How would you rank the Nationals/DC fanbase?

[Five Banners]

This says 1968.

https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/washington-redskins/team-history/

Edited my post accordingly

[Five Banners]

You do realize that the sellout streak started in 1966 (edit -- 1968; rest of post still stands), prior to which the team hadn't finished 1st in a division or conference since 1945?

Further context:

After 1945, not a single playoff appearance until 1971. Above .500 four times in that span (1948 7-5, 1953 6-5-1, 1855 8-4, 1969 7-5).

Initial DC Stadium capacity 49,219

Attendance
1961 29,784 61%  W-L-T 1-12-1, last in conference
1962 38,505 79%  5-7-2 4th
1963 45,679 93%  3-11 6th
1964 48,984 99.5%  6-8 T-3rd (only game not a sellout was the opener, 1,642 under capacity)

1965 DC Stadium stated capacity per wiki 50,000, though numbers often exceed
1965 49,929  6-8 4th
1966 49,721  7-7 5th
1967 50,449  5-6-3 3rd in Capitol division
1968 sold out  5-9  3rd in Capitol division

[Scrapple]

Sad to say I’ve been to several ballparks around the League and other than Florida and Tampa NOBODY sits on their hands more than Washington Nationals fans. We seem to be WAAAAY TOO BUSY to slap our hands together cheering on the home team.

Hard to get much cheering or noise from the many executives in the front row seats and suites that are multitasking on their smartphones while their clients are sipping on wine, tasting cheese, and looking over the hors d’oeuvres menu. Then you look around in the grandstands and it seems 95% of our young fans are also sitting with their smartphones texting or taking selfies while giving the game only partial attention.

When my family or nephews ask me to take them to a game I tell them I will gladly pay for all tickets and refreshments with an agreement that all smartphones stay in the car. Sorry, i’m NOT paying $100+ bucks for a ticket if they’re gonna sit on that damn smartphone while the game is going on. Guess that’s why it’s just me and my brother that mostly go to games together anymore.  Sure is a whole lot cheaper plus I can buy more beer. 

It doesn’t upset me. It’s what going to a MLB game has evolved to. I’m happy! Just give me my two hotdogs, a bag of peanuts, and four beers so I can make some noise for my hero “Stephen Strasburg”!!! #37 <3 da-MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!

Let’s go Naaaaaaaaats!!!

[Baseball is Life]

Sad to say I’ve been to several ballparks around the League and other than Florida and Tampa NOBODY sits on their hands more than Washington Nationals fans. We seem to be WAAAAY TOO BUSY to slap our hands together cheering on the home team.

Hard to get much cheering or noise from the many executives in the front row seats and suites that are multitasking on their smartphones while their clients are sipping on wine, tasting cheese, and looking over the hors d’oeuvres menu. Then you look around in the grandstands and it seems 95% of our young fans are also sitting with their smartphones texting or taking selfies while giving the game only partial attention.

When my family or nephews ask me to take them to a game I tell them I will gladly pay for all tickets and refreshments with an agreement that all smartphones stay in the car. Sorry, i’m NOT paying $100+ bucks for a ticket if they’re gonna sit on that damn smartphone while the game is going on. Guess that’s why it’s just me and my brother that mostly go to games together anymore.  Sure is a whole lot cheaper plus I can buy more beer. 

It doesn’t upset me. It’s what going to a MLB game has evolved to. I’m happy! Just give me my two hotdogs, a bag of peanuts, and four beers so I can make some noise for my hero “Stephen Strasburg”!!! #37 <3 da-MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!

Let’s go Naaaaaaaaats!!!

I agree with you. My hero is also Strasburg. But that's about it. The smartphone thing bothers me too but I roll with it. If we give people a hard time about it all it does is discourage fans from coming. Like you found out with your family. And that's kind of counterproductive really.

