WTOP: Laughter, applause and tears punctuated D.C.’s ceremony Thursday, marking an end of an era for the iconic Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
The venue opened in 1961 as the D.C. Stadium and was renamed in honor of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1969.
City leaders and special guests shared memories of the multi-use stadium from its long history hosting multiple forms of entertainment and sports franchises.
The Beatles played their penultimate concert at the site in August of 1966, boxer Riddick Bowe knocked out Jesse Ferguson in the second round to keep his heavyweight title in 1993 and countless presidents threw out a first pitch.
“Who could forget Father’s Day 2006 when a brand new player a rookie just activated from UVA, Ryan Zimmerman, hit a two run walk off homer to defeat the New York Yankees 3-2 in front of his father in the stands,” said Gregory McCarthy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club.
Former D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid recalled what felt like magic on game days he’d attended at RFK as a child. He wistfully detailed pulling off the highway, looking out the back window of his parent’s car, and arriving at Lot 8, where people were tailgated and smelling barbeque with kids running all around.
Going through the tunnel heading toward the stadium: “You get to the end of it. And as a young boy felt like I was crossing into like the Chronicles of Narnia or something like that,” he said.
“I’ve got a lot of memories here,” Hamid said holding back tears. “So it sucks to see it go down. But, it feels good that I brought my son with me today. And he’s with me here I’m gonna take a photo with him, ask Michelle to frame it and I’m gonna remember it.”
“I’m gonna remember RFK from the beginning,” he said. “Because it was a real thing for us as youngsters to have the opportunity to be a part of a professional organization.”
Michelle Kang, majority owner of the Washington Spirit, acknowledged the history of women’s soccer at the venue.
“The very first women’s professional soccer league called WUSA played its very first game … right here on April, 14, 2001,” said.
