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D.C. sports fans: A look at the sports area residents follow and which teams they root for The Washington area’s sports loyalties and fan behavior reflect many of the salient characteristics of the region as a whole.
DC sports fans
The Redskins used their run of three Super Bowl titles in the 1980s and ’90s to build the most vocal fan base of any team in the Washington area.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
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DC sports fans
Of Washington area pro football fans, 48 percent say the Washington Redskins are their favorite team.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Only four in 10 Washington sports fans aged 18-39 have a favorable impression of the Redskins.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
In the D.C. sports fan poll, conducted in late August, 55 percent of Washington sports fans said they prefer professional sports over college sports.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
Washington sports fans have gone titleless in the four major sports since the Redskins won their last championship in 1992. It’s the second-longest drought among cities with teams in all four major sports.
Toni L. Sandys
/
WASHINGTON POST
DC sports fans
”My first words were diamonds and Redskins," jokes Ashley McClendon, left, while tailgating with her boyfriend Ryan Donovan before the Redskins’ game against the Eagles this season.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Sixty eight percent of Washington natives view the Redskins favorably.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
“Washington fans are really a wonderful blend of the best parts of Northern tier fans and Sunbelt fans,” former Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten said.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Despite living in Centreville with a Redskins-loving husband and son, Shelby Oakley maintains her Steelers fandom.
Marlon Correa
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The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Will Oakley and his son Cal do their ”Cooley handshake” while watching a Redskins game.
Marlon Correa
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
“This town is palpably different on Monday mornings when the Redskins win or the Redskins lose,” said Scott Sterling (not shown), a New York State native who has lived in the D.C. area since the late 1970s.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Sixty percent of Washington area residents say they care a “great deal” or “somewhat” about the NFL.
John McDonnell
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Just 43 percent of area residents who grew up elsewhere but live in Washington now view the Redskins favorably.
Jonathan Newton
/
The Washington Post
The "Hogettes," a band of unofficial Redskins cheerleaders are among the most well-known fans in all of sports.
BOB STRONG
/
Associated Press
DC sports fans
Benjamin Goforth,7, of Boyds, Md., is among a new generation of Washington sports fans who is growing up with Major League Baseball back in the city.
Jonathan Newton
/
The Washington Post
The Nationals have had to build a fan base virtually from scratch after the team arrived in Washington in 2005.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
“Baseball’s about where you grow up; I can’t force my kids to be Dodgers fans,” said NBC’s “Meet the Press” host David Gregory, a native of Los Angeles who is now a fan of the Nationals and the Capitals.
Jonathan Newton
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
With a lineup, including rising star Michael Morse (38), that appears to be moving in the right direction, the Nationals have found themselves playing in front of growing crowds, most of whom are rooting for the hometown team.
Jonathan Newton
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Of area baseball fans, 51 percent support either the Nationals or the Baltimore Orioles.
Jonathan Newton
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Games in which Nationals phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg pitches have been nicknamed “Strasmas,” and fan interest swells considerably when he takes the mound.
Jonathan Newton
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
“I think Washington had changed,” said Ronald Montague, a D.C. baseball fan who says the city’s fanscape has been altered in the past 15 years to include more residents who root openly for other cities’ teams.
John McDonnell
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
A string of successful seasons has pushed the Capitals from having one of the smallest television hockey audiences to ranking eighth in the league last season.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Thirty seven percent of area sports fans aged 18-39 have “strongly” favorable views of the Capitals, more than double that of any other team in the area.
John McDonnell
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Capitals fans regularly pack Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington to watch their favorite team practice.
John McDonnell
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
The Capitals were chosen as the favorite hockey team of a whopping 72 percent of area sports fans, dwarfing any other local franchise.
John McDonnell
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
A swelling fan base has made the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin one of the most popular athletes in the Washington area.
Jonathan Newton
/
The Washington Post
DC sports fans
The Capitals have a string of more than 100 consecutive sellouts despite raising ticket prices four straight years.
Jonathan Newton
/
The Washington Post
Washington fans turned out in droves when the Capitals took on the Penguins in the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh last season.
Toni Sandys
/
WASHINGTON POST
DC sports fans
Winning the NBA draft lottery and earning the right to draft John Wall has been one of the only highlights in the past few seasons for the Wizards.
Toni L. Sandys
/
The Washington Post
In 2007, when the Wizards were an up-and-coming playoff team, they averaged 18,372 fans per game. Three years of struggles later, that number dipped to 16,204.
Preston Keres
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THE WASHINGTON POST
Twenty nine percent of area basketball fans chose the Wizards as their favorite team. Fourteen percent chose the Los Angeles Lakers and 9 percent selected the Boston Celtics.
John McDonnell
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THE WASHINGTON POST
DC sports fans
“We’re fair-weather fans, we are,” said Miles Rawls, the commissioner of Southeast Washington’s Goodman League basketball circuit.
Marvin Joseph
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The Washington Post
DC sports fans
Hundreds of Wizards fans welcomed the arrival of No. 1 overall pick John Wall in June.
Marvin Joseph
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The Washington Post
DC sports fans
The Barra Brava is D.C. United’s most vocal, ardent fans.
Jonathan Newton
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The Washington Post
D.C. United won four MLS Cups, the most recent of any Washington sports championships.
Richard A. Lipski
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FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
DC sports fans
While D.C. United’s fans have filled RFK Stadium with cheers for years, the team is actively looking for a new stadium.
Richard A. Lipski
/
For The Washington Post
Despite a supportive fan base, D.C. United has failed to reach the playoffs in a club-record four consecutive seasons.
Jonathan Newton
/
THE WASHINGTON POST
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Section:/sports
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