Commanders possible stadium site and F-16 fighter jets are involved?

Politics getting in the way of Commanders’ potential new stadium.

Sam Fortier of The Washington Post broke in his Tuesday story that Maryland is asking for the city of Washington to give Maryland one of its Air National Guard Squadrons.

If the city met their request, Maryland would not oppose the upcoming vote of a bill that the city needs to pass regarding federally owned land.

Are F-16 fighter Jets being negotiated to prevent an NFL team from leaving Maryland and returning to the District of Columbia?

Is this a prime example of what is wrong with American elected officials today?

The District of Columbia wants a bill to pass, making it more possible for the Commanders to return to the city.

If passed, the plans could go forward, the site could be redeveloped and a new stadium could be built on the very hallowed grounds of RFK Stadium where the Redskins won five NFC championships and three Super Bowls.

Enter the state of Maryland, saying this would be an unfair advantage for the District in regaining the team from Maryland. The Commanders presently play in Landover at Northwest Stadium.

Are there some powerful politicians in Maryland considering lowering protections designed to prevent attacks on our nation’s capital? And all for the sake of attempting to keep an NFL team in your state?

Would city officials actually consider the Commanders worth losing some of their protection?

How in the world did we get to where elected officials today would propose such in negotiations?

Fortier reports that Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer (NY), is involved in the deal. Also reported by Fortier was that Schumer had already met with Commanders owner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Whenever I am surprised by the actions of those we elect to be wise leaders for us, I am reminded of wise words of wisdom from Thomas Sowell.

“No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems—of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind.” Thomas Sowell

Will the Harris Ownership Group eventually change the name?

One longtime Washington reporter believes ownership will eventually change the name.

Two older Redskins fans from the DMV got together on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast. Wednesday.

Tom Friend grew up in Chevy Chase, Md., and went to Rolling Wood Elementary, as did Commanders’ new majority owner, Josh Harris and minority owner Mark Ein. Friend stated that his sister was in their class.

I recall Friend covering the Redskins as the beat writer for The Washington Post back in the late 1980s. He is now a writer for the Sports Business Journal.

Sheehan asked Friend regarding the “Commanders” team name. He referenced that at one point, the franchise did attempt to move from Redskins to Warriors, but it was shot down.

Friend continued with an objection, “I don’t know why. You look at what the Chiefs fans do, and the Braves fans do, and you think, ‘What is the problem?'”

“I had someone else tell me they (Harris Ownership Group) are looking at it now. More than look at it, they are going to do it at some point. It’s just a matter of when. I am not reporting this. I am just telling you what I hear from people close to the situation.”

Friend told Sheehan that Dan Snyder got rid of Redskins quickly, changing the name, so why couldn’t they get rid of this name that virtually very few in the fan base likes? He went as far as saying, “No one likes it; get the heck rid of it!”

When Sheehan asked if Friend’s sources are “in the know,” Friend instantly responded, “Somewhat in the know, for sure, for sure, absolutely, 100 percent.”

Friend continued, “This was always a franchise that did nothing but celebrate Native Americans. I went to RFK my entire life from six years old, and not once did I ever Tomahawk chop or do the war chant. All we said was, ‘Hail to the Redskins!’ In all seriousness, there was no mocking going on.”

Of course, Friend is correct; the hypocrisy is evident. But the bigger news was Friend saying the Harris ownership group is already discussing changing the Commanders’ team name in the future.

Should we be surprised? The Harris Ownership Group has been impressively ahead of the game, and in time, they are going to get this right as well.