What next for the Washington Commanders?
(Credit: Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
It’s the 26th January 1992. Mark Rypien is the Super Bowl MVP and the Joe Gibbs-coached Washington football team had just collected another Vince Lombardi trophy. The Minnesota stadium is booming in burgundy and gold with cheering fans and elated players.
At this point, a plucky reporter asks Gibbs, “by 2024, this team will play in the worst stadium in football and will be known as the Commanders! They will be up for sale, plagued by scandal and the joke of the National Football League, how does that make you feel?”.
The stadium falls deadly silent. So silent you could hear a pin drop and ants building a home in the end zone! Then the whole stadium bursts out with tears of laughter. “right kid” he replies, “like that would ever happen” …..
Okay, so some of this story is factually incorrect, but you get the idea. No one on earth could have predict what was coming. And no matter how far out, no one can predict what is still to come!
It is going to be another interesting year in Washington, with lots of discussions taking place behind the scenes. And while they have hit the headlines recently for the changing of the guard at quarterback and releasing Carson Wentz, there is still a lot to be sorted out off the football field.
What caused the downfall in Washington?
The problems really begin in 1996, when Washington waved farewell to the RFK and moved into the fantastically diabolical FedEx field. According to USA Today it’s the worst stadium in the NFL and lists everything from parking to pouring sewage on fans as its well documented issues.
The stadium is crumbling to the ground after only 26 seasons and 1 play-off win! But it was about to get worse, with the club’s sale to Daniel Snyder.
The name change was a no brainer and had to happen. For many it was offensive and could not be tolerated in modern times. Like it or not the change was years overdue.
Selecting the new name really was Snyder’s time to shine, his time to prove himself! He could have learned a lesson from the Cleveland Browns and used the clubs past glory for inspiration. One suggestion I personally liked was the Washington Diesels, after the team’s legendary full back John Riggins. The rebrand could have honoured the club’s history without alienating the fan base.
First, Snyder chose the Washington Football Team, then followed it up by rolling with the Commanders… Like many, the name just doesn’t really fit, it zigs when it should really zag!
You’re probably wondering what all this has to do with the franchise’s future… Just bare with me, I’m getting to it! (Spot the forthcoming pun!)
Back to Mr Snyder and should we even mention the many scandals? Well, to cut a very long list as short as possible he’s facing criminal investigations into the teams’ financial improprieties. Worse still are the accusations of him and/or his cronies physically harassing 15 female employees! So far one has been settled for $1.6 million out of court, but it’s far from over.
Not to be out done he’s also been sued by the team’s minority owners, fined $10 million by the NFL and just to cap it all is banned from the day to day operations of his own club! That honour has been handed to his long suffering wife and while I probably shouldn’t say this, I think divorce is a very good option for the lady!
What needs to change?
So back to the initial question, What next for Washington? Could it get really get any more unpredictable?
Well, it appears the ownership of the club could be about to change. Among several suitors are Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and one or two others. Great news for the NFL, relief for the other owners and sponsors, but potentially not so great for professional football in the nation’s capital!
The club is valued at between $6.5 and $7.0 billion dollars and if you’re spending that kind of cash, you’re going to want a lot back for your money. With the foundations of the Washington football team all but destroyed and the stadium not far behind why attempt a rebuild when you can just pack up and move. Afterall the lease for FedEx field is up in 2027 so the options are ether resign the lease, rebuild, or move!
Washington currently sit 8th on the list of sports team market sizes and is home to five pro sports franchises including the Wizards (NBA) Nationals (MLB) Capitals (NHL) and DC United (MLS). The first city on the list with no NFL team is Orlando at 17 so at first glance a move is not an option. However, the top 3 markets are New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, combined they have 25 teams in the big 5 sports leagues. New York and LA both have two NFL teams, and the Bears are about to open a very tempting door.
The Bears are pushing to move from Soldier Field to a new purpose built facility in the North Chicago suburb of Arlington Park. They officially bought the land required on Wednesday (24/02/2023). It now seems more a case of when and not if downtown Chicago finds itself without a team. For Soldier field not to have an NFL team is almost unthinkable!
For all the talk of London having a team, a second team in Chicago makes much more sense especially considering the NFL history that comes with it. If you live in South Chicago, it’s going to be a long commute to watch the Bears!
Is relocation really a possibility?
The idea of a second team has not been missed by Chicago’s mayor ether. Lori Lightfoot recently commented when unveiling three options for stadium renovations that “the stadium can be dome ready, plenty of cities have 2 NFL teams”. Now granted his idea of plenty is only 2 but it was a serious statement. Naturally there is a good chance this is just bluffing, trying to poke the Bear as it were!
NBC Chicago’s Ken Davis went one step further stating he would “let the Bears leave for free on the condition they stay out of Chicago’s pursuit of a new team”. For the record numerous commentators have stated the chance of Chicago getting a second team is zero. I’m not so sure I’d go so far as to say zero. After all there are other contenders for a possible move, perhaps from north Florida!
The big benefit to the Commanders of course is they don’t need to spend big on a football suitable stadium that they would need in a hurry. It’s there, looks great, isn’t falling into the ground and ready to go! Even the name Commanders fits in nicely with Soldier field!
Now obviously it’s not quite this straight forward and there are MANY obstacles to navigate. For instance, NFL Article 4.3 requires any team wishing to move to get 75% of votes in favour from other owners. For every other team getting this share would be a stretch.
But if Jeff Bezos digs behind his sofa and uses some of his spare change, he could probably move the team to the Isle of Wight without losing a single vote! The benefits to league revenue, media and advertising are obvious to everyone so it ultimately would pay to keep him happy should he take Command.
So in the event of this unthinkable scenario happening, what would actually happen in Washington? The NFL is not opposed to expansion (despite what they don’t say about the subject)! So, if a move did happen Washington would likely end up with a new team anyway. In fact, losing the Commanders could be the best thing to happen for Washington football, a new chapter for fans to get excited about! Just imagen the marketing potential for Capital expansion in 2030 – Washington and London!
Back in 1992 no one at the Super Bowl could have predicted what was to come, and now in 2023 we are still in the same boat. Do we dare to use the same statement as Jo in our story?
“Right kid, like that would ever happen”.
