The D.C. Council needs at least seven of its 13 members to approve the recent RFK stadium plan that’s been agreed upon by Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
We know several council members haven’t been shy to voice their strong disapproval of the plan, citing the timing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a new stadium during tough financial times — even a potential recession.
In addition, not everyone — some residents and retail owners who own property around RFK Stadium — is completely sold that the new stadium deal will revitalize or even “save” their side of the city. All are real, legit arguments and will eventually be decided by the council in the months ahead.
But for a moment, let’s discuss a “what if” and what a new Commanders stadium could mean to a recently struggling franchise and the District.
Good for the NFL, DC, fans
I’ve spent many years covering NFL teams that have either moved to another city or have built a new stadium in their current location, and I must say, having Commissioner Roger Goodell at Monday’s press conference certainly reinforced the league’s ongoing commitment to bring the Commanders back to D.C.
Believe it or not, the league has been looking for ways to bring the team back to D.C. for many years. It’s no secret that the former owner of the Commanders constantly opposed a name change until the corporate and financial pressures became too much. Following the 2019 season, the franchise has gone through two name changes.
However, during the last few years of Dan Snyder’s tenure, rumors swirled that the league offered to help with a new stadium deal and do whatever it took to bring the Commanders back to the District.
Neither rumors nor creative business ideas seemed to influence Snyder, and no progress was ever made during his 24 years of controlling the team.
Goodell perfectly summarized the thoughts of many on Monday, saying a new stadium deal would benefits everyone as a whole.
“The stadium project announced today promises to be great for the fans, the team, and the District and the NFL,” Goodell said. “It also makes us better as a club, as a league, and all of our clubs playing in a world class stadium in front of passionate fans is one of our big objectives.”
An NFL executive, who didn’t want to be identified, told WTOP Goodell’s comments really expressed the feelings of many teams. This executive also noted that most teams would look forward to staying at a hotel that’s closer to a downtown stadium rather than traveling the usual 30-40 minutes it currently take to Northwest Stadium.
The Commanders’ current home, Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, has been long considered one of the worst stadiums in the NFL and not user-friendly for fans or players.
In the last 25 years, whether it was a new stadium in Nashville, Las Vegas or even Los Angeles, the NFL didn’t always have a physical presence at a press conference or “agreement ceremony.”
It is somewhat rare to have Goodell present at a stadium agreement announcement, but on Monday, the league truly showed how much it is behind this project.
DC’s respect returns
The trend has been when a brand new, state-of-the art stadium opens for business, there eventually comes a Super Bowl, Final Four, or a multiday tour stop by a pop artist like Taylor Swift. In addition, a new stadium makes the D.C. area stand out even more as a FIFA World Cup host site or even a destination for the NHL’s Winter Classic series.
Maybe, for the first time in many years, D.C. would be part of the conversation when deciding a future venue for a high-profile event.
The last hypothetical has already being going on since the day Josh Harris acquired ownership of the Commanders in July 2023. However, it’s still a work in progress.
Before Harris took over ownership of the team, Snyder spent the better part of 24 years making all of the wrong moves and that included alienating many of the former players, who once would do anything for the Burgundy and Gold, on and off the field.
“In those early years of the new owner back in the early 2000s, myself and most of my teammates would never hear from the team, and the phone was silent,” former Washington center Jeff Bostic told WTOP.
As original member of “The Hogs,” Bostic was often dumbfounded that his phone didn’t ring that much from the team’s administrative staff.
Bostic said, as an alum, he was rarely asked to attend any team functions or in-game events through the years.
“Yes, I came up for a few halftime ceremonies, but it just didn’t feel right,” Bostic said.
Since Harris became Washington’s new owner, have changes taken place for the better and have the historical meaning and spirit started to return to the area?
Oh yes!
Suppose a new Commanders stadium becomes our reality and opens in the fall of 2030 as advertised. In that case, it will be the cherry on top of a bittersweet item that the NFL, Harris and every D.C.-area football fan has ever dreamed about in their lifetime.
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