The weather forecast appears to say “chilly” and I’m pretty sure the stadium will continue its extremely empty trend, but I’m strongly considering going to the game tonight anyway.
I have invited folks down to the stadium a few times already this season with no positive result. It’s been nice spending time with Drew and my wife at the Wharf Rat and Hooters, but it hasn’t resulted in anyone else wanting to come and watch the first-place Orioles in the cold.
If you want to see what the crowds REALLY looked like last week: click here. Any of the “OH Say Can You See” videos will tell you all you need to know about the Orioles and their attendance.
All of my fears during Free The Birds are coming true. It’s been two years and even LESS people care about the Orioles than ever. Even when they’re in the first place!
But I’m still having fun with the 2008 Orioles and I hope to take in the game tonight, if it’s not too miserable outside.
Either way, you can mark Thursday night down as a night when you can join us for a ballgame as well. The pre-game bar meet will be at Drew’s old stomping grounds: Regi’s on Light Street in Federal Hill.
I’m definitely doing the Thursday game against the White Sox, and better than that, Baltimore kid Gavin Floyd will hurl for the pale hose.
Hope you join us for the fun!
I did one ballgame over the weekend in Washington, D.C, checking out the Nats and Braves. The video is now on wnsTV so you can see what I saw, which was a nice, new ballpark in what formerly was a rough side of town.
A few people have asked me what I thought of the ballpark and I have the same answer that I’ve had for the last 10 years: they all look the same to me!
They all have lots of premium “this” and exclusive “that.” And with D.C., you always get that frontrunner “I wanna be seen” vibe as well. But it was just another new ballpark, not unlike Philadelphia or Cleveland or Cincinnati or any of the other ones I’ve been to recently.
It felt “big” to me, a little like Dodger Stadium in the way the seating bowl is utilized. It had all of the porches and different prices and amenities and it was a block from the D.C. Metro, so it was easy to get to because you don’t have to transfer off of the green line once you’re in Greenbelt. Park in Greenbelt and you literally get dropped at the front door, which is nice.
But I have zero passion for the Nationals and I never will. (Even though I have ressurected my Capitals fandom a slight bit, after a 15-year hiatus, but I don’t know much about their players either. But what other NHL team could you support locally?)
And the fans in D.C. on Saturday seemed to be coming more to the see the stadium than to see the game. It didn’t seem like there were a lot of people — not even the ones in Nats gear – who knew who the players are. During the course of the day, I probably saw team gear for 20 others teams, mostly Red Sox stuff of course.
The Nats gave up four in the first inning and most of the crowd was gone by the 6th inning.
Like I said, it was an “OK” experience, and we endured an hour-long rain delay.
Actually, I kinda liked going to R.F.K. Stadium the five times I went over there the first three seasons. Easy parking, and easy in and out because there were no people there.
And I liked getting a cheap ticket in a crappy ballpark and sitting on the roof.
It cost me $20 to go the Nats game on Saturday. The last time I went to R.F.K. Stadium it cost me $6.
It wasn’t worth the increase, but I did have fun.
So, drop me a note if you’re going to the O’s game tonight. I can’t blame you if you’re not, but I’m trying to have fun this year with the team and I can’t think the games in August and September are going to be meaningful so a rare “first place” game in April needs to be embraced.
Wednesday night, we’re going to see if we can get some folks to do the Blast game with us as well!
