Tag: fedex field

Commanders’ facility gets a new name

Another change for the Commanders.

The Washington Commanders revealed the latest version of their rebranding Wednesday when head coach Ron Rivera opened his press conference announcing a new partnership that included a new name for the team’s facility.

The current facility will now be known as OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park. Sports Business Journal had the news first before Rivera went into details during his presser.

That’s a long name.

“I wanted to first start off by mentioning a partnership that was finalized today with OrthoVirginia,” Rivera said. “We’re thrilled to be able to partner with an entity that is known for excellence in medical, as well as the sporting performance field. This partnership is going to benefit our team across both the business and football side and continue our goal of emphasizing the health and safety of our players as one of our top priorities for this organization. We’ll also be renaming our facility, OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park. I do appreciate the great team over at OrthoVirginia and just wanted to take a second to express our excitement over this new partnership.”

Team president Jason Wright offered the following statement.

“We have been so fortunate to find another partner focused on growth, innovation, and leaving a lasting, positive mark on our region,” said Wright. “OrthoVirginia entitling our Training Center builds on the world-class care they have been providing our players and adds a critical piece of the puzzle to our efforts to become a gold standard, championship organization. In short, OrthoVirginia are the best at what they do, and I’m so excited to partner with them.”

As a part of this new partnership, Washington will invite non-profits and community groups to special Saturday practices and Commanders players will wear special branded OrthoVirginia Community Saturday jerseys during these practices. There will also be signage present at FedEx Field and banners with the OrthoVirginia logo as a backdrop during interviews.

Washington officially changed its name to the Commanders back on Feb. 2.

Lions clown Commanders after Sunday’s win

The Lions had some fun at the Commanders’ expense Monday.

The Washington Commanders just can’t get out of their own way. After an impressive win in Week 1, the Commanders didn’t even show up for the first half of their Week 2 game against the Lions. Detroit took a 22-0 lead into halftime and held on for a 36-27 victory.

After their first win of the season, the Lions had a little fun — at Washington’s expense, of course.

Remember the mugs one of Washington’s team stores was selling ahead of the Week 1 opener? You know, the mug with the outline of the state of Washington with the Commanders’ logo inside?

We’ll refresh your memory.

So how did the Lions respond?

By sharing a white mug with the state of Michigan outline in Lions’ colors with a “W” in the middle. The “W” is for the win but is Washington’s logo.

Now that’s the perfect troll job. Washington will certainly remember for the next meeting.

Fans injured during railing collapse last season are suing the Commanders, others

The incident occurred on Jan. 2 after the Eagles defeated Washington, 20-16.

One of the most embarrassing — and scary — moments from Washington’s 2021 season was the aftermath of a January home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

After the game, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts was leaving the field and engaging fans when a railing collapsed, injuring multiple fans, while Hurts remained to check on them.

Afterward, Hurts penned a letter to the NFL, insisting “follow-up action” be taken for the “near-tragic” accident at FedEx Field.

As it turns out, four of the fans who were injured in the fall are suing the Commanders, seeking $300,000 in damages for physical and emotional suffering, according to John Keim of ESPN.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court of Maryland, “asks for an award ‘in excess’ of $75,000 per person for ‘loss of income, medical expenses, pain and suffering.'”

The NFL team isn’t the only defendant named in the lawsuit:

Other defendants include Washington Football Incorporated Stadium, which owns the property at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, where the Commanders play; Contemporary Services Corp., which provides ushers and security at the stadium; and Company Does, which provide inspection, repairs maintenance design and oversight.

The Commanders have not yet commented on the matter.

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LOOK: Commanders selling mugs with Washington state outline

They are no longer available.

The Washington Commanders kicked off their 90th season Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars from FedEx Field. It was also Washington’s debut as the “Commanders” after spending the past two seasons as the “Football Team.”

It’s a big day for the franchise and for the merchandise trailers.

Courtesy of Pete Hailey of NBC Sports Washington, check out this unique mug that was being sold ahead of Sunday’s game. It is a team mug with the outline of Washington state — not Washington, D.C.

Hailey later noted the mugs were being sold outside of the stadium.

It didn’t take long for the team to catch on; Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post pointed out that the mugs are no longer available.

Did the team pull them? Or did they sell out? I am only half kidding here, as multiple fans from the state of Washington responded to Hailey’s original tweet wanting one of these mugs.

What began as a mistake could become a cool idea. The Commanders should just make an outline of every state with their logo and sell them.

 

Commanders land record-setting sponsorship deal

Seat Geek replaces Ticketmaster as the franchise’s ticketing company beginning in 2023.

It feels like it has been a while since the Washington Commanders received some good news off the field. Despite all of the outstanding work Washington’s new business team has done during the rebranding, the information surrounding the Commanders always seems to be of a negative variety.

However, Mike Ozanian of Forbes reports the Commanders recently inked a massive sponsorship deal with the ticket seller SeatGeek, which would be the largest in franchise history annually. SeatGeek replaces Ticketmaster as the team’s ticket seller.

Ticketmaster had been Washington’s official ticket seller since 1997, the year FedEx Field opened.

The new deal would reportedly bring the Commanders an average of $10-12 million per year.

This is likely a strategy by Washington’s business team to increase attendance in 2022 and beyond. Last season, Washington had the league’s lowest attendance as a percentage of capacity by over 15%.

A prevailing issue for Washington has been fans of other teams raiding FedEx Field at an embarrassing rate. It holds especially true for Washington’s NFC East rivals.

Ryan Moreland, Washington’s chief partnership officer, touted the deal, saying it would bring “a mobile-first and fan-centric experience” to Washington fans.

