Ever since the Senators left Washington DC to become the Texas Rangers in 1971, residents of the District of Columbia and the surrounding area (those who were not Orioles fans) had been whining about not having a team of their own.
They got their wish in 2005 when the Expos headed south to the District and became the Washington Nationals. Finally, they got their team! From 2005-2007, the "Nats", as they are so fondly called, played at venerable RFK Stadium. Attendance was dismal. Wait until we get our new stadium, Nats fans said.
In 2008, Nationals Park (not yet named after a bank) opened to great fanfare. There was only one problem. Nobody came. Only the Pope was able to draw a crowd.
Enter the world's greatest fans, Phillies Phans! On Nationals' opening day in 2010, the team and the city were embarrassed by a deluge of Phans, bussed in from Phillies Nation. You see, the Phils have been on a roll these past few years, and tickets to Citizens Bank Park are difficult to come by. So some Phans headed south.
Now, a legion of Nationals fans (is there really such a thing as a "Nationals fan"?) is mobilizing to keep those mean, nasty, unruly Phans from ruining another Nationals opening day.
INGRATES!
Don't they realize the economic jolt to the District when visiting team fans come to Nationals stadium? The parking lot fees, the beer sales, the food sales, all get a boost when Phillies Phans come to town. Likewise Yankees and Red Sox fans (do Orioles fans bother to go to DC?) but other than that on any given baseball day, Nationals Park is empty.
So, rather than embarking on a futile effort to keep Phils Phans out of DC, Nats fans ought to be welcoming us with open arms on when the Phillies come to town.
We promise not to bring Pukemon.
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