When Alexis Ohanian was five years old, his father sat him down for a valuable life lesson. “The NFL is a ton of fun, but the Washington Redskins are your team,” Chris had said in 1988, setting in motion a tradition that would span across generations to come, an example of which we got just recently. But before we get to the meat of the story…

The Reddit co-founder still remembers those afternoons he spent with his father at the Northwest Stadium hooting, howling, and cheering for his favorite team. As the years rolled by, the trips to the stadium become more of a father-son bonding time, rather than just watching the games. So, when the time came, it didn’t take long for Ohanian to find the perfect gift for his old man.

Alexis was riding high on success after co-founding Reddit, when he and his friend Steve Huffman decided to sell the platform to Condé Nast for $10 million in 2006. The first thing he did with that money? Upgrade Chris’ season tickets at FedEx Field, from section 437 to the club level. But that’s not all!

In another hilarious incident that showcases the NFL team’s importance in the Ohanian household: While Alexis’ mother Anke (who passed away in 2008 from brain cancer) would meticulously save her son’s “business press” from the newspapers, the memorabilia that Chris has held on to is a page from The Wall Street Journal newspaper, dated November 24, 2009—a huge snapshot of a 26-year-old, dejected looking Ohanian and his father in the stands after the Commanders’ (then Redskins) loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. That year was particularly heartbreaking for the family with the NFL team finishing with a 4-14 record at the bottom of the NFC East Standings.

The entrepreneur even tweeted about it last year in September, writing, “My mom saved all my business press. My dad saved this.” In a follow-up tweet, Serena Williams‘ husband also shared a screenshot of a conversation with his dad. “Hail Yeah, I’m going to get it framed…Great photo actually,” the old man had written after seeing the picture, unaware that that was just a small part of the great memories waiting for him…

Earlier today, Ohanian a shared a string of pictures on Instagram yet again, of what looked like a perfect day. He and his father were decked up in Commanders jerseys, ready to watch the team’s clash against the Tennessee Titans with their close friends. “I brought the crew together for a @commanders game today. The first thing I did in 2006 when I first sold @reddit was upgrade my dad’s season tickets from 2 nosebleeds to 4 frontrow seats and we didn’t miss a homegame for ten years. We tailgated out of a burgundy Ford Taurus with a Coleman grill and some Jameson. We’ve come up! Now we’ve almost all got kids so I’ve outsourced the tailgating work,” the 41-year-old wrote in the caption.

Furthermore, talking about Washington’s blistering 42-19 win, he cheekily added, “And Grandpa got a great big W,” complete with a smirking face emoji. Ohanian also shared an adorable photo of Chris looking over his shoulder at the camera on  IG Story, with the sprawling green of the field in the background, writing, “Happy Grandpa.” Truth be told, Alexis’ bond with his father is pretty reflective of the bond he shares with his own kids—wholesome and endearing. Perhaps that explains why the greatest heartbreak he would have is if his oldest daughter decides to break the generational custom!

During a conversation on the Business Dad podcast with Roy Wood Jr in June this year, the entrepreneur hilariously noted, “I grew up in the DC area, I’d say for a better part of my childhood. I was a Commander’s fan. So I would be crushed if my daughter cheered for the Cowboys. I can’t explain why. There’s no rational reason. I wouldn’t care, you know, for so many other things.” 

Well, it seems, for Ohanian being a fan is not enough—he must also include others in the magic. In fact, once he had also extended a home game invitation to a Redditor after the latter’s girlfriend passed away. In a post four years ago, the Redditor wrote, “I can’t believe it’s been five years. But five years ago Alexis u/kn0thing invited me out to a game with his dad and best friend after hearing my girlfriend had passed. I will forever be grateful of that. We had a blast, got drunk as sh*t, and heckled Eagle players for sport. Alexis is a world class champ at that by the way! He is also a world class person, thank you u/kn0thing”.

On a separate note, Alexis Ohanian’s respect for his father is deeply rooted. Before the birth of his second daughter, Adira, he expressed deep gratitude for the core principles of fatherhood his father Chris taught him. As we mentioned earlier, his heartwarming emotions reveal how the strong bond he shares with his daughters is a reflection of the love and values inducted in him by his father.

Alexis Ohanian felt grateful to have his father as his role model

In a social media post, Ohanian delved deeper into his commitments after his daughter’s birth and expressed deep gratitude to his father for teaching him how to create the special bond he shares with Olympia and Adira.

Last year, before Adira’s birth, Ohanian wrote, “Any man can be a father, but not every father is a dad. I’m grateful that I had such a great role model in my dad, Chris Ohanian, who is the reason why I know what matters. Thanks for all those chores that taught me discipline; all the football tosses; and letting me tease you. I’m sensing a pattern here…” His words echoed pure love and respect for his father.

Alexis Ohanian is an inspirational father. However, his skills were inherited from his father Chris who taught him love and compassion. Today, while he still enjoys watching an NFL match with his father, it says that when love is pure, nothing changes between a parent and their children, even when they grow adults.