Commanders Ignore Winning Formula: Why Dallas Mavericks and Manchester City Prove Team Investment Trumps Infrastructure

How much of a role does infrastructure play in a team’s performance? Turns out, not too much. However, the revenue a team makes is highly dependent on the stadium. A stadium is designed to keep a fan entertained from the moment he enters the stadium to the time he leaves it. The fan experience is curated in such a way that fans want to come back again and again. But does it affect the team’s on-field performance? Consider top NFL teams such as the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Kansas City Chiefs. They have played in the same stadium since 1987, 2003, and 1972 respectively, without any major renovations.

Surprisingly, teams that cannot win games on the field want to erect shiny new stadiums to distract fans from the real determiner of a team’s quality. No doubt stadiums do help in brand building and generating revenue for teams, but how much can they compensate for a bad roster?

The Washington Commanders prove that a new stadium is not the answer to performance woes

After Dan Snyder cashed out, Josh Harris purchased the team for a whopping $6.05 billion in July. And now, the “Josh Harris Era” has finally begun. And what does an emperor do when he first wins another kingdom? He erects magnificent monuments. And Harris is doing the same. He announced that the Commanders would get a new stadium in Washington. For now, they have been using FedEx Field, which is in the neighboring state of Maryland. The FedEx Field contract expires in 2027, so the Commanders are not shifting anytime soon.

But that’s not all. Harris also announced that the team’s current stadium will be undergoing renovations worth $40 million. The new upgrades will feature new ticket scanners, “themed suits” and more extensive branding. But does all of this matter for a team that hasn’t managed a winning record in almost 7 years? And this year seems to be no different. Going into Week 14, the team is at 4-9 and is the fourth-worst team in the league. Their defense has worsened from allowing 20.2 points per game in 2022 to 30.4 points per game in 2023. 

According to a survey conducted by BVM Sports, more than half of the fans they surveyed wanted a total overhaul of the roster. Maybe the Commanders should consider investing in their team before working on two new stadiums. The Commanders can take cues from two teams belonging to two different sports in deciding their priorities.

How the Mavericks and Man City turned their fortunes around with the correct investments

The NBA team, Dallas Mavericks, which was until recently partly owned by billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, had only one winning season from 1990 to 1999. But they decided that they needed to invest in their team to turn around their fortunes. In 2000, a year before the opening of their new stadium, they recorded their first winning season in a decade. And since then, there has been no turning back. The American Airlines Center was opened in July 2001 at the cost of $420 million. But since 2000, the Mavericks have not posted a losing season until 8 years ago.

Manchester City, the soccer team, was not the team it is today until 2000. Three years before the City of Manchester Stadium became their home stadium, they decided to invest in their team and on-field performance. In the year before the opening of the stadium, they won the Premier League for the first time in more than 3 decades. 

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The Denver Broncos also recently announced their plans to build a new stadium at the cost of  $175 million, which is slated to be completed in 2026. The Broncos posted a 5-12 season last year and have a 6-6 record so far. Both NFL teams should pluck a leaf out of the Mavericks’ and Manchester City’s playbooks and first invest in their roster and coaching staff. New stadiums and training grounds with state-of-the-art facilities and technology do not necessarily mean better performance on the gridiron.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports. 

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