[bluestreak]

Sad to say I’ve been to several ballparks around the League and other than Florida and Tampa NOBODY sits on their hands more than Washington Nationals fans. We seem to be WAAAAY TOO BUSY to slap our hands together cheering on the home team.

Hard to get much cheering or noise from the many executives in the front row seats and suites that are multitasking on their smartphones while their clients are sipping on wine, tasting cheese, and looking over the hors d’oeuvres menu. Then you look around in the grandstands and it seems 95% of our young fans are also sitting with their smartphones texting or taking selfies while giving the game only partial attention.

When my family or nephews ask me to take them to a game I tell them I will gladly pay for all tickets and refreshments with an agreement that all smartphones stay in the car. Sorry, i’m NOT paying $100+ bucks for a ticket if they’re gonna sit on that damn smartphone while the game is going on. Guess that’s why it’s just me and my brother that mostly go to games together anymore.  Sure is a whole lot cheaper plus I can buy more beer. 

It doesn’t upset me. It’s what going to a MLB game has evolved to. I’m happy! Just give me my two hotdogs, a bag of peanuts, and four beers so I can make some noise for my hero “Stephen Strasburg”!!! #37 <3 da-MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!

Let’s go Naaaaaaaaats!!!

This is absolutely not exclusive to Nationals Park.

[Natsinpwc]

Further context:

After 1945, not a single playoff appearance until 1971. Above .500 four times in that span (1948 7-5, 1953 6-5-1, 1855 8-4, 1969 7-5).

Initial DC Stadium capacity 49,219

Attendance
1961 29,784 61%  W-L-T 1-12-1, last in conference
1962 38,505 79%  5-7-2 4th
1963 45,679 93%  3-11 6th
1964 48,984 99.5%  6-8 T-3rd (only game not a sellout was the opener, 1,642 under capacity)

1965 DC Stadium stated capacity per wiki 50,000, though numbers often exceed
1965 49,929  6-8 4th
1966 49,721  7-7 5th
1967 50,449  5-6-3 3rd in Capitol division
1968 sold out  5-9  3rd in Capitol division

Not positive but didn’t attendance generally increase in the 1960s around the league?  Seems like that was when football started taking over from baseball.

[imref]

This from someone essentially gifted a career from the return of MLB, who I remember getting a radio spot around 2003 and talking repeatedly about his Red Sox fandom. I guess those getting a paycheck from one team and having vicarious title celebrations through another might not have an issue telling fans of the former to be fine with the standard decision-laden club and their failings.

before you jump on him too hard, here's a response to a tweet tuesday from a Braves fan.

Josh Morris
@JoshMorris33333
·
Aug 13
You guys haven’t won a playoff series since the nationals moved to DC

----------

Mark Zuckerman
@MarkZuckerman
·
Aug 13
Playoff series won since 2005:
Washington Nationals: 0
Atlanta Braves: 0
Mark Zuckerman: 0

he also gave us this:

[Slateman]

Well, if we had any doubt that Mark Zuckerman is reading WNFF, this puts it to bed:

https://www.masnsports.com/nationals-pastime/2019/08/its-time-to-enjoy-the-2019-nationals-not-complain-about-them.html

I mean, what else is there to do? This is the team we should have entered the season with.

[Five Banners]

Not positive but didn’t attendance generally increase in the 1960s around the league?  Seems like that was when football started taking over from baseball.

I glanced at another 60s also-ran -- the Pittsburgh Steelers, and their attendance did not look like it was having a renaissance, with several 20K and 30K totals over the period where the fellow losing Skins were at or near capacity.

[hotshot]

If, like me, you lived in the DC area during the 50s and 60s, you'd be pretty amazed and grateful at the Nats fan support. The Senators (original and expansion) drew worse than the Marlins.

An added benefit was you could buy the cheapest General Admission ticket and be sitting in a dugout box seat by the 3rd or 4th inning (when the ushers either left their posts (physically or mentally) or just realized why not let people populate the good, empty seats. 

