Comments on: Worst Attended New Ballpark in 25 Years? http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/23/worst-attended-new-ballpark-in-25-years/ D.C. News, Politics, Media, Arts, and More Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:19:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: ihatewalks http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/23/worst-attended-new-ballpark-in-25-years/comment-page-1/#comment-334534 ihatewalks Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:35:09 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=6856#comment-334534 There were some pretty chilly weeks to open the season. Then some pretty long road trips during which people could forget about the Nats (blame the Nats front office for not advertising the team very well). Also some pretty arrogant assumptions that the Nats would be a hot ticket this summer (the stadium is nice compared to RFK, but not air-conditioned like most overpriced shopping malls). What advertising for the Nats that did exist only talked about how awesome the stadium is and how bad the parking situation is. Then once you get into the stadium the service is terribly slow, the ushers are rude, and the communication is mediocre at best. The underlying point is this: the front office and ownership might be great at business and building shopping centers, but they don't seem to have the faintest idea when it comes to the product of baseball. If the rabid fan bases of Boston, New York, and Chicago are to be envied, the focus of the whole experience should be on BASEBALL. The more people get into the sport, the more they will partake in the experience, the tickets, the food, the merch., etc. I say this as an avid fan of the sport (and of my local team, the Nationals). It is entirely possible to enjoy losing seasons like this one and remain a fan (see also: Chicago, Boston) when the product is presented right. But my optimism that the Nationals organization will figure out this -- or figure out how to field a division-winning team -- is waning. There were some pretty chilly weeks to open the season. Then some pretty long road trips during which people could forget about the Nats (blame the Nats front office for not advertising the team very well). Also some pretty arrogant assumptions that the Nats would be a hot ticket this summer (the stadium is nice compared to RFK, but not air-conditioned like most overpriced shopping malls). What advertising for the Nats that did exist only talked about how awesome the stadium is and how bad the parking situation is. Then once you get into the stadium the service is terribly slow, the ushers are rude, and the communication is mediocre at best.

The underlying point is this: the front office and ownership might be great at business and building shopping centers, but they don't seem to have the faintest idea when it comes to the product of baseball. If the rabid fan bases of Boston, New York, and Chicago are to be envied, the focus of the whole experience should be on BASEBALL. The more people get into the sport, the more they will partake in the experience, the tickets, the food, the merch., etc.

I say this as an avid fan of the sport (and of my local team, the Nationals). It is entirely possible to enjoy losing seasons like this one and remain a fan (see also: Chicago, Boston) when the product is presented right.

But my optimism that the Nationals organization will figure out this -- or figure out how to field a division-winning team -- is waning.

]]> By: Reid http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2008/09/23/worst-attended-new-ballpark-in-25-years/comment-page-1/#comment-333521 Reid Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:51:56 +0000 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=6856#comment-333521 And really, the Nat's "attendence" record is inflated by all those law firms, etc., who buy season tickets and can't even give away their tickets. I imagine the actual people-through-the-gates numbers will easily sink below any new stadium in modern history. And really, the Nat's "attendence" record is inflated by all those law firms, etc., who buy season tickets and can't even give away their tickets. I imagine the actual people-through-the-gates numbers will easily sink below any new stadium in modern history.

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