None of this debate - about Nats/Expos, Sonics/Thunder, any - would be occurring now if only Paul Tagliabue hadn't made the first-ever 'exception' back in the 1990's...when the first Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens, he announced that Cleveland Browns history would remain in Cleveland and transfer to a subsequently formed second Cleveland Browns franchise...this despite clear continuity of franchise between Browns I and the Ravens (same owner, full transfer of player roster, Browns kicker Matt Stover still around for the Ravens Super Bowl etc). Absolutely unprecedented at the time, but now a major precedent of its own.
(What was so iconic about the Browns anyway? Of course they monopolised the AAFC in their 1946-49 salad days and dominated the NFL for much of the 1950's, and Paul Brown's playing and coaching ranks graduated NFL head coaches and management by the train-load, but their last title was in 1964 and all they were known for after that was the Dawg Pound and a number of playoff embarrassments.)
Naturally I am a strong advocate of studying DC baseball history (and a believer that the current Nats have not expended enough effort in that regard) - but this current Nationals franchise is indeed the relocated Expos and that part should be remembered as well. A sense of history, deployed along as many paths as possible, is always a good thing.
