Maybe this week, Todd Kline can find a permanent place to live.
“We’ve been living out of hotels and corporate housing,” said Kline, a Swampscott native, who is into his second month as the chief commercial officer of the Washington Redskins. “This is our bye week. Up to now, things have been crazy. They’ll slow down a little this week, I hope.”
Kline, part of a powerhouse class from Swampscott High that also includes ESPN’s Todd McShay (they are best friends) and Major League Baseball executive Peter Woodfork, is a well-traveled man in professional sports circles. His stops include Los Angeles, where he worked in corporate relations with the National Hockey League’s Kings. He then moved across the country to Miami, where he was marketing executive with the Dolphins. Among his accomplishment in Miami was the negotiation of naming rights for the facility, which, after several iterations, is known as “Hard Rock Stadium.”
The opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the stadium-building process is one of the things that enticed him to move to Washington.
“This job is more of an expanded role than I had in Miami,” he said. “I oversee sponsorship, sales, and events, which include soccer, concerts and all that.”
But the Redskins are set to build a new stadium, and being in on that is what excites Kline.
“They are starting to look at sites for a new venue, and it’s always exciting for someone in my position to be part of a project to build a modern new venue,” he said.
So far, the Redskins have looked at three areas: Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. But nothing has been determined.
There are a few other factors in play too. One is that the Redskins, by virtue of their age (they just marked their 85th anniversary) and the division in which they play (the NFC East, along with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys), are akin to football royalty. National Football League financials back that up.
“Forbes put out its list of the most valuable sports franchises, and we’re 10th in the world,” he said. “Dallas is No. 1.
“But beyond all that, there’s the history. You walk down the hall and see Doug Williams. There’s Joe Gibbs, Sonny Jurgensen … and if you’re playing a game against Dallas, the Giants or Philadelphia, you’re going to get a big TV slot.”
Kline didn’t expect to leave Miami after only 3½ years. But the Redskins situation came up, and it was tough to turn down.
“I’ve always wanted to be part of a leadership team that builds an iconic structure,” he said. “That would be a crowning achievement.”
He also loves the area. Kline went to the college in Maryland and loves the area.
Finally, he wanted a place where he could perhaps put down some roots. In all aspects, he said, the DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) qualified.
He’s never too far from his Swampscott roots though. He and McShay remain close, and he’s also friendly with Traeger DiPietro, a former football/baseball player for the Big Blue. He also has his eye on how the Big Blue baseball and football teams are doing.
“This year,” he said, “the Redskins are playing on Thanksgiving down in Dallas. So there are only two things I care about that day. The first is to find out whether Swampscott beats Marblehead, and I want to hear that it did; and the second is to see the Redskins beat the Cowboys.”
