How do you feel about DC as a Baseball/Sprotstown?

[bluestreak]

The Caps sold out every game this season despite being dog crap for the first half, after choking again last year and enthusiasm being as low as it's been in over 10 years.

Ok so attendance didn't tank six months after a season where they made the playoffs. Congrats.

[UMDNats]

Ok so attendance didn't tank six months after a season where they made the playoffs. Congrats.

10 straight years of either choking in the 1st or 2nd round or missing the playoffs. I expected them to see a decent-sized drop (and it was, in fact, easier to get tickets than most years) but they didn't. Diehard Caps fans were sick of the team, not to mention bandwagoners.

The younger core of DC fans are so different than the previous generation. Y'all need to meet some DC millennials.

[UMDNats]

Questions, ranked:

1 - does [insert superstar] want to win enough?
2 - is [insert player] elite?
3- is [insert city] a real sports town?
4- is a hot dog a sandwich

[Baseball is Life]

Also the demographics are different relative to discretionary income

That's a very good point but maybe prices for tickets, concessions, merchandise, etc., are adjusted based on the area's income?

[Baseball is Life]

that's fair, of course, by that standard, failing to sell out every game makes NYC fans suck

There's a reason why NYC, LA, and Chicago teams are usually the best drawing teams in baseball. It's not because they're better sports fans. There's just more of them. Not rocket science.

[HalfSmokes]

Ok so attendance didn't tank six months after a season where they made the playoffs. Congrats.

so your example of detroit supporting a down team is the red wings one and two years after making the playoffs (a team that has built a fanbase winning 11 stanley cups), but the capitals (0 cups going into this season) selling out in what was supposed to be a down year doesn't count. This encompasses the argument that dc is a bad sports town pretty nicely- saying DC is a bandwagon town (ignoring that every other city is the same). You example for detroiters supporting losing teams is one of the premier franchises in professional sports that has an almost non-existent playoff drought

[Baseball is Life]

Questions, ranked:

1 - does [insert superstar] want to win enough?
2 - is [insert player] elite?
3- is [insert city] a real sports town?
4- is a hot dog a sandwich

I think a question on trite questions would be genius. Funny, at least.

[varoadking]

the packers never have opposing fans!

because no one wants to visit green bay

To borrow your own answer in another thread:  "This is ... not true"

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Um...what else is one going to do in Green Bay?  Go ice fishing?  Detroit is somewhat less bereft of cultural and entertainment options, but still...cities at rock bottom following decades of decline managing to maintain high attendance at sports events somehow doesn't come across as a big surprise.  DC in the 80s did so as well, despite the travel that was required in those days.     

[UMDNats]

green bay is the premier vacation destination for people who want to wear cheese hats

[bluestreak]

Um...what else is one going to do in Green Bay?  Go ice fishing?  Detroit is somewhat less bereft of cultural and entertainment options, but still...cities at rock bottom following decades of decline managing to maintain high attendance at sports events somehow doesn't come across as a big surprise.  DC in the 80s did so as well, despite the travel that was required in those days.     

If you're going to Green Bay, you are likely going there to go to Lambeau. It's a destination in and of itself. Nats Park or SunTrust Field or GlobeLife Stadium, not so much unless you're a diehard baseball fan. Even when I lived in Madison, it was a pain in the ass to get to.

That being said, I think Lambeau is the only NFL stadium actually worth visiting, given the vast superiority of the NFL TV product over the in-stadium experience. 

[HalfSmokes]

To me visiting green bay is like visiting cooperstown (I have no interest in Canton) - you go for the history, and if you're a fan of the game, it's probably on your bucket list.

[varoadking]

green bay is the premier vacation destination for people who want to wear cheese hats

When were you there last?

[UMDNats]

When were you there last?

i have to have spent time in green bay, wisconsin, to argue that green bay isn't a top destination for people to travel to compared to DC?

To me visiting green bay is like visiting cooperstown (I have no interest in Canton) - you go for the history, and if you're a fan of the game, it's probably on your bucket list.

definitely an NFL/sports bucket list place, but a one-and-done likely for anyone other than diehards. dc, for example, is an easy weekend trip for anyone in boston, nyc, philly, atlanta, florida, pittsburgh, the carolinas, etc.

[varoadking]

If you're going to Green Bay, you are likely going there to go to Lambeau. It's a destination in and of itself...

That being said, I think Lambeau is the only NFL stadium actually worth visiting, given the vast superiority of the NFL TV product over the in-stadium experience.

The stadium and the atmosphere is by far the best I've ever encountered.  Even for visiting fans, the entire game day production is a hoot.  It starts early and ends late.  Friendly people, beautiful stadium, and, of course, beer...and brats...

