You can read my story today about the continued feelings of frustration from MLS and D.C. United officials about the slow pace of talks for a new stadium at Poplar Point. But one thing that didn't make it into the that story is that there is also a simmering battle between the team and D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission about a new lease at RFK Stadium.

I reported in January that the team was seeking a higher share of revenue from advertising, parking and concessions at the old stadium. Now we're just two weeks away from the team's opener on April 5 and a deal for a new lease is still not in place, team president Kevin Payne told me yesterday.

The issue is this: The team really wants its own facility, where it can bring in all the money from naming rights, advertising, concessions, etc. But in the absence of that, it would at least like to get a bigger share of revenue, particularly since it is now the only tenant there.

The sports commission understands D.C. United's point view but is not about to give money away, especially since it recently had to turn to the D.C. Council for assistance in balancing its budget this last fiscal year. The two sides understand the other, but there is growing frustration on the part of Payne, who feels that the commission should not be so heavily reliant on RFK just to make ends meet.

"To a degree, we're empathetic, but at the end of the day, their inability to drive enough revenue through the D.C. Armory, for instance, is not our problem," Payne said. "We've invested a lot in this team and this city and we've kept that stadium alive and we need a bigger share of the pie. It's that simple."

I asked Payne whether he felt like the commission would now be able to focus more attention on United now that they are essentially done with the time-consuming work of building the Nationals' new ballpark.

"It is frustrating for us. We understand the [Nationals] stadium is a big deal, but that doesn't help us. We're getting a little tired of being told, 'We're too busy.' But Greg O'Dell has been responsive and has done his best to get us answers in a timely manner, and we're optimistic we can get to the finish line shortly."