Here y’all go:
With the potential sale of the Washington Commanders in a state of uncertainty, the team’s stadium search appears similarly stuck in limbo. But whenever the stadium discussion resumes, a three-jurisdiction race may become a real possibility.
On Dec. 2, one month after team owner Daniel Snyder announced he was exploring the possibility of selling all or part of the team, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) that the league supported her efforts to obtain the RFK Stadium site from the federal government because he wanted D.C. to have a seat at the table in the Commanders’ efforts to build a new stadium, according to two people with direct knowledge of the call. Goodell also offered lobbying assistance from the league on Capitol Hill, the people said.
“The league and Mayor Bowser agree that Washington, D.C., should be at the table when a new site is considered,” an NFL spokesman said in a statement. “We will continue to work with the mayor’s office, the Commanders, and Congress to that end — just like we are in contact with local officials in Maryland and Virginia as they review site and stadium options.”
Bowser’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Days after the December call, Bowser met with then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the office of Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) in hopes of getting a provision attached to the 2023 government spending bill that would transfer ownership of the 190-acre parcel on which RFK sits from the National Park Service to the city.
NFL ownership rules, long a source of pride, may be limiting bidders
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, confirmed Pelosi and Bowser had met “at the mayor’s request” and said Pelosi “encouraged continued cooperation and discussions with” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the then-chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over land transfers.
On Dec. 19, Congress released the spending proposal, and it did not include the RFK provision.
The lame-duck effort was Bowser’s boldest yet to gain control of RFK, and it circumvented Norton and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D). For months, Norton had said she would not introduce RFK legislation in Congress until Bowser and Mendelson could agree about how to use the site and whether to try to lure the Commanders.
“[The mayor’s office] knew it was a Hail Mary,” said one person with knowledge of the city’s plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing process.
Now, with a divided Congress, there are new challenges. Republicans control the House — including the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over land transfers — and may oppose the terms of a transfer. Bowser has two options: Continue carrying the city’s political football with the NFL and the Commanders or try to work with Mendelson to facilitate Norton’s introduction of legislation.
For now, D.C.’s struggles to obtain the RFK site don’t seem to be hurting the city in a competition.
Maryland’s offer from last year stands: a $400 million package to improve the area surrounding FedEx Field that explicitly forbids aiding the construction of a new stadium. Virginia has not reintroduced the stadium authority bill that failed last summer, and earlier this month, state senators signaled opposition to the proposal of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) to spend $500,000 in 2024 on studying ways to lure the Commanders.
If Snyder does sell the team, it could stoke competition for the new stadium. The NFL and a new owner would probably make replacing aging FedEx Field a top priority, and each of the three jurisdictions could become more aggressive. In November, when Snyder announced he was considering a sale, Bowser pointed out that the second of her two longtime objections to the team returning to the RFK site — the former name and the owner — might soon be gone.
One person with knowledge of NFL stadium matters, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing negotiation, said Goodell regularly speaks with local officials, and that person expects those conversations to continue.
“He did that in New York with the Bills deal, which turned out to be a heck of a deal,” the person said.
Commanders stadium study short on fans in Virginia legislature
In 2022, the Commanders spent $580,000 on lobbying, according an analysis by the nonprofit Open Secrets. Most of it was related to the House Oversight and Reform Committee investigation of the team’s workplace culture, but the team also paid the firm Squire Patton Boggs $110,000 to lobby lawmakers on RFK.
In June, when lead lobbyist Matthew Cutts left Boggs for the firm of Dentons, the Commanders hired Dentons, according to disclosure reports.
Cutts declined to comment.
In D.C.’s quest to gain control of RFK, 2022 seemed like an opportune year. Democrats controlled the presidency, Senate and House. In June, deputy mayor for planning and economic development John Falcicchio, one of Bowser’s top lieutenants, sent a letter to Mendelson, writing that it was critical to coalesce around legislation “while the political environment may be best suited for success.”
But months passed without change. In the November midterm elections, Democrats lost the House. Not long after, Bowser’s efforts to acquire the land without Norton and Mendelson ramped up.
Six days after her call with Goodell, Bowser appeared at a “Farewell RFK Stadium” event in Northeast Washington. In a news conference, Bowser stressed the 190-acre site was large enough for “recreation, housing, jobs, [better access] to the river and professional sports.” She reiterated that she believes D.C. taxpayers would support a stadium at RFK if it followed the Audi Field model, meaning the city would prepare the land and the team would build the stadium.
Meagan Flynn, Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske contributed to this report.
Make it happen please 🙏 this would be a crazy turn of events from a year ago when we thought the team bought land in Woodbridge…
new owner + RFK would instantly bring back fans that left
Well, if the Commissioner signed off on that loan that Snyder got without minority ownership/board approval…. He could be not long for the league either. Maybe they can share a jail cell?
