Author Topic: How do you feel about DC as a Baseball/Sprotstown? (Read 6386 times)

Baseball is Life · « **Reply #100 on:** July 10, 2018, 11:23:39 am »

Quote from: UMDNats on July 10, 2018, 11:10:15 am

the public schools around are great but i will say the private school kids have a different vibe overall, but it's subtle. plenty of room for all bros!

I agree re private vs. wealthy public schools differences. Subtle for sure.

And, yes, the biggest drawback for the young bro trying to make it in DC is cost of living. I suspect the young bro on his own has to make at least $60-70K to live the lifestyle to which they were accustomed to when the parents were footing the bill. But those kinds of jobs straight out of college are there for the right bro (and the female equivalent.)

varoadking · « **Reply #101 on:** July 10, 2018, 11:32:27 am »

Quote from: UMDNats on July 10, 2018, 11:09:09 am

no

Thanks...I did a little research and came up with this:

The tech bro is notorious for taking hipster stuff and infusing it with a healthy dose of mainstream turd-factor.

While the tech bro superficially resembles the hipster at first glance, because, e.g., both are often spotted atop a fixed-gear bicycle, those who know how to look easily parse the skin-deep resemblance. For example, where the tech bro often purchases the first mass-produced fixie he can find, the hipster will spend countless hours scouring swap meets and the darker corners of Craigslist for a vintage Italian track bicycle no longer fit for competition but ripe for pounding city streets.

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2017/jun/21/hipster-tech-bro/

So...they're the same as far as I'm concerned...

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #102 on:** July 10, 2018, 11:34:37 am »

Quote from: Baseball is Life on July 10, 2018, 11:23:39 am

I agree re private vs. wealthy public schools differences. Subtle for sure.

I went to whitman before I moved away and still have some friends from there. I can't spot much difference between them and guys I know who went to private schools (maybe the Landon guys)

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #103 on:** July 10, 2018, 11:37:58 am »

It's really just a matter of what types of drugs one does before going to Princeton.

Quote from: HalfSmokes on July 10, 2018, 11:34:37 am

I went to whitman before I moved away and still have some friends from there. I can't spot much difference between them and guys I know who went to private schools (maybe the Landon guys)

UMDNats · « **Reply #104 on:** July 10, 2018, 11:41:20 am »

Quote from: varoadking on July 10, 2018, 11:32:27 am

Thanks...I did a little research and came up with this:

The tech bro is notorious for taking hipster stuff and infusing it with a healthy dose of mainstream turd-factor.

While the tech bro superficially resembles the hipster at first glance, because, e.g., both are often spotted atop a fixed-gear bicycle, those who know how to look easily parse the skin-deep resemblance. For example, where the tech bro often purchases the first mass-produced fixie he can find, the hipster will spend countless hours scouring swap meets and the darker corners of Craigslist for a vintage Italian track bicycle no longer fit for competition but ripe for pounding city streets.

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2017/jun/21/hipster-tech-bro/

So...they're the same as far as I'm concerned...

they're pretty similar in a lot of ways, tech bros are basically just super rich hipsters who care less about being "cool" in an artisy/weird interest sense and more "cool" in a "I got plastered in arlington last weekend and took a hot girl home" etc

Baseball is Life · « **Reply #105 on:** July 10, 2018, 12:55:09 pm »

Simply put tech bros are nerds with money. Hipsters are artsy types. All must be under 40. All aspire to be cool and are super conformist. The hipster will deny the latter.

dcpatti · « **Reply #106 on:** July 10, 2018, 01:02:27 pm »

One of the challenges DC has when it comes to developing a sports fan base is the wide variety of other entertainment options out there. Some cities, like Milwaukee and St Louis, have a large and loyal fan base for each of their respective teams because there's just nothing else to do.

hotshot · « **Reply #107 on:** July 10, 2018, 01:47:31 pm »

Quote from: dcpatti on July 10, 2018, 01:02:27 pm

One of the challenges DC has when it comes to developing a sports fan base is the wide variety of other entertainment options out there. Some cities, like Milwaukee and St Louis, have a large and loyal fan base for each of their respective teams because there's just nothing else to do.

Patti, Can't tell you how many cities I've lived in where that "too much competition for the sports entertainment dollar" has been and is still used to excuse not being a great sports town.

