Their team mascot's name is Screech?

Is Dustin Diamond actually in the suit? That'd be a good gig for him these days.

After looking at the transportation and the ticket prices for this new stadium, I can only hope that the Nats get good and the economy picks up, and real fast in both cases. This stadium seems positively designed to repel fans below a certain income level, and as many other cities have discovered, that tends to work only when your team is a fairly consistent contender.

If you don't live too near a Metro stop, this is not going to be an easy place to get to. And if you don't have a season ticket, the website seems almost to relish the fact that there is NO available parking anywhere near the park.

The videoboard----Who gives a flying f uck about a videoboard? Just another excuse to jack up the ticket prices without contributing anything of real value.

The videoboard----Who gives a flying f uck about a videoboard? Just another excuse to jack up the ticket prices without contributing anything of real value.

The new one in Arizona is supposed to bring in close to an additional million for the owners. Yay!

Upon learning that the new board would be high-definition, the Nationals immediately cut Jim Ed Warden.
...
"Ultimately, we felt the quantity of pixels involved in creating a high-def image was our best chance of getting a full image of Ray King up on the board. It's something no other team has been able to do," said Kasten over his shoulder as he rode away on his Heelys.

I just looked at the seating and pricing for this park, wow! Now I spend more than I'd like for 20 games at Miller Park, and I know it isn't cheap, but it sure is compared to this. "Scoreboard Pavilion" $27-$29 bucks for a single game. That's a second level right field seat, several feet beyond the right field wall, below this million dollar scoreboard.

Yeah, those are pricey seats. I do live near Metro (Rockville), and will probably go catch a game some weeknight. Surprising thing is, apart from opening day, there weren't the sell-outs you'd expect.

The DC area is fairly recession-proof, as most of the "work" is done on your tax dollars, but it's not a baseball town...

And nuthin' beats Tuesday upper deck seats behind homeplate for $8 at the Yard.

My god: cost to print out the ticket at home?

The convenience fee is $4.00 per ticket.

Heck, opera tickets don't have that kind of fee attached.

/I'll score one on Craig's.

Like most things DC, this place is going to end up a boondoggle. What are people supposed to do? Go to the ballgame from work on the Metro and then ride back to their office afterwards to pick up their cars? And THEN drive home?

And don't forget to take a mask for days games to keep out the clouds of dust from the concrete company next door.

And the ticket prices? No surprises there; ballparks, especially one in DC, aren't built with the average fan in mind.

Pre-season ticket sales are revealing the weakness of the Nats' fan base, which is no surprise to anyone except Boswell and the drum-beating DC media, and perhaps the owners and the die-hard Nats fans that close their ears to the loud 'O' that reverberates during the National Anthem at every Redskins home game.

What a mess.

The new park has one of the weirdest pricing schemes I think I have ever seen.

There *is* value in the top deck - seats in the infield cost $18, and then seats towards the outfield are $10 and the seats beyond that are just $5. Those $5 seats don't even look like bad seats, so they're definitely among the best value for money seats in MLB.

But section 101-106 are glorified bleacher seats and they're charging $35 for those seats. Outfield seats are terrible - that's why bleachers are supposed the cheapest seats in the park. Just because you put down seats instead of benches doesn't mean you can sell them for $35.

I suppose it may not matter because a lot of these seats will be bought on corporate expense accounts, but once new park shine wears off, they'll have to alter their pricing structure quite a bit to get people to pay $40 to buy bad seats. It's a city where baseball is a distant, distant second to football, most of the local population are from somewhere else and not Nats fans, and the ballpark is probably not even going to be that nice, certainly in location and convenience.

We left Montreal for this?

Yeah, I'd just throw in, the Nats "guide" says I should take Metro from my house to downtown, then walk half a mile. Not a big deal, I'm fit, walking through Gallery Place towards the stadium, and, OK, I'll certainly do it... once. (But I once took a cab from an O'Hare hotel to New Comiskey... very pricey, but I was, dammit, gonna see a Chicago baseball team that year.)

But this thing's certainly a disaster. 270 now has signs by the Shady Grove metro: "Park here for Nationals games..." and ride for 40 minutes... and walk half a mile.... and hope the Red Line's not getting messed with today. Greenbelt Metro along the DC beltway has similar signs and, I suppose, similar waits.

