What's wrong with the Nationals?

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 6:31 pm

You knew it would only be a matter of time before the Washington Nationals would start seeing some no shows.

Getting Out to the Old Ball Yard
The Washington Nationals are a box-office hit, but for some games only half the seats are filled. Call it the "Redskins Syndrome": Firms with season tickets are new to baseball, and they forget that there's a game most nights to distribute tickets to. Says one PR biggie: "They think the Nats are like the Redskins, playing only on weekends."

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/w ... .htm#ridge

Just wait until they start to really suck. Way to go Selig.

Viper in Vancouver · Post by **Viper in Vancouver** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 8:43 pm

They think the Nats play only one the weekends? If that's the case one regular season would last around three years. Even though they aren't drawing that many fans, they will still never draw less that what the expos were bringing in

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 9:52 pm

Viper in Vancouver wrote:They think the Nats play only one the weekends? If that's the case one regular season would last around three years. Even though they aren't drawing that many fans, they will still never draw less that what the expos were bringing in

The Expos used to draw well. Then the fans realized that the ownership was conspiring against putting a winning product on the field. Just look at the talent they gave away the last 15 years. You could field an All Star team with just ex-Expos and they would win against just about anybody. If the Yankees had scouts and a farm system as productive as the Expos, they would have won the last 10 World Series.

Here's a little peice to let you know where Expo fan was comming from. If anything, you can't say they're like Cubfan. Cubfan will accept whatever crap the Tribune puts on the field.

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=19425

Cueball · Post by **Cueball** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:52 pm

You could have stopped at the title of the thread.

Smoked Meat · Post by **Smoked Meat** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:40 pm

BSmack wrote:
Viper in Vancouver wrote:They think the Nats play only one the weekends? If that's the case one regular season would last around three years. Even though they aren't drawing that many fans, they will still never draw less that what the expos were bringing in
The Expos used to draw well. Then the fans realized that the ownership was conspiring against putting a winning product on the field. Just look at the talent they gave away the last 15 years. You could field an All Star team with just ex-Expos and they would win against just about anybody. If the Yankees had scouts and a farm system as productive as the Expos, they would have won the last 10 World Series.

Here's a little peice to let you know where Expo fan was comming from. If anything, you can't say they're like Cubfan. Cubfan will accept whatever crap the Tribune puts on the field.

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=19425

I clicked on the link and as soon as I saw the topic it brought up sad and bitter memories. I remember back then in 1994 how the city was completely crazy over the Expos. Everywhere you would go the Expos was THE subject of conversation. I was a university student then and working in a factory for my summer job and once work was finished we would all go to the Stadium with it's electrifying ambiance. And then the strike... It was never the same after and from there everything went downhill.

Montreal was a true baseball city but it seems everything was possibly done to destroy the franchise. No one is cheering for the Nationals here but the remaining baseball fans including myself mostly cheer for the Dodgers nowadays mainly because of Eric Gagné and for historical reasons too. Montreal used to be the Dodgers' farm team prior the Expos era and Jackie Robinson still holds a special place in this city too.

fix · Post by **fix** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:09 am

Smoked Meat wrote:
BSmack wrote:
Viper in Vancouver wrote:They think the Nats play only one the weekends? If that's the case one regular season would last around three years. Even though they aren't drawing that many fans, they will still never draw less that what the expos were bringing in
The Expos used to draw well. Then the fans realized that the ownership was conspiring against putting a winning product on the field. Just look at the talent they gave away the last 15 years. You could field an All Star team with just ex-Expos and they would win against just about anybody. If the Yankees had scouts and a farm system as productive as the Expos, they would have won the last 10 World Series.

Here's a little peice to let you know where Expo fan was comming from. If anything, you can't say they're like Cubfan. Cubfan will accept whatever crap the Tribune puts on the field.

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=19425
I clicked on the link and as soon as I saw the topic it brought up sad and bitter memories. I remember back then in 1994 how the city was completely crazy over the Expos. Everywhere you would go the Expos was THE subject of conversation. I was a university student then and working in a factory for my summer job and once work was finished we would all go to the Stadium with it's electrifying ambiance. And then the strike... It was never the same after and from there everything went downhill.

Montreal was a true baseball city but it seems everything was possibly done to destroy the franchise. No one is cheering for the Nationals here but the remaining baseball fans including myself mostly cheer for the Dodgers nowadays mainly because of Eric Gagné and for historical reasons too. Montreal used to be the Dodgers' farm team prior the Expos era and Jackie Robinson still holds a special place in this city too.

Aren't you forgetting someone else..

