The owner wanted a new stadium. The mayor blew it. The team ended up in Prince George’s County.
Yes, the Redskins left RFK Stadium after seven years of failed talks with District leaders back in 1997. Now D.C. United will follow in 2012 when they jump from RFK to Landover.
Seriously, it’s the same story. The Redskins and United both thought new stadiums were coming inside the city only to see marathon deals unravel. Finally, the bordering Maryland county picked off the teams with new stadiums. It seems only fair since Washington lured the Wizards and Capitals from Landover in 1997.
The District really won’t miss United despite the estimated $65 million economic impact annually. If city leaders truly cared, the Poplar Point project would have happened. But, the District is as cash-strapped as any city, especially after paying for a baseball stadium, and essentially toying with the soccer team for years hoping to wear down the club.
United officials finally surrendered and found another taker. They’re considering seven suburban locations, including two away from the metro that would be pure stupidity. United will discover P.G. County politics are no easier than Washington. Things take forever in Maryland, too.
District leaders should see United’s move as a wake-up call to whatever dreams they have of regaining the Redskins. Backroom talks have been ongoing for years between the team and two mayoral administrations. There are serious hurdles in acquiring the land around RFK for a football stadium.
The real revelation over United’s exodus is how can the District be taken seriously over creating a new Redskinsland if it can’t even build a soccer venue one-fourth the size of a football stadium?
The coming Redskins stadium is a billion-dollar deal that could revive the RFK corridor like Nationals Park energized the Navy Yard. However, it involves waterfront development rights further complicated by dealing with federal and city governments. Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke couldn’t bridge that canyon of bureaucracy and the “Billionaire Bully” was 10 times the political dealmaker that successor Dan Snyder is.
The FedEx Field lease expires in 2027, though sources say there are options for an earlier exit. Eighteen years seems like forever, but it’s going to take a decade of lobbying on Capitol Hill for a deal and several more for construction.
If the United fiasco is any indication, RFK will be a ghost town for many years.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected].