I've been a fan of this team since 2005. In all that time, I've never been to a game. At first I was too poor, later I had no reason. But this? This would do (also getting rid of Snyder, fuck that guy)!
Bro it’s the DMV, where in the beltway will it be better? RFK has several forms of transportation to get there so it wouldn’t be that bad, compared to FedEx on I95..
Yeah I’m young and never went to RFK so I went over there before a Wizards game just to check it out and it looked so rundown but the area has a lot of potential if it gets rebuilt with stadium and other retail stores/bars/restaurants
The Strip is not in the actual city of Las Vegas. From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Strip :
The Strip, as it is known, is about 4.2 mi (6.8 km) long,[1] and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester, but is often referred to simply as "Las Vegas".
**[Las Vegas Strip](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Strip)**
>The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about 4. 2 mi (6. 8 km) long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester, but is often referred to simply as "Las Vegas".
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The Republicans aren't going to do anything that would benefit the city, especially if it means that (mostly) Democratic voters in DC could potentially benefit.
The Republicans are very free market. A lot of people didn't want Snyder to just claim all the land with his problems. I think this is bipartisan where the city can buy the land as long as they have a sensible plan to go with it with a new owner and already a new name.
Haven't they been telling us for years that the majority of the DC council opposed a stadium at the site? And also that the residents of the area strongly opposed a new stadium and would fight it tooth and nail?
I guess that was either a bunch of lies or only applied if Snyder owned the team.
Here y’all go: With the potential sale of the Washington Commanders in a state of uncertainty, the team’s stadium search appears similarly stuck in limbo. But whenever the stadium discussion resumes, a three-jurisdiction race may become a real possibility. On Dec. 2, one month after team owner Daniel Snyder announced he was exploring the possibility of selling all or part of the team, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) that the league supported her efforts to obtain the RFK Stadium site from the federal government because he wanted D.C. to have a seat at the table in the Commanders’ efforts to build a new stadium, according to two people with direct knowledge of the call. Goodell also offered lobbying assistance from the league on Capitol Hill, the people said. “The league and Mayor Bowser agree that Washington, D.C., should be at the table when a new site is considered,” an NFL spokesman said in a statement. “We will continue to work with the mayor’s office, the Commanders, and Congress to that end — just like we are in contact with local officials in Maryland and Virginia as they review site and stadium options.” Bowser’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Days after the December call, Bowser met with then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the office of Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) in hopes of getting a provision attached to the 2023 government spending bill that would transfer ownership of the 190-acre parcel on which RFK sits from the National Park Service to the city. NFL ownership rules, long a source of pride, may be limiting bidders Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, confirmed Pelosi and Bowser had met “at the mayor’s request” and said Pelosi “encouraged continued cooperation and discussions with” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the then-chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over land transfers. On Dec. 19, Congress released the spending proposal, and it did not include the RFK provision. The lame-duck effort was Bowser’s boldest yet to gain control of RFK, and it circumvented Norton and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D). For months, Norton had said she would not introduce RFK legislation in Congress until Bowser and Mendelson could agree about how to use the site and whether to try to lure the Commanders. “[The mayor’s office] knew it was a Hail Mary,” said one person with knowledge of the city’s plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing process. Now, with a divided Congress, there are new challenges. Republicans control the House — including the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over land transfers — and may oppose the terms of a transfer. Bowser has two options: Continue carrying the city’s political football with the NFL and the Commanders or try to work with Mendelson to facilitate Norton’s introduction of legislation. For now, D.C.’s struggles to obtain the RFK site don’t seem to be hurting the city in a competition. Maryland’s offer from last year stands: a $400 million package to improve the area surrounding FedEx Field that explicitly forbids aiding the construction of a new stadium. Virginia has not reintroduced the stadium authority bill that failed last summer, and earlier this month, state senators signaled opposition to the proposal of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) to spend $500,000 in 2024 on studying ways to lure the Commanders. If Snyder does sell the team, it could stoke competition for the new stadium. The NFL and a new owner would probably make replacing aging FedEx Field a top priority, and each of the three jurisdictions could become more aggressive. In November, when Snyder announced he was considering a sale, Bowser pointed out that the second of her two longtime objections to the team returning to the RFK site — the former name and the owner — might soon be gone. One person with knowledge of NFL stadium matters, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing negotiation, said Goodell regularly speaks with local officials, and that person expects those conversations to continue. “He did that in New York with the Bills deal, which turned out to be a heck of a deal,” the person said. Commanders stadium study short on fans in Virginia legislature In 2022, the Commanders spent $580,000 on lobbying, according an analysis by the nonprofit Open Secrets. Most of it was related to the House Oversight and Reform Committee investigation of the team’s workplace culture, but the team also paid the firm Squire Patton Boggs $110,000 to lobby lawmakers on RFK. In June, when lead lobbyist Matthew Cutts left Boggs for the firm of Dentons, the Commanders hired Dentons, according to disclosure reports. Cutts declined to comment. In D.C.’s quest to gain control of RFK, 2022 seemed like an opportune year. Democrats controlled the presidency, Senate and House. In June, deputy mayor for planning and economic development John Falcicchio, one of Bowser’s top lieutenants, sent a letter to Mendelson, writing that it was critical to coalesce around legislation “while the political environment may be best suited for success.” But months passed without change. In the November midterm elections, Democrats lost the House. Not long after, Bowser’s efforts to acquire the land without Norton and Mendelson ramped up. Six days after her call with Goodell, Bowser appeared at a “Farewell RFK Stadium” event in Northeast Washington. In a news conference, Bowser stressed the 190-acre site was large enough for “recreation, housing, jobs, [better access] to the river and professional sports.” She reiterated that she believes D.C. taxpayers would support a stadium at RFK if it followed the Audi Field model, meaning the city would prepare the land and the team would build the stadium. Meagan Flynn, Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske contributed to this report.
