Posted on 05/06/2012 8:48:44 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
One of Andrew Feffer's jobs is getting Washington Nationals fans to come to the ballpark. But this year, the team's chief operating officer has another goal: keeping Philadelphia Phillies fans out.
Since the baseball franchise left Montreal for Washington, D.C., in 2005, the Nationals pastime has been losing games. They haven't yet had a winning season. Meanwhile, their rivals 125 miles up I-95 have been one of the best teams in the game.
With seats in Philly's Citizens Bank Park hard to come by, Phillies fans have taken to descending on Nationals Park whenever their team pays a visit. Two years ago, Nationals fan Ryan Sullivan spent more than $600 on Opening Day tickets for himself and his father. The park was filled with Philadelphia supporters, whose team routed the Nationals 11-1. One overindulged Phillies fan threw up on Mr. Sullivan's shoes, he says. "They were so obnoxious."
A veteran sports marketer, Mr. Feffer joined the Nationals in 2010. As a Virginia native, he had long been irked by the way Philadelphia fans converged on Washington to cheer for their teamshockey and football fans also contend with Flyers and Eagles fans from up north.
The last straw came Aug. 20, on what should have been a happy occasion: The Nationals set a single-game attendance record. The problem was that two-thirds of the crowd was rooting for Philadelphia, which won the game 5-0. Phillies fans created a sign across the bleachers that said: "Welcome to Citizens Bank Park South."
Something, Mr. Feffer says, "had to change."
His solution was a curveball: For the first series between the two teams this year, Friday through Sunday, he blocked single-game ticket sales outside the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
We need some Phila. fans on here to plead our case. We’re not all a**holes.
There was a guy who called in to “nats extra” who said there was a loud philly phan nearby who was very funny, and not vulgar or drunk. I think also a few nats fans were ejected because they actually started fights with p. fans. I think they actually were probably better behaved because there was so few of them compared to years past in nats park. It was a great first series this year.
Freegards
The Red Sox, next to the Yankees, have the greatest amount of bandwagon fans in the game. Therefore, a large number of “Red Sox” fans in these varying cities are locals who are part of “Red Sox Nation”.
Doesn’t help the ESPN pushes “Red Sox Nation” 24/7 during Baseball season.
Myself, I’m still waiting for “Cleveland Nation”...
That used to be a way for us Giants fans to get to see our guys play; go to a road game against a less than successful team. Given the astronomical prices here for scalped tickets you might even save a few bucks. Not so much any more, though!
I'll take "BEHAVIOR" for $500, V-Man!
I have to walk around with an 'air sick' bag around my neck because ever time I hear 'Red Sox Nation' here in the northeast; I just have to barf. I go through a lot of bags... :-)
I was born in 1959 and grew up in Newtown Square, 10 miles west of Philly. I have loved the Phillies passionately since their days of playing in Connie Mack Stadium under Gene Mauch.I had many memorable moments in the Vet. I was at Game 4 of the 93 Series, which the Phils lost 15-14. I was heartbroken when the incomparable Harry Kalas passed away, and two of my most memorable moments were meeting Steve Carlton in a Woolworths in Cooperstown, and meeting the late Richie Ashburn in a pizza joint outside Philly. I now live in Laurel, MD, and try to get to a Phils-Nats game in DC every year. Two years ago I was there when Ryan Zimmerman hit a walkoff home run off Brad Lidge. I turned my jersey inside out! I am also a passionate Eagles fan, though haven’t gone to a lot of their games because of cost, and because of obnoxious, drunken fans. The atmosphere at a Phils game is much different than at an Eagles game. Phils fans are crazy passionate, but generally well behaved compared to Eagles fans. The worst fans at Phillies games were Mets fans. I will own up to Eagles fans at the Link being obnoxious, but Phils fans are not. I’m as conservative as they come, am a lifelong Phillies/Eagles fan, but am not an obnoxious fan. In the DC area, the lousy Redskins get all of the attention. The Nats are an up and coming team, and success will build their fan base.
“Welcome to Philadelphia...and oh by the way, YOU SUCK!”
Nats still took 2 out of 3 for the weekend.
Personally, I'm in favor of banning Philadelphia sports fans from... well, just about anywhere that can call itself civilization.
Cubs fans do the same in Cincinnati, every Reds home game against the Cubs.
Defense of Philly ping
True enough - the Red Sox are having a tough time this year. Pitching, don’t you know. We’ll see how we do a few months from now, it’s a long season, but right now we’re hurting, that’s for sure. Of course, I’ve been a fan since about 1963, so I’ve seen LOTS worse baseball than this.
The worst of the lot? J-E-T-S fans. Here in Dolphin Nation, they LIVE here and can be counted on to get drunker than monkeys in the stands and start fights with Dolfans.
The tail-gating in parking lots are like J-E-T-S war camps; they crank up their BBQs and break out the sissy beer about 0900 for a 1300 kickoff. Keeps me out of that park and parked in front of my flat screen.
Phillies fans are outgoing and fun, for the most part. They are not dried up old miserable farts who can’t unclench long enough to hoot and holler.
My son, a Phillies fan who lives in D.C., caught the game last night. He’s been to many Nats-Phillies games and said last night was the first time he felt outnumbered.
ping
Well, it’s the first time the Nats have been decent since the first half-season there.
With the Hamels/Harper thing it might be interesting. I think they both handled it well, although if you are going to throw at someone it should be because they were acting cocky in the bigs, not because the press made a big deal about you and you acted cocky in the minors. Harper has shown nothing but hustle and hasn’t acted like a prima-donna, and I have watched everygame so far with the Nats. Stealing home was the proper response, and Hamels got hit next time up. Afterwards, Harper said Hamels pitched a great game.
Freegards
I did notice a heck of a lot of Phillies fans while catching a little bit of yesterday’s game.
Harper seems like an intense, hard-nosed player. Gotta love that kind of hustle and attitude in such a young player. I hope he has a stellar year against every other team but the Phils.
Strong division rivalries are good for the game-players and fans alike. The Phils have always had good battles with the Mets and Braves. It would be fun to extend the hard fought battles to the Nats as well.
If you ever want to be in a wild and woolly place, go to Citizens Bank Park when a big contingent of Mets fans are in the house. I’ve seen many fisticuffs in that situation. Maybe you’ve seen them over the years as well.
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