It was a warm spring day in May and something seemed very odd with the sports world. The 2005 baseball season was only a month old and something strange was happening. A very unfamiliar sight to say the least, and as I flipped through the sports section of the Washington Post, something caught my eye.
The Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals were each in first place in their prospective divisions. Was I dreaming? Could this be a misprint? Unfortunately, I wasn't dreaming, but that day proved to be a good one for me after all. Hours after my shocking discovery in the newspaper, I had a very interesting conversation with one of my friends.
My friend, who is an Orioles fan, had a sparkle in eye, along with a pompous smirk on his face as he talked about the first-place Orioles. I couldn't stand it any longer. He was talking about the playoffs, even the World Series. I had to do something.
"I bet you $10 bucks the O's won't be in first place by the All-Star Break," I said.
"Dude, they're playing great baseball, I'll take that bet," my friend said.
Now, I am no Miss Cleo, but I do know the tendencies of D.C/Baltimore area sports teams and their fans. The fans in the D.C metropolitan area are a special breed. The attitude these fans take towards their sports teams is very different from other diehard sports cities and states such as Philadelphia and New York. While Philadelphia and New York fans can be brutal at times, they still have a rational, level-headed frame of mind when they talk about their favorite teams.
D.C/Baltimore area fans, however, can be the total opposite. The beginning of any sports season is like a breath of fresh air for these fans, filled with high hopes and dreams. But as the season progresses, fans often become disgusted with their team's performance and they are quick to lash out.
Well, in case you were wondering, I won the bet, but how did I know the Orioles wouldn't be in first place by the All-Star Break? The answer is quite simple. I've seen this before folks, many, many times before. There was a buzz surrounding the Orioles after their hot early season start. Although "Slammin'" Sammy Sosa wasn't and still isn't slamming anything but air, the Orioles finally started to win. With Brian Roberts having a breakout season and Miguel Tejada playing at a MVP level, Baltimore looked like a team that could go deep in the playoffs. And for the first time since the Jeffrey Mayer fiasco, the city of Baltimore was excited about baseball again.
But what a difference a couple of months make. On June 15, Baltimore was 13 games over .500 and boasted a two-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League East. Two months later, however, the Orioles are in complete disarray. With a multitude of injuries, the firing of manager Lee Mizzili, and Rafael Palmeiro's suspension for violating the league's steroid policy, the Orioles have fallen fast. And some, but not all, of their fans have turned their backs on the club as the season winds down. Many of whom have turned their attention to the new team located about an hour down the beltway.
While the Orioles try to stay out of the basement in the American League East, the Washington Nationals are stealing the headlines in the local papers. Washington is in the thick of the playoff race in the National League and fans in the District can't be happier. After a 33-year absence, baseball is back and booming in D.C. It didn't matter that the team came was the Montreal Expos, who spent most of their existence as perennial doormats in the National League. The newly-christened Nationals didn't take long to impress their new fans.
The Nats seemed revived and it showed. After years of playing in front of abysmal crowds in Montreal, the Nationals are finally getting the fan support they craved. Many are former Orioles fans fed up with Orioles ownership and the Nationals were the easiest and obvious team to switch allegiances to. There were even whispers of a Nationals/Orioles World Series after each team's strong start to the season.
But just like with the Orioles, a divisional lead in June has turned into a fight for survival in August. As of this writing, the Nationals are only 1½ out of the National League wildcard race, while the Orioles are booking plane tickets to the Bahamas for the offseason. But why do D.C. area fans get so excited so quickly? Didn't they know they inherited the same exact team that finished last in the NL East a year ago? Maybe it was the mystique of baseball being back in D.C. that sparked such an interest.
And maybe it was finally having a reasonable size crowd to play in front of that got the Nationals feeling excited about coming to work every day. Who knows, and whatever sparked such early season frenzy has diminished somewhat, while the Nationals battle more experienced teams such as the Florida Marlins and Houston Astros for the National League wildcard. And depending on the final outcome of the National League wildcard race, it appears D.C area fans will suffer through another sports season of extremely high hopes with little to no results.
Baseball, however, isn't the only sport in the D.C./Baltimore area where fans become disgusted by season's end because of a team's lackluster performance The NFL season is quickly approaching and there are also high hopes in the D.C. area regarding the two area football teams. Next week, I'll be back with part two of my series on D.C./Baltimore area sports teams and their fans.
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