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| The Dallas Cowboys cleaned up Johnson Creek near their new environmentally friendly stadium in Arlington, Texas. |
We all know these are troubled times for Washington's football franchise. During your unfortunate tenure over the Redskins, you have managed to accomplish the one thing I didn't think was possible -- lose the Nation's Capital.
Yes, there is still a huge population -- mostly inner city African-Americans and rural white Virginians -- that will pack in FedEx Field win or lose. And there are even fans who will defend you over your frivolous lawsuit against the Washington City Paper. And, there are even certain citizens who will vigorously defend the racist name of the team. But it is a losing battle.
Regardless of what side of the fence you are on, the name has created controversy when the focus should be on the team. It has become a negative distraction. These are more racially sensitive times we live in (there is a black man in the White House) and the Redskins is a name from a bygone era, coined by their rabidly racist owner George Preston Marshall, who stubbornly refused to integrate the team until he was forced to by the federal government under the threat of revoking the lease on D.C. Stadium (now R.F.K. Stadium). Shamefully, the color barrier was broken on the Redskins a full 15 years after the rest of the league had integrated.
So here is my proposal, Mr. Snyder, if you want to bring back the fans who want to root for the team but cringe at the thought of the racist name and logo. Go Green. Huh? If you want to one-up your arch rivals -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, then out-green them. You see, not only do their team names not offend an entire part of the population (well, unless you are a cowboy or eagle I guess), but their stadiums -- Cowboys Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field -- are two of the greenest stadiums in the world. In fact, they are even featured in National Geographic's picture guide to the greenest stadiums.
An eco-friendly highlight of Cowboys Stadium includes the restoration of a creek next to the stadium to get fans out of their cars and into nature. And The Linc plans to deliver 100% of its energy from renewable sources by the start of next season -- from 2,500 solar panels, 80 vertical wind turbines, and a generation plant that can run on biodiesel.
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| An artist rendering of a greener Lincoln Financial Field with wind turbines lining the top of the stadium. |
That means greening FedEx Field by investing in clean energy like The Linc. It means promoting sustainable waste management, water conservation and local, healthy food options. And it means encouraging fans to take Metro and other forms of public transportation to the game instead of only promoting expensive parking as an option. That also means working towards eventually building a new transit-friendly stadium in the District of Columbia.
Otherwise, Mr. Snyder, if you continue the unsustainable course you are on with the offensive name and suburban stadium and lawsuits, well then, Washingtonians are smart enough to spend their time and money elsewhere. I for one am now a Baltimore Ravens fan. And there is a gigantic city on the other coast that is clamoring for a football team. Los Angeles is close to building a new stadium downtown next to the L.A. Live complex and they would love to have the Redskins (with a name change of course). The $1 billion, 75,000 seat stadium aims to be the NFL's first LEED-certified facility by using 40% less steel than other stadiums, integrating mass transit and using solar power and reclaimed water. Check out this L.A. football promotional video and get your act together Daniel.
Sincerely,
Former Washington football team fan and current Baltimore Ravens fan
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