G&D: Would you be okay with the next Commanders stadium being in Maryland?

Front Office Sports’ AJ Perez joined Grant & Danny Thursday to give them the latest on how the RFK bill is stalled in the Senate, thanks in part to Sen. Steve Daines – who told G&D on or very air not long ago how and why he planned to hold up the legislation.

So as the Commanders seem stuck in limbo awaiting this bill’s resolution one way or the other, they may not have time to wait for RFK to become a possibility as they search for the home of their new digs – so, G&D wondered, with Virginia seemingly a distant third for anything, would you be okay with the next Commanders facility remaining in Maryland?

Perez thinks 2028 in Maryland is his guess for the likeliest scenario for the opening of the next stadium, which isn’t RFK…but could it work, if the Harris group builds around it?

“At what point for you would Maryland being an unimpeded path, an easier road to hoe moving forward, close the gap on DC?” GP said. “You know how I feel: I want the best possible stadium, wherever that is. I also prefer DC over Maryland, but I care so much more about getting something open sooner, so if you're telling me we could have a 2028 football season in PG County out by FedEx Field somewhere with a gorgeous, immaculate new stadium, and if we go the DC route it's not for another full year and it's another 10-plus games at FedEx, then absolutely not. That swings the pendulum to Maryland for me, and I'd imagine you're not in that boat?”

“No, I’m not,” Danny replied, “and to AJ’s point, Maryland is going, ‘here!’ That’s very different than if the Senate passes it, and it’s signed by the President, and if DC can figure out a funding plan, which they haven't publicized how they're going to do that. The list of obstacles is near endless for DC; one major one has happened, the House passed the resolution to get the ball rolling, but now, the ball has stopped. Steve Daines has the ball, and he’s taking a knee.”

GP said ‘he’s doing a Harlem Globetrotters bit’ about Daines and the Maryland Senators, and Danny says ‘there’s more hurdles than a hurdle race,” which got a pop from Grant – but the point stands that Maryland is ready to go tomorrow, while DC is in an indefinite holding pattern, at least with the one plot of land everyone seems to want, AND just gave Ted Leonsis half a billion dollars for HIS venue.

“It’s near exhausting and it's gonna take forever and a lot of process, and who knows if it gets done, whereas Maryland is basically, and I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, but they’re desperate to have something good happen in that space, because nothing has,” Danny said. “They’re going, ‘here’s millions, here’s the space, build.’ I don't know when there's a walkaway offer, but they're desperate for something to go in there to be a positive legacy item for people that are in charge.”

And then GP compared it to…dating?

“There are probably obstacles in Maryland, even if small compared to DC, that we're not talking about, but it does feel like Maryland is going, ‘we're ready right now,’” GP replied. “It may be analogous to you got two options: you really, really like the girl on the left, but she just got out of a relationship, might be moving, isn't extremely available. The girl on the right lives next door, you kind of like her too, but she loves you and is ready to commit, just wants to watch Netflix with you every night and make a life with you. – but you really, really want the other girl. I think it’s just easier to do the Maryland thing, and it could be pretty good – we could build a nice life with Maryland.”

Danny, again, might be cool with Netflix and chill, they just gotta move to a new building (or in this case, not Landover) it seems – listen to it all above!