The Redskins "have removed thousands of seats" from FedExField for the third time in five seasons, "further decreasing the capacity" of what was once the NFL's largest stadium, according to a front-page piece by Steinberg & Allen of the WASHINGTON POST. The move follows "two of the worst seasons in modern Redskins history." Thousands of seats "had already been removed from the top eight rows of many sections in the stadium’s upper deck." They had been "replaced by tall metal poles jutting out from the concrete floor of the grandstand." The team in a statement said the move was “part of an overall plan based on season ticket holder feedback,” and that it would unveil full details of the plan shortly. The Redskins "led the NFL with an average attendance of 88,090" in '07 but have "averaged fewer than 80,000 four seasons in a row." Fans in recent years have "complained of a poor experience" at the stadium. On Saturday it appeared that "somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 seats had been removed." But the team "declined to provide any details about the scope of the reduction, or what would be replacing the empty rows." SportsCorp President Marc Ganis said, "The move to smaller stadiums is a trend in the NFL" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/2). Redskins President Bruce Allen said of discussions for a new stadium site, "We’ve had conversations with Maryland, Virginia and D.C., and it’s in the preliminary stages but we like where it’s going." Asked if there was a timetable, Allen "cited the lease" at FedExField expiring in '27 (RICHMOND.com, 6/1).
