Incredible footage shows eerie abandoned stadium ahead of controversial $3.7billion redevelopment
The Washington Commanders franchise has come a long way both on and off the field.
With no Super Bowl triumphs since 1992, scandals hit the Burgundy and Gold under former owner Dan Snyder.
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Then there was the divisive rebrand.
Ditching the Redskins moniker, which was deemed offensive to Native Americans, Snyder oversaw the change to the Football Team and then Commanders before handing over the keys to Josh Harris.
The $6.05 billion deal in 2023 was the biggest in sports at the time, beaten by the impending $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics which was agreed in March.
Harris insisted there were no plans to change the team's name again in February despite a lack of approval from fans and will hope on-field success can appease any naysayers.
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He is off to a good start there with Jayden Daniels looking every bit a franchise quarterback after leading Washington to an NFC Championship defeat to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
A headline-grabbing offseason has followed with superstar left tackle Laremy Tunsil acquired via trade and Josh Conerly Jr. drafted to help protect Daniels.
With a new identity, seemingly functional backroom team and formidable roster, all the team now needs is a glitzy new home.
For that, Harris -- who also bought Northwest Stadium from Snyder -- is going back to the future.
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When Washington won its last title in 1992, RFK Stadium hosted a victory over the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game before a Super Bowl XXII triumph over the Buffalo Bills in San Diego.
The team's last game at its former home was a 37-10 rout of the Dallas Cowboys, which saw fans storm the field to rip up grass and take home burgundy and gold seats.
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Opened in 1961 and owned by the federal government until 1986, the 56,000-seat arena has a storied history.
When former owner George Preston Marshall refused to integrate black players in 1961, President John F. Kennedy refused the team permission to play at what was then the District of Columbia Stadium.
Marshall selected Ernie Davis first overall in the but the pick refused to play for the team and ended up being traded for Bobby Mitchell.
The franchise later signed four other black players with Marshall the last NFL owner to integrate.
Renamed in 1969 after Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles, the stadium hosted dozens of sports.
As well as Washington, two MLB teams, five soccer teams and two college football teams all called it home, while World Cup and Olympic soccer matches were held at the stadium, as well as boxing, cycling, motorsport events and marathons.
The last tenant, DC United, moved out in 2017 and the venue -- which featured in the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past -- has been abandoned ever since, with urban explorers The Proper People
That may be about to change with the Commanders keen to leave Maryland and return to the District of Columbia.
Harris has unveiled plans to invest $2.7 billion and create a state-of-the-art new arena on the site, which would be the toast of the NFL if plans are approved.
Demolition crews have already been spotted on the ground where the team wants to build a 65,000-seat monument to the future.
But there is a huge potential hurdle -- around $1 billion in taxpayer funds on top of the investment.
"It's a political game bringing in [Washington icons] John Riggins and Joe Gibbs," analyst Mike Florio said on his Pro Football Talk show. "It's all a political game, and it's all a show aimed at getting people behind the project and aimed at shouting down those who would be opposed to it.
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"I've got a statement from the D.C. Mayor's office, and the headline is, ‘$2.7 billion investment from the Commanders is the single largest private investment in District history,’ in bold and big letters at the top -- because that's how you get people to not notice the taxpayer money that's going to be added to it, right?”
The move still needs to pass a vote from the DC Council and chairman Phil Mendelson says he doesn't think it would get through at this stage.
"If it was today, given the information we know, I would say no. I don't think the votes are there," Mendelson told FOX 5.
"The research shows, over and over again, that sports stadiums are net losers for the jurisdiction. That is not to say that we shouldn't have one, but let's see what the numbers are – and we haven't seen those numbers."
Harris has turned one of the NFL's most dysfunctional franchises into a contender in a short space of time.
A new arena and return to the nation's capital would be a huge statement of intent and he looks to return the glory days of old.
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DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is on board, looking to bolster to local economy.
"We are thrilled to welcome the Commanders back home to the sports capital," said Bowser. "We said that we could do it all - Commanders, housing, park space, recreation, retail, entertainment and more - and, together, that's what we are delivering."
Maryland native Harris is well aware of the significance of his proposal.
“This is a defining moment for the DMV and the Washington Commanders," he said.
"RFK Stadium holds a legendary place in our history – it's where the team dominated the NFL, capturing three Super Bowls. Now, we have the opportunity to honor that legacy by building a new world-class stadium -- one that is also a once-in-a-generation catalyst for uplifting and transforming our region.
“Working hand-in-hand with District and community leaders, we're focused on delivering an incredible home for our players and fans, creating a landmark venue, and sparking a new era of economic opportunity across the DMV.”
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He talks a good game, now comes the hard part.
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