Given that responding to a politician’s tweets is a trendy way to make headlines these days, I’ll try my hand. No, not by yelling into the void at @RealDonaldTrump.
Instead let’s take a look at former Washington, DC Councilmember Vincent Orange, who went to last Saturday’s Atlanta Falcons playoff game and hollered at some DC politicos:
@JackEvansWard2 @MayorBowser @EventsDCChair @EventsDCPrez If DC is to compete in the NFL we need a DOMED Stadium pic.twitter.com/gxNXdqwxWK
— Hon. Vincent Orange (@VOrangeDC) January 15, 2017
If Dan Snyder wants to pay for a roof I’m sure Washington fans would be all for it, but does the simple act of having a dome allow a team to “compete in the NFL”?
To be fair, “competing” in the NFL is relative. Technically the Browns “compete.” The Jim Zorn-era ‘Skins “competed,” sometimes with trick formations.
Looking at Super Bowl teams over the years, only 3 of 50 (6%) played their home games in a dome* or retractable roof stadium: Rams (XXXIV), Colts (XLI) and Saints (XLIV). Only four runners up can claim the same: Falcons (XXXIII), Rams (XXXVI), Cardinals (XLIII) and Colts (XLIV).
Even expanding it out to the Conference championships, only 8.5% of AFC championship game participants were domers. 16% of NFC teams were. Those squads:
- Oilers, Astrodome (1978-79, 79-80)
- Seahawks, Kingdome (1983-84)
- Vikings, Metrodome (1987-88, 98-99, 2000-01, 09-10)
- Lions, Silverdome (1991-92)
- Colts, RCA Dome, Lucas Oil (1995-96, 2003-04, 06-07, 09-10, 14-15)
- Falcons, Georgia Dome (1998-99, 2012-13, 16-17)
- Saints, Superdome (2006-07, 09-10)
- Cardinals, University of Phoenix (2008-09, 15-16)
So that’s 7% of all Super Bowl participants and 12% of Conference championship participants. Even taking the last 25 years (since the Skins last won the Super Bowl), only 18% of Conference title games have featured dome teams.
With 1/4 of current NFL teams playing in domes you’d expect that number to be higher … if the honorable gentleman’s assertion is to be believed.
I think Vinny (not Cerrato) sums it up best:
*No, Cowboys stadium is not a dome.