Updated Jan. 16, 2026, 1:37 p.m. ET

The Washington Commanders are not trying to be the biggest show in town.

Oh, of course, the (Josh) Harris Ownership Group already is quite aware that the Commanders are the most popular pro or college team in the DMV area. That is beyond question. Yet, in planning on building the new stadium, did you catch a clause in the description of the new stadium on the old Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium land site?

“Designed to link the city’s historic core with the Anacostia River and neighboring landscapes, the stadium will feature a sculptured translucent domed roof that establishes a dynamic, yet respectful profile rising to welcome visitors from the north and south while maintaining a lower presence along the East-West Axis in deference to the US Capitol and Monuments.”

Consequently, the Harris Ownership Group states that it is aware of the monuments’ historic significance west of the stadium site. Over 200 years later, Josh Harris is not interested in upstaging the Washington Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, or the United States Capitol. But seeks to continue to be ‘maintaining a lower presence along the East-West Axis in deference…”

So, when traveling North and South along I-295, which is east of the stadium site, yes, you will have a great view of the new stadium. Yet when traveling East and West, the entire premise is one of knowing your place. Knowing your actual significance in the town is secondary to what those buildings stand for, which have been and remain west of the stadium.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

Wise people know their place, and are satisfied resting in that reality of who they actually are. They don’t need to upstage others, or push themselves on the public, and they are secure enough to point out what is greater than themselves or their own endeavors.

This reminded me of some 2,000 years ago when John the Baptist was speaking to his audience in Israel, the final prophet before the Messiah was to take the scene, replacing John. Luke says that John, stressing the uniqueness of the One to come expressed, “He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”