After forcing the Washington Redskins to break a decade of stupidity, the Burgundy Revolution should turn to the Washington Nationals.
Welcome, Teddy’s Tea Partiers.
If fans can force Redskins owner Dan Snyder into firing longtime cohort Vinny Cerrato, hiring a real general manager and then disappearing while football men run the team, then Teddy’s Tea Partiers can coerce the Lerner family into putting more resources into the Nats.
The team finishes its sixth season in Washington on Sunday with a fifth straight losing record. At least it’s not major league baseball’s worst mark for a third consecutive year, but the Nats remain several players away from truly contending.
There’s really only one way to force team owners into submission — ticket boycott. Nats fans have greatly supported a lousy product. Indeed, Washington actually increased attendance this season by 11,000 over last season at 1,828,066. Sure they gained Stephen Strasburg buzz for a few games, but it was only a few games in midseason. Drawing 1.8 million in a recession after two terrible years should end debate over the nation’s capital deserving baseball.
Snyder was finally broken after seeing a half-empty stadium several times late last season. A generational fan base gave up. The Nats don’t have that history, but their fans need ownership to understand they’re not accepting an inferior product in 2011 with promises of young players eventually emerging.
Drew Storen, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and Strasburg arrived this season to mixed, but promising, results. Teen phenom Bryce Harper was signed, but remains several years away. The pitching at least has a pulse.
But the Nats can’t keep banking fan money without protecting the current product. Reports of not re-signing Adam Dunn are idiocy. Dunn puts fans in seats as the classic cleanup hitter with several productive years remaining. He’s one of the reasons why fans endured hot summer nights to watch losses.
Dunn isn’t a complete statue at first base. He’s bearable and that’s enough. To lose Dunn after two standout seasons shows a disregard for fans. The public can only retaliate with their money.
The Lerners can counter that big money for Strasburg and Harper proves their commitment. However, after not signing their top pick in 2008, the Nats were forced to ink the next two first overall picks or face immediate fan revolt. Yet, this franchise still has the stench of a land deal flip by the Lerners, who turn dirt into dough as real estate developers. Teams aren’t always good investments, especially losing teams. After six years, the Nats need to quickly escape before branded as perennial losers. Meanwhile, the city needs to complete the waterfront projects before fans completely abandon thoughts of dinner, drinks and a ballgame in town.
Fans have been more than patient. The Lerners either step up over the offseason by investing in a winning team or Teddy’s Tea Partiers should exit until they do. It may the only showdown fans can force … and win.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
