Washington Commanders raffle winner claims check for over $14,000 bounced, costing him $15

Washington dropped the ball. Again. This time, the team fumbled a 50/50 raffle drawing, leaving one longtime fan clamoring for further review.

The Washington Commanders, formerly known as the Washington Football Team, which had formerly been known as the Washington Redskins, have undergone several identity changes in the last few years. And through them all, it seems that fan Drew Shipley has remained loyal to the colors burgundy and gold, no matter the nickname emblazoned on the team's jerseys.

This year, he purchased season tickets for the first time, and at the first home game of the season, a matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 11, Shipley walked away with a win on the scoreboard and a win in his wallet. His ticket in the 50/50 drawing held that day had been selected, and Shipley would soon receive a hefty check for $14,000, good enough for season tickets for himself and perhaps 21 of his closest friends.

Or so he thought. After a month without the expected check, Shipley blasted the team on Twitter for "ghosting" him.

"Who am I supposed to talk to?" Shipley asked at one point. "Am I supposed to call [Washington owner] Dan Snyder myself?"

The social media pressure seemed to work. A check for $14,822 arrived via FedEx on October 13, and Shipley soon afterward attempted to deposit it in his credit union account.

Unfortunately, four days later, the credit union called to inform Shipley that the check had bounced and that he had been assessed a 15-yard — er, $15 — penalty as a result.

"It was quite shocking," Shipley admitted.

Team officials confirmed the bad check, blaming it on a "bank error," but they immediately made amends to Shipley for all their debts, including the $15 bounced check fee.

"We reached out directly to the fan as soon as we learned about it and have wired the money directly to his account, and apologized for the inconvenience. It was a bank error, and we are following up with the bank to learn why it happened and ensure it doesn’t happen again," a team spokesperson wrote in an email.

Shipley described the experience as "underwhelming."

His team has underwhelmed on the field as well. The Commanders currently sit with a 2-4 record on the season and a tough series of games against the Packers, Colts, and Vikings ahead of them. They finished the 2021 season at 7-10 and missed the postseason for the fifth time in six years.