Fair enough, but I wasn't comparing the seats, but the "can I afford to go at all" prices. Maybe our cheap seats are a bit better than their cheap seats (although being low and behind the goal isn't a great view of half of the action), but the reality is that a parent with $45 to spare can take themselves and two kids to a baseball game ($21 on tickets), buy a program ($4?), three cokes ($10.50?), and three hot dogs (9?). At DC United, they couldn't get all three of 'em in the door for that price. Sure, our programs are free, but it's $27 more to get three cheap tickets. That brings the same stuff as above to $67.50. Plus, season tickets are going up next year -- don't know if that'll apply to single-game prices, too. All that extra competition from 81 home baseball dates wouldn't seem like a good time to raise prices.
The '79 World Series was the first I went to in person and I got to see games 1 and 2 in Baltimore. The O's won 105 games that year, won the LCS in four games and had a 3 games to 1 lead in the World Series with Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan (game 5), Jim Palmer (game 6) and Scott McGregor (game 7) each getting the ball to win it. Didn't happen. I thought Rich Dauer's homer could stand up in game 7 but the Pirates came back to win. Man, to this day it still hurts. (I also got to see the O's in the '83 World Series vs the Phillies) The Pirates had some good teams in the first three years of the '90's but they couldn't get past the Reds in '90 and the Braves in '91 and '92, losing a gut wrenching final game in '92 when Francisco Cabrera singled home Sid Bream to send the Braves to the WS.
I still remember loathing that day because the rest of my family are Braves fans, and, despite being the only one from Atlanta, I am not.
The failure of the Pirates to reclaim glory further shows why leagues set up like MLB or the EPL are becoming less and less attractive fun for fans of the 'have-nots' teams. Luckily as a kid Don Mattingly was a Yankee so I became a fan so although my Pirates will never win again, I can at least root for my #2 on the Junior Circuit.
Washington NATIONALS? And MLS has naming problems? Why they didn't go with the Grays....is just bewildering.
Good point. I suspect that a lot of fans will be coming the first few seasons to root against the Nationals and for their hometown teams. Just like I've seen fans of visiting teams (that is, the visiting teams that have a good hockey tradition) turn out in droves at Caps games to root against the Caps. I have a basic disdain for the Nationals because MLB is hoodwinking the District into financing their proposed new stadium. I just don't know how the District can justify the giveaway in view of its other financial priorities -- especially, in view of the fact that Abe Polin financed the MCI Center pretty much on his on and that Uncle Phil intends to do the same with the proposed SSS. For that reason alone, I hope that Nationals fail or, at least, suffer a long lingering malaise.
Will they be selling tix to the upper bowl for the Nationals' opener? Will Freddy be throwing out the first pitch? The last few posts have been a little too baseball-friendly for my taste. So... Personally, I can't remember a damn thing about any baseball game I've been to (except maybe the teams). That includes a Orioles/Red Socks game last year. They're definitely a good way to kick off a night of (expensive) drinking, though.
Hmmm. I attended about a half dozen O's games last year, mainly through a friend who had season tickets. Aside from the two times I took my girlfriend (when my erstwhile friend just couldn't go), I got through the endlessly boring experience by designating my season-ticketholder friend as the designated driver and, thereafter, by drinking lots of beer.
I grew up on baseball, watching on TV, in person, and playing it round the clock in the summer. I have many fond memories of going to games with my father and grandfather (who played college and semi-pro back in the day). However, I have zero interest in modern major league baseball (save for the social curiousity of watching grown men fight like sissies). Hence, the only good from my perspective of having the nation at RFK is that it FINALLY gets the whiny baseball fans and media conglomerate stuck up baseball's as$ to SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY about getting a team in DC. Thank god we finally get that crap to stop. Now, I propose that we all pull together behind this great team of ours that is going on a full decade of wonderful history and help it make it through the next few years. The way I plan to do this is to increase the number of DC United tickets that I buy next year and to help out by providing the contrasting atmoshpere of soccer fans to baseball whiners. Cheers, Tim
screw baseball, seriously. the nationals make me hate the sport so badly. DCU knew this was going to happen, we should have had a stadium being built by now. i think this will do some MAJOR damage to the teams financial situation
Finally!! The voice of reason. In the midst of all this baseball talk (which I could take or leave unless they let me bring my drum and toss beer in the air when someone hits a single ) the best way to ensure our voices are heard are thru ticket sales. We've made a vow in the Barra to grow our numbers. We plan on working on that in the offseason and as the season nears. Having a winning team on the field helps enormously in that regard. Many casual fans that came to the Barra last year joined full time. You can't beat the bang for your buck DC United gives you. We plan on selling that concept BIGTIME.
I agree. If one puts a $100 down payment per season ticket before the end of November, one will be able to purchase 2005 season tickets at 2004 prices!
I guess they won the championship just in time. No, I won't be going to any baseball games at RFK. But I'm not going to blame baseball - it's me. I just don't have the attention span to sit through a game any more. You reach a certain age, and you say, "I'm not going to spend the next three and a half hours watching a bunch of commercials." What's in between the commercials isn't worth it. The same goes for other sports I used to enjoy playing and watching - football, basketball, etc. Life is too short, and I can only obsess about one thing at a time, I guess. Right now it's soccer. Maybe that will change one day, though it's hard to imagine. And if I want to kill an afternoon or evening sitting around drinking beer, I don't need to go to a baseball game to do it. Meanwhile, my season ticket deposit is down. I hope the Barra gets upper deck at midfield - I could live with that.
It would be funny if the DC United supporters bought a huge block of tx for a baseball game and brought the footy atmosphere over to the baseball world. I'm really curious as to what the reactions would be. I'll go away now.....
you know, NYR, i like you.. but why in the hell would we wanna do that. haha they are scr3wing dcu, and they arent getting a penny from me
Funny? This actually could be brilliant if it was timed to coincide with a nationally televised Nationals game. Bring in the banners and take over a space in the upper deck. Singing "DC United" almost couldn't be more appropriate, and there could be no better advertising, PR, and demonstration by the fans of what a great club DCU is. For this reason, I would love to go to a Nationals game. I think this should be done.
Nah, just hide it under your shirts. I don't imagine they would let the drums and banners in, but everyone could still wear all black and try to get in black and white signs to form D-C or something. Seriously though, for less than price of admission to a DCU game for each person, a few hundred fans could buy the team more advertising than it could realistically afford. I'm all for this idea.
I'm not a long-time resident of the area, so the return of MLB means nothing to me. In fact, I'm not really a baseball fan, period. So I doubt I'll go out of my way to attend. On the other hand, I have nothing against the Nationals, and I'm really not that worked up about how they're 'ruining' RFK--I've been to a Wizards home game, people. It could be worse. Bottom line, though--the Potomac Cannons minor-league baseball team play a fifteen minute WALK from my house here in Prince William County. My son has shown a little interest in baseball, so I'm pretty sure I'll be talking him to a few games next summer. But the Nationals? Never say never, but it's not on my 'to-do' list.