Tag: Senate

Good news for the Commanders: RFK Stadium bill passes in shocking turn of events

Some good news for Washington, D.C. and the Commanders.

Don’t count out the Washington Commanders returning to the nation’s capital just yet. The roller-coaster of whether the federal government would give Washington, D.C., control over the RFK Stadium site continued late Friday night into Saturday morning. But this time, it was good news for the Commanders.

After 1 a.m. on Saturday, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer (R-Ky.), sent shockwaves across X — formerly Twitter — with the following post.

All sides have worked hard to make a deal happen for everyone, including Maryland, where the Commanders currently play. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has been outspoken about wanting the NFL franchise to return home to the District, especially since former owner Daniel Snyder sold the team.

However, multiple issues have made it look like a deal would never happen. Earlier this week, for example, the provision to transfer the RFK site to the city was suddenly not included in the government’s latest spending bill.

It was a setback, and many were angry as it looked all but dead.

The RFK Stadium deal was unanimously approved, which rarely happens today, as all 100 U.S. Senators agreed to pass the legislation. Washington, D.C., will now have control of over 170 acres of federal property for 99 years.

The Commanders, then known as the Redskins, played at RFK Stadium from 1961-96, where they enjoyed their greatest successes. In 1997, Washington moved into a new stadium in Prince George’s County, Maryland, built by former owner Jack Kent Cooke. It was later renamed FedEx Field until earlier this year when the stadium reached a new licensing deal, making it Northwest Stadium.

One of Washington’s minority owners, Mark Ein, reacted on X.

The Commanders’ lease at Northwest Stadium runs through the 2027 season.

Negotiations for Commanders’ potential return to D.C. remain stuck

There has been progress in the talks between the Wetzel family and the Commanders.

Earlier this year, there was excitement about the Washington Commanders and a potential return to the nation’s capital. The House of Representatives passed a bill granting the District a 99-year lease for the land where RFK Stadium sits.

The bill followed the recent goodwill between the organization and the city, which began when new owner Josh Harris purchased the team from Daniel Snyder last summer. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser went on record multiple times stating that the Commanders’ next stadium should be in D.C.

Harris and the team have options. Maryland — where the team currently plays its home games — wants to keep the team. In Virginia, where the team’s headquarters is located, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the state is a “great place” for a new Commanders stadium.

While the Commanders haven’t tipped their hand on where they want to build a new stadium, the District would appear to be the preferred choice. Harris and minority owners Mitch Rales and Mark Ein all grew up in the Washington area, going to games at RFK Stadium as kids.

So, if the House approved this with rare bipartisan support, why isn’t this moving along?

As of now, it remains stuck in the Senate. Montana Sen. Steve Daines, the ranking member of the National Parks Subcommittee, has said he will continue to hold up the bill unless the Commanders find a way to honor the legacy of Walter “Blackie” Wetzel, who created the logo for the team’s former name that was retired in 2020.

According to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, Daines, the Commanders and the Wetzel family are continuing to work out a deal. Daines represents Montana, where the Wetzel family is from, and the Blackfeet tribe he was a member of is also based in Montana.

“We have been very pleased with the conversations we’ve had with the Commanders,” Ryan Wetzel, grandson of the late Wetzel, told Perez and Front Office Sports. “The three of us — meaning the Commanders, Daines’s office, and the Wetzel family — have made headway, and some steps being made that will please the D.C. community and the fan base.”

In his latest report on the story, Perez noted that one Senate aide said the bill is “unlikely to see any more action until after Thanksgiving.”

That’s good and bad. The Commanders have no known timeframe to make a deal, though the lease at Commanders Field is set to expire in 2027. The quicker this is resolved, the sooner Harris and his group can begin making plans for the team’s new home. The extra time also gives all three sides more chances to strike a deal in which everyone feels like they win.

That’s rare — almost as rare as any bill finding bipartisan support at all levels of the government.

Wetzel’s grandson made it clear that it’s not about the name; it’s about the logo his grandfather created, which was a “profile of pride for Native American communities.”