The contract is reportedly for four years; meaning SeatGeek will be Washington’s official ticket partner through the 2026 season.

Fans can buy Commanders preseason tickets for as low as $1

Fans can get preseason tickets for Saturday’s opener against the Panthers for as low as $1.

If you want to attend the Washington Commanders’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field on Saturday, you can get in for cheap. Really cheap.

Daniel Kaplan, the sports business reporter for The Athletic, found a secondary ticket platform selling tickets for Washington’s preseason opener for as low as $1.

Of course, some made bad jokes on social media, while others said that $1 still felt too expensive. All jokes aside, $1 for a preseason ticket on a Saturday could be a fun day for the family. Sure, drinks will still be expensive, and the traffic to and from FedEx will remain disastrous, but the Commanders are doing everything they can to entice fans to come to games.

Last week’s practice event at FedEx Field drew a solid crowd. It was on a Saturday evening. Can the Commanders expect a similar turnout for Saturday?

Washington Commanders receive approval for sportsbook at FedEx Field and reportedly plan to move forward

The team’s lease at the stadium runs through 2027.

The Washington Commanders have received initial approval to put a retail sportsbook at FedEx Field, according to ESPN’s David Purdum.

If they go through with it, they’d join the Arizona Cardinals as the only NFL teams with sportsbooks at their stadiums. The BetMGM on the campus of Arizona’s State Farm Stadium is scheduled to be the first for an NFL team when it opens in time for the upcoming season.

NFL policy prohibits in-arena sportsbooks from opening on gamedays, but Washington plans to move forward, according to Purdum. Depending on how soon it opens at the Landover, Maryland stadium, Washington could serve bettors in Maryland who currently have limited options. Sports betting in the state is only legal at casinos, with no timeline for when mobile will be made available.

This news comes as Washington seeks a new stadium, with a vote coming next year on whether they’ll receive funding for a venue in Virginia. The team’s lease with FedEx Field runs through 2027.

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FedEx Field’s issues may cost Washington in its bid for 2026 World Cup

FedEx Field could cost Washington a chance at the 2026 World Cup. It’s led Baltimore and Washington to work together.

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Everyone hates FedEx Field. Fans hate the venue, opposing players hate the field, and even FIFA hates the home of the Washington Commanders.

Washington is attempting to host the 2026 World Cup, and according to the Washington Post, the nation’s capital offered a strong presentation. Unfortunately for Washington, the only problem was FedEx Field.

Now, per Steven Goff of the Washington Post, Washington could be working with Baltimore in a consolidated effort to bring the 2026 World Cup to the Baltimore-Washington area.

Yes, you read that correctly. Baltimore and Washington are working together to bring the World Cup to the region. Since when did Baltimore and Washington work together in anything sports-related?

If the bid is successful, the games would be held at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, while Washington would host other events inside the city, such as watch parties and other events.

Washington has a rich history with the game of soccer. It’s one of the country’s best markets for soccer, and D.C. hosted the World Cup in 1994 at RFK Stadium. The region hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003 at FedEx Field and RFK Stadium, respectively.

The Washington Commanders plan to be in a new stadium in 2027 and are currently negotiating with Maryland, Washington and Virginia in hopes of finding the right location combined with an enticing financial package.

The 2021 NFL season was another eventful one for FedEx Field. Some pipes burst during one game, sprinklers went off inside a suite in another and there was the railing collapse near Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Commanders pick up a big win in bid for new stadium in Virginia

More good news for the Commanders in their bid for a new stadium in Virginia.

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The Washington Commanders haven’t played their first game under the new moniker, yet they picked up a big win Monday.

In their bid to build a new stadium in Virginia, the Virginia House voted 14-7 to advance a bill that would create a Virginia stadium authority, per Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

“The bill grants authority to a group that would be appointed by the governor to fast-track and issue bonds for a potential stadium,” Phillips wrote.

Things continue to trend well for Washington’s hopes to build a new stadium in Virginia. Last month, the state introduced two new bills to lure the Commanders to Virginia.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has stated the nation’s capital wants the Commanders back in D.C., while Maryland governor Larry Hogan hopes to keep them in Maryland.

While each side has time to make pitches to Washington brass, there are multiple reasons for the state of Virginia to be optimistic. For one, the team appears to have two land options: one in Prince William County and the other in Loudoun County.

Shortly after Washington’s rebranding last week, team president Jason Wright said the team would be in a new home in 2027. Washington’s lease at FedEx Field ends after the 2026 season.

Now, Washington must get through five more seasons at FedEx Field.

 

Washington mayor wants Commanders back in D.C.

Washington, D.C. mayor wants the Commanders back in D.C.

The Washington Football Team got a new name Wednesday. The WFT is now the Washington Commanders. The next step for Washington is continuing its efforts to build a new stadium.

But where?

Virginia appears to be the frontrunner, with either Loudoun County or Prince Williams County landing the new stadium. However, Maryland governor Larry Hogan wants to keep the Commanders in his state.

On Wednesday, shortly after Washington’s rebranding, Washington, D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser stated her case for the team returning to the district.

Washington, of course, enjoyed its greatest success playing in RFK Stadium from 1961-96. The stadium was located in southeast D.C., and Washington won three Super Bowls when it called RFK home.

In the past, Bowser said the team’s controversial former name was a roadblock for a potential new stadium. Now that Washington has a new name, could the nation’s capital bring the Commanders back to their original home?

The good news for the Commanders and the NFL is you have three interested parties therefore finding a new home shouldn’t be too difficult.