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I've always been a passive Caps fan... I never cared much for any sports until last year haha. I do recognize the sudden massive bandwagoning for the Caps though. I remember one year in high school I never saw ANYONE wearing Caps jerseys. Then they did the gigantic roster change, remade the logo and shirts and whatnot, and the next year you always saw people "rockin the red" after victories. I'm a bit more of a Caps fan now than before, and I'll admit that part of it is due to the fact that they're a lot better now and there's more of a community around them than before.
The most complex one for me has been the Nats. I never cared much for baseball but I moved here when we only had the Orioles. That was the only baseball we knew until the Nats came to town. Looking up to Cal Ripken Jr and what not haha.
It's pretty much a given that some people are going to be more excited and expressing their excitement when their team is doing well. I also think the franchise has done a much better job marketing the Caps... having a couple starts like Ovie helps too.. when people start hearing names and seeing things over and over again.. it sticks! haha That's what marketing is all about!
Most def agree on the Orioles... thats all we had growing up so I'm an O's fan. My bro played baseball his whole life and his name is Cal.. so go figure Cal Ripken Jr was his idol haha. But my parents as I assume most other Nats fans were the old Washington team fan.. the senators or something like that? So they cheered for the O's when there was no Washington team.. but now that one is back they are Nats fans... but they still like the O's.
1. The Washington NFL Team
2. College hoops (Terps, Hoyas, Colonials, Patriots, UVA Cavs)
3. Wizards/Bullets
4. Capitals
5. Nationals
6. College football (Terps, VATech and UVA Cavs)
7. DC United
8. Baltimore Orioles
9. Mystics
DC is not a hockeytown. I always debate with Caps fans on this when I rank the NBA Wizards higher in terms of popularity. Here's the difference between the Caps and Wizards:
When the Wizards make the playoffs, the city almost shuts down. Street traffic almost disappears. Pedestrian traffic almost disappears. Bars are full of people watching The Wiz. Local sports media gives blanket coverage. I remember when the Wizards played the Chicago Bulls in the first round a few years back. You could not believe the buzz going around town and in the suburbs.
When the Caps get into the playoffs, there is some excitement with the local sports fans. But the streets don't empty when there is a Capitals playoff game on TV. This is why The Capitals will always be second fiddle to the local NFL and NBA franchises here in DC.
Second, The Wizards (and the local NFL franchise) unifies fans across racial and class lines. When the Wizards made the playoffs a few years back, I would see crowds of black and white people cheering for the team together in bars. If the local NFL team or the Wizards are winning big games, this is one opportunity where black sports fans can bond with fans of other races around the water cooler.
With the Capitals, it's pretty much one race of people "rocking the Red".
Washington, DC and surrounding suburbs have the largest African-American population in the United States. A large black population with serious disposable income. Most native black residents cannot get into hockey. The biggest reason of course is that the black fan base can relate to professional sports leagues where the majority of athletes share the same skin color. Many professional NBA and NFL players have "ghetto rags to suburban rich" stories that give local black fans some inspiration.
^^Right now I'd rank the Wizards behind the Nationals in terms of current popularity. I wish I was living in the DC area to experience the Wizards during their peak Gilbert years and during the Jordan stint.
Being a basketball fan, I attend a bunch of Wizards games. For local casual sports fans, going to Wizards games is frowned upon as if I tell people I live in PG County or Anacostia. It was funny when the Wizards beat Kobe and the Lakers in DC this season. The crowd was cheering MVP! for Kobe, by the 4th quarter when the Wizards were leading, the crowd was cheering and out of their seats for the Wizards.
I'm sure it all depends the people you associate yourself with too... because I very much enjoy college basketball and college sports.. but to me Pro basketball is a joke (besides in playoff time). So I never thought it was popular because I was never out to watch games.. but I would/will go out for Caps games and Skins game (really all football all football Sundays.. because I Just like good football too), orioles and nats both, but only in certain areas.... Soccer not so much at all in America besides people who play the sport generally.
^^Right now I'd rank the Wizards behind the Nationals in terms of current popularity. I wish I was living in the DC area to experience the Wizards during their peak Gilbert years and during the Jordan stint.
Being a basketball fan, I attend a bunch of Wizards games. For local casual sports fans, going to Wizards games is frowned upon as if I tell people I live in PG County or Anacostia. It was funny when the Wizards beat Kobe and the Lakers in DC this season. The crowd was cheering MVP! for Kobe, by the 4th quarter when the Wizards were leading, the crowd was cheering and out of their seats for the Wizards.
lol I remember when I was a kid in the late 80s how crappy the DC fans are. My dad or uncles would take me to Bullets games when big stars were playing like Michael Jordan when he was with the Bulls and well over half the crowd would be rooting for the Bulls and you saw more Jordan jerseys than any Bullets stuff combined. Same deal when the Lakers or Celtics came to town, you'd see Magic and Bird jerseys as if it were a home game in their town. It's weird how college basketball is far more popular than the NBA here, same as it is in the South but NFL is more popular here than college football. Probably a result of the Terps, Hoyas, George Mason and Cavaliers having a rich basketball legacy but sucking in football
Joel Ward just went from hero to goat in the span of 2 weeks
ughhhh! Don't remind me... but that was a whole team FAIL towards the end of that game and in OT. Had several opportunities to go up by two... ridiculous! I mean that 3 on 1.... seriously!?!?
Ready for the next game........and they better not suck this time
1. The Washington NFL Team 2. College hoops (Terps, Hoyas, Colonials, Patriots, UVA Cavs) 3. Wizards/Bullets 4. Capitals 5. Nationals 6. College football (Terps, VATech and UVA Cavs) 7. DC United 8. Baltimore Orioles 9. Barry Farms (Goodman bball League) 10. Watching paint dry 11. Mystics
.
^Fixed that for u
These NHL playoffs is actually my first time EVER watching a hockey game. I can dig it! its been some great games in these two series the caps been in. i know i will only watch a hockey game if its the caps playin but it aint that bad at all.
I've been somewhat of a DC hockey hater but I would like to go to a Caps playoff game to experience the playoff atmosphere.
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