Lacking children, I don't care too much about ticket prices, but $4 to print something out? Two tickets, it's cheaper to take Metro to the box office and back, even counting diet sodas and smokey treats for the walk. Grrrrr.

Can't wait 'til a Nats game lets out the same time as a Wizards game.

The fee to print out tickets yourself is the same thing that ticketbastard has been doing for years. And that's on top of whatever fess they're charging. Gotta love it when your already over-priced ticket gets another 13 bucks added on to it.

So what are people thinking for the Nationals attendance this year? They were just a shade under 24,000 last year, which was 14th in the NL. Assuming no one's attendance jumps or sinks notably, they'd have to climb up over 25,500 to reach 13th (the Reds). The next two teams are two that should jump notably, Arizona and Colorado (both were around 28K last season) so I can't really see the Nats rising above that.

I'd guess the Nats are hoping they can go up to like 27,000 a game, which would put them over what the Orioles have been drawing the last couple of years. That's a big jump, even with a new stadium, though.

The walk from the metro station to the stadium is hardly half a mile. It's like two blocks. It's actually closer to the entrance than RFK's metro stop -- and I never saw a chili-dog-scarfing fatty drop dead of a coronary there.

I think the transportation issues are overblown. The walk from the Metro doesn't look any further than say... Kenmore-to-Fenway, and that's how most people get to Red Sox games, including the commuters who park way out in the boonies.

Low ticket sales in the first year of a new stadium scares the crap out of me, though.

The walk's overblown, but the problems with Metro probably aren't.

The stadium is on the least (I think?) used line, and the majority of customers are going to have to transfer. That's not a huge problem, but it creates an inconvenience as most will have to sit through two bottlenecks: one at the initial station and one at the transfer point.

Despite having about 4 years of advanced notice, Metro just this week was admitting that they don't really know how they're going to handle the crowds or the necessary transfers.

For someone going back to Alexandria, which is right across the river from DC, it's probably going to take at least 45 minutes. Doable, but certainly not convenient.

I thought the Yellow Line was the least used line. It always seemed that way when I rode in from Huntington. Of course, as I started at one end, I always got a seat on the way in :)

You got a seat on the yellow? Consider yourself lucky! Standing and reading on that lurching thing is a pain in the butt! You're probably right.

Let's put it this way... of people going to the game, I bet more people get off at yellow stations than green ones.

For someone going back to Alexandria, which is right across the river from DC, it's probably going to take at least 45 minutes. Doable, but certainly not convenient.

That's not unreasonable at all. Getting back to Cambridge (right across the river) from Fenway takes about that long. Be thankful the DC stadium isn't on a 19th-century streetcar line.

From my office in midtown Manhattan, it takes close to an hour to get from my desk to a seat in either Shea or Yankee stadium. I don't even need to transfer to get to either stadium.

No, not unreasonable, but considering how it was 20 minutes by car, and you didn't need to deal with crowds last season, and it's an extra inconvenience.

We'll deal. It's just less easy than it was last season.

I actually thought the ticket prices were pretty good considering I bought 4 yesterday for opening day for a total of $59.25, taxes/fees/first-born included. And, the fact is, we're not going to have to deal with ticket surcharges once the season get's going, as there is no reason to buy tickets ahead of time to a stadium that won't ever sell out.

Ooooh! Dot races in hi-def. Just what everybody has been eagerly waiting for!

Anyone know what's going to happen to the lovely concrete (I assume) company between the stadium and the river? Makes for an ugly picture coming from the other side of the Anacostia.

Eventually, this will happen.

Construction should start in '09.

I'm sure the actually affordable seats will sell out at least weeks in advance, though. I'd better start planning.

Doesn't the "half mile walk" come from the suggestion that people on the blue/orange line just walk to the nearest station (I think Capitol South)? I think Marc Fisher talked about this in a recent chat - the walk right now is not exactly picturesque, but doable.

But this thing's certainly a disaster. 270 now has signs by the Shady Grove metro: "Park here for Nationals games..." and ride for 40 minutes... and walk half a mile.... and hope the Red Line's not getting messed with today. Greenbelt Metro along the DC beltway has similar signs and, I suppose, similar waits.