My alma mater -- the University of Miami -- is notorious for drawing flies attendance-wise (except for maybe the FSU, and possibly one other marquee, game). The rationale you put forth for DC has been used in South Florida through five National Championships in college football, two Marlins World Series Championships, the Heat's NBA Championship. etc etc. The beach, the nightclubs, boating, yada yada. Same goes for Los Angeles and San Diego.

GburgNatsFan · « **Reply #108 on:** July 10, 2018, 01:48:38 pm »

How many cities? Do they have a lot of competition for the fan dollar?

Quote from: hotshot on July 10, 2018, 01:47:31 pm

Patti, Can't tell you how many cities I've lived in where that "too much competition for the sports entertainment dollar" has been and is still used to excuse not being a great sports town.

My alma mater -- the University of Miami -- is notorious for drawing flies attendance-wise (except for maybe the FSU, and possibly one other marquee, game). The rationale you put forth for DC has been used in South Florida through five National Championships in college football, two Marlins World Series Championships, the Heat's NBA Championship. etc etc. The beach, the nightclubs, boating, yada yada. Same goes for Los Angeles and San Diego.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #109 on:** July 10, 2018, 01:51:46 pm »

Quote from: GburgNatsFan on July 10, 2018, 01:48:38 pm

How many cities? Do they have a lot of competition for the fan dollar?

every city has attractions and competing entertainment options. What does DC have that makes it unique- are would be season ticket holders really spending game day wandering the mall? Of course DC also has attendance numbers in line with virtually every other city.

ChiliPalmer14 · « **Reply #110 on:** July 10, 2018, 01:55:51 pm »

I grew up in NOVA and even though I've been in Florida for 13 years, the DC teams remain my teams in every sport. I don't even have a second favorite in any sport. Nats, Skins, Wiz and Caps...and then there's the rest. Nats moved in as I moved out (thanks for that), and yet the Nats are my #1 even among the other sports. I think Daniel Snyder created a turning point in DC sports, and for the worst. I seem to recall people being proud Redskins fans, win or lose. But when Snyder turned it into an ATM, I think fans of a once-proud franchise felt it was ruined. Me among them. A bad team playing badly is forgivable, a complacent under-achiever is not. The first few years of the Nats had that "lovable loser" thing going on, but I think Snyder's stain has us quite guarded. A well-paid team had better not under-achieve. I know I'm quicker to assume a team isn't giving their all because I watched Snyder pretty much invite them to do just that.

So long answer short, I think it used to be a great sports town, and now it's much less so. I don't blame the town, or the demographics, or social media, or 24 hour sports networks. I blame Dan Snyder. He's not the only log on the fire, but he's most of the matches.

dcpatti · « **Reply #111 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:01:01 pm »

Quote from: hotshot on July 10, 2018, 01:47:31 pm

Patti, Can't tell you how many cities I've lived in where that "too much competition for the sports entertainment dollar" has been and is still used to excuse not being a great sports town.

My alma mater -- the University of Miami -- is notorious for drawing flies attendance-wise (except for maybe the FSU, and possibly one other marquee, game). The rationale you put forth for DC has been used in South Florida through five National Championships in college football, two Marlins World Series Championships, the Heat's NBA Championship. etc etc. The beach, the nightclubs, boating, yada yada. Same goes for Los Angeles and San Diego.

Truth is, people do not have unlimited money and they have to make choices about where to spend their entertainment dollars. When they have fewer options, they spend all their money in one or two places (because there's nowhere else). When they have more options, they tend to at least explore them. Obviously some people will prioritize their sports tickets over everything else and attend religiously whether they win or lose, but they are the hardest of the hard core fans (especially when the team is losing). Most fans are simply not that dedicated. It's really no different than the neighborhood pizza place that does a great business till another pizza place moves in on the next block.

varoadking · « **Reply #112 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:02:58 pm »

Quote from: dcpatti on July 10, 2018, 02:01:01 pm

It's really no different than the neighborhood pizza place that does a great business till another pizza place moves in on the next block.

...unless the new one serves pizza with burnt crusts...

Senatorswin · « **Reply #113 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:05:46 pm »

Since Washington consistently outdraws Baltimore in baseball attendance even though it's cheaper to go to an Orioles game in Baltimore I think Angelos found out he was wrong when he said there are no baseball fans in Washington. I also think Wilbon made himself out to be the idiot he is when he said DC is a minor league town. He has always touted how great Chicago sports fans are over DC fans. Has he been to a White Sox game lately. I have. It's a ghost town where you can sit anywhere you want no matter the ticket you bought because there's nobody else there.
DC has nothing to apologize for as a sports town. Washington was in the top half in attendance in 2017 in baseball, football, basketball and hockey.

dcpatti · « **Reply #114 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:08:53 pm »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on July 10, 2018, 01:51:46 pm

every city has attractions and competing entertainment options. What does DC have that makes it unique- are would be season ticket holders really spending game day wandering the mall? Of course DC also has attendance numbers in line with virtually every other city.

