Thursday, March 25, 2010

Lack of D.C. stadium plan upsets Garber

(espn.go.com 3-23-10)

NEW YORK -- MLS commissioner Don Garber is angry that District of Columbia officials haven't come up with a plan for a new stadium for D.C. United.

"I just can't understand why we can't make progress in D.C., and what more do we need to do to have the politicians in that community understand the relevance of that club, it's deep commitment to the community," Garber said during a conference call Tuesday to discuss the league's labor contract.

Garber criticized the area politicians, saying the league made a commitment to the area "with no commitment in return."

RFK Stadium, former home of the NFL's Redskins and baseball's expansion Senators and the Nationals, opened in 1961. It's current capacity is about 45,000. Garber wouldn't say what would happen if the team doesn't get to leave for a new home in the area.

"It's premature to say we would move it," he said, adding "if they don't get a stadium ... that team will not be able to succeed and we would have to address what that means."

His displeasure was clear.

"I am tired of going down to meetings and getting my back slapped and [going to] faux press conferences with mayors and local city officials to have them backtrack on that because they can't get out of their own way," he said. "And quite frankly, it's frustrating. And at some point, we are doing to have to do something about it."

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