When news broke that the Washington Commanders reached an agreement to build a new arena at the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium site, it was considered an unambiguous win for the organization and city.
The stadium will cost approximately $4 billion and is expected to be ready for action by the 2030 season. However, as details of the proposed facility have been publicized, there's one feature that has sparked some controversy.
Washington's new field will include a glass dome. And fans are divided.
Currently, 11 of the 32 teams in the NFL play in stadiums featuring a roof of some sort. It has become the common trend for most of the more recently built home arenas. The subject sparked some strong opinions among many fans, and both sides of the debate can be understood.
Commanders should expect pros and cons to a new roofed stadium in D.C.
On the one hand, the traditional appeal of NFL football being an outdoor sport is undeniable. There's a romanticism to the element of weather impacting games. While it might not be comfortable for fans or players to endure, this is a sport for tough people.
If you can't sit through a little rain or cold, then you're better off just staying home.
It also must be noted that often times, teams that play indoors have difficulty adjusting on the road when they face non-domed squads. This was a long-time narrative surrounding the New Orleans Saints during the Drew Brees era. It also seems to be plaguing Detroit Lions signal-caller Jared Goff now.
Road games — particularly in the playoffs — are tough enough as it is. They're even tougher when you're not conditioned for the element of playing outside your comfort zone.
That said, the Commanders' proposed roofed stadium, pending city council approval, will come with its perks.
Not only will it likely help the attendance numbers, especially during the colder months, but it also makes it a more attainable goal that the site could host a Super Bowl at some point. The NFL has been hesitant to grant non-domed stadiums this privilege in recent times unless they are located in warm cities, such as Miami's Hard Rock Stadium (2020) and Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium (2021).
Throughout all of Super Bowl history, Washington has never been chosen to host one. Because of that, one has to believe that once this project is completed, D.C. will be on the shortlist of sites at some point in the early 2030s.
Commanders fans should be nothing short of enthralled by this opportunity, especially if the team is good enough to compete for a chance to play in the big game.