian Would Appreciate. Get the OG Gondola Now shirt here.

Note: There are dozens of websites and shady merchants that steal the designs from other sellers and offer their own counterfeit shirts. The items we sell, which help to support our reporting, are only available on Amazon with “ARLnow” listed as the seller.

Poll: Which Arlington-affiliated billionaire or wealthy family should buy the Commanders?

By ARLnow.com
Jeff Bezos at the Economic Club of Washington on Sept. 13, 2018 (staff photo)

(Updated at 9:05 a.m.) Dan Snyder may finally be selling the Washington Commanders.

News reports yesterday heralded the news that Snyder, who has provided over a long stretch of football futility and ugly controversies, has hired bankers to explore a partial or full sale of the NFL team.

While the “sell the team” masses rejoice, it’s by no means a done deal and now speculation turns to who might buy the ‘manders.

The current betting favors Snyder selling, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is atop the list of potential buyers. And Bezos is reportedly “looking into” buying the team, potentially in partnership with Jay-Z, People and TMZ reported Thursday afternoon. Given that Amazon’s under-construction HQ2 is in Arlington, this seems like a local story for us!

We’ve taken the liberty of coming up with six other Arlington-affiliated potential buyers, for your consideration.

Some of the following are actually mentioned elsewhere as potential buyers, while others are purely wild speculation or wishful thinking.

Jeff Bezos
One of the world’s richest men has transitioned from tech CEO to being a buyer of huge yachts and enjoyer of fancy vacations, so he seems like a Prime candidate to buy an NFL team.

MacKenzie Scott
The ex-wife of Jeff Bezos has turned her 4% ownership of Amazon into an increaingly lauded career as an unassuming philanthropist. Buying a controversy-riddled football team seems out of character, but you never know.

Ted Leonsis
The former AOL executive owns the Wizards, the Mystics, and the Capitals — which has team offices and practice facilities in Ballston — so clearly he is someone who enjoys owning professional sports franchises. But he’s currently trying to buy the Nationals so might be a bit stretched at the moment.

Charles Koch
His libertarian-leaning institute and other associated organizations are based in Arlington, and he’s got more than enough money. Plus, selling the team to Charles Koch, noted for his financial contributions to the GOP, would allow Snyder one last thumb of the nose at those on Capitol Hill most vocal about driving him out.

Michael Bloomberg
The former New York mayor’s media and financial information empire has a major office in Crystal City and he previously had a campaign office in Pentagon City for his failed presidential bid. He wasn’t able to take the White House, but maybe FedEx Field is within reach?

Sands family
Sands Capital manages tens of billions of dollars from its Rosslyn offices and its late founder, who grew up in Arlington and attended W-L High School, made the largest ever gift to the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business prior to his passing. We have no idea if they have the money — net worth figures could not be found — but this is the most Arlington-connected family with significant wealth we could come up with.

Mars family
The Mars family and their eponymous, multi-national candy corporation are most associated with McLean, where the company is headquartered, but Mars, Inc. chair John Franklyn Mars (worth some $50 billion) was born in Arlington in 1935. The family has been mentioned elsewhere as potential local buyers, though a spokesperson told ARLnow after publication that “the Mars family is absolutely not going to buy the Commanders.”

Sheila Johnson
The co-founder of BET and CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts isn’t on the Forbes billionaires list, but her net worth is reported to be at least in the upper $100s of millions. Johnson is a co-owner of the Caps and Wizards and managing partner of the Mystics, so she has pro sports ownership experience. Her Arlington connections include being married to Arlington County Circuit Court Chief Judge William T. Newman, Jr. and speaking at last year’s Marymount University commencement.

Given those Arlington-linked options, who would you most like to see buy the Commanders?

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