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AP: Redskins, Nationals go head-to-head Sunday

spanishomelette

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in 2005 Archives Forum

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spanishomelette

spanishomelette

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Redskins, Nationals go head-to-head Sunday

With the start of the NFL season, D.C.'s baseball team faces stiffer competition for press, fans

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-natsskins909,1,354373.story?coll=bal-sports-headlines

By Joseph White

AP Sports Writer

Originally published September 9, 2005, 3:12 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Already reeling from a late-season swoon, the Washington Nationals face a new and very formidable opponent Sunday: the Washington Redskins.

The Redskins' NFL season opener against the Chicago Bears goes head-to-head with the Nationals' series finale against the Atlanta Braves. Kickoff at FedEx Field is at 1 p.m., just five minutes before the scheduled first pitch at RFK Stadium.

"I think the Nationals are going to lose out to that, just knowing the history of the teams," said Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs, who grew up in the Washington area.

Washington has already been first and foremost a Redskins city. The team's quarterback, as the saying goes, is the second most important person in town after the president -- and probably overtakes the president on Sundays in the fall. The city's NHL Capitals, NBA Wizards and MLS D.C. United have all experienced various degrees of playoff success over the last decade, but nothing galvanizes the populace and sets its mood for an entire week like a plain old regular season Redskins game.

But the baseball is the new kid in town, returning to the city after an absence of more than three decades. The Nationals -- the former Montreal Expos -- are playing at the Redskins' old stomping grounds at RFK, where the seats are still burgundy and gold and the fans bounce up and down on the movable stands to celebrate home runs -- much the same way they rocked the place during touchdown runs before the football team moved to new and bigger FedEx in 1997.

The Nationals have drawn more than 2.3 million fans and have topped the season franchise attendance record set in Montreal, although sellouts have been rare. Media coverage was strong during the first half of the season, but there came a day last month when manager Frank Robinson wondered aloud why there were fewer reporters coming to his daily pregame news conferences.

That's because the Redskins had opened training camp Aug. 1. Even though the baseball team was making an unexpected playoff run -- and even though the football team is widely expected to miss the postseason for the sixth straight year -- the page had begun to turn.

The Nationals played their part by falling into a long, excruciating slump. They've dropped from first to fourth in the NL wild card chase since July, and three straight home losses this week to the Florida Marlins have nearly erased any postseason hopes -- just in time for football season.

On Sunday, there are sure to be odd moments at RFK when baseball fans with radios cheer for touchdowns taking place at the other stadium. No one expects the reverse to happen.

"Baseball doesn't do its schedule based on the NFL or anything like that," Nationals President Tony Tavares said. "If you had your druthers, we'd be out of town the same time that they're in, but it doesn't work that way."

A small piece of Redskins-Nationals detente took place Friday when both teams said they would put the other team's scores on their respective scoreboards. The Redskins usually don't give baseball scores, but, as spokesman Karl Swanson said: "There hasn't been a local baseball team before now."

To which Tavares responded: "If they're going to do it, then we'll reciprocate."

LaVar Arrington has watched the changing dynamic with interest. The Redskins linebacker relocated his family to the Washington area after he was drafted and has immersed himself in the local sports scene. He's been a regular at Wizards games and says he's a little perplexed that United hasn't received more attention after winning a fourth MLS title last year.

"But the Wizards had the city going crazy when they were winning," Arrington said. "Basketball, baseball, football -- if you're winning, this city's going to definitely get behind you and support you."

Arrington fully expects the Redskins to get more attention Sunday, but he also knows how fickle fans can be. The reaction could be different if, say, the teams end up playing on the same day in mid-October.

"If we get off to a slow start and they make it to the playoffs," Arrington said, "then definitely the tables will be turned."

AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.

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pR0JEkT 21

pR0JEkT 21

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Who cares about the Nats they were gone for like 30 years and no one missed them, no one is going to miss or think about the Nats when football season is in trust me! Missing the Nats game is not a big deal! People didnt see them for 30 years ONCE AGAIN I SAY IT so now it shouldnt be any different.

The Redskins are first priority on everybodys list thats for sure!

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