Maryland and DC may essentially take themselves out of the running for the next Washington Redskins stadium, Rick Snider writes in the Washington Post. Lawmakers in both jurisdictions have proposed long-shot legislation that would prohibit using public funds to build FedEx Field’s replacement, leaving only Virginia angling to empty its pockets for the team’s billionaire owner, Dan Snyder.
Snyder will need at least three bidders to get the best deal for the consistently mediocre team, which has a racist slur for a name. Should the proposed legislation in Maryland and DC succeed, it would be an ideal time for some of the wider Washington area make a play for the Redskins.
Delaware is a summer base for many Washingtonians and a two-hour drive isn’t out of the question for rabid football fans (even if people who actually live in Delaware are more likely to follow the Eagles or Giants). It’s facing a tough budget crunch, but maybe there’s a little room for football on the books? And then there’s West Virginia, a state that belongs to the Pittsburgh Steelers but includes part of the same metropolitan statistical area as what most people consider to be Washington. It, too, is within the arguable limits for a Sunday drive, and it’s the closest red state, an increasingly important criterion for this team. That new stadium design could even work in Charleston, maybe!
I only see two significant problems with West Virginia as a home for this team: It, too, is facing a budget shortfall; and the name Washington Redskins. But for a refreshing change, “Washington” might even be a bigger problem.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
