Tag: RFK Stadium

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.

Big news for the Commanders’ stadium hopes in D.C.

A good start for the Commanders in their quest to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C, but they still have a long way to go.

Finally, there is some positive news regarding the Washington Commanders concerning the United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

On Wednesday, the Committee approved a bill that would extend the lease of RFK Stadium with the federal government to 99 years. The federal government owns the RFK site, and the current lease ends in 2036.

The Committee, with bipartisan support, voted 31-9 to move the bill forward, where the next step will be a future vote on the House floor later this year. So, while this is a big step forward, there remains a long way to go.

Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser was present and has been a major proponent of bringing the Commanders back to the District, where the team played its home games until FedEx Field opened in 1997. Since Daniel Snyder sold the team, Bowser has been outspoken about creating a mixed-use development in Washington that would create jobs and housing with the Commanders stadium as an anchor.

Bowser faces opposition, who believe taxpayer dollars should not be used to build a professional sports stadium.

Bowser released a statement after the hearing.

Not only does Washington want the Commanders, but so do Virginia and Maryland — where FedEx Field is located. Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin each attended training camp this summer in Ashburn, discussing why the Commanders should build their new stadium in their respective states.

Washington D.C. mayor working to bring the Commanders back home

Competition is heating up for the new Commanders stadium. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser makes her case on why the franchise should return “home” to the District.

The race for the next stadium of the Washington Commanders is heating up. One week after the team was officially sold from Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris, three different localities are lining up for the chance to do business with the Commanders and build a new stadium.

It’s long been believed that returning to Washington, D.C. is what the Commanders prefer. However, the District was never going into business with Snyder. Maryland wanted to keep the Commanders in Prince George’s County but wasn’t going overboard to help Snyder.

Finally, Virginia looked like the most promising opportunity for a new stadium until that support waned under multiple investigations into Snyder.

With Harris and his ownership group, the Commanders are open for business.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he spoke with Harris on the night the sale was confirmed, per NBC 4 Washington.

On Thursday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin visited Commanders training camp in Ashburn and said Virginia was the best place for a new NFL stadium. Youngkin spoke extensively with Harris and two of his minority partners, Mark Ein and Mitchell Rales.

Meanwhile, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was hard at work, doing her best to bring the Commanders back to the District. On Thursday, Bowser held a #SportsCapital Rally with the purpose of retaining and attracting sports teams to D.C.

Also, this week, Rep. James Comer [R-Ky.] introduced bipartisan legislation that would turn the RFK site into a mixed-use development, paving the way for a new home for the Commanders.

“This legislation is set to pave the way for local officials to create meaningful new jobs, add millions in city revenue, and transform the Anacostia River waterfront into a lively destination for all,” Comer told The Washington Post.

Bowser made it clear where she believed the Commanders should build their new stadium.

“There’s really only one place for the team in this region,” she said at the rally. “I mean, I know, I’ve been a little coy, but……. there’s only one choice.”

On Friday, Bowser was a guest on the “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan and continued to make her pitch.

“This is how we start – we want our team, but we also know we have a great site, and believe we have the best site, best served by transportation and public transportation,” Mayor Bowser told the Junkies per Lou DiPietro. “And, the allure of history is something that counts.”

Bowser said shortly after Harris took over as the owner, he placed a call to Bowser. Then, on Thursday, he, along with Ein, visited City Hall and spoke to Bowser. She noted that while she didn’t know Harris before, she does know Ein well. Bowser noted it was a good visit.

While we may still not be close to determining where the Commanders will build their new stadium, for the first time in years, business has picked up. And Washington’s owners are already working behind the scenes with local leaders to land the best situation for the franchise.

Some potential good news for the Commanders in their efforts to build stadium in D.C.

Congress preparing new legislation that could pave the way for the Commanders’ return to D.C.

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The Washington Commanders will have a new owner soon. The NFL will vote on the sale of the Commanders from Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris on July 20. NFL owners are expected to vote to approve Harris as Washington’s new owner.

