NFL commissioner Roger Goodell believes Super Bowls should be played outdoors and that Washington could be a future venue.
In talking with fans at Redskins Park on Wednesday during his national tour of training camps, Goodell said no decision would be made on a second cold-weather site until New York hosts the 2014 championship. However, Goodell is an advocate of outdoor venues like the Washington Redskins’ FedEx Field.
“I have no doubt it would be successful [in Washington,]” Goodell said. “We took a big step this year in awarding the Super Bowl to New York. I think that’s how the game is to be played — in the elements. If you look at the history of the NFL, some of the greatest games were played in the elements. If we have success [in New York] we’ll certainly look at it from there.”
Several cold-weather stadiums will certainly compete with Washington — including New England, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Washington has an advantage by being a more southern city and having 91,000 seats.
However, a new stadium would greatly increase the chances of hosting the game. It’s probably 10 to 15 years away, but the team will return to the RFK Stadium area at some point before the 2027 lease in Landover ends. The NFL probably wouldn’t award Washington a Super Bowl before 2020 so there’s some incentive for the Redskins to work more quickly on a new home.
The existing RFK site is unlikely because the Redskins would have to downsize from the existing 91,000-seat stadium to 60,000-plus to fit the existing footprint. Owner Dan Snyder isn’t leaving 30,000 paying customers behind. One compromise is a 75,000-seat stadium in the parking lot just north of RFK — plus a 20,000-seat soccer venue for D.C. United in Lot 8.
Nationals Park was a tough sell to city leaders in 2004. The baseball stadium’s failure to create waterfront development might be one reason some politicians won’t want to fund another stadium. A Redskins stadium might cost $1 billion, especially if it has a dome. However, Snyder and the NFL can pay for at least part of it.
A Super Bowl pledge would partially offset those costs. Economic impact studies say the game brings $150 million to the host city. A domed venue could attract an NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, the Olympics, national conventions and other major tourist events. Overall, it’s not a bad investment, especially when ticket taxes that fund the stadium often are paid by non-District residents.
For now at least, Washington has more than a snowball’s chance in …
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
