In philosophy it can generally be stated that "self" doesn't exist in a vacume. You draw on experiences, the reactions and experiences of those around you, social constraints, and ideals to create the you you show to the world. Similarly when we went to the Nationals Ballpark for Explorations we got to see a "self" in progress.
The identity of the Nationals is a vacume (yeah the team sucks) in that it doesn't have experiences of its own to draw on and so has to draw in the history of those around it to exist. This form of existance gives everything about the team a very prepacked focus group feel that real baseball fans don't appreciate.
Baseball has in recent years become a sport of nostalgia. It long ago was circumvented by football "America's pastime" but it allows fans to look back at a less brutal time. Was baseball's heyday really less brutal? No. but it is the performance of the "take me out to the ballgame" nostalgia that keeps ballpark seats filled. Naturally it follows that older more established clubs like the Yankees, Red Soxs, Cubs, and Dodgers are among the most popular. Those clubs are able to rely on their long histories and catalogue of historic players to draw fans into their performance.
The Nationals have no such luxury. Instead they draw on the regional teams for support. The Senators, now the Texas Rangers (another historically bad ball club) have large sections devoted to their stars.
It's not entirely the National's fault. They're just the new kids in a school where the cliques were formed in the 30's. Give 'em time to break in their focus group stadium and the performance will be more natural.
If they start winning more games they'll be sitting at the cool kids table in no time.
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