The Redskins and D.C. leaders for years have hoped to return the team to the city by building a new home at the site of RFK Stadium, where fans once enjoyed a golden era.
Now that possibility appears as distant as the memory of Redskins Super Bowl victories. A stubborn Congress is refusing to give the District long-term access to the land, partly because some influential members don’t like the team name.
As a result, team owner Daniel Snyder has begun wooing state and county officials in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Early signs suggest the most likely outcome will be a new stadium at the site of the current one, FedEx Field, in Landover in Prince George’s County.
Many Redskins fans would not welcome that result. The site lacks a convenient Metro station, and is not close to restaurants or bars for postgame celebration — or mourning, given the team’s recent performance. To addresss that, Snyder is promising a domed stadium, usable all year, to anchor a multipurpose entertainment complex including a hotel, restaurants and retail.
Other locations could end up winning the prize, and the team says all options remain open. If the team moved to Northern Virginia, Prince William County appears to be the most likely destination. Congress may eventually hand over the RFK land to the District. Redskins seek sports betting license in Virginia even as they lobby for one in Maryland.
“We have great relationships with officials in Virginia, Maryland and D.C.,” the team said in an emailed statement. “We are just beginning discussions and open to opportunities in all three locations.” But the Landover site offers so many advantages, and the alternatives pose so many obstacles, that Prince George’s has to be seen as the favorite for now.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Robert McCartney over at The Washington Post