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There was plenty of political back-and-forth before the first vote in D.C. for a proposed Commanders stadium, but a scheduled second vote should be more straightforward.
The Commanders’ planned return to the District of Columbia is up for another vote Wednesday, and this time, the proposed $3.8 billion project is expected to face far less drama.
The Council of the District of Columbia initially approved about $1.1 billion in public funding on Aug. 1 for a domed facility and mixed-use development on the grounds of RFK Stadium, the NFL team’s former home. Now, that measure is back for a second and final vote as a result of local rules requiring the multistage process to approve legislation.
In this second reading of the bill, a straight majority of “yes” votes among the 13-member council, amounting to seven votes, is required for passage.
The Commanders are set to contribute at least $2.7 billion toward the stadium and are responsible for all cost overruns. The team and District leaders are aiming for a 2030 opening for the new venue.
Washington Post (paywall)
Brady’s seat in the Las Vegas coaches’ booth Monday night inflamed angst over his dual role as Fox broadcaster and Raiders minority owner.
When Tom Brady sat in the Las Vegas Raiders coaches’ booth at Allegiant Stadium, wearing a headset, during Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the long-simmering tension over his dual role as Raiders part-owner and Fox’s lead NFL analyst was reignited.
Only 10 days earlier, on the Friday before Brady called the Washington Commanders’ season-opening victory over the New York Giants for Fox, Brady participated in his crew’s remote broadcast meeting with Commanders Coach Dan Quinn and two of the team’s players. Neither Brady nor anyone else on the Fox crew showed up at the Commanders’ facility in Ashburn, Virginia, or watched the team practice. Fox did not arrange for Brady to speak with any Commanders players off-site and, according to one person familiar with the conversations, no team secrets were revealed during the broadcast meeting.
Still, the Commanders will face the Raiders — the team that just had Brady in its coaches’ booth — on Sunday afternoon at Northwest Stadium, 16 days after Brady’s virtual conversations with them. Brady may not have been participating in football espionage, but there is at least the appearance of a conflict of interest in a league of paranoia, and the image on Monday’s ESPN broadcast of Brady in the coaches’ booth resonated.
A high-ranking official with another franchise called the situation unfair and said any complaints by teams about it are dismissed by the league.
Brady is scheduled to call the Chicago Bears’ game Sunday at Soldier Field against the Dallas Cowboys. The Bears play the Raiders a week later in Las Vegas.
Raiders offensive coordinator Chip...
