Improvements You'll Find Inside FedEx

Well, at least the stadium is…

There are lots of new faces around FedEx Field these days, from head coach Mike Shanahan to starting QB Donovan McNabb. While it remains to be seen if they bring any improvement on the field, fans will see some fancy new bells and whistles around them at the stadium.

Among the most noticeable improvements are the new 100-foot-long HD video boards at either end of the field. In addition, eight ribbon video boards were installed around the sides of the stadium that will display stats, scores from other games and advertisements.

Those boards are all controlled by a brand new control room. Big Screen Network Productions, the same company that has done video board production for Super Bowls, NCAA tournaments and the Olympics, will run the state-of-the-art hub.

Redskins Owner Dan Snyder says the move to HD and better screens was a no brainer.

"When the stadium was first built, high definition didn’t exist at the time in this capacity," Snyder told the Redskin’s official website. "So we said, ’Hey, this is a real opportunity,’ so we upgraded it...It’s important that we keep up with the quality of entertainment. This is really state of the art."

Another technical upgrade is a new text message traffic alert system. The system allows the Redskins to send traffic updates to fans both before and after games to alert of bottlenecks, traffic issues and the best routes to and from the stadium.

The team is also adding more places to park. An additional 1,000 parking spaces will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the corner of Brightseat and Landover Road. The cash lot will cost fans $40 per vehicle.

And the Skins are remembering one of their beloved players with a new display. The locker of the late Sean Taylor has been preserved since his death in 2007. The locker has now been enclosed in Plexiglas and will be on display on the club level. Fans can also see the locker on stadium tours.

New team leaders, new stadium features. Maybe it signals a new era in Redskins football...


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