No Baseball in DC?

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by J'Mal:
  maybe they are "dirt poor" because they are "disconnected" from our "culture," and their "stupidity/insanity" is reflected in their vote for barry?
 
 these neighborhoods sure do want alot of government handouts, they're very good at blaming nefarious forces of power, etc.  But they don't seem to value education, don't seem to be able to keep their families intact, avoid drugs, etc.

I agree with most of what you're saying, and as a white middle-class reasonably well-educated person I don't have much of a place to comment on the these issues, but I admire Bill Cosby for saying similar things.
 
 Like I said, to me, it seems like an issue of pervasive culture.  You're born into it, and it's tough to change an entire culture with a huge distrust for authority/police, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, etc, etc.  It's this culture that elects Barry, and, not being part of it or a sociologist or something, I don't see how it will be changed.
 
 Go Nationals! Woo-hoo!

[redsock]

Originally posted by HerrDoktorDoom:
  just curious, how many of you are actually residents of DC and thus have more of a stake than simply a selfish desire to easily see baseball games?
 
 As for Marion Barry becoming a councilman, he ran on an against-the-stadium ticket.  People do strange things when they feel their elected officials are not representing their interests.

I'm a DC resident, bring on the stadium....

[hitman]

Originally posted by J'Mal:
  maybe they are "dirt poor" because they are "disconnected" from our "culture," and their "stupidity/insanity" is reflected in their vote for barry?
 
 these neighborhoods sure do want alot of government handouts, they're very good at blaming nefarious forces of power, etc.  But they don't seem to value education, don't seem to be able to keep their families intact, avoid drugs, etc.

this is not directed at J'Mal, more the person who brought up this disconnect?  no matter what the guy is a damn thug!  he's nothing to look up to, especially when inner city youth need role models...barry is no better than 50 cent in that regard...

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by redsock:
  I'm a DC resident, bring on the stadium....

goos for you, redsock.
 
   maybe the Nationals will go to the World Series and we can watch the Sox whup up on them  

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by hitman:
   

Originally posted by J'Mal:
  maybe they are "dirt poor" because they are "disconnected" from our "culture," and their "stupidity/insanity" is reflected in their vote for barry?
 
 these neighborhoods sure do want alot of government handouts, they're very good at blaming nefarious forces of power, etc.  But they don't seem to value education, don't seem to be able to keep their families intact, avoid drugs, etc.

this is not directed at J'Mal, more the person who brought up this disconnect?  no matter what the guy is a damn thug!  he's nothing to look up to, especially when inner city youth need role models...barry is no better than 50 cent in that regard... [/b]

wow, you completely missed my point ...
 
 many/most people in middle class america (including myself) see him exactly as you just put it, and i'm sure there's some people in anacostia who feel the same way ...
 
 but the vast majority of his constituency see him, like OJ or Kobe or even RKelly to an extent, as fighting the man ... combined with his populist rhetoric, barry connects with disadvantaged and poorly educated people ...
 
 is he a thug? sure, but his people love him for all his fuck-ups. my point was simply that the difference in our opinion of barry is a bigger issue, a real cultural chasm.
 
 enough of this shit. let's play ball.

[ratioci nation]

this pretty much summed up for me what was wrong with what went down at the city council
 
 

In several interviews, Cropp acknowledged blindsiding the mayor, her council colleagues and even members of her staff with the amendment, which required that half of the cost of the ballpark come from private financing. She said she drafted it late in the day, "as I listened to the debate, and the concerns I've had over the past couple of months kind of percolated."

she drafted it on a whim

[helicon1]

I'm surprised no one has posted a picture of a fat cat. So without further ado....
 
   <img src="http://www.bigcats.org/abc/images/fatcat.jpg" alt=" - " />

[kosmo vinyl]

a couple of thoughts... is the infrastructure really able to handle that many cars on game day?  imagine the wilson bridge with all those extra cars trying to get to the game.
 
 do they think people would rather watch a potential average baseball team play then go to the beach on the weekend during the summer?

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  a couple of thoughts... is the infrastructure really able to handle that many cars on game day?  imagine the wilson bridge with all those extra cars trying to get to the game.
 
 do they think people would rather watch a potential average baseball team play then go to the beach on the weekend during the summer?

half the cost is for infrastructure changes
 
 and the second question could be asked about any team
 
 bit late in the process for those kinds of questions

[Guiny]

Originally posted by sonickteam2:
 that I am going to move on and focus on who IS on our team...
   [/QB]

Kobe Bryant is catching flack for thinking the same way.

[keithstg]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  a couple of thoughts... is the infrastructure really able to handle that many cars on game day?  imagine the wilson bridge with all those extra cars trying to get to the game.
 
 do they think people would rather watch a potential average baseball team play then go to the beach on the weekend during the summer?

As for question 1, see the MCI Center and Skins traffic. I don't think it'll be any different.
 
 And 2, Baltimore has a below average team and still draws upwards of 2 million people a year. The Nationals will easily better that their first two seasons alone, regardless of record, so yes, between 2 and 3 million people would rather watch baseball than go to the beach.

[godsshoeshine]

i would imagine alot of people would metro to games. i live in nova, and that's what i would do, and currently do for mci

[hitman]

no matter what, if this deal falls through, which is highly likely the way it seems now...then DC will never get the chance at baseball again, and basically have the city council, namely Cropp to blame.  I guess DC was never meant to have baseball.  This will be either the 3rd or 4th time they've screwed the pooch.

[HoyaSaxa03]

my guess ... cropp will realise her mistake and cave in at tuesday's meeting ...
 
 that said, pro-baseball DC residents should call her office and let her know how you feel, there was a post article today or yesterday that said all the pro-baseball calls she's gotten have been suburban and all the anti-baseball have been DC

[ratioci nation]

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
 
 that said, pro-baseball DC residents should call her office and let her know how you feel

They arent answering their phones, I called earlier and left a nice message though