Poll indicates D.C. is most popular pick for new Commanders stadium

A new poll indicates fans want Commanders’ new stadium in D.C.

If you’re a fan of the Washington NFL franchise and were alive in the 1980s and early 1990s, there was no greater sight than the bleachers at a home game at RFK Stadium.

During some of the biggest games in franchise history, the stadium shook.

The team moved to FedEx Field in suburban Maryland in 1997, and the franchise hasn’t had a home-field advantage since.

Former owner Dan Snyder had been trying to build a new stadium for years. However, no one in D.C. would consider helping Snyder. That changed when he sold the team to Josh Harris and his partners last summer.

Now, the Commanders have three localities vying to be Washington’s new home: D.C. (at the RFK site), Maryland and Virginia. Some fans, including younger fans or those living outside of the DMV, aren’t as invested in where the new stadium will be. They’re more focused on just seeing a winning team.

However, according to a new poll from The Washington Post, Washington-area residents want the Commanders back in the District.

Here’s a screenshot of the Post’s poll results:

According to the poll, 51% of Washington-area residents believe the stadium should be in Washington, 17% in Maryland and 15% in Virginia. The rest had no preference.

Among Commanders fans, 63% want the stadium in Washington.

The Commanders are obligated to play at the current stadium until 2027 but can stay longer. There has been good news regarding the RFK site recently, as the D.C. RFK Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act passed through the House in February. The next step is the United States Senate, but one Senator has said he will oppose the bill unless the Commanders honor the team’s former logo.

Regardless of what happens over the next few months, the people have spoken: They want the team to return to D.C. and it certainly appears as if Harris and his partners want the stadium in the District, too.

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.

Advisers could face 20 years in Saudi Arabia prison if they comply with U.S. investigation in PGA Tour, LIV Golf dealings

Discussions between the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF remain ongoing despite a $3 billion outside investment.

The direct litigation involving the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was put aside with last June’s framework agreement, but there are still plenty of lawsuits surrounding the controversial dealings between the entities.

The PIF’s governor and LIV Golf chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, is allegedly facing a $74 million lawsuit in Canadian court, and on Wednesday Bloomberg reported the Kingdom has threatened to imprison not only bankers but also consultants it has worked with if they choose to cooperate with the United States government as it continues to investigate the agreement. Back in November, the PIF sued its advisers in Saudi court to block any submission of information to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Both the Department of Justice and U.S. Senate have held a keen interest in the talks between the Tour and PIF, the financial backers of LIV Golf, over the last seven months. On Feb. 6, the committee held a hearing in Washington, D.C., that featured PIF consultants Paul Keary (Teneo Strategy), Michael Klein (M. Klein & Co.), Rich Lesser (Boston Consulting Group) and Bob Sternfels (McKinsey).

“The PIF has been explicit that the disclosure of information relating to BCG’s work for PIF is a violation of Saudi law, which ‘imposes criminal penalties for disclosing or disseminating such information including imprisonment for a maximum of 20 years,’” Lesser said. “We risk criminal and financial penalties for the firm and for individuals working or living in Saudi Arabia.”

MORE: Al-Rumayyan updates players on future investment in PGA Tour

“This represents aberrant behavior for a client, and, quite frankly, for the PIF, who has historically been a client that has operated with best practices of governance with us,” added Klein, one of the PIF’s top advisers.

The committee took issue with the fact that the four advisers have not fully cooperated with the investigation and that the firms, according to Bloomberg, “have only provided a fraction of the documents demanded in a congressional subpoena.” Senate records detailed that the information submitted largely consisted of calendar invites with redacted names, publicly available records and news clippings.

“It’s simply staggering to me that American companies are not only willing to accept this claim, allowing the Saudi government to determine what is permitted to provide this subcommittee — but also that they would use it to justify their refusal to comply with a duly issued congressional subpoena,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

The PIF released the following statement in response to the hearing:

We have been and are committed to working with the Subcommittee in good faith in a manner that is consistent with PIF’s status and obligations as an instrumentality of Saudi Arabia. We have made, and are continuing to make, significant efforts to facilitate the production of requested information from our advisors consistent with the laws of Saudi Arabia, which should be recognized like those of any other country.

