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Scott German: My daughter is a Washington Nationals fan, and I’m OK (!) with it

Scott German
elizabeth nationals fan
My daughter, Elizabeth, in a Washington Nationals T-shirt. Photo by Scott German.

My team is the Baltimore Orioles. I don’t mean like I own the Baltimore Orioles, but as much money as I have spent supporting them over my lifetime, I should at least be a minority stockholder.

As a youth, I practically spent my summer in Baltimore, attending games in Memorial Stadium. My parents were Orioles fans, so much that my mom and dad would spend their vacations in Baltimore.

So naturally, when I became an adult (my daughter says I’m  almost there), both my children would also bleed Orioles orange and black. And for the longest time, they did. It may have helped that every time I asked if they wanted to go to an Orioles game, a trip to the Baltimore Zoo or the National Aquarium was included.

Yes indeed, I was passing down my passion for the Orioles just as my parents had done for me Everything was fine. Until after my daughter Elizabeth graduated from college, and accepted a job in Washington, D.C., and relocated there.

And slowly, things began to change. First, I could no longer bribe, I mean have her to go to Orioles games with me. It was either she was too busy with her new job or acclimating herself to her new surroundings. I was OK with it, thinking eventually her life would settle down, and off we’d go again.

A year passed, and then another, nothing. Now, I must admit that my son is still a fan, and we often go to games together, but if I wanted to continue this Orioles family tradition, Elizabeth must be in tow.

I was comfortable with just believing it was simply a matter of time before Elizabeth would be back on board as an O’s fan. That is, until one dreadful evening that I was stalking, I mean following her, on Facebook.

I saw some photos that she had posted of her and some friends at a Washington Nationals game. She later said it was a work-related outing. Problem one for me was she was in a Nats T-shirt. Problem two for me was she was smiling and having a fun time.

I chalked it up as Elizabeth was just being a loyal and dedicated team player, nothing more.

Recently my daughter moved to a new residence, and like a good dad, I went to assist her. In packing her closet, I found that Nats shirt, and plenty more, for that matter. When confronting her about it, she didn’t deny it, that she had become a Nationals fan.

It was tough to handle at first. I first thought, hey the Senators moved to Texas, it could happen again. But I then thought about that darn World Series the Nationals won in 2019 and realized relocation was not going to happen.

So, I decided to be the good dad and let her make her own mistakes, err, decisions. I would even attend a game with her and make her feel as though as I was OK with this Nationals thing.

So on Tuesday, I went to D.C., and Elizabeth and I not only attended a game, but a Nationals-Orioles game. Internally I was hoping that once around the many Orioles fans, she would come to her senses.

But from the very beginning, things began to change for me. I wanted to inquire about trading in our pre-bought tickets for seats behind the Orioles dugout. The Nationals ticket representative was not only cordial but very understanding and made the switch for us.

Even though there were plenty of Baltimore fans sitting near us, there were still more Washington fans sitting close by. Now, I will admit that Oriole fans can be hostile, and considering that this year the team is doing well, there is plenty of hostility stored up.

As hard as the Orioles fans tried, they could barely muster a counterattack from the Nats faithful. Heck, about the worst of any confrontation between fans came when I briefly engaged in a “dialogue” with a Washington fan about something silly. I quickly convinced the fan to sit down and be quiet. My daughter asked me to stop, noting the “kid was like 10.”

The game was lively, the in-house organist was on cue with all his selections. The atmosphere was geared to the millennials. Even the presidents race was entertaining.

Later in the game, I was fortunate to run into Orioles GM Mike Elias. OK, I did not just accidently bump into him, but that’s another story. When I remarked how different the gameday atmosphere was from Camden Yards, Elias replied, “different town, different stadiums.”

A few years ago, my daughter had an opportunity to take another job in, of all places, Baltimore. Imagine my excitement about that possibility. I even had an apartment picked out for her, just blocks from Camden Yards. Elizabeth declined the job, saying she liked her present job and loved living in the District.

I was initially disappointed. Now, not so much. She’s a Nationals fan, and that is OK with me. Sort of.

Scott German

Scott German

Scott German covers UVA Athletics for AFP, and is the co-host of “Street Knowledge” podcasts focusing on UVA Athletics with AFP editor Chris Graham. Scott has been around the ‘Hoos his whole life. As a reporter, he was on site for UVA basketball’s Final Fours, in 1981 and 1984, and has covered UVA football in bowl games dating back to its first, the 1984 Peach Bowl.