With Snyder out of the picture, building a new stadium at the old RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., suddenly becomes an option. Unfortunately, there are hurdles. The federal government owns the RFK site. However, good news could be on the horizon as the District hopes to bring the Commanders back into D.C.

According to The Washington Post, Representative James Comer [R-Ky] is preparing a bill that would allow D.C. to develop the RFK site. It would not be a land sale, and a spokesman for the House Oversight Committee said details of the new legislation have not been finalized. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office is actively involved in the discussions. Bowser has spoken of wanting the NFL team to return to the city.

As the Post noted, if the legislation is passed, other hurdles remain before the Commanders can build a new stadium at the RFK site. D.C. City Council is divided on what to do with the site, although one member has gone on record with his thoughts on bringing the Commanders back to Washington.

“I think we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity with the RFK site to re-imagine it,” Ward 5 Councilman Kenyon McDuffie said, per WUSA 9 in Washington.

If the legislation is passed, Washington may become the frontrunner, ahead of Maryland and Virginia, for a potential new Commanders’ stadium.

 

WATCH: Washington D.C. councilman continues to make his case for the Commanders

He believes the Commanders should return to Washington, D.C.

As everyone awaits the NFL’s timeline for owners to vote on the sale of the Washington Commanders, different jurisdictions continue to jockey to be the franchise’s future home.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has made his case. He went on local airwaves last week, explaining why the Commanders should remain in Prince George’s County [Maryland].

Washington D.C. councilman Kenyan McDuffie has also been outspoken about the Commanders’ future stadium. McDuffie believes the Commanders belong in the District, specifically at the RFK Stadium site.

Last month, McDuffie wrote an Op-Ed in The Washington Post, writing it was time to “bring the team home.”

After Moore’s time on local sports radio last week, McDuffie took to his Twitter account this week, on location at the RFK Stadium, to make his own pitch for the Commanders’ return to D.C.

McDuffie’s pitch is one the Commanders want in a new stadium. They want it to be more than a stadium, something that offers housing, shopping, etc. And that’s McDuffie’s pitch, as he thinks the NFL franchise’s return would be outstanding for the citizens of Washington, D.C.

Now, we are waiting for someone from Virginia to make their case to be the new home for the Commanders.

All three are enticing options for the Commanders. Maryland is probably the least appealing as it would keep the team at FedEx Field, even though things would be vastly different. However, returning to Washington, D.C., is atop the wish list of most.

Virginia, you’re up next.

Roger Goodell: ‘I grew up in Washington D.C…so I understand the passion of the fans’

The NFL commissioner discussed the Commanders’ sale and potential new stadium.

It’s no secret that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell grew up in Washington, D.C., as a fan of the then-Washington Redskins. The son of a former United States Senator, Goodell became a fan of the Washington franchise when the legendary head coach George Allen took over the franchise in 1971.

“I was a Colts fan through the 60s when I grew up in Washington,” Goodell said in an interview with the Big Lead in 2009. “Then I became a Redskins fan. I think a lot of it had to do with George Allen coming in and taking over the Redskins.”

While Goodell long ago gave up his fandom when he first began working in the NFL offices in the 1980s, he never lost sight of his once-favorite team and what has happened to the franchise under Daniel Snyder’s ownership since 1999.

Goodell has personally had to deal with the fallout of many of the issues surrounding Snyder over the years, including the multiple investigations into his alleged misconduct and the franchise’s formerly toxic workplace.

But since the franchise went up for sale in November, Goodell has toed the company line and asked Snyder’s fellow owners to do the same after Colts owner Jim Irsay spoke out against Snyder in October.

Now that the franchise has a deal in place for Snyder to sell to Josh Harris, Goodell is still saying all the right things.

“I think we’ll get it to a place where it will be approved,” Goodell said Tuesday at a news conference with reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Minnesota, per Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

“The [finance] committee really just had their first meeting on the matter. We really got the documents last week. So we’re hard at work as a staff looking at that, as we do every transaction. There’s a lot of due diligence as well as compliance issues. All of that’s happening and working full speed… .And we’ll have a meeting at the appropriate time.”

