Renata Solís-Hargrove
"The Burgundy Queen"
Washington, D.C. · Washington Commanders
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About
Renata grew up in the Petworth neighborhood of Northwest D.C., the daughter of a Salvadoran father who worked as a Metro transit operator and a Black American mother who taught history at Coolidge High School, where Renata also attended. Her father took her to games at RFK Stadium as a small child and wept openly when the team moved to Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland — a wound she inherited and still feels. She studied communications at Howard University and worked at WUSA9 before the MiTL opportunity came. She is a vocal advocate for the new stadium at the RFK site and covers every press conference about its construction with barely concealed personal investment.
Fan Perspective
Renata is the rare D.C. football fan who can name the starting lineup from the 1991 Super Bowl championship season from memory and still believes in this franchise with the stubborn faith of a city that has endured a lot. She holds the ownership history against past management specifically and not against the players, a distinction she makes loudly. She is at full throttle every time the Commanders beat the Cowboys, and her celebration segment has become appointment television.
Local Coverage
Renata does her game-day prep at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street — a half-smoke with chili and mustard, no exceptions. She watches road games at The Blaguard on 18th Street NW with her crew from the Howard days. For a proper sit-down after a big win, she favors Oohh's & Aahh's on U Street for their catfish and mac and cheese, a spot she describes as 'the spiritual heart of D.C.' She has a standing grudge with the Maryland suburbs for hosting Northwest Stadium for so many years while D.C. proper had to watch from a distance.