Tag: Washington Post

Ballpark Stadium

The Washington Commanders owner is “frustrated” when he is asked to negotiate a deal that was done in secret for months

Sports owners are trying to negotiate their new stadiums in secret and then refuse to negotiate once the agreements are in the public eye. Recently, the owners of the Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Commanders have used this tactic, although in slightly different ways. Residents of both Tampa Bay and Washington DC were never involved in stadium talks before an announcement was made on a new stadium. Once their deals were announced, the Rays claimed…

William Neilson Jr.
Arena

Speaking of business done in secret, Washington D.C. officials clearly broke the open meetings law

Last week, the city of Alexandria pulled out of negotiations with the Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals & Wizards, on his plan to move to Alexandria, Virginia. This killed the deal. One of the reasons the deal was scuttled was due to the Governor of Virginia trying to force the state legislature to accept a “take it or leave it, already-done deal that they can’t kick the tires on and look under the…

William Neilson Jr.
Stadium

Negotiations continue to happen in secret across the country, all without the public seeing or hearing about it

This is not going to shock anyone. Sports owners hate when their plans are released and looked at intensively. Have you ever read a sports venue agreement? Try reading the Potomac Yard Economic and Fiscal Impact Study from the failed Capitals/Wizards to Alexandria, Virginia proposal. The agreements are almost impossible to read and understand unless you read these types of documents daily. This is why billionaire owners aren’t always forthcoming with initial sports venue details.…

William Neilson Jr.
Stadium

The Washington Commanders/Commanders have officially stopped screwing over Richmond, Virginia

The city of Richmond at this time was dealing with “revenue shortfalls” that “forced (public) schools to cut millions of dollars … forcing scores of layoffs, furloughs and other job cuts”. What better time to help out a billionaire sports owner. That year, the Washington Redskins (Commanders will be used from now on) announced that their training camp would move 100 miles south to Richmond in the following year, 2013. The agreement states that summer…

William Neilson Jr.
Arena

Are the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards relocating to Arlington? No

Weeks ago, MSE met with DC leaders to discuss expensive improvements that the team wants to be done to the arena. MSE apparently went into this meeting with the hope that “the city (would) help pay for (the project) as an investment in a major economic driver in the struggling downtown”. Normally, the city is obligated legally to give the sports team whatever it wants for renovations or upgrades (see the Bengals as the king…

William Neilson Jr.