The stadium may or may not be a disaster, but it was never going to be terribly convenient for people near 270. The stadium could have 8 quadrillion parking spaces and I'd still rather take the Metro from Shady Grove than drive in during rush hour.

The stadium may or may not be a disaster, but it was never going to be terribly convenient for people near 270. The stadium could have 8 quadrillion parking spaces and I'd still rather take the Metro from Shady Grove than drive in during rush hour.

The new location looks like it should be a slightly shorter trip for red-liners, right?

In fact, this spot is probably better for most city-dwellers, and they are paying for the thing, after all. I know my parents are stoked about their short ride from their apartment in Penn Quarter.

In fact, this spot is probably better for most city-dwellers, and they are paying for the thing, after all

True, to an extent. But what makes this one different from many other stadiums, is the fact that it's drawing a significant number of patrons -- ticket, merchandise and concessions buyers -- from two other tax jurisdictions (MD and VA). DC's getting revenue from them that it likely wouldn't otherwise, changing the financing equation quite a bit from past studies.

Doesn't the "half mile walk" come from the suggestion that people on the blue/orange line just walk to the nearest station (I think Capitol South)? I think Marc Fisher talked about this in a recent chat - the walk right now is not exactly picturesque, but doable.

That one's probably just a bit more than half a mile. At a reasonable stride, it's probably a 15-minute walk, and it bypasses at least one, if not two, of those bottlenecks.

Yeesh, the first game hasn't even been played yet and already we've got people whining and calling it a "disaster". Give me a break.

The fact that the thing not only got built, but got built on time, is pretty impressive for this local government, so I think some kudos are in order on that front. And I guarantee that when the games get started it's going to be a hell of a lot better than the bland, outdated experience of the the games at RFK.

Joey, a lot of us aren't saying that the park itself is a disaster. It's just that given the ticket prices and the length of time it's going to take to get there in the rush hour and get home after one of those classic 4 hour games, the Nats had better get good, and quickly, because the two factors I mention are going to remove a lot of the incentive for a working fan with a less than high income. Add to that the fact that you can see 162 games in the comfort of your living room, and change the channel if it's a blowout. There's still little evidence that this is anything more than a purely Redskins sports town.

you can see 162 games in the comfort of your living room

Yeah, but then you're stuck listening to Bob Carpenter.

Wait! So that's why they brought him back!

You're right, "a lot" of people aren't saying the park is a disaster, but one person has already directly made that proclamation. Personally, I plan on actually going to a game or three before I start forming my opinion and giving my review (crazy huh?).

Regarding getting to the game, I know that parking is an issue. But given the amount of money that the city has generously laid out for this project, I can absolutely understand why they would want commuters to take the Metro, which is what I plan on doing. I already do it when I go to an event at the Verizon center. And seeing fellow Americans complaining about having to walk half a mile or so just makes me want to throw up.

About ticket prices, you bring this subject up constantly, and I've gotten to the point in life now where the topic kind of bores me. Sure, I wish that tickets still cost as much as they did in the eighties (who doesn't), but it's just not going to happen in an era where the average player is making three million dollars a year. It is unfortunate for people on the lower ends of the economic spectrum, and hopefully the team will do some local outreach and special events on that front, but otherwise I don't know what you can do. It is a business after all, and live entertainment in general today tends to cost money. Poor people can't really afford to go to a big live concert or the opera either today.

And you're right that the Nationals will never have as big a following here as the Redskins, but if they ever do become a really good team, plenty of people in the area will embrace them enthusiastically.

Joey, a lot of us aren't saying that the park itself is a disaster. It's just that given the ticket prices and the length of time it's going to take to get there in the rush hour and get home after one of those classic 4 hour games, the Nats had better get good, and quickly, because the two factors I mention are going to remove a lot of the incentive for a working fan with a less than high income. Add to that the fact that you can see 162 games in the comfort of your living room, and change the channel if it's a blowout. There's still little evidence that this is anything more than a purely Redskins sports town.

You'd think that high ticket prices, 4 hour games, a stadium which is a nightmare to get in and out of and the prospect of blowouts would have particular appeal to a Redskins fan.