Fair enough.

From that point, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington and 106.7 The Fan asked Goodell if it was a priority for the NFL to get back into Washington, D.C., by building the Commanders’ new stadium in the district.

“Listen, I have had the conversation with the Mayor [Muriel Bowser],” Goodell said. “I’ve had conversations with others in the Washington, D.C. region. As you probably knew, I grew up in Washington, D.C., going over to RFK Stadium, so I understand the passion of the fans in Washington. I think that’s something the new ownership is going to have to address,” Goodell said. “It is not something we’re requiring in the context of the transaction. But I know that the new ownership will be focused on it, just from the limited conversations I’ve had with them.”

Virginia may offer the best incentive for a new stadium, and Maryland may want to keep the Commanders in P.G. County, but building a new stadium in the District remains the team’s No. 1 preference.

Washington D.C. councilman makes his case for new Commanders’ new stadium at RFK

Councilman Kenyan McDuffie wants to bring the Commanders home to Washington, D.C.

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There’s a lot of positive momentum surrounding the Washington Commanders right now. Friday’s announcement that owner Daniel Snyder had finalized a deal to sell the franchise to Josh Harris and his group has Washington fans buzzing about what’s ahead.

One of those Washington fans is D.C. Councilman Kenyan McDuffie. In an Op-Ed for The Washington Post, McDuffie made his case about why the Commanders should build a new stadium in Washington, D.C.

McDuffie explained why he was proud of D.C.’s overall progress in recent years but thinks there’s more the city could do to “address persistent economic disparities.”

We’ll let McDuffie take it from here in his own words.

The RFK Stadium site in eastern D.C. offers one such opportunity. Redevelopment of the 190-acre riverfront campus has long been explored, but it has been stymied by a variety of factors, including a complicated lease agreement and differing opinions on how the site should be used.

Report: Commanders lobbying federal government to hand control of RFK site to D.C. government

The Commanders under new ownership will have options for a new stadium. But it’s clear the RFK Stadium site is No. 1.

The Washington Commanders will have a new owner soon. After 24 years, Daniel Snyder is expected to sell the NFL franchise to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris.

The deal is not complete but has been sent to the NFL and is expected to be approved at some point in the near future.

With that in mind, the Commanders are clearly focused on finding a new home stadium, and the No. 1 contender remains the old RFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C.

Per Sam Fortier, Michael Brice-Saddler and Meagan Flynn of The Washington Post, the Commanders are lobbying the federal government to give the D.C. government control over the RFK Stadium site, paving the way for the city to reach a deal with the NFL franchise to bring them back to the nation’s capital.

In recent months, a group representing the Commanders — led by Dentons lobbyist Matthew Cutts and Commanders Vice President of Public Affairs Joe Maloney — has met with staff for the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, according to a spokesperson for the House committee and a spokesperson for Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), who chairs the Senate committee.

If the sale goes through to Harris, it could prompt a bidding war between D.C., Maryland and Virginia for a potential new home for the Commanders. However, for D.C. to be the choice, it would need control over the land, which the federal government owns and leases to Events DC — the District’s sports and entertainment authority.

As the Post noted, the natural resources committee has jurisdiction over land transfers, which would be critical in Washington’s efforts to gain control of the land. The current lease runs through 2038 and restricts the land’s usage to sports, entertainment and recreation, which would prevent the Commanders from creating the development they’ve envisioned for Maryland and Virginia.

The Commanders would like to resemble The Battery in Atlanta. Not only did the Braves build a new ballpark [Truist Park], but The Battery operates like a mini-city outside of the baseball stadium and is viewed as the future of professional sports stadiums. The Battery features dining, shopping, entertainment and lodging.

D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser has lobbied publicly for the Commanders to return to the city, noting that obstacles remain, which mostly consist of the federal government owning the land.

