Opinion | The Commanders can pay for their own stadium and keep it in Maryland

D.C. Council member Kenyan R. McDuffie argued in his May 18 op-ed, “Bring the Commanders home,” that a new football stadium would provide an economic development boost. If that were the case, one wonders why neither the rusting old stadium nor the Commanders’ current unloved home has attracted development nearby. The answer is obvious: 60,000-seat football stadiums have limited utility when there’s no football game taking place there. Moreover, many of those 60,000 ticket buyers (plus the team and stadium employees) need somewhere to park, which is why National Football League stadiums are typically surrounded by acres of asphalt. Comparisons to Nationals Park and Audi Field are inapt. There’s no tailgating culture in baseball, so fans don’t need a spot for their Weber grills or their SUVs.