When it was announced that the Montreal Expos were moving to Washington, DC to become the Nationals, I was only half excited. The baseball fan in me was thrilled. I could go watch some National League games without having to travel to Philly or Pittsburgh. It would give me an opportunity to see teams and players that wouldn’t come to Baltimore every season. On the other hand, the Orioles fan in me was disgusted. Would Orioles-not-so-faithful hop on a different bandwagon? I was almost certain we would lose plenty of DC-area fans. I was right.
Another crowd of Orioles fans adopted the Nationals as their favorite National League team. Actually, a lot of them did. I was surprised. Yankees fans hate the Mets. White Sox fans hate the Cubs. Angels fans hate the Dodgers. Why should we be any different? I understand that it’s easy to root for a team that plays so close to you, but a rivalry is a rivalry. During the interleague weekend when the Yankees play the Mets, the White Sox play the Cubs, and the Angels square off with the Dodgers, MLB pits the Orioles and Nationals in the “Battle of the Beltways”.
By the way, just to clear things up, there are two beltways. There’s a beltway surrounding Baltimore and there’s a beltway surrounding DC. It’s not the “Battle of the Beltway”; it’s the “Battle of the Beltways”. Get it right, people. Or you can just call it the Beltway Series. Okay, rant over.
Maybe I’m just mad because the Nationals got really good at the same time the Orioles did. I probably wouldn’t hate them so much if they still sucked. Last season, I was part of the crowd that welcomed the O’s back to Camden Yards after they flew back from their ALDS Game 5 loss in New York. It was the same night that the Nationals and Cardinals were duking it out in Game 5 of the NLDS. As hundreds of us O’s fans were lined up outside the stadium awaiting the team, I delightedly refreshed my phone over and over again as the Cardinals scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th to take Game 5 and knock the Nationals out of the playoffs. I couldn’t believe how many people around me were disappointed.
I’m all for baseball fans having a second favorite team to fall back on. Mine happens to be the Miami Marlins due to my man crush on Giancarlo Stanton. I just don’t think that team should be your National League “rival.”
6 Responses
WELL THAT’S ONE FAN OPINION I PULL FOR BOTH TEAM GO O’S AND NAT’S
Ryan –
I get your point, but my “counter point” if you will is that there IS no rivalry there. Orioles and Nationals fans shouldn’t even care about each other. I don’t hate something I don’t care about.
Are Ravens fans Redskins fans? Absolutely not (besides RGIII band wagoners)
The two teams are not rivals. They even share the same network. There is no bad blood between the O’s and Nats. I don’t get this. I’m a diehard Orioles fan, but hating on the Nationals doesn’t make sense. I like to see them do well, but to hate on them is just pure jealousy. That’s what this seems like.
its a strange thing for me…. as of right now, I have no opinion on the nats. I am a caps fan though, so I’d like them to be my NL team, but the issue is the fanbase… mostly the same redskins fans that HATE the ravens, for no real reason. so im just like meh….
I know Virginians who still are Orioles fans, which is a pleasant surprise of loyalty. But on the other hand I know a lot more MD/DC suburbanites that were Orioles fans but starting rooting for the Nats after the acquisition of Harper and Strasburg. I understand things got exciting, quickly, just tough to see people have no interest in baseball throughout their lives then to start bragging about the Nats.