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Four Things D.C. United Fans Won't Miss About RFK Stadium

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Initial photo by Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21720438@N03/2463689090/">_rockinfree</a>]
Initial photo by Flickr user _rockinfree]

Perhaps one of the most exciting things about the potential new D.C. United Stadium at Buzzard Point is that the MLS Franchise will get to abandon the dinosaur that is RFK Stadium. Since it's been around for 52 years, there are a lot of great memories associated with the place. It's been the home field for the Redskins and the Nationals in addition to being the long standing home of D.C. United. It's been filled to the brim during international soccer matches. Even large music festival events such as HFStival and the Tibetan Freedom Concert have taken advantage of its grounds. It's been called "part of the Washington, DC experience." It's also been called "a disaster zone of a stadium" and the other D.C. sports teams have long since vacated its premises. It's time for D.C. United to do so as well. Here are four good reasons to say sayonara to RFK Stadium. Add your own reasons in the comments.


[Photo by Aaron G Stock]

· The frustrating signage. Having a hard time finding your seat? This is a common complaint in reviews of the stadium and not terribly surprising as the sign shown above is actually one of the less confusing concourse signs. All of the sections end in the same two numbers! Many don't and until one has learned the stadium, backtracking through the concourse will happen early and often.


[Photo by Joshua Bousel]

· The broken seats and shaky flooring. Have the chairs been updated or replaced en masse anytime recently? It regularly seems like there's a chair without a seat or a chair that's been completely uprooted during United games. What's more, the seats in the Barra Brava also quake eerily during some of the more rousing chants due to their status as removable seats. Still, some people actually like that even though it feels like at any minute the entire Barra might fall through the floor.


[Photo by Aaron G Stock]

· The track around the field. The sight lines at RFK are pretty good but it would be nice for the fans to be a little closer to the field. Is the track around really necessarily. Yes, this is a minor quibble.


[Photo by Joshua Bousel]

· The food options. Shockingly, RFK was voted the amongst the best stadium food in the country. Still, eating "great stadium food" is like saying you've just had a "great blind date": the expectations are low to begin with. The choices are not only predictably crappy but also very spread out. Nationals stadium is living proof that stadium food can be better. There's a section for season ticket holders that appears to have better food and drink options which shows promise that once D.C. United is in greater control of those options that the quality will improve.