Let's talk numbers

Since our ol' buddy Dickhead Angelos is so obsessed with them, let's discuss the attendance numbers, according to Tom Boswell:

Tom Boswell: Look at the attendance all around baseball starting with the Labor day weekend. It's the same way with every comparable franchise. Look at numbers in Houston, Philadelphia, Seattle, Atlanta, etc. I just wasn't aware of how much attendance drops in September throughout baseball, with the exception of Wrigley, Fenway and a few others...School is back in session. And FOOTBALL - pro, college and high school- has arrived as competition for sports entertainment dollars and time.

Excluding Opening day, it looks like 29,000-to-30,000-a-game in the cool spring weather, then 32,000-to-33,000 in May and June, then the nats averaged 37,000+ for 29 straight dates after school was out, but before Labor Day- which is tremendous. Now, it looks like from Labor Day on the Nats are probably going to average in the high-20K range again, as they did in spring.All in all, MLB and the Nats were hoping for 30,000-a-game. Looks like it will end up 33,000+-a-game after all September crowds.

Makes sense to me. Those numbers sound pretty darn good, FOR ANY CITY, but some people just aren't buying it:

Baltimore, Md.: Tom, quit being an apologist for the pathetic attendance at RFK. After 33 years of "wandering in the wilderness" (despite the fact that the Orioles play 40 short miles away), it is clear that Washingtonians don't know how to react in a pennant race. Crowds in the mid-20,000's when playing a fellow wild-card contender? That's absolutely atrocious. Washington was, is, and always will be a football town where baseball is second fiddle. You want proof? Check out Wilbon's chat in the middle of summer. Redskins questions outnumber Nationals by 5-1 at least. If there are 25,000 at RFK on Sunday, I'll eat my hat. Poor excuse for a sports town, Washingtonians.

Tom Boswell: Peter, thanks for sticking in a "question" every week.

LOL! I just love Tom. Ain't that the truth. Too bad Baltimore needs to eat his hat: the announced crowd was 31, 834. He'll just have to suck on it and like it.

Why must certain Baltimorons continue to doubt the power of baseball in D.C.? They obviously have not attended a Nationals game. Even the crappiest teams that come to RFK see a decent crowd. I don't think even 20,000 is horrible, considering Montreal's last-season crowds of 3,000 or RFK's 30+-year lack of baseball crowds. And the Nats saw one of their best weekends ever in terms of attendance, over 112,000. Too bad they didn't do better against Atlanta; I can't stand the Braves. At least they won't make it past the first round of playoffs, as usual.

Can't wait to hear what the fallout is with Jeremiah Trotter and Kevin Mathis. Was Trotter baited or what?!? That was bullshit. Just wait till the next time the Falcons go to Philly, whenever that may be- they're toast, dude.

I don't get why both teams were all jumping up and down though. Men are strange animals when they get all riled up, aren't they? Then again, they're strange at any time...