Say what you will about the Phillies fans – the ones who were obnoxious, the ones who were quite lovely, and the ones who were in between – but you have to acknowledge their ability to cheer for their team (I’m not going to comment on the booing skills shown by some of them). And honestly, when we scored that 1 run, our fans also showed some mad cheering skills that were louder than the visitors. But then what?
Sometimes the voice of NatsTown seems so quiet that you could hear a moth flutter his wings in the 400s lights. One sure way to make the visitors’ cheers a little less effective is to out-cheer them. So what happened to the cheering from NatsTown on Monday? Hold on before you jump all over me and say that there was nothing to cheer about. You didn’t know that there was going to be nothing to cheer about before a ball was pitched, before the batter stepped up to the plate. So why not cheer when the team took the field each inning? Why not cheer when each batter’s name was called? You didn’t know what was going to happen, and if you say you assumed what would happen, well then get your Negative Nelly attitude an adjustment and come back around when you’re cured.
I heard cheers when our team was announced. I heard cheers when Zim drove in our run. I heard end of inning cheers when a few went without a Phillies run. But aside from that, I didn’t hear the voice of NatsTown, and I hardly ever do. How are you going to overcome a mass of opposing team fans if you don’t speak out?
What I have noticed in many games throughout the past few seasons is that DC baseball fans seem to be the quietest ones I’ve ever heard. When we’re winning, sure, we’re loud. But even when the game is not going so badly or there is no score, it’s like pulling teeth to get a “Let’s Go Nationals” going (or a “Let’s Go Nats” if you must – but please not when the Mets are in town, OK?). Everyone seems to join a dreaded wave, but no one seems to have a voice?
I realize that if you are even reading this post, chances are you do cheer throughout the game. I hear you on that one, and I thank you. I admit that you may not be my target for this post – and that my target may never read this post. But since you are reading this, I’m going to guess that even you can do better. So tonight, I charge you (and me) to do - and recruit others to join us in doing - the following:
- Stand up when the fireworks burst and the team takes the field
- Cheer for the entire lineup whether or not you think a player may deserve it
- Clap for him each time a player steps up to the plate throughout the game, no matter how he is playing today, even if his last name is not Zimmerman
- Respond to the Let’s Go Nats! chants
- Stomp your feet & make some noise
- Encourage the players to do well even when they are doing poorly
- Bring some energy to the park & let the Nationals know that you are there
You know that saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them”? When it comes to drowning out the cheers of visiting fans, you can’t beat them unless you join them!
Original Story:
http://wevegotheart.com/2010/04/07/ch...
