Can Redskins fans go home again? Maybe. But they don’t want taxpayer dollars to pay for it.
According to a new Washington Post poll, a majority of District residents favor of a new Redskins stadium being built on the RFK Stadium site. But they don’t want to foot the bill.
The poll found that 59% are all for the Redskins building a new home on the D.C. site, while 33% are opposed. Of those who support building a new stadium, 65% are in favor of Washington providing the land. Thirty two percent oppose that.
Those numbers sharply change when the question of who should pay for it comes up.
Of those polled, 52% oppose using city funds to pay for the new stadium while 47% support the idea. And of those in favor building a new stadium, only 28% say D.C. money should be used.
“Of course fans want to root for their home team at home but when it comes to paying for it, people don’t want to,” WTOP Sports Reporter Dave Preston said.
“Why would they?”
Fans already spend money on tickets, concessions, merchandise and TV packages.
Preston also noted that building a Redskins stadium in Loudoun County, Virginia, would be stupid — even if the county is willing to provide the land.
This all comes as the Redskins’ popularity has cratered and the team has had an almost comically pathetic season, going 1-9. The Sunday game against the 3-6-1 Detroit Lions could mark the peak of fan apathy and set another low in a lost season that’s playing out in embarrassing fashion at FedEx Field.
Ticket costs have plummeted. At one point dropping as low as $4 for the game against the Lions — which, it should be noted, is cheaper than it would cost to park, eat or even get a beer during the game. Stubhub currently has tickets on sale for Sunday’s game for $11.
The once-proud franchise with three long-ago Super Bowl titles saw attendance sink with the team’s on-field failures and subpar game day experience.
After the team conceded the end of a “sellout streak” in 2018, the average announced attendance in five home games so far this season is 67,364 in a stadium that seats just under 82,000.
Upon firing coach Jay Gruden after an 0-5 start, team president Bruce Allen was asked about the hordes of New England Patriots fans invading.
“I’m sure many of our fans put their tickets on the second (sic) market and made some money on it selling it to people from the Northeast. All we can do is try to improve our product,” he said.
That product hasn’t improved. Washington is 1-4 under interim coach Bill Callahan, and even excitement about rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins and some young offensive playmakers is muted by two decades of struggles since Dan Snyder bought the team and almost all bad years since Allen started running it.
“You go to the stadium and the chants are either for the other team or ‘Sell the team,’” said Eileen Williams, a five-year season-ticket holder. “Nobody cares anymore.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
