FedEx Field - Home of the Washington Redskins

Official Review by Geoff Crawley, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

FedEx Field is the home of the NFL's Washington Redskins. This storied franchise has called this stadium home since it opened in 1997. It is one of the largest stadiums in the NFL, with a seating capacity of well over 90,000. It has been called by many the worst stadium on the East Coast, which is a bit unfair, what with RFK Stadium (which, for my money, is the worst stadium on Earth) being on the East Coast and all. It's not so much that it's bad, per se; there just isn't much good about it.

Food & Beverage    3

Eh.

Nothing special here. You have standard stadium fare, along with Johnny Rockets Burgers, which, last time I checked, served burgers and fries, found at any stadium in America.

There are bars throughout, with beer on tap for around eight bucks. Not a huge selection, but not small either. I've seen much better and I've seen much worse.

Atmosphere    2

The Redskins have a tremendous history. In fact, they remind you of it every time there is a break in the action by showing old highlights on of the two massive screens at either end of the stadium. The problem is that none of it happened in this stadium. This stadium is just kinda there.

RFK has a lot of flaws, but it had character and personality. It literally shook when the Redskins scored. This stadium has nothing. It has no soul. Part of that is a function of the frustration of the fan base and the team's lack of success in recent years, but there are stadiums of bad teams (Seattle's CenturyLink Field comes to mind) that are new and have a great feel. This one has nothing, which is a shame, because these great fans deserve better.

Neighborhood    1

The stadium is oddly placed. It is right off of Interstate 95, the main interstate on the East Coast, but it isn't walking distance to anywhere. There is stuff to do, but you have to drive to it.

There are several chain restaurants, but there is one place that cannot be missed, and that is Carolina Kitchen. Located off of Arena Drive tucked into the back of the Boulevard at Cap Center
shopping plaza, this place has amazing soul food in a clean friendly environment. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome from the minute you walk in the door. No, seriously, when you walk in the the door ALL of the counter staff stop what they are doing and shout at you, "Welcome, welcome, wel-COME!" And then you stuff your face with soul food so amazing you would think your OWN MOTHER was back there cooking it.

Beyond that, there's nothing special. Unless you think Golden Corral is special, in which case I feel sorry for you if you do.

Fans    5

Redskins fans are among the best in sports. They have a tremendous history and will not hesitate to let you know about it. Politely, of course. I'm not sure I have ever come across a more polite fan base. There are exceptions, of course, but there are those everywhere. Generally speaking, visiting fans are left alone and there is good interaction and back and forth, as long as you aren't stupid about it. If you get stupid, they will take care of business, which is how it should be.

They know what they are talking about, know their history, and know that the current state of the team is not what it used to be, which frustrates them to no end. But they still come, and they still
cheer their team. What else could you ask for? Nothing, that's what.

Access    3

As stated above, the stadium is right off I-95, making it easy to find. However, the parking is, well.... Look, if you buy a ticket, ask about buying parking as well; there is plenty of parking IF you pay for it in advance, or arrive really early for the official cash lot. Otherwise, you'll be parking in a cash lot for $25 located, approximately, five hundred miles from the stadium.

OK, that's a slight exaggeration. Just make parking arrangements when you make ticket arrangements. And if you take the Metro, bring a scooter or a Segway, because the Metro is even further away than the parking lots.

The bathroom situation is good. There are plenty, and they are clean and well maintained.

Return on Investment    2

It isn't that the prices are that much higher than normal; they really aren't. It's just that, man, there is just nothing to this place. I mean, it's almost as if it was designed to cram as many people into one place to watch a football game as possible. You want food too? All right, fine, but nothing fancy. There are tons of amenities for club seat holders, but we don't cater to fancy people like that. Those folks probably just have helicopters drop them off or something.

Extras    1

Uh, it's sturdy?

Final Thoughts

FedEx isn't the worst stadium I have ever been to, and as long as RFK is still standing, I'd be surprised if that ever changes. But I have been to Single-A minor league baseball stadiums that offer a better fan experience. Every stadium speaks to me, and what this one says is, "Come watch a football game, and if the game isn't to your liking, that's a shame, because I don't care about anything else you want. I don't really care it you're hungry or thirsty, because I'm not giving you
anything you haven't had in any other stadium anywhere in the world. I don't really like you. Don't come early, and don't hang out after. Beat it."

Basically, if your team is playing here, and you are dying to watch them live, wait until your team is playing in Baltimore or Philly and drive there. If that isn't an option, and I mean you are DYING to see your team live, I guess you can come here. Just don't expect to enjoy it. Except for Carolina Kitchen. Get the meatloaf.



Geoff Crawley is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Correspondent, moderator of The Voice of the Fan, and host of a weekly podcast.