The age thing is nuts. Anything is nuts. We live in an area with significant transience, and so expecting a lifelong core fanbase is setting oneself up for disappointment. Even worse, significant long term residents don't even identify as a Washingtonian as they moved here later in life.
The redskins prove the area can support and enjoy dedicated crowds. But they also have a different fanbase than the Nats. Baseball fans are more likely to be rich and highly educated, a perfect storm for a typical non Native of the area moving here for federal jobs.
But obviously the Caps and Wizards show the area has fickle fans even amongst us natives... Not a forgiving, tolerating audience. Strasburg and Harper combine to move past the fairweather fan to fascination and hype over rare, historical and best in baseball stuff where folks come out of curiousity regardless of our wins.
