The core experience of a sports fan is attending a game in person. Here in D.C., we’re lucky enough to have a professional franchise in each of the five major American sports. And while we can all argue which team is the best or most popular, we tried to determine which is the best to actually watch in person, as a fan.
5. Washington Redskins — 39 points
On-field product: 6/20
Transportation: 7/20
Amenities: 10/20
Environment: 8/20
Tickets: 8/20
The Redskins may still ride their success of past generations and the overall popularity of the NFL to dominate attention in this town, but across the board, we found the game day experience to be the opposite of fan-friendly. With just seven wins over the past two seasons combined, the magic of 2012 seems a distant memory. Besides that, games are expensive and hard to get to, and occasionally feature $9, expired beer. There are some bonus points for the in-stadium cigar bar and the loud die-hards, but that’s about it.
Chris Cichon, operations: The food is fine and I do feel that their in stadium drink/food vendors come around a pretty decent amount. FedEx Field is a structural atrocity with its obstructed view seating, but the negativity of the fans can be quite entertaining.
Sports reporter Jonathan Warner tried to give the transportation grade to FedEx Field a negative 2, but we had to mark him down for a 1.
JW: It’s hard to tell which is worse — the team, the phony hyped-up environment, the awful commute in and out, the criminal-sized parking prices, or what the Redskins charge for the terrible game day experience.
We don’t have a lot to add to that.
(AP Photo/Mark Tenally)
AP Photo/Mark Tenally
4. Washington Wizards — 69 points
With The Great Wall of Chinatown leading the way, the Wizards have become a legitimate Eastern Conference playoff threat and possible contender, despite what Colin Cowherd thinks. The Verizon Center is easy to access via Metro, though parking downtown is no picnic. Tickets are plentiful, but NBA games can still set you back a pretty penny. This is a score that could rise if the in-game environment rises with the level of play on the court.
On-court product: 15/20
Transportation: 16/20
Amenities: 16/20
Environment: 11/20
Tickets: 11/20
Noah Frank, digital sports editor: The Wizards have certainly been more exciting to watch the past few years. But Verizon Center lacks the same kind of punch during basketball that it enjoys for hockey.
George Wallace, sports reporter: The big thing for me at Wizards games is the music. I do like music, but NBA seems to overdo it — constantly, on every possession, it seems like.
CC: Tickets can also be expensive if you want to sit close but I’ve found them not as bad as trying to go see the Caps.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
3. D.C. United — 75 points
Even before they move into their sparkling new abode in Buzzard Point in a few years, the District’s soccer team is already achieving high marks thanks to stellar on-field play, and a cheap, fun, fan-friendly environment. And while RFK may be crumbling, between the Lot 8 pregame party and the strong supporter’s groups, the fan atmosphere is unmatched.
JW: RFK is very old, but the crowd creates a fun environment. Kudos on that to La Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles fan clubs. A new, smaller stadium is going to make this a terrific experience.
Rachel Nania, living editor: They get results, but aren’t as flashy as some teams. If you’re hungry, bring a grill.
NF: One of my friends, who is a big baseball and football fan, attended his first D.C. United game recently. When the final whistle blew, he turned and said, “This is the most fun I can remember having at a sporting event.” Enough said.
On-field product: 16/20
Transportation: 14/20
Amenities: 9/20
Environment: 17/20
Tickets: 19/20
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
2. Washington Capitals — 79 points
While the Caps and Wizards play in the same building and share the same concession stands, little else is similar about their respective game day experiences. The boisterous atmosphere of fans “Rocking the Red” comes with the team’s last decade of regular season success, sure, but there’s more to the experience. The game day production is second-to-none in D.C. sports, making for an up-tempo fan environment from the time the puck drops until the final buzzer sounds.
On-ice product: 17/20
Transportation: 16/20
Amenities: 16/20
Environment: 18/20
Tickets: 12/20
CC: Hockey is arguably one of the most entertaining sports to watch live, and having the top goal scorer in the league in Ovechkin certainly helps create a plentiful amount of exciting moments.
JW: The venue has helped revitalize Chinatown, making for a good experience before, during and after the game.
GW: The crowds have been great in recent years, evident by the sellout streak, and are always engaged in the game. From the scoreboard videos, to the PA announcer and even down to the anthem at times.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
1. Washington Nationals — 84 points
When you think about it, the Nats are an unsurprising top pick for this list. The team has been strongly competitive the past four seasons. The ballpark has its own Metro stop. Parking costs may still be abrasive, but there are Bikeshare stations and bike parking across the street. The food array continues to expand, along with the beer selection. And you can still score a $5 ticket to some home games.
CC: With Bryce Harper’s big bat and the pitching staff being one of the best in baseball, your chances of walking out of Nats Park on a given night a happy fan are usually strong.
GW: The Nats have introduced a number of new different food items over the years, trying to make things more appealing. The in-game entertainment is OK — they do some good things but there are also times where you just want to not hear anything and enjoy the game.
JW: It’s the best bargain in town price-wise to watch one of the best teams in baseball.
On-field product: 19/20
Transportation: 16/20
Amenities: 16/20
Environment: 15/20
Tickets: 18/20
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON — Sports are constantly ranking and re-ranking themselves. It’s part of the fun of being a sports fan, debating the best and worst of anything and everything. But when you take a step back from dissecting statistics debating legacies, what matters the most in the sporting world is the fan experience.
Professional sports rely upon this experience to continue to grow and become more lucrative. Sure, there are hefty television contracts that support each league now, but the core experience of what it means to be a fan is attending a game in person.
Here in D.C., we’re lucky enough to have a professional franchise in each of the five major American sports. And while we can all argue which team is the best or most popular, what we tried to determine in these rankings is which is the best to actually watch in person, as a fan.
To do so, we broke down the fan experience into five categories:
The quality and excitement of the on-field product
Transportation and parking options and accessibility
Venue concessions and amenities
Game day environment, from fan support to in-game entertainment
Ticket options, availability and prices
Each team was ranked in each of the five categories from 1 (awful) to 5 (excellent) by four of our sports or newsroom staff members with experience attending games. Those numbers were then added together to form a composite score out of 100.
So, with no further ado, click through the slides to see our professional D.C. sports fan experience rankings.
