Tag: mayor

Commanders hire Senate aide to help in search for new stadium

Josh Harris makes a big hire to help in search for new stadium.

While the NFL world is focused on next week’s NFL draft, the Washington Commanders continue to make significant hires.

On Monday, Washington hired Dave Gardi away from the league office to serve as the senior vice president of football initiatives. Gardi will handle in-game management duties for the Commanders, supporting the coaching staff and front office on compliance with NFL protocols, officiating trends and health and safety protocols.

On Tuesday, owner Josh Harris made another big hire, bringing in top Senate aide Kirtan Mehta, per Hans Nichols of Axios.

Mehta’s new role will focus on Washington’s search for a new home. The team’s lease for FedEx Field in Landover expires in 2027, the 30th anniversary of the stadium’s opening. It has long been criticized as one of the worst venues in the league. While the team would likely prefer to build its new stadium at the RFK Stadium site in D.C., some hurdles remain.

Here’s why Mehta’s hiring is important, via Nichols:

“But he’s the kind of hire a new NFL owner would make to navigate the politics of moving a team from the Maryland suburbs to a parcel of land that’s currently owned by the federal government.”

D.C., Maryland and Virginia all want the Commanders, and Mehta will be instrumental in Harris finding the best possible deal for the franchise.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has been outspoken about the Commanders returning to D.C. since Harris bought the team from Dan Snyder last year.

Nichols on Mehta:

“Mehta’s first task: Getting House-passed legislation through the Senate that would allow Bowser to negotiate with Harris on a potential package for a stadium on the banks of the Anacostia River.”

Mehta comes to the Commanders after serving as the chief of staff for Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO). He previously worked with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for five years. Manchin chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Jacksonville mayoral candidates oppose Jaguars temporarily leaving town

The two Jacksonville mayoral candidates both said they’d oppose the Jaguars playing in another city during future stadium renovations.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry raised eyebrows earlier this week when he said that the Jacksonville Jaguars will have no choice but to find another place to play when TIAA Bank Field is undergoing a two-year renovation.

The candidates to fill Curry’s seat both pumped the brakes on that notion Thursday.

“During construction, I expect our team to play in Jacksonville as they have for nearly thirty years,” Democratic candidate Donna Deegan said in a statement, via the Florida Times-Union. “Terms of a deal will be decided thoughtfully and responsibly with input from all stakeholders, not at the height of a campaign.”

Republican candidate Daniel Davis shared a similar sentiment on Twitter:

There’s no proposal for a stadium upgrade in place and negotiations are ongoing, so Curry’s assertion that the Jaguars will be forced out of TIAA Bank Field seems speculative at this point. However, both the University of Florida and University of North Florida confirmed that the Jaguars have contacted them about the possibility of hosting games in the future.

Deegan and Davis advanced to a runoff after no candidate received at least 50 percent of the vote in the March election. The runoff is scheduled to happen next week on Tuesday, May 16.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”XnFNf66jqr-2736912-7617″ type=”float”]

Former Alabama fullback announces candidacy to be next Tuscaloosa Mayor

Former Alabama fullback Martin Houston announces he will be running for Mayor of Tuscaloosa.

Martin Houston was a member of the 1992 national championship winning Alabama team. Since retiring from the sport, Houston has been a pastor, a radio host and the general manager of an insurance agency.

Today, Houston announced he will be running to be the next Mayor of Tuscaloosa.

Houston announced his candidacy at an event that included a strong introduction from former Crimson Tide head coach Gene Stallings.

Stallings introduced Houston, and called it “a pure joy.”

He also relived anecdotes from his days coaching the former fullback.

“As your next mayor, I want our city to be known as more than just a home of the University of Alabama and the gretest football program in the world, and you know that’s true, and I was on one of those teams… but we need to be known as a great city,” says Houston.

On his campaign’s official website, HoustonforTuscaloosa.com, he explains the reason as to why he decided to run for Mayor, his plans for the city and his background.

Former Alabama fullback announces candidacy to be next Tuscaloosa Mayor

Former Alabama fullback Martin Houston announces he will be running for Mayor of Tuscaloosa.

Martin Houston was a member of the 1992 national championship winning Alabama team. Since retiring from the sport, Houston has been a pastor, a radio host and the general manager of an insurance agency.

Today, Houston announced he will be running to be the next Mayor of Tuscaloosa.

Houston announced his candidacy at an event that included a strong introduction from former Crimson Tide head coach Gene Stallings.

Stallings introduced Houston, and called it “a pure joy.”

He also relived anecdotes from his days coaching the former fullback.

“As your next mayor, I want our city to be known as more than just a home of the University of Alabama and the gretest football program in the world, and you know that’s true, and I was on one of those teams… but we need to be known as a great city,” says Houston.

On his campaign’s official website, HoustonforTuscaloosa.com, he explains the reason as to why he decided to run for Mayor, his plans for the city and his background.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell supports playing 2020 Saints games without fans

New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell suggested the NFL should play its 2020 games without fans in attendance, including the hometown Saints.

[jwplayer QhTqdpg2-ThvAeFxT]

The novel coronavirus has hit the United States hard, with Louisiana and the greater Gulf South in particular struggling to deal with the pandemic. That includes New Orleans, the home of the Saints; in a recent interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Mayor LaToya Cantrell outlined the difficulties her city has dealt with so far and discussed the new challenges still on the horizon.

“Let me tell you, 30% of our workforce in the city is tied to our hospitality and tourism industry,” Cantrell said. “The city of New Orleans right now is looking at a $150 million deficit with about $126 million tied to sales tax, which is absolutely because of our industry … I don’t see how a city will be able to operate in terms of basic city services, let alone host large-scale festivals.”

With travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders in place across the country, dollars that would normally pour into New Orleans from the millions of annual visitors have dried up. Landmark music festivals like Jazz Fest, Essence Fest, and Voodoo Fest have each canceled their 2020 events, and the 100-plus smaller festivals that fill the city calendar are also expected to diminish.

While the NFL is at work in determining when and how to safely conduct its 2020 season, precautions in the wake of the coronavirus are also expected to change how games themselves are played. It’s not as simple as putting 22 players on the field — each side’s 53-man roster is supplemented by coaching staffs, gameday operations personnel, and team medical trainers who might otherwise be working in hospitals or clinics.

And that’s something weighing on Cantrell’s mind. When asked whether her hometown Saints could be expected to play games in 2020, she deferred to the league’s judgment, acknowledging the difficulties in organizing even a bare-bones game: “I know that the NFL is working very hard to determine methods of re-engagement, like no fans present. I think that is the best way to go, but I know they’re working very hard as it relates to not only the players but the staff that is required to even host a sporting event.”

The NFL is expected to release its 2020 schedule no later than May 9. For the curious, the Saints are set to host visitors including the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and NFC title contenders like the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, and Minnesota Vikings, as well as Tom Brady’s refurbished Tampa Bay Buccaneers (along with the other, lesser NFC South teams).

A Saints season without fans crowding the Mercedes-Benz Superdome would be tough to accept, especially in what might be the final year of Drew Brees’ playing career; he has already made retirement plans to join NBC Sports once he’s hung up his cleats. But that might be the way to go with the public health and safety in mind.

[vertical-gallery id=26010]