It’s the end of the NFL regular season which means all the possible playoff permutations are coming to life. And when that happens, inevitably there’s one team hanging out in their locker room or stadium anxiously awaiting the result in another game to see if they can clinch a playoff spot or might be eliminated from postseason contention. After defeating the Washington Commanders on the road, the San Francisco 49ers were glued to a television set watching the Philadelphia Eagles-Arizona Cardinals game to see if they could clinch the #1 overall seed in the NFC.
It was a celebration in the visiting locker room at FedEx Field in Washington as the Cardinals upset the Eagles on the road in Philadelphia and gifted the 49ers the top seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
But as photos of the 49ers emerged from the locker room, all anyone could focus on was how small and dated the television was. The best tweet may have came from Tim Ryan comparing it to one of the all-time great episodes of The Office with Michael Scott’s tiny plasma television that he was so proud of that Jan later broke with one of his Dundies.
https://twitter.com/TheSportsHernia/status/1741621037622599816
And plenty of others noted how the visiting locker room looks like something from the era of Red Auerbach turning off the hot water for the opposing team.
This TV in the visiting locker room at FedEx Field looks like it would have the VHS slot on the front, bottom below the screen. I’ll eat my hat if hasn’t been there since the 90s. pic.twitter.com/DdEX5eq9OE
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) January 1, 2024
https://twitter.com/_MLFootball/status/1741642301644902571
Bruhhh, I forgot FedEx field locker rooms look like PG country correctional facility https://t.co/1bCzb5Idoj
— Phil Jones (@PhilJonesNFL) January 1, 2024
That's the TV they have in the visitors locker room in Washington? Did they play this game at RFK? https://t.co/I6CsEbK2tV
— Steve Fishman (@SteveFishman2) January 1, 2024
Sure, it’s probably not in the Commanders’ best competitive interests to give teams visiting FedEx Field the five star treatment in the visiting locker room and turn it into the Ritz-Carlton. But it’s 2023. Is that an antenna?!?! Commanders owner Josh Harris himself is worth $7.8 billion. Is it too much to ask to at least shell out $100 for a 40 inch flat screen and some WiFi in the visiting locker room just out of common decency?
