Long time Washington Redskins fans revere the memory of Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, home of the Redskins from 1961 (as D.C. Stadium) until the team moved to its present digs at FedEx Field in suburban Landover, Maryland. RFK was the site of the Redskins Second Golden Age (1981-1992) when the Redskins were perennial challengers for Super Bowl titles.
The stadium was the nation’s first designed specifically as a multi-sport venue. Other teams copied the influential concepts to accommodate larger crowds. RFK’s 55,000 seat capacity made for a more intimate setting. Seats on the upper level were close to the field. I can give first-hand testamony on that one. With capacity small and demand high, you were DC royalty if you held Redskins season tickets. And yes, the stadium did rock when the Redskins were rolling.
Events DC announced the RFK All-Stadium Team as voted on by fans. The roster includes 50 of the greatest performers in sports and entertainment who played or performed at the stadium from 1961-2011. Six of RFK Stadium’s home teams, including the Washington Redskins, Washington Nationals and D.C. United, are represented on the list as well as some of the greatest musical acts of all time. The All-Stadium Team winners were announced at the November 19, 2011, RFK Stadium 50th Anniversary dinner celebration in front of former athletes, local dignitaries and city officials at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
“We are pleased that fans engaged in this process of voting for their favorite performers in the storied history of RFK Stadium,” said Gregory A. O’Dell, president and CEO of Events DC. “The athletes and performers who have helped make RFK Stadium great are some of the finest ever to play in their respective sports or entertainment genre. We are thrilled to celebrate this important landmark in our nation’s capital and the All-Stadium Team is a great way to do so.”
Fans voted online at www.rfkstadium50.com and chose from hundreds of names to create their own personal All-Stadium Team in four different areas – football, soccer, baseball and entertainment & culture. There was no limit to the number of times fans could vote.
Eligible players and coaches in the sports categories must have played for a team while RFK Stadium was its home field, and eligible persons/acts must have performed inside the stadium to be considered for the entertainment & culture category. Following the creation of their team, fans were encouraged to share their choices with their friends on Facebook and Twitter.
Following is a complete list of the players, coaches and performers elected by fans:
Football
George Allen, Redskins
Joe Gibbs, Redskins
Darrell Green, Redskins
Russ Grimm, Redskins
Joe Jacoby, Redskins
Sonny Jurgensen, Redskins
Dexter Manley, Redskins
Charles Mann, Redskins
Art Monk, Redskins
John Riggins, Redskins
Charley Taylor, Redskins
Joe Theismann, Redskins
Doug Williams, Redskins
Soccer
Freddy Adu, D.C. United
Jeff Agoos, D.C. United
Bruce Arena, D.C. United
Johan Cruyff, Diplomats
Raul Diaz Arce, D.C. United
Marco Etcheverry, D.C. United
Mia Hamm, Freedom
John Harkes, D.C. United
Jaime Moreno, D.C. United
Ben Olsen, D.C. United
Eddie Pope, D.C. United
Abby Wambach, Freedom
Baseball
Dick Bosman, Senators
Ed Brinkman, Senators
Paul Casanova, Senators
Chad Cordero, Nationals
Cristian Guzman, Nationals
Livan Hernandez, Nationals
Gil Hodges, Senators
Frank Howard, Senators
Nick Johnson, Nationals
Frank Robinson, Nationals
Alfonso Soriano, Nationals
Ted Williams, Senators
Ryan Zimmerman, Senators
Entertainment & Culture
Aerosmith
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Elton John & Billy Joel
Grateful Dead
The Jacksons
Michael Jackson
Paul McCartney
Pink Floyd
The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
The Who
U2
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, delivers premier event services and flexible venues across the nation’s capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District’s hospitality and tourism economy that generates over $400 million annually in total economic impact. Events DC also manages the Stadium-Armory campus, which includes the historic Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and surrounding Festival Grounds, and the non-military functions of the DC Armory. Events DC also built and now serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. For more information, please visit www.eventsdc.com.
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