You probably don’t want to hear this, Virginia, but yeah, you’re frontrunners when it comes to sports.
Public Policy Polling has been polling Virginia the past few days to gauge attitudes and opinions on the 2016 presidential race and the 2017 governor’s race. As part of that work, the pollsters asked questions on other issues, including our favorite sports teams.
The first time PPP polled Virginia on sports, in 2011, Virginia Tech topped UVA, and the Atlanta Braves were the favorite Major League Baseball team.
Ahem, now more of us root for UVA, and the Washington Nationals have our baseball loyalties.
UVA has the backing of 34 percent of Virginians, according to the poll, outpacing Virginia Tech supporters, who number 28 percent of the state.
Back in 2011, it was Virginia Tech in a near-landslide, 32 percent to 21 percent who rooted for the ‘Hoos.
Maybe that’s three years of so-so Hokie football, and a resurgence in UVA basketball, with back-to-back 30-win seasons, and Wahoo baseball, which has been to three College World Series since 2011, and won the 2015 national championship.
The Nats are the favorite baseball team for 18 percent of Virginians, outpacing the Braves and New York Yankees, at 12 percent each, and the Baltimore Orioles, at 10 percent.
Four years ago, the Braves were the favorites of 19 percent, to 14 percent for the Yankees, and 11 percent for the Nationals.
Getting back to the UVA-Virginia Tech divide, you can also look at it as a partisan divide as well. Democrats root for the Cavs by a 34 percent-23 percent margin, while Republicans narrowly back the Hokies by a 36 percent-34 percent margin.
– Story by Chris Graham
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