Sure, I wish that tickets still cost as much as they did in the eighties (who doesn't), but it's just not going to happen in an era where the average player is making three million dollars a year.

One more time. The player salaries have no bearing on the ticket prices. The ticket prices are based on what the fans are willing to pay. Just look at big time college football and basketball. They're paying their players a tiny fraction of what they pro players get, but the ticket prices are atill comparable to the pros.

I know that the new videoboard is supposed to be huge, but is it big enough to show Nick Johnson full-frame?

One more time. The player salaries have no bearing on the ticket prices. The ticket prices are based on what the fans are willing to pay. Just look at big time college football and basketball. They're paying their players a tiny fraction of what they pro players get, but the ticket prices are atill comparable to the pros.

You're right of course. If the goal of an organization like a baseball team was simply to sell every ticket to every game, then yes, they would just charge the same prices for food and tickets that they were sixty years ago, and they would most likely sell out all the time.

But obviously the goal of most intelligent businesses isn't to sell the most widgets, it's to maximize revenue or profit. And it seems to me that MLB is doing a pretty good job of that nowadays, even at today's cost of going to a game.

Like I said, it's unfortunate for the people of lower economic means, but that isn't my bugaboo.

Regarding getting to the game, I know that parking is an issue. But given the amount of money that the city has generously laid out for this project, I can absolutely understand why they would want commuters to take the Metro, which is what I plan on doing. I already do it when I go to an event at the Verizon center. And seeing fellow Americans complaining about having to walk half a mile or so just makes me want to throw up.

Again, Rockville: 10 min. walk to Metro. 45 minutes on train. 10 min. walk to Stadium. On the way back, pray I don't get stuck for 20 minutes at Grosvenor.

From exit 6 on 270 to the D. St. exit on 395 N, it's around 30 minutes driving, depending which side of the Legion Bridge you come in on.

It is certainly faster to drive to Baltimore via one or several routes (against traffic in both cases, 'round 40 minutes my house to the Inner Harbor, 45 minutes if I go the double-secret way.)

I lift weights 5 times a week (home gym) and use a programmable stair climber 3 times a week (also at home), so I can probably handle the walk. If, say, I wanted to go to the game with my dad, he's got a knee thing, .5 mile stroll might be an issue. And, of course, lot of people's dads have a knee thing...

Poor planning, but, yeah, I'll see if I can't score a artificially scarce parking pass to the O's at Nats for a Father's Day gift. And I will go see the Nats v. the Fish that second week, maybe opting for a better seat if it's cold.

But I won't pay a $4 convenience fee to print out the damn ticket.

... don't get me started on aggressive traffic-related revenue collection by the DC government to help offset their "generous" contributions to the stadium... hasn't happened to me, but, my goodness, they're not even pretending anymore.

don't get me started on aggressive traffic-related revenue collection by the DC government to help offset their "generous" contributions to the stadium... hasn't happened to me, but, my goodness, they're not even pretending anymore.

I've gotten nailed by the camera speedtraps a couple of times. As I result, I avoid driving through D.C. whenever possible if I can feasibly go around it. Once you learn where they are it becomes easier to avoid getting nailed.

I hate the speedtraps and the fact that the city has such a high sales tax, but in fairness, they do have a pretty legitimate beef since they're not legally permitted to put in tolls against commuters, something which so many big cities have now. And let's be honest, they have laid out a boatload of money for the stadium.

Never Thought...:

While I agree with some of what you said- especially the $4 fee for ticket printouts, which is obscene- I'm not sure why you think it's a half-mile from the metro to the stadium. It's one block:

http://www.wmata.com/nationals/

Anyone who can't walk that distance would probably have a much tougher time dealing with the steps and crowds inside the stadium then the single block from the metro to the stadium.

Also, while a 30-45 minute trip may be inconvenient for you, remember that they're not the Rockville Nationals. Anything closer to you would be further away from the D.C.-resident taxpayers who paid for the stadium, the downtown law and lobbying firms that are responsible for a great many of the season ticket sales, and patrons in PG County, Alexandria, etc. etc. etc.

Finally, a helpful hint to you and other red-liners: Go to Union Station and hop the N22 shuttle bus. Quick and easy, handicap-friendly buses, and you'll get a scenic tour of Capitol Hill on the way.