Rick Monday

Smoked Meat · Post by **Smoked Meat** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:46 am

Otis wrote:
Smoked Meat wrote:
BSmack wrote: The Expos used to draw well. Then the fans realized that the ownership was conspiring against putting a winning product on the field. Just look at the talent they gave away the last 15 years. You could field an All Star team with just ex-Expos and they would win against just about anybody. If the Yankees had scouts and a farm system as productive as the Expos, they would have won the last 10 World Series.

Here's a little peice to let you know where Expo fan was comming from. If anything, you can't say they're like Cubfan. Cubfan will accept whatever crap the Tribune puts on the field.

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=19425
I clicked on the link and as soon as I saw the topic it brought up sad and bitter memories. I remember back then in 1994 how the city was completely crazy over the Expos. Everywhere you would go the Expos was THE subject of conversation. I was a university student then and working in a factory for my summer job and once work was finished we would all go to the Stadium with it's electrifying ambiance. And then the strike... It was never the same after and from there everything went downhill.

Montreal was a true baseball city but it seems everything was possibly done to destroy the franchise. No one is cheering for the Nationals here but the remaining baseball fans including myself mostly cheer for the Dodgers nowadays mainly because of Eric Gagné and for historical reasons too. Montreal used to be the Dodgers' farm team prior the Expos era and Jackie Robinson still holds a special place in this city too.
Aren't you forgetting someone else..

Rick Monday

Thank you so much Otis... :roll:

:cry:

Funkywhiteboy · Post by **Funkywhiteboy** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 5:10 am

I think Smoked Meat has been smokin' somethin' from the vegetable family! :P

Speaking as someone whose wife grew up in Montreal, to her tell me
what it was like back in the day, I get a completely different picture.
Sure, it'll take the DC baseball fans time to get adjusted to the idea
of having the Nats as an option for an evening's entertainment,
they've already drawn more than enough interest to justify the move, IMO.
Thirty-four years without a team is a long time, and some old habits will have to change.
(Don't say the Orioles, they're Baltimore's team. Baltimore and DC are not
the same town, unless you're Peter Angelos.
If there's room enough for two NFL teams, there's room enough for two MLB teams).

Bringing up the Redskins as the No. 1 draw in town is like me saying
that the Habs will always be No. 1 in the hearts of Montrealers,
and it never was a baseball town. Moving into that concrete mausoleum
known as "The Big Oops" only sealed the franchise's inevitable fate.
Face it, baseball is back where it belongs!

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 1:49 pm

Baltimore and Washington are pretty much the same town.

That map is from the Baltimore-Washington International Airport site.

I'll pause to let the irony sink in.

As for the Skins, it is not a problem that they are the #1 draw. The issue is that the political and economic elites who have bankrolled the Nats have better things to do on weekdays. They are a prime example of the new corporate sports paradigm and I hope they fall flat on their fucking face and go bankrupt.

That is, except for Jose Vidro. He is nails no matter what peice of crap uni he is forced to wear.

Smoked Meat · Post by **Smoked Meat** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:27 pm

Funkywhiteboy wrote:Bringing up the Redskins as the No. 1 draw in town is like me saying that the Habs will always be No. 1 in the hearts of Montrealers, and it never was a baseball town. Moving into that concrete mausoleum known as "The Big Oops" only sealed the franchise's inevitable fate.

The Habs as No.1 in the hearts of Montrealers is a fact and not debatable. No doubt Montreal is a well know hockey city but I still think it was a true baseball town also (although quite different from a typical american baseball town). I know the Big O was not the ideal baseball stadium but I wouldn't go as far as to say it was the reason for Montreal to lose it's team. I still go with the real downfall initiator being the 1994 strike.

Funkywhiteboy wrote:Face it, baseball is back where it belongs!

Alrighty then let's make a deal: No MLB teams in Canada in exchange for no NHL teams in those southern "wtf is hockey?"States :P

Funkywhiteboy · Post by **Funkywhiteboy** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 4:45 am

BSmack wrote:Baltimore and Washington are pretty much the same town.

No, they're not. Each has its own Beltway.
Only Angelos and his flunkies would have us believe they're the same.

Smoked Meat wrote:
Funkywhiteboy wrote:Face it, baseball is back where it belongs!
Alrighty then let's make a deal: No MLB teams in Canada in exchange for no NHL teams in those southern "wtf is hockey?"States :P

I'd be down with that, but as long as there's no NHL, it's a moot point.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 1:11 pm

Funkywhiteboy wrote:
BSmack wrote:Baltimore and Washington are pretty much the same town.
No, they're not. Each has its own Beltway.
Only Angelos and his flunkies would have us believe they're the same.

