The transient nature of DC is a big problem. I don't see the love of the foosball team as a factor anymore. I mistakenly believed that around 2006-12, but the Commandskins' fanbase has been rapidly shrinking in recent years and it hasn't done much for the Nats.
I think along with the transient city thing, the fact that there was no team in DC in the 70s/80s/90s did immeasurable damage to the passion for local baseball in this area. Not only did part of two generations of fans get siphoned off to Bawlmer, but there are also a lot of lifelong (or near lifelong) area residents who chose other big-name teams (e.g. Yanks, Sox, Braves, Cubs) because there was no game in town. And then you have people who just didn't care and prioritized everything but baseball (not just football, but college sports, the NBA, and the NHL).
Is DC more transient than NYC or SF? Most major cities are transient now, especially if you're looking at the population that is buying suites and club level seats (i.e. the people teams want coming to games).
