WEEK 3: Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals

I think my coming here was inappropriate.

It’s all fine and good to try to blend in with Redskins fans; that team’s not going anywhere, they know that, and if you want to hop on the slow train to “not god awful”, the more the merrier. Ravens fans, on the other hand? They’re convinced that this is the season.  They have all the pieces: a premier wide receiver acquired in the off season, a couple of monsters in the Rays (Ray Lewis and Ray Rice) and a quarterback who’s – improving (more on that later). On paper, these guys are comers,  and when you’re a comer – as opposed to  a been there or a no chance in hell of getting there , everything has got to be deadly fucking serious. I get it. It's fine. All I’m saying is it makes for an awkward setting for a casual man like myself to try to get their mingle on. 

Case in point:  No one’s talking, here.  

 

Pre-game smile, I assure you

Honestly, no one.  There’s beer (check), fairly balanced numbers of men and women  (a surprising check), and the  floors are still sticky from the Saturday night crowd in the way the way a good sports bar’s floors ought to be, all of which should roll into a party vibe. Only this isn’t a party, it’s a Jesuit school seminar. The Undefeated Ravens (1-0) Manifest Romp to the Superbowl 365. You don’t watch the game, you study it. You don’t hope for a win, you wait for it to confirm what you already knew (the Ravens are some g.d. BEASTS). But as in every faith, the Ravens’ fans  have a complicated relationship with doubt, and in their case, doubt is a third year quarterback out of the University of Deleware:  Joe Flacco. 

Say this for the Ravens' fans: they picked a good place to watch the game. McFadden's in Fogy Bottom is like a football carnival. Two levels. A mini-flatscreen at every booth. On game day the it’s divided into 4 sections for each of the team viewing parties (Green Bay, Buffalo, Carolina and Baltimore on this particular Sunday), which makes for an interesting dynamic - you're forced to  you can hear other teams’ fans react to what’s happening in their games. The Carolina group is  directly above us, and they seem to be celebrating every two minutes. Celebrating what? I can see on the sports ticker that they're getting murdered.  Meanwhile, the Ravens game, while ugly, is at no point out of reach, but the fans are stress-eating the crab cake sandwiches in silence  (which were fantastic, thanks for asking) and shooting death glares at anyone having non-Ravens- relevant conversation.

I can’t blame them, I guess. This one's brutal. Inept passing. Broken ground game.

Not Aaron Rogers

Dropped passes. And Flacco looks like garbage. I wouldn't call this a do or die year for the guy, but my sense is that most who follow the league believed they'd know what they have in Flacco by  this season, and what they have appears to be a very, very average QB.  In any case this performance isn't all on him - there are many signs that this team may be far short of dominant.  This established, and the fans’ expectations modified accordingly (if unconsciously), the McFadden’s crowd loosens up a bit. A woman sitting two stools down from me orders shots for her  girlfriends, and starts chatting up the bartender. My buddy Julian and I suddenly remember that we haven’t seen each other in almost half a year, and start talking about work and mutual friends - you know, catching up, something that usually comes naturally in a bar. The tension in the room remains, however. It’s as if everyone had hoped Baltimore would take control of the game while they weren’t looking. Not quite. The game is sealed with a Flacco interception with 4:30 remaining in he fourth, and, in the closing minutes - as a final insult - Patriots fans (who have the section reserved for New England’s late afternoon game) vulture around us, waiting for us to vacate our stools – which we do quietly, because, what can you say, really? 

Heading to the Orange Line, I feel as if I just watched someone get their first college rejection letter. They had the grades, and the extra-curriculars,  which is why I thought they would get in, and now that they haven’t, you wonder, shit, should I have not been here for this? This suddenly seems like a family matter.And at the same time, this could be a step for the Ravens and their fans. An unmarred record (and again, 1-0) can be a sort of burden; perfection can be the enemy of success, and all that. Here's to better luck later on in the season...especially if it allows them to loosen up a little.

- K.C.

Week One: Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys.

The inaugural post goes to the local team.

This being D.C., I have this notion that I won’t have to go far to find Redskins fans to enjoy the game with. My reasoning’s sound: It’s the season opener, a nationally televised game against the archrival Cowboys, and the debut of their first franchise quarterback in forever. This is a BIG DEAL. Two hours before kick-off I’m still holding out hope for an invite from the neighbors to join them in a cookout and a case race to give the event its due (mm hm, my 30-something neighbors with the newborn). Failing that, I head over to Capitol City Brewing Company in the Shirlington neighborhood of Arlington. A convenience pick, I’ll admit;  it’s just a couple miles from my apartment.