[Natsinpwc]

If, like me, you lived in the DC area during the 50s and 60s, you'd be pretty amazed and grateful at the Nats fan support. The Senators (original and expansion) drew worse than the Marlins.

An added benefit was you could buy the cheapest General Admission ticket and be sitting in a dugout box seat by the 3rd or 4th inning (when the ushers either left their posts (physically or mentally) or just realized why not let people populate the good, empty seats.

People forget that in those days teams drawing a million was rare. I remember sitting in Connie Mack stadium as a kid with just a few thousand brave souls. 

[Natsinpwc]

I glanced at another 60s also-ran -- the Pittsburgh Steelers, and their attendance did not look like it was having a renaissance, with several 20K and 30K totals over the period where the fellow losing Skins were at or near capacity.

At least the Skins had Sonny.

[Natsinpwc]

This has average NFL and AFL attendance for the 1960s. NFL went from 40,000 to over 54,000 per game over that time.

http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf

[mitlen]

This has average NFL and AFL attendance for the 1960s. NFL went from 40,000 to over 54,000 per game over that time.

http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/13-04-430.pdf

AFL?

[mitlen]

I glanced at another 60s also-ran -- the Pittsburgh Steelers, and their attendance did not look like it was having a renaissance, with several 20K and 30K totals over the period where the fellow losing Skins were at or near capacity.

I often joked that when I went to Steelers' games in the late '60s at Pitt Stadium, I could spit and it wouldn't come near another fan.

[Natsinpwc]

AFL?

NFL. Article has figures for both leagues. AFL was lower.

[mitlen]

NFL. Article has figures for both leagues. AFL was lower.

Hmmm, I'm only pullin' up the AFL.          My bad (I think).    I was lookin' for individual NFL teams.

[Natsinpwc]

I often joked that when I went to Steelers' games in the late '60s at Pitt Stadium, I could spit and it wouldn't come near another fan.

My brothers had season tickets for the Iggles back in the 1960s at Franklin Field. Not sure which one of them threw the snowballs at Santa.

[Natsinpwc]

Hmmm, I'm only pullin' up the AFL.          My bad (I think).    I was lookin' for individual NFL teams.

It’s in the beginning of the table for each year.

[mitlen]

It’s in the beginning of the table for each year.

Got it.     I was lookin' for just the Steelers info.    I know they took off around '72   ....   maybe when Bradshaw and Greene arrived ('69-'70).    Then when Franco came in '71, front runners began to appear.

[Natsinpwc]

Got it.     I was lookin' for just the Steelers info.    I know they took off around '72   ....   maybe when Bradshaw and Greene arrived ('69-'70).    Then when Franco came in '71, front runners began to appear.

Yea. No team breakout. I rooted for those 70s Steelers teams. Eagles were generally terrible. At least one team in the state was good. Plus they beat the Cowgirls.

[mitlen]

Yea. No team breakout. I rooted for those 70s Steelers teams. Eagles were generally terrible. At least one team in the state was good. Plus they beat the Cowgirls.

Yeah, we PA fans had it mostly rough in the '60s ('60 was a good year for yunz and us).    We always had to have a Plan B for sports teams.         By the time the Steelers got good, I was gone from the area.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

I went to an Eagles/Cowboys Monday night game at the Vet back in the mid 90s and there were so many fights in the stands it felt like watching a game in the middle of the Battle of Stalingrad.  Quite entertaining for both of us nonaligned attendees.       

My brothers had season tickets for the Iggles back in the 1960s at Franklin Field. Not sure which one of them threw the snowballs at Santa.

[mitlen]

I went to an Eagles/Cowboys Monday night game at the Vet back in the mid 90s and there were so many fights in the stands it felt like watching a game in the middle of the Battle of Stalingrad.  Quite entertaining for both of us nonaligned attendees.       

Didn't the Vet have a JP/Municipal Judge on duty?

[Slateman]

Didn't the Vet have a JP/Municipal Judge on duty?

Yes. And a jail.