DC Mayor Muriel Bowser yesterday said her administration believes they "have a final agreement" with DC United for a new stadium, according to O'Connell & Davis of the WASHINGTON POST. Bowser: "We have a very generous deal on the table. We have unanimous approval from the council of the District of Columbia and substantial agreement from the residents of the District of Columbia. So we have demonstrated our commitment to keeping DC United in the District of Columbia, which they have represented to their fans is their long desire. ... I don’t know how you get a sweeter deal than what we have on the table." Boswer added that she "had heard rumors of the team considering Virginia 'since last year.'" O'Connell & Davis note discussions this week "between the team and Virginia officials about a stadium site in Loudoun County raised the prospect" of DC United leaving the city. DC City Council Chair Phil Mendelson said that he "was upset Tuesday morning after reading about meetings between the team and economic development officials in Virginia." He added, "I wonder if it’s a negotiating tactic" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/3).
BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS? In DC, Clinton Yates wrote now that DC United is "considering heading to Loudoun County, the franchise stands to lose a lot of foot soldiers in its fight to gain a new facility." Even if this "is all just bluffing to get a better deal with the city, it’s inarguable what the true nature of the owner’s goals were: a stadium first and foremost." Yates: "That makes sense, it’s a business. But when you mask that desire in a sea of community benevolence and mutual partnerships (all while asking the city for $150 million) only to potentially jump ship when the next best deal comes along, it appears duplicitous" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/2).