At 8:00, or T minus twenty until kick-off, Cap City is emptier and more Cheesecake Factory-like than I remember from my last visit. I count a handful of fans at the high top tables and a few more at the bar. The flatscreen to patron ratio is roughly 2:1 at this point. Bright side? There isn’t a bad seat in the house. Down side? Management  may not even bother lowering the volume on the Steely Dan that’s pumping out of the house speakers once the game starts. Bright side #2? It’s Steely Dan!

My bartender, Mike – one of three people in the whole place who has on a ‘Skins jersey, and an awfully nice guy -  has a theory as to why there isn’t a bigger crowd here: “Folks are either at FedEx or they got drunk during the early games and can’t drive over.” Fair enough. With this one sports bar in the Ballston mall in mind, I consider ducking out, but damned if I haven’t already ordered a hickory bacon burger, almost as a reflex.



Bartender Mike: "Folks are either at FedEx or
 they got drunk watching the early games."

Anyway. I’m here now. And dinner’s coming. I prod Mike for a season record prediction. He balks, not wanting to jinx it.  After some hemming and hawing he offers up 9-7, adding, “I don’t know if that’s realistic, but I want it to be.”

Once the game starts (note: music turned down, game audio on…nice), the fans in attendance echo Mike’s grounded optimism.

The Redskins follow a strong first defensive series with McNabb-led drive a deep into Boys’ territory.  When the possession ends in a FG, my fellow patrons applaud in genuine gratitude.  Appreciation for incremental victories. That’s a good sign.

A long reception by Chris Cooley in the second quarter draws a “COOOOOOOOO-ley” chant from some guys sitting a few stools down. Not sure why, but I love when fans seize on the “ooo's” . Bruuuuuce. Luuuuuke. COOOOOOOOOOOO-ley. +’Skins Fans.

By half time, when neither team's tacked on touchdown and it's clear this game will be won or lost 'ugly', the place clears out, somewhat. I don't hold it against them. This joint charges $6 for tap beers, and it's a school night; watching the second half from home is an acceptable call. And hopefully that's what they did, otherwise they'd have missed the highlight of the young season: a DeAngelo Hall strip and runback for a touchdown, which, along with a holding call on Dallas that negated a potential game winning reception, secures the 1 and Oh start for the 'Skins.



A defensive touchdown?
A physical play from DeAngelo Hall?
Praise Him!

My takeaways? The 'Skins fans I talked to are optimistic, but not unaware of this year's squad's limitations (long in the tooth, thin on offensive playmakers), and the team itself is an easy one to root for. Granted, I've been a McNabb fan since his Syracuse days, but in his new city, my man Donovan exudes a freshness that you feel good about. 

9-7? Eh. I don't see it. However I get the impression that most Redskins fans - and my research here is exhaustive, clearly - will be happy with less after years of drought.

A positive experience, all in all, and plenty of reason to give the 'Skins another look this season, for sure. 

Next Week:

Ravens vs. Bengals*

1:00 pm ET Kickoff

McFadden’s in Foggy Bottom



*Yep, a deviation from the schedule I gave you like, 5 minutes ago. My buddy Julian, a Baltimore fan, will be in town, and I gotta seize these opportunities to add color commentary to the experience. See you next week. 


 

Getting Started

This blog is about football, or rather, football fans, specifically those with sizable contingents in the Washington D.C. area. I’m talking about the 'Skins, Pats, Steelers, Ravens,  Giants, Eagles, Jets and (if the rumors are to be believed) the Buffalo Bills. They're all here in force.

Each week I’ll visit a different team-themed sports bar and write about it. These won’t be game recaps, or reviews of the venues – what I’m looking to do, primarily, is soak up the “vibe” of the fans, and compare and contrast.  There are the obvious metrics, like the number of fans who show up, how many are wearing the colors, the number of people engaged in the game as opposed to their Blackberries.  But I’m more interested is gauging where peoples' heads   are at in regards to their teams’ prospects, and watching the dynamics of the fan bases change over the course of a game, the season, through losses and injuries, and so on and so on...

Anyway. With no further ado, let me hit you with the schedule* for the first few weeks:

Week 1 (Sept. 12): Dallas at Washington

Week 2 (Sept. 19): Patriots at Jets

Week 3 (Sept. 26): Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay

Week 4 (Oct. 3): Baltimore at Pittsburgh

*The ongoing schedule is designed to allow me to catch each of the 'Beltway' teams at least once, and playing their most significant games of the season. Beginning in Week 5, I'll schedule 4 weeks out based on what happened in the first 4 weeks, and the next four based on the previous 8. You get the picture. I'm open to suggestions as to the games and the venues, particularly if wing specials are involved.

Check back on Friday 9/10 for an update on the selected bars.

-K.C.