The Washington Commanders will have to prove they have fans before building new stadium complex, according to a state senator
The Washington Commanders are planning on building a new stadium complex in Virginia. The new proposal includes a stadium town created from scratch, with an estimated cost of $3 billion. The site of the new stadium remains unclear and just like everything else that the Washington Commanders do, has been met with backlash from state officials.
Last week, the Commanders paid over $100 million for 200 acres of land in Prince William County. According to reports, that is the preferred site for the new stadium, but other options are still on the table. Washington has also been linked to 70 acres at a site that is approximately 23 miles from Washington DC, off an I-95 exit in Woodbridge, Virginia, roughly 80 miles from Richmond.
Senator Chap Petersen appeared on 106.7 The Fan and told the world that the Commanders couldn’t physically prove that they even have fans.
“I mean, if they’re out selling merchandise, if they’re out selling season tickets, box seats, and everything, who cares about my opinion? I mean the team, if they can show objective criteria, objective metrics that they’re a popular team, that they’ve got the TV ratings, that they’ve got the season ticket sales, that they’ve got the attendance — my opinion is irrelevant.
But they don’t have any of that. So what they’re asking us to do is say, ‘Well, we don’t have any of that right now, but we’re gonna grow, we’re gonna step into that,’ and I just haven’t seen any evidence of it.”
Petersen used to be a season-ticket holder, so it makes sense that he’s completely frustrated with the Commanders organization. As we all know, the Commanders the laughing stock of football, run by an owner disliked by every fan in football, and their current stadium, FedEx Field, is held together with wet duct tape.
The Commanders have always had their stadium in the DC area and pushing the team into Virginia, where half the population roots for other teams seems like a stupid idea. Other reports state that the Commanders want to return to the RFK Stadium site where they played from 1961-1996 but that’s now on federal land and would government hurdles make that possibility a long shot.
I really don’t see a resolution to this anytime soon. Dan Snyder is still under investigation for sexual misconduct and ticket revenue fraud. There’s no way any state officials would agree to give the Commanders an upwards of $350 million to build a new stadium.
Honestly, if the Commanders were smart, they would clean house in the front office and ownership before trying to get taxpayer money to build a new stadium. Proving they have fans would be a good starting point.
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Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports
