On March 30, Opening Day will commence for the Washington Nationals at the Nationals Stadium against the Atlanta Braves. Opening Day in Major League Baseball is a festive day with a carnival-like atmosphere throughout the ballpark for the fans. It is no different in the District where Nationals fans will populate the stadium on that day to cheer on the team with hopes of a shot at winning the pennant. Given that baseball has been characterized as “America’s pastime,” it should become the sport of choice for Washingtonians.
The Nationals headquarters and the stadium are in Ward 8. The restaurants and bars surrounding the stadium that are profitable during the season are located in Ward 8. The Nationals Youth Baseball Academy is located in the Fort Dupont neighborhood in Ward 7. The team has summer camps for youth in the District. B. Doyle Mitchell Jr., president and CEO of Industrial Bank and Paxton K. Baker, president of PKB Enterprises Inc., are two Black co-owners of the Nationals with minority shares.
On the other hand, for decades, District residents have seemed to give their strongest support to the Commanders organization. The team plays in nearby Prince George’s County but the team’s management has been non-committal about building a new, state-of-the-art stadium in the city. While individual Commanders host camps in the District, the team does not have a camping system as extensive as the Nationals. While Jason Wright’s selection as president of the Commanders as the first African American to lead an NFL team has been hailed as a milestone, there is no Black ownership in minority shares of the team. While the Nationals won the pennant in 2019, the Commanders haven’t won a playoff game since 2005. The Nationals have no revealing scandals to speak of, but the Commanders have been subject to congressional and local investigations based on accusations of sexual harassment and a toxic work environment and the NFL has probed the team on financial improprieties.
While rooting for the Commanders shouldn’t be discouraged, and even should be encouraged for local fans, Washingtonians should support the team that supports them.