Batting eyelashes and new legislation: The Commanders stadium race is underway

It hasn't taken long for the dominoes to shift regarding a potential new stadium for the Washington Commanders under Josh Harris' ownership group.

It won't come as s shock to discover that Dan Snyder was a difficult man to deal with. His petulance, stubbornness, and failure to have the team's best interests at heart resulted in almost no legitimate investment in a long-term strategy - turning sponsors and leading officials away en masse as scandal enveloped the Washington Commanders.

Now, it's a different story.

There is newfound energy around the Commanders after Josh Harris' ownership group formally received approval for their $6.05 billion purchase last week. Jubilant scenes of relief were rampant among the fanbase all weekend, which was swiftly followed by the start of camp and thousands descending on Ashburn for the team's first public session on Thursday.

Harris and Mitchell Rales were present for both days. But an interesting little sideshow developed as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin was spotted being entertained by the duo throughout camp.

Commanders stadium race has begun

This signaled the start of what could be a dramatic race to determine where the new Commanders' new stadium will be built. FedEx Field is no longer fit for purpose and even though Harris is setting aside hundreds of millions to upgrade the site to improve fan experience, something permanent is needed more in keeping with the modern-day NFL.

Based on Gov. Youngkin's comments that were caught on video by Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, he plans to do whatever possible to bring the Commanders to his District in the future.

This came just a few short hours after Republican James Comer introduced his bipartisan bill to renovate the RFK Stadium venue in D.C. The multi-use development would also see the current structure torn down and replaced with a state-of-the-art facility to bring the Commanders home.

The proposal - although still in its relative infancy - is also fully supported by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), who made her feelings clear to Sam Fortier of The Washington Post about where the Commanders should reside permanently.

"There is a lot of work that needs to get done between now and seeing cranes in the sky, whether there’s a stadium there or not. But I know Events DC is already focused on the demolition of the stadium that served us so well for so long to get ready for the future. There’s really only one place for the team in this region. You know, I’ve been a little coy — but there’s only one choice."

- Mayor Bowser via Washington Post

With Maryland also throwing their hat into the ring, it could result in a bidding war between the three Districts to see who gets the new stadium. That's something Harris and his wealthy benefactors can use to their advantage, gaining more public money on the promise something becomes concrete to the highest bidder.

Of course, there will be many twists and turns to come. But the fact eyelashes are already being batted at Harris' group regarding a potential new stadium agreement is further proof that the Commanders are being viewed in a different light without Snyder's name associated with the franchise.

Harris and his team know what they're doing. There is enough success in the business and sports world to have supreme confidence in their thought process, but fans could be waiting a while to see which venue is chosen despite the figurehead going to City Hall after practice on Thursday.

It's yet another fascinating layer to Washington's exciting new era. One that will ultimately lead to the grandest stadium in franchise history by a considerable margin.