To date, we have facilitated production from our advisors of thousands of substantive pages of presentations, correspondence, and final deliverables related to our investments and their work on our behalf. We are engaged in extensive and rapid document reviews and will continue working constructively and with integrity with the Subcommittee with relevant information that can legally be disclosed under the laws of Saudi Arabia.

The Subcommittee’s requests are sweeping and unprecedented in seeking to compel the production of confidential and classified information of a foreign sovereign instrumentality, but we hope to work with the Subcommittee to resolve these issues.

PIF is confident that its support for innovative and transformative companies has and will promote economic opportunity and job creation in the United States, and around the world. To date, PIF has invested over $79 billion in the U.S. economy, and is expected to grow that investment significantly by 2030. Our estimates show that investment would lead to more than 550,000 new American jobs. As a rational investment fund, PIF acts independently in carrying out its investment activities. As a long-term investor and catalyst of change, PIF is invested in the projects, companies and partners that will create new opportunities for investment and employment, including in the U.S., and shape global industries of the future.

The original framework agreement between the Tour and PIF set in motion plans to create a new for-profit entity that would change professional golf as we know it. The Dec. 31, 2023 deadline to strike a deal was missed and extended into 2024. Over the last few months, the Tour has fielded offers from a handful of outside investment groups, and last week secured a $3 billion investment from the Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of sports owners led by Fenway Sports Group, to create the aforementioned entity, now known as PGA Tour Enterprises. The investment has been seen in two ways: one, as a way to dilute any Saudi investment to make a deal more palatable for the U.S. government, and two, as a way for the Tour to block out the PIF after ending litigation.

Discussions between the Tour and PIF remain ongoing.

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Senator introduces bill to strip PGA Tour’s tax-exempt status

The PGA Tour is a 501(c)(6) organization, a status allowing tax exemptions for professional sports leagues and chambers of commerce.

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A senator from Oregon introduced legislation this week that would strip the PGA Tour of its tax-exempt status.

Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chair of the Senate finance committee, introduced two bills Wednesday, the Sports League Tax-Exempt Status Limitation Act and the Ending Tax Breaks for Massive Sovereign Wealth Funds Act.

The PGA Tour is a 501(c)(6) organization, a status allowing tax exemptions for professional sports leagues and chambers of commerce. Wyden’s concern is the Tour’s tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(6) organization and how that would change if the proposed framework agreement creates a for-profit entity between the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and PGA Tour.

“Most of America’s big pro sports leagues gave up their tax exemptions voluntarily when their revenues climbed into the stratosphere, and they hadn’t even shamed themselves with Saudi blood money,” Wyden said. “An organization that betrays its own word and agrees to become a profit generator for Saudi Arabia’s brutal regime has disqualified itself for a tax exemption.”

The Sports League Tax-Exempt Status Limitation Act would adjust current tax code to exclude sports organizations with assets exceeding $500 million. The Ending Tax Breaks for Massive Sovereign Wealth Funds Act would deny that benefit to funds belonging to countries that have more than $100 billion invested globally.

“Many of the biggest sovereign wealth funds out there belong to countries that do not have our interests at heart, and there’s no good reason for hardworking American taxpayers to have to subsidize their huge profits,” Wyden said.

In June, Senator Wyden opened an investigation into the financial structure and implications of the proposed PGA Tour-Saudi deal, citing censorship and national security concerns given the tour’s real estate holdings near U.S. military sites.

LOOK: NY Times makes hideous mistake about Tommy Tuberville

This isn’t exactly the right way to describe Tommy Tuberville’s past.

You remember when Tommy Tuberville used to lead the Alabama Crimson Tide onto the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium to take on their rival Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl, right?

Of course not. But don’t try to tell the New York Times that.

In describing who Tuberville is after the former coach won the Alabama GOP Senate runoff on Tuesday, the longtime newspaper made quite a major mistake.

Seems someone needs a researcher for their next article.