FedEx to Install Party Decks; Remove Seats

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

It wasn't only the Post reporting on the party decks. Even Redskins.com was reporting it. It's not a made up story, sounds like there has just been a change in plans from what GM is saying.

That's what Lon Rosenberg said on the radio yesterday. The podcast still isn't up on ESPN980.com. I can't find a link anywhere backing up what he's saying, but I heard it with my own two ears.

[Giantone]

ok, no party decks.You cut the price of the lowest tickets by 10 dollars and make it standing room only......where everyone drinks at the bar 20 feet away ....not having a party.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by GMScud

That's what Lon Rosenberg said on the radio yesterday. The podcast still isn't up on ESPN980.com. I can't find a link anywhere backing up what he's saying, but I heard it with my own two ears.

Here's the transcript:

Lon: Solar panels will create 850 parking spots that will be covered for our guests in our parking lot, but the real story is about the addition of the solar panels and FedEx Field being one of the first stadiums in the NFL (believe the Eagles were his, my words, not his) to bring sustainable, renewable energy

Reporters: Mm-hmm. Ok, now as far as the seats that are being ripped out to create the party decks. What is the thinking behind that and why is it going to take a year to install these party decks?

Lon: Well currently we removed the seats on both end zones and that project is pretty much completed so that will be ready for the soccer game. The idea is to give us more room, reduce our parking, reduce our lines for the bathroom (interesting spin-hey fewer people means no more waiting in line at the bathroom! again my words, not his), reduce our lines at the concession stand by reducing the total number of people here at FedEx Field (the Jaguars have this model down cold).

Reporters: So that was an issue, the overbuilding of the stadium. The increased capacity. Because when it opened it was 78 and change and the max capacity was 92?

Lon: That's correct

Reporters: So along the way you kind of overstuffed the turkey there is what you're admitting

Lon: That's not what I was saying. I was saying what we remove from the stadium is to give people a little more room. That's correct

Reporters: Ok. Now here's the question. Because the team has said that the waiting list is 200,000 people. 200,000 people waiting for seats, 5,000 of which have been ripped out. How does that make sense for people on the waiting list?

Lon: The people on the waiting list are being offered to buy seats, and we have seats available for them. These are seats that they were not wanting to buy and they were asking to be kept on the waiting list till better seats opened up

Reporters: So these had been seats that had been offered to some of the 200k and they said no, we don't want them. So you're just taking them out

Lon: That's correct

Reporters: And so, did you cycle through all 200k?

Lon: I'm not sure how the ticketing process was done

Reporters: Lon, what will be the capacity of the party decks? Roughly speaking

Lon: We are not putting in party decks at this time. We've just removed the seat. Removed the cement underneath them. And opened up the ends of the upper deck

Reporters: So there's not going to be party decks.

Lon: We have talked about what the future of FedEx Field will bring and that is something that's being discussed.

Reporters: So that's not a done deal yet

Lon: No, that's not

Reporters: When do you think that you'll make a decision on that

Lon: I'm not sure when that decision will be made. There are several ideas that we're talking about

Reporters: Now I did tell people that if they wanted some genuine FedEx Field seats they can be purchased. I believe it was 250 a pair. Is that right?

Lon: Yes, and in fact all of the seats that we have available have been reserved and we have a waiting list of people who have a chance to come out here and if somebody who reserved one doesn't show up to pick theirs up they'll be made available to the people on the standby list on the 22nd of July

For more go here. Interview starts at the 19:42 mark

ESPN 980 Audio Vault - Play Now

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Reporters: Lon, what will be the capacity of the party decks? Roughly speaking

Lon: We are not putting in party decks at this time. We've just removed the seat. Removed the cement underneath them. And opened up the ends of the upper deck

Reporters: So there's not going to be party decks.

Lon: We have talked about what the future of FedEx Field will bring and that is something that's being discussed.

Reporters: So that's not a done deal yet

Lon: No, that's not

Reporters: When do you think that you'll make a decision on that

Lon: I'm not sure when that decision will be made. There are several ideas that we're talking about

Reporters: Now I did tell people that if they wanted some genuine FedEx Field seats they can be purchased. I believe it was 250 a pair. Is that right?



For more go here. Interview starts at the 19:42 mark

ESPN 980 Audio Vault - Play Now

There you go. Thanks. Last time I checked (which was the morning around 11am), the entire podcast wasn't available.

So there you have it. No party decks despite the announcement of party decks on the Redskins official blog, website, Washington Post, etc etc.

I wish the Reporters would have asked Lon the question: "Why did the team and the blog make official annoucements about the decision to build party decks if in fact there really was no concrete decision?"

Let's call this what it was folks, a cute little way to spin not having to worry about TV blackouts. Yank a bunch of seats that your beloved waiting list didn't even want and pretend you're doing something really cool with the space. Won't it make FedEx so much more fun to look at with a 5,000 seat hole in the upper deck?

Another Snyder masterpiece.