Attribution: Government of the District of Columbia, CC BY 3.0
The Washington Commanders are returning to the nation’s capital from Maryland, where they had been playing since 1996. The deal between District of Columbia Mayor Mariel Bowser and Commanders managing partner Josh Harris, was long overdue for most Commanders fans. Just last year, the Commanders’ current stadium, Northwest, received the last placed ranking on Sports Illustrated’s Stadium Rankings and an F minus from the players’ survey. The change in scenery will be welcomed by the players and fans who hope that the 3.6 billion dollar investment will come with upgrades to the facilities and infrastructure of the stadium. The investment does not come without its worries; Council Member Charles Allen of Ward 6 is concerned about what the investment could mean for DC residents who are not receiving the money that is instead being used to fund the reconstruction of RFK stadium. Allen believes that the money would better be allocated to subsidize housing. Others believe that the return on investment provided by the new stadium would function to offset the large investment. Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, has already stated that the new stadium would increase the chances of DC hosting a Super Bowl. Additionally, the stadium could be used as an event venue to attract some of the top performers to a relatively large market of DC. Bringing the stadium back into DC will also create more jobs for DC residents who will work as hawkers, parking attendants, and at the food counters. Although the public is largely excited about the Commanders’ return to DC, only time will tell if the investment will pay off.