A 3 hour drive from Chicago thru little more than farmland for much of it, it's actually pretty convenient for Bears fans...who come out in good numbers...at least they have the 4 times we're been there.  Don't know much about other teams, though I was there for a Jets / Packers game and there was a fair number of New Yorkers there for that.  Lambeau is open year round and draws people to the museum 52 weeks per year.  Small numbers, sure...it's a small market / town.

Green Bay supports a USHL junior hockey team as well...and beer...and brats...

Nice people, high real estate taxes, low wages, brutal winters, and incredibly nice people...beer...and brats...

[varoadking]

i have to have spent time in green bay, wisconsin, to argue that green bay isn't a top destination for people to travel to compared to DC?

Run that by me again...not sure I caught that?

Re-read it...I get it now...

I didn't think that was we were discussion.  You said:

the packers never have opposing fans!

because no one wants to visit green bay

That's simply not true.  When did a direct comparison to DC enter the equation...or did I miss that too?

[UMDNats]

Run that by me again...not sure I caught that?

my whole point was that visiting fans come into DC because it's such an easy trip and it's a place you can do a lot of things, whereas someplace like green bay (where people are like "it's a great sports town cause everyone is all packers!!") isn't a destination for casual people, so of course it's more homogenous compared to a city like DC or nyc or chicago in terms of butts in seats

you implied i am uninformed on the merits of green bay, wisconsin and thus unqualified to argue it's merits vs. dc

[varoadking]

my whole point was that visiting fans come into DC because it's such an easy trip and it's a place you can do a lot of things, whereas someplace like green bay (where people are like "it's a great sports town cause everyone is all packers!!") isn't a destination for casual people, so of course it's more homogenous compared to a city like DC or nyc or chicago in terms of butts in seats

you implied i am uninformed on the merits of green bay, wisconsin and thus unqualified to argue it's merits vs. dc

I edited my post to further expound...

I simply implied that you made two false statements...

[UMDNats]

That's simply not true.  When did a direct comparison to DC enter the equation...or did I miss that too?

i mean that's what we're talking about, dc vs. other cities.

chicago is a same level sports town as DC, just with more successful teams recently

[spidernat]

chicago is a same level sports town as DC, just with more successful teams recently

not to mention that chicago fans seem to be jumping on and off the Nats and Caps bandwagon

[varoadking]

i mean that's what we're talking about, dc vs. other cities.

chicago is a same level sports town as DC, just with more successful teams recently

It wasn't what I was talking about when I addressed your two comments.  Of course no one is comparing Green Bay to DC...I certainly wasn't, and I would think that was pretty clear.  But, whatever...

[catocony]

If you're talking about football, then DC is a top football town.  As a former season ticket holder, I'm shocked that, under the Snyder Regime, there are still as many fans as there are.  Since the Redskins have been here 85 years or whatever, you have generations of fans in the area.

As for basketball, the Wizards have a very strong fan base. The Caps have a smaller but even stronger fan base. 

As for baseball, a team that's been here for only 14 seasons is naturally going to have a smaller fan base than the Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, whatever teams that have been playing for over 110 years. 

By the way, the "no one is from Washington" mantra is mostly BS.  I'm from here, and while a lot of my friends and neighbors moved here as adults, most stay for decades.  That's the draw of the area - lots of money, strong to decent economy, lots of educated people.  Many of them are huge Redskins, Nats, Caps, etc fans.  I was a huge Orioles fan prior to 2005, and now I don't even follow them.  People do adapt, and if you live somewhere long enough, chances are you'll support the local teams.  If you don't, your kids will.

[spidernat]

By the way, the "no one is from Washington" mantra is mostly BS.

yeah I can't believe people actually say this

[HalfSmokes]

yeah I can't believe people actually say this

it probably depends on where you live. I'm willing to believe that parts of downtown and certain suburbs are mostly transplant, but the same probably goes for the bay area, NYC, LA, Atlanta, and any other city seeing a large net influx of residents. Of the houses that border mine, it's all transplants - living here on an off as a navy brat makes me the most 'local.' 

[Baseball is Life]

it probably depends on where you live. I'm willing to believe that parts of downtown and certain suburbs are mostly transplant, but the same probably goes for the bay area, NYC, LA, Atlanta, and any other city seeing a large net influx of residents. Of the houses that border mine, it's all transplants - living here on an off as a navy brat makes me the most 'local.' 

Here's an interesting article about native Washingtonians. A little dated but still applies.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2014/08/14/less-than-half-of-washington-residents-are-actually-from-washington-census-data-shows/