Big deal, the both have their "own" expressway. :roll:

Funkywhiteboy · Post by **Funkywhiteboy** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 3:50 am

BSmack wrote:
Funkywhiteboy wrote:
BSmack wrote:Baltimore and Washington are pretty much the same town.
No, they're not. Each has its own Beltway.
Only Angelos and his flunkies would have us believe they're the same.
Big deal, the both have their "own" expressway. :roll:

I was using a minor example to make the larger point that DC and B'more
are separate cities, each with its own distinct character.
The Orioles were the team I grew up with by default, because there was no
Senators team to root for.
Not that my luck would've been any better with the Rangers.

Lumping the District and Baltimore together as one would be like saying
that Buffalo, Crapchester, and Syracuse are all the same.
From what I've seen of them, I can't tell a huge difference among them. :P

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 4:28 am

Funkywhiteboy wrote:
BSmack wrote:
Funkywhiteboy wrote: No, they're not. Each has its own Beltway.
Only Angelos and his flunkies would have us believe they're the same.
Big deal, the both have their "own" expressway. :roll:
I was using a minor example to make the larger point that DC and B'more
are separate cities, each with its own distinct character.
The Orioles were the team I grew up with by default, because there was no
Senators team to root for.
Not that my luck would've been any better with the Rangers.

Lumping the District and Baltimore together as one would be like saying
that Buffalo, Crapchester, and Syracuse are all the same.
From what I've seen of them, I can't tell a huge difference among them. :P

There are 150 miles between Syracuse and Buffalo. 70 between Rochester and either Syracuse or Buffalo. It's hardly the same thing. Just because your traffic is so fucked up that it takes a half a day to drive from Arlington to downtown DC doesn't mean DC and Baltimore aren't essentialy the same fucking over developed peice of crap swampland.

When the Nats fail. And they WILL fail. I will be the first one laughing my ass off. That is, unless the O's tank first. That's always a possibility with Angelos around.

AnNeg · Post by **AnNeg** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:10 am

We want the Orioles to tank and we want them to tank SOON.

Sincerely,

The Red Sox and Yankees

Funkywhiteboy · Post by **Funkywhiteboy** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 6:27 am

BSmack wrote:There are 150 miles between Syracuse and Buffalo. 70 between Rochester and either Syracuse or Buffalo. It's hardly the same thing. Just because your traffic is so fucked up that it takes a half a day to drive from Arlington to downtown DC doesn't mean DC and Baltimore aren't essentialy the same fucking over developed peice of crap swampland.

You're half right, DC is basically an overdeveloped piece of swampland.
There are a few rocks and trees and streams and things between the DC line
and the Baltimore city limits.
Just 'cause there are a few more of those between the three NY cities doesn't make
you right and me wrong.
I've often heard the phrase "upstate New York", which, as far as I can tell,
refers to any part of the state north of Yonkers.

BTW- I have made it from Arlington to the District in less than half a day. :P

As to the original point of this thread, it's still April.
Plenty of time for either team (or both) to melt down.
I'm not expecting the Nats to be contenders this year, but a .500 record
would be a moral victory of sorts.
The O's have plenty of offense to hang in there, until their pitching weaknesses
become more apparent in the summer months.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 4:29 pm

Funkywhiteboy wrote:
BSmack wrote:There are 150 miles between Syracuse and Buffalo. 70 between Rochester and either Syracuse or Buffalo. It's hardly the same thing. Just because your traffic is so fucked up that it takes a half a day to drive from Arlington to downtown DC doesn't mean DC and Baltimore aren't essentialy the same fucking over developed peice of crap swampland.
You're half right, DC is basically an overdeveloped piece of swampland. There are a few rocks and trees and streams and things between the DC line and the Baltimore city limits. Just 'cause there are a few more of those between the three NY cities doesn't make you right and me wrong.

Actualy, it does make you wrong. Don't make me break out more maps.

I've often heard the phrase "upstate New York", which, as far as I can tell, refers to any part of the state north of Yonkers.

That's how people in NYC and Long Island think. If you want to be like those assholes, go right ahead.

BTW- I have made it from Arlington to the District in less than half a day. :P

How many tickets did you get?

As to the original point of this thread, it's still April. Plenty of time for either team (or both) to melt down. I'm not expecting the Nats to be contenders this year, but a .500 record would be a moral victory of sorts. The O's have plenty of offense to hang in there, until their pitching weaknesses become more apparent in the summer months.

I could care less how the Nats do on the field. When I talk about them folding, I mean in the interest of the half assed DC fans who have already shown not once, but twice, that they cannot support a baseball team in both DC and Baltimore.