Tourist Tuesday: Sports in the District

I know I need to start getting back into my Tourist Tuesday's and Washington Wednesday's post series, so since Spring Training and March Madness are right around the corner I figured I should tell you about sports in the District.

Here's my list of sports in DC worth checking out:

1. Baseball

We've been out to Nationals Park numerous times to watch the Nationals (or Cardinals) play.  It's a typical stadium where you can watch your home team (or the Nationals), drink beer and get a hot dog (or something more gourmet), but Nationals Park has it's own unique "thing." Every baseball stadium seems to have its "thing," and here it's The Racing Presidents. Every game, during the fourth inning, a select group of men and women don the heads of four Presidents - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt - and race around the ballpark.

If people don't get up and cheer for the Nationals, they will cheer for the Presidents. Abe Lincoln has won the most at 154 times from 2006-2010, while Teddy Roosevelt, to this day, has not won a single race. There's even a local push to have Teddy win a race, with a blog and t-shirts dedicated to the topic. I think Chris and I secretly want to be at the game when Teddy wins ; )

2. Hockey

Another team you can check out is the Washington Capitals hockey team. And, they are actually pretty good! I took Chris to a game in January as a Christmas present (and it fulfilled my goal to visit a DC place once a month). The game was a lot of fun, plus the Caps won! If tickets weren't so expensive, I would definitely go more often (almost $100/ticket to sit in pretty much nose-bleed seats). It was the first NHL game I had been to in eons and I really look forward to going to some more, I just have to save my pennies . . . (Oh, and the Verizon Center where they play is located in the heart of Chinatown, so it's super easy to get to and there are tons of restaurants to catch drinks and dinner before a game.)

(Courtesy of afagen via Flickr)

3. Football 

You can also go see the Redskins play at FedEx Field. No, the Redskins aren't the greatest team in the NFL, but if you like football, why not! Plus, even though it's way out in Maryland, at least it's metro-accessible. Chris and I have been lucky enough to go to FedEx Field to watch the Rams and Chiefs play, from a box. Now, while it isn't the same experience as tailgating in the parking lot and sitting in the cold smashed against other fans, I'll take free box seats any  time! (Thanks, Dad!)

4. Basketball

Washington's basketball team, the Wizards, also play in the Verizon Center. The "pros" of watching the Wizards are that they're a NBA-team (even if some college teams could beat them) and the tickets are cheap (because they aren't good). The "cons" of watching the Wizards is that they aren't good. They are so bad that their losing streaks are constantly discussed in local news. They're even so bad that I've been to one of their games (tickets were $10, awesome!) but still accidentally say that I've never been to a NBA game. Oops. Maybe the NBA isn't for me, but for $10 tickets I might still go to a game.

(Courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr)

5. Soccer

Yes, DC has a soccer team, the DC United. And, people out here really like their soccer team. I really really really want to go to a game (hint, hint, hubby), but their games are less frequent, and the tickets are kinda pricey. They play at RFK Stadium, which was named in honor of JFK's brother, Robert Kennedy, and used to be the home of the Redskins, Senators, and the Nationals. There is talk of DC United moving into a new stadium in Maryland, but I think RFK is pretty cool. I mean, it has held international soccer games for the FIFA World Cup and the 1996 summer Olympics in it - cool, no? Going to a DC United game is definitely on my list of things to do in DC.

(Courtesy of lunasola via Flickr)

6. Tennis

Did you know DC has a pro tennis team? They do. Meet the Washington Kastles, which include Venus and Serena Williams. Awesome, right?! They are undefeated. Nuff said. Every summer they host a WTT (World Tennis Team) tournament in DC, and one summer, we will go. Right, Chris?

(Courtesy of absentmindedprof via Flickr)

7. College Basketball

Lastly, it's only fitting living on the east coast that I mention college basketball. People out here love their college basketball. Some even follow the Division II and III teams - weird, I know. But, there are some pretty big Division I teams out here like the University of Maryland Terps, Georgetown Hoyas, and the George Mason University Patriots (my alma mater!). Some years they're good, some years they aren't, but they definitely have fan followings out here and you can't avoid hearing about them during basketball season. Sadly, as a Mason student I never went to a game, but someday I plan on it!

(Courtesy of Phil Romans via Flickr)

So, that's my list of sports things to do in DC. If you're bored with walking around monuments and museums, I would suggest checking out one of the local sporting events. Although, as I mentioned, I'm not claiming that they're very good, or that it's cheap . . .

We're always up for an outing to a game so if anyone is interested, let us know!