Va. Lawmakers Aren't Pleased With Redskins Training Camp Deal

Mike Shanahan 'Excited' About Washington Redskins Training Camp Move To Richmond

ASHBURN,Va - Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since the team's announcement that their training camp will be held in Richmond starting 2013.

"I’m excited," he said. "It gives the players a chance to spend three weeks together."

Traveling away from team headquarters for training camp is something that Shanahan and the Redskins have been exploring for the past two years, with the primary goal being to promote team camaraderie.

"When you’re a couple hours away, as compared to ten minutes away, when you do have the kids and you do have a lot of friends, it’s so much easier to bond with your teammates....When you go there for three weeks, there is no going home."

In most of his years as the Denver Broncos head coach, Shanahan took his team to the University of Northern Colorado, something he felt paid off for team unity.

"In my experience through the years -- even though it's only three weeks -- it's really a great time to bond together and for teammates to get a chance to know each other."

The Redskins also announced that renovations will be made to their Ashburn facility. After the addition of an indoor practice facility, the team chose to continue to upgrade their current headquarters rather than potentially move to Washington D.C. or Bowie, Maryland.

"You want a state of the art weight room. You want a state of the art meeting rooms. The technology that some of these teams have, we want to have that ability as well."

"We want free agents to come here and say ‘Hey, what a great facility.'"

Shanahan said he's not sure when the renovations will begin.

Redskins To Hold Training Camp In Richmond Through 2020, According To Virginia Governor

Beginning in 2013, the Washington Redskins will hold eight straight training camps in Richmond, according to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who made the official announcement at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

It would be the first Redskins training camp not held at the team's Ashburn, Va. facility since 2002, when the team was based at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa.

Some of the other highlights from the press conference, as tweeted by CSNWashington.com's Rich Tandler.

McDonnell: Redskins will build $30 million facility in Ashburn, commit to Richmond training camp for 8 years.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_Tandler) June 6, 2012

Virginia will grant $4 million to building new Redskins Park, Loudoun County will put in about $500K.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_Tandler) June 6, 2012

Richmond Mayor Jones: "We are looking at every possible place" for the Redskins to hold camp. Will put a task force together.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_Tandler) June 6, 2012

Construction on upgrades to #Redskins Park to start "soon" per McDonnell.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_Tandler) June 6, 2012

McDonnell said that the team gains about $9 million dollars per year in taxes, more than offsetting the $4 million grant to the team.

— Rich Tandler (@Rich_Tandler) June 6, 2012

So there you go. The first question that immediately comes to mind is this: If the team continues to struggle, how many on-the-fence fans in Maryland (think places like Montgomery County) will become Ravens fans if Baltimore continues to make playoff appearances? However much sense this makes for both the Redskins and the Commonwealth of Virginia, this is a pretty drastic commitment to make by a team that ostensibly has a foothold in three distinct areas.

For more Redskins news and discussion, head over to Hogs Haven.

Redskins To 'Expand And Improve' Ashburn Facility

Via Rich Tandler of CSN Washington, the office of Virginia governor Bob McDonnell issued a statement Wednesday morning that not only confirms the news that the Redskins will start holding training camp in Richmond beginning in 2013, but notes that the Redskins will begin work on "expanding and improving" their current facility at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va.

Here's Governor McDonnell's contribution to the statement:

Virginia considers the Redskins our team. The team is based here. The team trains here. The players live here. Virginians root for the Redskins on the field, and off the field the team contributes greatly to the economy and culture of the Commonwealth. Virginia is committed to keeping the Redskins right here in our state for years to come, and today we've taken a significant step towards accomplishing that goal. This is a positive and exciting development for football fans from Loudoun County to Richmond to Virginia Beach. It will mean more jobs in our state, and more revenue for state and local coffers. More than anything, it means Virginia will remain ‘Redskins Country.' In the years ahead I look forward to visiting the new expanded training facility in Loudoun County, and watching the team practice right here in our state capital of Richmond.

This pretty much puts the kibosh on any plans that would have seen the Redskins set up camp in either the District of Columbia (presumably at a site near RFK Stadium) or in Prince George's County, where they play their home games at FedEx Field (someplace like Bowie State University).

As Washington Examiner beat reporter John Keim tweeted:

improvements to facility , future there 1st noted by @MikeJonesWaPo... in reality: DC couldn't afford. Bowie? No thanks. 1 legit option: LC

— John Keim (@john_keim) June 6, 2012

And here's Examiner columnist Rick Snider:

Redskins leveraged training camp for improvements to Ashburn facility. Very smart move. Goodbye D.C. and Bowie options. Seeya in 2026.

— Rick Snider (@Snide_Remarks) June 6, 2012

For more Redskins news and discussion, head over to Hogs Haven.

Washington Redskins Moving Training Camp To Richmond In 2013

City Stadium will likely be the site for Redskins training camp next summer.