The Commanders returning to D.C. was not an option if Snyder owned the team. Now with a sale expected, the path is much clearer for the NFL franchise to return home if other issues are resolved.

 

One Washington D.C. councilman wants the NFL team ‘back home’

But there is opposition.

For the first time in a while, there are good vibes surrounding the Washington Commanders. Owner Daniel Snyder has agreed in principle to sell the franchise to a group led by Josh Harris, which also includes Mitchell Rales and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Snyder has owned the team since 1999, presiding over controversy and controversy, and a lot of bad football.

When Snyder hired Bruce Allen in December 2009, the pair were supposed to land a new stadium eventually. However, it never happened. Washington, D.C. didn’t want the team back, Maryland was fine with the Commanders remaining at FedEx Field and Virginia shut down the team’s hopes for a new stadium.

With Snyder selling the franchise, everything is back on the table, particularly in Washington, where the franchise played its home games at the legendary RFK Stadium for over 30 years.

On Tuesday, D.C. native and Ward 5 councilman Kenyon McDuffie said he wants the team “back home.”

“I think we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity with the RFK site to re-imagine it,” he said, per WUSA 9 in Washington.

McDuffie believes a stadium could revitalize the area by adding housing, retail and concert venues.

“I don’t think it needs to be just a football stadium there,” McDuffie said. “I think it should be a broader conversation.”

However, some of McDuffie’s fellow council members didn’t share his enthusiasm.

“I’m not going to get cross-ways with a colleague,” said Chairman Phil Mendelson. “But I will say this – the RFK site is bounded on one side by the Anacostia River, on other sides by park land, and on the fourth side by residential. It is not the opportune site for economic development.”

The RFK Stadium site is owned by the federal government and was only leased to D.C. for use as a stadium. 

While things don’t appear imminent, the outlook is much more positive than it was one year ago for the NFL franchise to return to Washington.

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Fan-driven stadium guide considers FedEx Field the worst in almost everything

A new stadium is one of the next owner’s top priorities.

When the then-Washington Redskins played their final NFL game at RFK Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 22, 1996, there was sadness amongst longtime fans.

One, the team was leaving the District of Columbia to play in Prince Georges’s County, Maryland. It was strange for Washington’s NFL not to play home games in D.C.

However, there was hope that the new stadium, initially named Jack Kent Cooke Stadium after the team’s legendary owner, would create a new home-field advantage for the future due to its size. The new stadium would hold around 80,000 seats, making it the largest in the NFL.

Unfortunately, things didn’t play out as envisioned and FedEx Field — the name since owner Dan Snyder sold the naming rights in 1999 — has routinely been called the worst stadium in the NFL.

The reasons for FedEx Field’s issues are endless. Much of it was due to Snyder, but not all of it. The location, traffic, parking, fan experience, etc. The stadium has been a nightmare, coinciding with plenty of bad football through the years.

SeatGeek, a prominent ticket platform that sells tickets for live events, has a fan-driven model it uses for stadium guides in different professional sports. To determine how each stadium ranks, SeatGeek asked 3,200 fans what they look forward to at each home game.

As expected, FedEx Field didn’t fare too well.

There are three categories in which stadiums are judged. Here is the list and where Washington ranked on each:

  • Atmosphere: 3.0 [ranked 32 of 32]
  • Food: 2.9 [ranked 32 of 32]
  • Bathrooms: 3.2 [ranked 30 of 32]

Hey, at least the bathrooms aren’t the worst.

In all seriousness, when Josh Harris takes over as Washington’s next owner — if the deal is finalized and he isn’t outbid at the last second — his No. 1 priority will be landing a new stadium. Fortunately, Harris and his partners are a capable group that should be able to get the job done.

Unfortunately for Washington fans, the franchise is bound to FedEx Field until at least 2027. But perhaps, a new ownership group can continue to make more positive, fan-friendly improvements until that time. There were positive developments in this area in 2022 under team president Jason Wright and his group.