Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe "continued his public courtship" with the Redskins last week, "touting the virtues of a possible new stadium" in the state, according to Dan Steinberg of the WASHINGTON POST. Appearing on ESPN 980 DC on Friday morning, McAuliffe said, “I view this as a Virginia team. I know they’re in Maryland right now. But a majority of the season ticket holders are Virginians, all the players live in Virginia, we have all of your (practice) facilities. ... We’re in very serious negotiations, as I assume other jurisdictions are. Listen, we would love to have them.” Steinberg noted while the team’s lease at FedExField does not expire until '27, team Owner Daniel Snyder "has already hired a stadium architect, Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group, which has released potential stadium designs." McAuliffe -- who hosted Snyder, team President Bruce Allen and other officials at his mansion Thursday night -- said that Allen "told him that about two-thirds of the team’s revenue comes from Virginia residents." McAuliffe: “If we can come up and be creative with a deal that works for everybody, then I think the team will be here.” Former NFLer Chris Cooley, who works for the team and is close with many of its top officials, had said earlier in training camp that he is “'90 percent sure' where the stadium will be located, and that he thinks an announcement could come before the election in November." And he "suggested then that fans’ continued fascination with the RFK Stadium site may be futile" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/5).
GAINING MOMENTUM: In Richmond, Michael Phillips noted the comments were McAuliffe's "most specific to date -- he even singled out stops on Metro's new Silver Line, which runs to Dulles airport, as offering potential sites." Allen earlier in camp said that the team "had made the progress it was hoping to make on a new stadium, but had 'no announcements at this time'" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 8/6). In Richmond, Paul Woody wrote Snyder is a "savvy businessman," and knows the deal "can only get sweeter if three localities are competing for a single stadium." But while all this is speculation for now, one factor "ultimately looms so large that it doesn’t fit in the details category." Woody: "Who pays?" The amount paid by Snyder and the NFL "will be essential elements in negotiations." It will be "difficult for any locality to make a significant contribution to a private enterprise under even the best of circumstances." Virginia "can’t reasonably or rationally commit hundreds of millions of dollars for a stadium when it can’t even provide raises for its employees" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 8/6).
