Tag: Washington D.C.

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.

WATCH: Darrell Green emotional as he receives key to Washington, D.C.

Saturday was a special day for Darrell Green.

It’s been a big week for legendary former Washington cornerback Darrell Green. In April, Green learned that the Commanders planned to officially retire his No. 28 jersey sometime during the 2024 season.

It was later revealed that Green’s special day would occur during Washington’s Week 7 game vs. the Carolina Panthers from Northwest Stadium.

So, one day before Green’s jersey was officially retired, he received another prestigious honor. Green received a key to Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Washington mayor Muriel Bowser presented Green with a key to the nation’s capital.

Commanders co-owner Mitchell Rales, who grew up a fan of the Redskins, was there for the festivities.

Here’s Green expressing his gratitude, courtesy of Sam Fortier from The Washington Post:

Finally, here is Green receiving a custom painting of himself from his playing day:

Sunday will be another emotional day for Green, who spent 20 seasons in the burgundy and gold and went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008, the first year he was eligible.

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.”

Louis Riddick predicts huge things for Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

Riddick thinks Daniels is going to take Washington by storm in 2024 and beyond.

ESPN’s Louis Riddick played in the NFL and spent several years working in NFL front offices, including Washington. Riddick is now one of the most respected voices in the media regarding the NFL.

Riddick is a big believer in Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. In a recent appearance on NFL Live, Riddick continued to heap praise on the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner.

“It’s hard not to get super excited about Jayden Daniels,” Riddick said. “And I think everyone knows how I feel about him. He accepted the challenge at LSU, mastered it, and became the Heisman Trophy winner. He’s going to accept the challenge now, playing on a football team where 3/5 of the offensive line is going to be new. They have one of the most dynamic receivers in the NFL in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson is a playmaker in his own right, they drafted Ben Sinnott out of Kansas State, who’s a fantastic athlete at tight end and they got Austin Ekeler.”

Riddick then discussed what to expect this upcoming season.

“You’ve seen some of the clips that the Commanders have put out there, in terms of some of the throws that he has made during OTAs, and it’s spectacular,” he said. “And I’ve had correspondence with people down there who have said, ‘Look, very rarely does the ball hit the ground.’ He puts the ball exactly where it needs to be put. He can throw with touch, he can throw with velocity, he is a student of the game. And he is someone, most importantly, that the players will gravitate towards already. They want to be around him. They want to be accountable to him. They want to do better for him. That’s pretty damn cool. He is going to take that town by storm as everything else around him grows with him. I have 100% confidence in that.”

Washington’s coaching staff and front office clearly agree with Riddick. Can Daniels get off to the same fast start that Robert Griffin III did in 2012? If he can, the Commanders will be one of the NFL’s surprise teams in 2024.

 

WATCH: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels visits D.C. elementary school

Jayden Daniels plays pitch and catch with some young fans.

You knew it wouldn’t take long for Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to become a fan favorite.

From the moment Daniels heard his name called on draft night last month and put on that Washington hat, fans have been buying his jerseys and watching every clip they can find on the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner.

This week, the Commanders took a break from Organized Training Activities (OTAs). They held a Day of Service led by Marjorie Harris, team president Jason Wright, several team legends, and the 2024 rookie class. This was Daniels’ first community event as a member of the Commanders, and it was no surprise that he was a hit.

Here’s Daniels meeting with some young fans at Rocketship Rise Academy Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., courtesy of Scott Abraham of ABC 7.

It was no surprise that the kids wanted to play catch with the city’s new superstar quarterback.

One more of Daniels throwing to some new fans.

The quarterback is always the hero in Washington. Unfortunately, fans have been waiting a long time for that quarterback. The hope is the Commanders have found their guy in Daniels.

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.

Top ten 2024 recruit Dylan Stewart commits to South Carolina

South Carolina won a massive recruiting prize on Tuesday morning.

Here’s how Friendship Collegiate Academy (D.C.) five-star edge Dylan Stewart announced he was committed to South Carolina on Tuesday morning, amounting to the biggest recruitment in weeks for the 2024 cycle.

Stewart (6-foot-5, 235 pounds) is ranked first overall in Washington D.C., second at his position and No. 10 nationally in the class of 2024 going by the 247Sports composite rankings.

Needless to say, it’s a significant recruiting victory for the Gamecocks, as Stewart would have been a gem for any program. He had offers from 34 other schools, including Miami, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and USC.

Adding Stewart to their class of 2024 has resulted in a significant jump in South Carolina’s national ranking. They went into this week at No. 24 in the country, and now they’re at No. 16.

More football stories

HS football watchlist: The top 10 quarterbacks in the 2024 class

2024 National Recruiting Rankings: The updated top 25 teams

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.

WATCH: Terry McLaurin at his first-ever youth football camp

McLaurin grateful to spend the day with kids, teaching them football and just having fun.

Terry McLaurin is arguably the most popular player for the Washington Commanders. Whether it is a summer day at training camp or on Sundays in the fall, at some point, you’re likely to hear Washington fans chanting, “Terry, Terry, Terry.”

The 2019 third-round pick has developed into one of the NFL’s best wide receivers despite playing with 10 quarterbacks. Last summer, McLaurin signed an extension that made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers and all he could talk about was the things he needed to improve upon.

That’s McLaurin. He’s unselfish and the ultimate team guy, two of the many qualities that Washington fans appreciate about McLaurin.

McLaurin continues to make an impact in the Washington community, recently holding his first-ever youth football camp with over 300 kids attending.

The Commanders’ camera crew was in attendance for McLaurin’s camp, following him as he spent the day teaching and working with the kids.

A job well done by McLaurin.

McLaurin and the Commanders report to training camp on July 26.

Commanders donate money to D.C. school to fund football program

It’s been a difficult year for the Digital Pioneers Academy and the Commanders helped end the school year on a positive note.

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It was a trying school year for the Digital Pioneers Academy in Washington, D.C. The public charter school suffered three tragic losses, as two students were victims of gun violence, and teacher Keenan Anderson died in Los Angeles after he was tased by police while in town visiting family.

The two students were 14-year-old Antione Manning and 16-year-old Jakhi Snider.

On Wednesday, it was the last day of the school year at the Digital Pioneers Academy, and the Washington Commanders were present to surprise the school.

Team president Jason Wright, along with players Darrick Forrest, Kamren Curl, Saahdiq Charles, Jaret Patterson and director of alumni relations Tim Hightower, visited the school to announce a $75K donation to the Academy to fund its first-ever football program.

Mashea Ashton, the CEO and founder of the Digital Pioneers Academy, had the following response.

“Today, to be very honest, is so bittersweet because I can see Jakhi standing right here. I can see Antoine standing right here. I can see Mr. Anderson right here. And I think about them often,” Ashton said. “I think about how in this darkness, we’re going to turn this darkness to light.”

From now on, June 14 will be Washington Commanders Day.

“Your partnership, your presence, and your gift today is not just for our football players who are right here; it is for our whole community. June 14, 2023, and thereafter — mark it in your book — June 14 will always be the Washington Commanders Day,” Ashton said.

Kudos to the Commanders for making a difference in their community.