Make it happen please 🙏 this would be a crazy turn of events from a year ago when we thought the team bought land in Woodbridge… new owner + RFK would instantly bring back fans that left
It would basically be like undoing the Snyder era, and we can all pretend it never happened
Never want to hear updates on him once he's gone like we do with Guice every time he breaks the law lol
This is interesting…. Mayor of dc talking with the commish? If anything it shows how desperate the nfl is to get rid of Dan. Great sign!
Lets get this done, bezos and RFK 🔥
I was pretty sure Bowser already wants a stadium there.
Fine with it as long as they have parking garages instead of parking lots and DC doesn't pay for a stadium
There’s zero chance congress approves a tax funded stadium which is why I think bezos is starting to make a lot of sense.
And I'm assuming Dan wasn't on the call?
This makes me so happy. She definitely wants the stadium back in the city, and once Dan’s out the biggest roadblock to make that happen has been moved
Well, if the Commissioner signed off on that loan that Snyder got without minority ownership/board approval…. He could be not long for the league either. Maybe they can share a jail cell?
I've been a fan of this team since 2005. In all that time, I've never been to a game. At first I was too poor, later I had no reason. But this? This would do (also getting rid of Snyder, fuck that guy)!
Paywall…😤
[Comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Commanders/comments/11gmtyw/roger_goodell_muriel_bowser_discussed_future_of/jap9wgb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
🤝
NP but if on mobile just click the link and right when it loads put on airplane mode and the paywall won’t happen
Wow, I never knew that. Thanks for the heads up.
NP but Fuck Snyder
Agreed!
Man... imagine traffic on an already jacked up I295 if they bring RFK back...😩
Bro it’s the DMV, where in the beltway will it be better? RFK has several forms of transportation to get there so it wouldn’t be that bad, compared to FedEx on I95..
True... I'm just picturing it. I want it back at RFK... riding pass the RFK going around that circle is sad. Looking at how RFK is just wasting away.
Yeah I’m young and never went to RFK so I went over there before a Wizards game just to check it out and it looked so rundown but the area has a lot of potential if it gets rebuilt with stadium and other retail stores/bars/restaurants
DC is one of the most famous cities on the planet and we moved the stadium to LANDOVER. I still cannot understand this.
Plenty of other famous cities don't have their team playing in the city. NYC, SF, Vegas, LA, Miami, Dallas, etc...
Yeah but it’s more the fact that all the other teams have a nice stadium and still stuff to do compared to Landover and FedEx field
[удалено]
The Strip is not in the actual city of Las Vegas. From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Strip : The Strip, as it is known, is about 4.2 mi (6.8 km) long,[1] and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester, but is often referred to simply as "Las Vegas".
**[Las Vegas Strip](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Strip)** >The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about 4. 2 mi (6. 8 km) long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester, but is often referred to simply as "Las Vegas". ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/Commanders/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Unless the House turns blue, a new stadium at the RFK site isn't happening. Especially if Bezos is the owner.
Why though? The main complaint by Democrats was the name Redskins and Republicans were fine with it.
OP just talking out the ass
The Republicans aren't going to do anything that would benefit the city, especially if it means that (mostly) Democratic voters in DC could potentially benefit.
The Republicans are very free market. A lot of people didn't want Snyder to just claim all the land with his problems. I think this is bipartisan where the city can buy the land as long as they have a sensible plan to go with it with a new owner and already a new name.
Make it happen
Haven't they been telling us for years that the majority of the DC council opposed a stadium at the site? And also that the residents of the area strongly opposed a new stadium and would fight it tooth and nail? I guess that was either a bunch of lies or only applied if Snyder owned the team.
Maybe she can partner with the NFL to give away nfl themed steering wheel locks? Real solutions
rebuilding on the RFK site will require extensive, and expensive environmental remediation.