Poplar Pointless?

Yesterday, United released a letter to Mayor Fenty stating that they've begun talking with other jurisdictions for alternative stadium sites. They maintain they still prefer Poplar Point, but it seems the District's foot dragging, and opening up the land for competitive development has forced the team to consider all options as well.

“However, given the uncertainty around the [request for expressions of interest], the unhurried pace of the negotiations with the federal government on the land transfer, and the fact that our current situation is not financially feasible, we have begun discussions with surrounding jurisdictions about alternative stadium sites,” MacFarlane and Payne wrote.

The Sports Curmudgeon, not coincidentally I imagine, wonders why its so hard for United to get a stadium given its success relative to other local teams. He offers a very succinct explanation.

Meanwhile, there is a team in DC that averages over 20,000 fans per game and who plays in the same fetid sewer of a stadium that the Nationals play in and who wants to build its own stadium in the city and is willing to pay the lion's share of the construction costs. That would be DC United in MLS in case you don't know who plays where in the DC area. And somehow those same politicians who found a way to spend $600-700M of the public's money on a stadium for the Nats cannot find a way to dedicate the parcel of land that would accommodate this soccer-only facility for DC United.

For many, many fans, the team leaving the District for the suburbs would be disastrous. Given the rent, and minimal, if any, revenue from tickets and concession, staying at RFK is not a viable long term option. If a local stadium can't get done, the team's owners would have to seriously consider moving to another city altogether. Personally, I'd like them to stay nearby than leave altogether.