The competition doesn't have to be unique to the area. the DC area has plenty of live music venues, lots of festivals, theatre, nightclubs, we get all the marches/rallies/charity walks/marathons, there is always something going on in DC or within a reasonable drive. Plus the ever-increasing brewery scene and the usual stuff like dinner and a movie which you can do pretty much anywhere in the country but is still going to take the better part of a hundred bucks out of your wallet here.

dcpatti · « **Reply #115 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:09:23 pm »

Quote from: varoadking on July 10, 2018, 02:02:58 pm

...unless the new one serves pizza with burnt crusts...

well that one is being replaced by a wawa now

i mean, i love wawa, but i love pete's too, and i think the wawa on 14th and irving is going to be a real freakshow.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #116 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:15:04 pm »

Quote from: dcpatti on July 10, 2018, 02:08:53 pm

The competition doesn't have to be unique to the area. the DC area has plenty of live music venues, lots of festivals, theatre, nightclubs, we get all the marches/rallies/charity walks/marathons, there is always something going on in DC or within a reasonable drive. Plus the ever-increasing brewery scene and the usual stuff like dinner and a movie which you can do pretty much anywhere in the country but is still going to take the better part of a hundred bucks out of your wallet here.

I think that applies to any large city and most cities that are undergoing revitalization/gentrification.

UMDNats · « **Reply #117 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:17:24 pm »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on July 10, 2018, 02:15:04 pm

I think that applies to any large city and most cities that are undergoing revitalization/gentrification.

every MLB city has other things to do, but where else can you see a giant 19-armed walter johnson statue?

dcpatti · « **Reply #118 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:22:47 pm »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on July 10, 2018, 02:15:04 pm

I think that applies to any large city and most cities that are undergoing revitalization/gentrification.

Up till about 2 years ago, i traveled a TON for work, and I got to see a lot of cities (a lot of time, over a weekend or I'd just hang around for the weekend to explore), and I gotta say, a whole lot of cities are really boring.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #119 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:53:47 pm »

Quote from: varoadking on July 10, 2018, 02:02:58 pm

...unless the new one serves pizza with burnt crusts...

yawn . . . afternoon . . . wait, the Pizza bat signal!

Pepe's or GTFO!

Ali the Baseball Cat · « **Reply #120 on:** July 10, 2018, 02:58:58 pm »

Pizza? It's threadjack time!! Pete's whole "Staven" pies were ridiculous.

bluestreak · « **Reply #121 on:** July 10, 2018, 04:58:38 pm »

Quote from: dcpatti on July 10, 2018, 02:22:47 pm

Up till about 2 years ago, i traveled a TON for work, and I got to see a lot of cities (a lot of time, over a weekend or I'd just hang around for the weekend to explore), and I gotta say, a whole lot of cities are really boring.

There are only 4 metro areas in the United States that are objectively more exciting/have more to do than the DC area. There are 3 others where there could be a reasonable debate. But that is it. DC is a great place to live if you have the funds. There are a lot of MLB/NFL cities that are BORING

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #122 on:** July 10, 2018, 05:04:49 pm »

Quote from: bluestreak on July 10, 2018, 04:58:38 pm

There are only 4 metro areas in the United States that are objectively more exciting/have more to do than the DC area. There are 3 others where there could be a reasonable debate. But that is it. DC is a great place to live if you have the funds. There are a lot of MLB/NFL cities that are BORING

What specifically does DC offer that other markets don't? We have free museums? If you're big enough to be host a professional sports team (Green Bay and maybe buffalo excepted), you probably have decent restaurants/bars/music venues.

varoadking · « **Reply #123 on:** July 10, 2018, 05:19:30 pm »

You guys made me crave a 5 meats, deep dish Chicago style pizza...on my way to BJ's to pick it up...

varoadking · « **Reply #124 on:** July 10, 2018, 05:20:07 pm »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on July 10, 2018, 05:04:49 pm

What specifically does DC offer that other markets don't? We have free museums? If you're big enough to be host a professional sports team (Green Bay and maybe buffalo excepted), you probably have decent restaurants/bars/music venues.

Oklahoma City?