Do you think this is the year the Nats really start to infringe on the Orioles?

[BaltimoreTerp]

So someone cannot be fans of both teams while going to more games this year if the Nats are exciting and the Orioles are not?

That's not what I said.

[NewMarketSean]

That's not what I said.

OK. Just checking.

Although if the Nats have a "turn in your O's bandwagon card for a Nats bandwagon card" night, I might have to consider. Especially if it happens on Endy Chavez t-shirt Tuesday.

[BrunoCherrytown]

I imagine the "New Season Smell" will wear off quite quickly this year and I will have no problem watching Nats games over O's ones on the MLB package when that happens.

I love the O's, but I also love old Deniro movies. It doesn't mean I'll lower myself to watching Meet the Parents 8.

[Don Quixote]

I think the Nationals will continue to make inroads, perhaps at a faster clip, but I still don't see myself as becoming more interested in watching the Nationals rather than the Orioles. Instead, I may watch less baseball in general if the Orioles aren't doing well.

[Frobby]

I think at this point the O's and Nats fan bases have sorted themselves out, except at the margins. The Nats' best year for attendance was their first, and the O's still drew 2.6 mm fans that year. The O's have lost 870,000 fans since then, even though the Nats have never drawn as well as that first season. Last year, the Nats gained over 110,000 in attendance and yet the O's also were up 20,000. So, how the O's do in terms of attendance is much more tied to their own performance than it is to the Nats'.

[Slappy]

If the Nats win, sure they will infringe.

[Birds of B'more]

I think at this point the O's and Nats fan bases have sorted themselves out, except at the margins. The Nats' best year for attendance was their first, and the O's still drew 2.6 mm fans that year. The O's have lost 870,000 fans since then, even though the Nats have never drawn as well as that first season. Last year, the Nats gained over 110,000 in attendance and yet the O's also were up 20,000. So, how the O's do in terms of attendance is much more tied to their own performance than it is to the Nats'.

Agree with this. I bet 95% of any fans that the Nats gain this season will be people who didn't really root for either team before now.

[crissfan172]

There are 6 Nationals games that I'm planning on watching this year.

Any other time I watch them will be to see a pitcher that I like from the opposing team.

In all of these games, I will be rooting for the the other team.

[fansince1988]

There are 6 Nationals games that I'm planning on watching this year.

Any other time I watch them will be to see a pitcher that I like from the opposing team.

In all of these games, I will be rooting for the the other team.

A time honored D.C. sports tradition. I will attend at least one of the O's games at Nats Park and I hope to score tickets to the Ravens game at FedEx Field this coming season.

[SilentJames]

OK. Just checking.

Although if the Nats have a "turn in your O's bandwagon card for a Nats bandwagon card" night, I might have to consider. Especially if it happens on Endy Chavez t-shirt Tuesday.

Once again, my thing with your theory is this - will be seeing less of you around here? I mean I get it the NAts are more interesting and you only spend as little time as possible on the Orioles. Totally understandable - but then why come on here to announce it to everyone? I mean we have both been around here for awhile and you start a thread like this every couple of months and yet you come back again and again.

All that I am asking is lets be honest with ourselves, we can't quit this team there is something inside us that will not let it happen. Thats fine, I have accepted that about myself as angry as the team makes me and as depressing some things can be we always come back.

[Skipjack33]

I was born in Baltimore and live in DC. I have been an Os fan for 30 years. I went to 30 or so Os games over the past three years and maybe 15 Nats games over that time. Iwill probably go to a handful of Nats game this year, but there is no way Angelos is getting another dollar from me with this disaster of a team he and DD are scraping together. I am an Os fan, but I won't support the direction the organization is headed with my money.

[Enjoy Terror]

I don't think the Nats will steal O's fans any more than the Ravens steal Redskins fans. The Nationals haven't even won anything yet.

[BrunoCherrytown]

Current MLB article on FoxSports (here)...

Title of Article:Best season ever on baseball horizon?

Top Image For Article:

No mention of O's ANYWHERE in the article which runs through most of the teams in baseball...

Except there is one comment from a poster on the page that sums it all up perfectly:

f_inscreenname

2/6/2012 11:18:38 AM

I could understand the story except if your home team is the Orioles

And that right there says everything that needs to be said about the 2012 season.

[Moose Milligan]

I just hate NL baseball. IMO, it's borderline unwatchable.

But I probably will catch a few Nats games this summer.

[NewMarketSean]

Once again, my thing with your theory is this - will be seeing less of you around here? I mean I get it the NAts are more interesting and you only spend as little time as possible on the Orioles. Totally understandable - but then why come on here to announce it to everyone? I mean we have both been around here for awhile and you start a thread like this every couple of months and yet you come back again and again.

All that I am asking is lets be honest with ourselves, we can't quit this team there is something inside us that will not let it happen. Thats fine, I have accepted that about myself as angry as the team makes me and as depressing some things can be we always come back.

I am doing some soul searching...the Nats are intriguing, the Orioles not so much. I will always be an Oriole fan but if the Nats are good this year I can see myself getting wrapped up in the excitement of that. I am at the point where I just want to experience exciting baseball and I don't really care if it has to come from the Nats...a team close to where I live and televised 162 games a year. I spend a lot of time in DC, so why the helll not root for an NL team that is local and shaping up to be pretty good?

I will always post here about the Orioles, just the way I am, Os you'll never be rid of me but I have to admit, I am starting to wonder if it's all worth it anymore.