On April 14, 2005, at 7:06 pm, Lavan Hernandez threw a strike on the first pitch and like that, baseball was back in Washington. It had been 33 years since a Major League game was played in D.C. and as fast as the 92 mph fastball could reach home plate, the moment was gone. For so long, if you lived...
...in the D.C. area and you loved baseball, you rooted for the Orioles. Now that the Nationals had arrived, you have an option. But what if you don’t want that option? What if you don’t want to choose? Why can’t you root for both? Well, that is exactly what I have decided to do.
Why not root for both? One plays in the American League and one plays in the National League. Hell, they’ll probably never even play each other, except maybe in inter-league play. They could also possibly play each other in the World Series, but let’s be real, that’s not happening any time soon. The point I’m trying to make is that there is no higher power (although I’m pretty sure God is an Orioles fan) preventing me from cheering for and support two teams separated by a mere 45 minute car ride. There is virtually no reason at all! That is, until my wife challenged my Fanhood.
To a sports fan, Fanhood is a lot like manhood only more important. You can challenge a sports fan’s manhood but as long as he has Fanhood, all is wonderful and the ego is still in tact. The most important ingredient for Fanhood is passion, with the largest predictor or enhancer of passionate behavior being history. History with a team is where the passion builds.
Now baseball is like any other sport with regard to passion. You choose a team and through vicarious behavior, you share in their highs and their lows, their victories and their defeats, and of course, their blood, sweat and tears. A sports fan without passion is like a prostitute without clear-heeled shoes or a car without an engine, it just doesn’t work. But whether it’s baseball, football, basketball or even sports that no one in this country really cares about like hockey or that silly little sport where they kick the ball around with their feet (I think they call it soccer), the way it works is simple. Like the Beatles said, “All you need is love”, and with love comes passion.
The word fan is short for fanatic and passion is at the very core of the fanatic’s soul. Unfortunately, from time to time, we do come across individuals who claim to be “fans” of a particular sports team but are nowhere to be found when the shit really hits the fan (no pun intended). These academy award winners are also known as fair-weather fans. Typically, they can only found when the climate of their team is looking good or “fair”. Patriots and Steelers “fans” are the biggest violators there are. Two years ago, when New England was en route to a perfect season, the Patriot “fans” were coming out of the woodwork. Last year, the Steelers continued to be one of the luckiest teams in the history of the NFL and won their sixth title in franchise history. As a result, we are now forced to listen to the delusional rants of these fans about how there team is the greatest…ever! Really, where was this level of support during the Kordel Stewart years, hah Steeler fans?!
So, my wife and I were driving to a Sex Party at my sister’s house the other day (don’t get nervous, my sister is pregnant and we were finding out the sex of her baby). Anyway, my wife and I are in the car, one conversation leads to another and, out of left field, she tells me that she views my level of dedication for the Nationals as the same as when I wanted to see the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004! What, I’m not even a Red Sox fan and this is how she decides to categorize me? This was definitely a challenge to my Fanhood.
How could she possibly say that? Since the Nationals first came to this city 3 years ago, I have been nothing but supportive. I purchase season tickets, I go to the games, I purchase the apparel and team memorabilia and most importantly, I consider myself a fan. But, can I really consider myself a fan? My wife says, in terms of baseball, she views the Orioles as my wife and that the Nationals are to me what Mary Jo Kapekne was to Ted Kennedy, just a fling, a girl on the side, my National League girlfriend. Now while I have no current plans to dive the Nationals off a bridge (this may change if they don’t start winning soon), I have thought long and hard about what she said and it is beginning to make sense.
When I think about baseball, I think about the Orioles. Win or lose, thick or thin, I have and will never leave their side. My generation didn’t have anyone else to root for in this area besides the Orioles. We grew up with Mickey Tettleton, Randy Milligan, Sam Horn, Brady Anderson and, of course, the great Cal Ripken Jr. While I can name several of the great Orioles of the eighties, nineties and today, the same cannot be said about the Nationals. The Nationals just got here as they moved from Canada in 2005 when they were the Montreal Expos. For all intents and purposes, we have a refurbished franchise here in Washington, a team given to us at a discounted rate.
We have no history and, in addition to that, we have no fan base. D.C. is a melting pot for many people from all over the country and beyond. Even with a brand new stadium, the Nationals struggle to sell tickets to their games. Even when the stadium is mostly full, it is often packed with fans cheering for the opposition. Lack of ticket sales could also be contributed to the fact that the Nationals are a losing ball club yet their ticket prices are in line with what you would pay to see the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers. Most importantly, Nationals’ ticket prices are generally double what you would pay to see the Orioles.
I started to wonder how it might feel for someone who lives in Baltimore but grew up cheering for the Redskins. I pondered the dilemma they faced when the Ravens came to town. Did they stay loyal to the team they grew up loving and supporting, or did they jump ship like so many other bandwagon passengers? Both my wife and my best friend were huge Orioles fans until the Nats came to town. Should I challenge their Fanhood?
In the end, though, I came to the conclusion that maybe I am not a fan of the Washington Nationals. While my generation and myself in this area were forced to cheer for the Orioles if you wanted to remain a hometown fan, I can now say I do it by choice. The Orioles have provided, for me and so many other fans over the years, many memorable moments, a history with the team and a foundation for passion. My wife challenged my Fanhood and the challenge was indeed upheld. Not so much a fan of the Nationals but more of an “avid and enthusiastic supporter” of the team here in our Nation’s capital. I wish the Nationals well and will be supportive when they finally do make it to the World Series, as long as they aren’t playing my Orioles. Wow, this feels kind of weird. Like when a boyfriend breaks up with his girlfriend but says they can still be friends. Don’t worry Nationals…it not you, it’s me.
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