Tag: Mayor Muriel Bowser

Senate Committee vote could one day see Commanders in DC

Great news for the Commanders in their quest to build their next stadium in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to give the District of Columbia the freedom to build a new stadium at the old RFK Stadium site.

The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act passed the Senate committee with a 17-2 vote. Only Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) voted against it.

The hopes are that the new stadium built on the old RFK site would then become the future home of the Washington Commanders, bringing the franchise back to the location where five Washington Redskins Super Bowl teams played their home games beginning in the 1961 season through the 1996 season.

This was a bipartisan effort, and the vote now means the Congress, which adjourns on December 20, must proceed with the next legal step.

There is opposition, and it is not a matter of Republicans and Democrats opposing each other. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) publicly declared himself against the legislation, referring to the proposal as “not in the best interest of the American taxpayer.”

Previously, the state of Maryland, which now houses the Commanders at the newly named Northwest Stadium in Landover, had approved the state investing $400 million into the Northwest Stadium area.

The Commanders are obligated to play at the current Landover stadium through the 2027 season. Moore, understandably, doesn’t want the Commanders to go back to the District. He wants to keep them in Maryland by building a new stadium near the current stadium.

Meanwhile, DC mayor Muriel Bowser has publicly expressed for some time that she envisions the old RFK site as one rebuilt for the Commanders’ new home, with restaurants and housing also included in the project.

“Today’s vote marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to unlock the potential of the RFK Campus,” Bowser said in a statement after Tuesday’s vote.

Bowser continued, “We look forward to a full vote on the Senate floor so we can get it signed into law before year’s end.”

The Redskins, in the 1961 season, began playing in what was then called “District of Columbia Stadium.” The name was shortened understandably to “D.C. Stadium”.

Senator Robert F Kennedy was assassinated in 1968, and the stadium was renamed in 1969 to “Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium,” which naturally soon became known simply as “RFK.”

 

U.S. Senator demands Commanders honor Native American family

A U.S. Senator speaks on the Commanders honoring the franchise’s past regarding a return to RFK.

RFK, the former home of the then-Washington Redskins, was in the news again Wednesday.

A U.S. Senate subcommittee met regarding the administration of RFK being transferred to the city (Washington) from the National Park Service.

However, Republican Steve Daines of Montana spoke up, saying he represents his constituents in Montana: “I’m here representing a voice that is not being listened to, and that is the Blackfeet Tribe in Montana and the Wetzel family. I serve them…”

The U.S. House has approved the transfer, which would provide the city the go-ahead to redevelop the area where RFK stands deteriorating presently. The District mayor has, in the past, declared she wished for affordable housing and retail shops in the area. However, then she was opposed to the former owner Daniel Snyder and the name “Redskins.”

Daines appeared at the hearing with two posters dating back to the Redskins history with Walter “Blackie” Wetzel and Robert F. Kennedy and the Redskins old logo, which was actually suggested by Wetzel and approved by the franchise, resulting in their iconic helmet worn from the 1972 through 2019 seasons.

The shorthand of the entire presentation by Senator Daines was that he was actually not demanding the Washington Commanders reach back and take on again the name “Redskins.”

He is, however, demanding the Commanders bring back the old historic logo. Daines threatens that if they do not, he will block the RFK site bill.

Prior to Wednesday’s subcommittee meeting, the Commanders released this statement, “We have spoken directly with the Wetzel family and are working collaboratively to recognize Blackie Wetzel for his contributions in creating our former logo,” a Commanders spokesperson said in a statement.

Commanders fans have no reason to get excited. Nothing here points to the Harris Ownership Group making a huge leap back to the team being named the “Redskins.”

However, perhaps there will be some sort of utilization of the old logo in limited circumstances.

In 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd death, former minority owner Fred Smith began an attack upon majority owner Daniel Snyder threatening Snyder should drop the “Redskins” name. Shortly afterward, Federal Express, Nike, and Pepsi withdrew their support from Snyder, and the name “Redskins” was dropped.