Washington Gets Bailed-Out…By the Phillies?

May 19, 2010

Just as we’re recovering from the trillion dollar bailout last year, it seems that there is another crisis in our nation’s Capital. Greece? Fannie May? How about Nats ticket prices?
PUT_CHARACTERS_HERE
According to TicketIQ, there was a 70% price drop from the Nationals opening day to their second game of the season. What could wreak such monumental impact, you ask? Was it Obama throwing out the first pitch on Opening day or perhaps the much anticipated C-span filibuster marathon that kept all of DC glued to their TV on the second game? Nope. How about 27 bus loads of Phillies fans.
PUT_CHARACTERS_HERE
Yes, on the great day that is opening day 2010, Washington owes a debt of gratitude to those drunken and unruly neighbors to the north who made their way down the turnpike to see Roy Halliday’s debut in a Phillies uniform. Because we were so appreciative, as a bonus, we decided to give them an 11-1 stomping.
PUT_CHARACTERS_HERE
As sad as it is that we have to rely on a city that hasn’t been the national capital in like 200 years, it was special to see Nats park packed with 41,000 fans in red, even if many of those were a slightly different shade of red.
PUT_CHARACTERS_HERE
As for ideas on how the Nats can keep the ballpark filled, we could either learn how to spell free beer in Philadelphian, or even better, the Nats could just start winning. If neither of those work, we could always go with the nuclear option that would work for at least a game or two: Call up Strasburg.