Ravens Fans in DC / Southern MD

**Uli2001** · 02-04-2013, 08:33 PM

I am just wondering how much the Ravens having just gone 2-0 in SB trophies on the Redskins in this millenium will impact the growth on the Ravens fan base in traditional RS territory. I remember well when those arrogant fans looked down on the Ravens and their fans as afterthoughts. I guess the tune has changed now.

**Bhcforlife** · 02-04-2013, 08:40 PM

There is not as big a gap in fan base between the Redskins and Ravens down here as the Redskins organization and NFL would like you to think.

**Shambla** · 02-04-2013, 08:52 PM

https://www.facebook.com/notes/faceb...51298370823859

**Ravenalytics** · 02-04-2013, 09:31 PM

I grew up in Redskins territory (MoCo) and live in DC. It's not like NY where different neighborhoods hate each other so you have a city divided into Yankees/Giants and Mets/Jets.

I'd say most people here root primarily for the Redskins, since they've been around longer, just like many people in this area also root for the Orioles, since they grew up with them. But almost everyone is happy to see the Ravens do well, they're from the area after all, and most people in DC honestly think Baltimore's an alright place. By contrast I don't see many fans in Baltimore who also root for the Skins.

**rpcfball** · 02-04-2013, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Ravenalytics

I grew up in Redskins territory (MoCo) and live in DC. It's not like NY where different neighborhoods hate each other so you have a city divided into Yankees/Giants and Mets/Jets.

I'd say most people here root primarily for the Redskins, since they've been around longer, just like many people in this area also root for the Orioles, since they grew up with them. But almost everyone is happy to see the Ravens do well, they're from the area after all, and most people in DC honestly think Baltimore's an alright place. By contrast I don't see many fans in Baltimore who also root for the Skins.

I graduated high school in moco and i would say it was about half and half redskins and ravens. A ton of skins fans came out of the woodwork with rg3 coming to down tho. And i find their "happy to see the ravens do well" quality as being very bandwagony. My Facebook feed was blowing up with statuses from "redskins fans" hailing the ravens yesterday. Quite annoying

**bpmurr** · 02-04-2013, 11:20 PM

Well DC itself has become a very transient city so that might be why they're more open to the Ravens success then Baltimore is to the success of the Skins.

**JohnBKistler** · 02-05-2013, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by Shambla

https://www.facebook.com/notes/faceb...51298370823859

Wow...that is some really interesting data...presented in a very interesting way.

I do think the Ravens are slowly, very slowly, gaining a more national following.

As for the DC area...most die-hard Redskins fans will continue to remain die-hard Redskins fans...where I really think the Ravens are making in-roads is in the under 25 generation (the next generation of fans)...I have heard many, many stories of people I work with in DC who are Redskins fans, but their kids love Ray Rice, or Ladarius Webb, Joe Flacco, etc.

If RG3 returns fully healthy and goes on an extended career of winning teams, playoffs, a championship or two, that trend would almost certainly be reversed.

People just simply love a winner....

**Uli2001** · 02-05-2013, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by Shambla

https://www.facebook.com/notes/faceb...51298370823859

Thanks, that's interesting. The color schemes they used were less than optimal, but it still allows to see interesting trends. It would be great to see what this map looks in a few years if the Ravens go to a couple more SBs under Flacco.

**somedumbguy** · 02-05-2013, 10:48 AM

I think we are more likely to make further inroads into southern PA and western MD than we are in DC.

**Tommy_Carcetti** · 02-05-2013, 02:30 PM

The Redskins fan contingent in Southern Maryland fans is arguably the strongest in the 30-40 something demographic. Those were the fans who grew up in the period where the Skins were the regions only team, so it was only natural to follow them. Most didn't really feel the same sort of bitterness about the Colts leaving as fans living closer to Baltimore did, so there was no real resentment towards the Redskins in the area (who technically played slightly closer anyways.)

Ironically, many of those same fans are also Orioles fans as opposed to Nationals fans due to the same reason--the Orioles were the only baseball team in the area for many years, so that's where the loyalties fell.

This is actually my demo--Southern Maryland born and raised, in his 30s. However, I always had strong ties to the Baltimore area. Both my parents grew up there, both sets of grandparents lived there and we would visit them in Baltimore every week, we read The Sun and we watched Baltimore news. I didn't have any connections like that to DC, so I never had any attachments towards its teams. (Plus I always considered myself a Marylander, and Baltimore was Maryland and DC was not). So while I grew up where the Redskins were the only team in the area, I never felt like rooting for them--instead, I held out attaching myself to any NFL team until the Ravens came to town. And this was when the Redskins would actually put out a good team year in and out, so it could have been easy for me to jump on the bandwagon.

Ironically, I moved out of Maryland to Florida in 1997, so I actually only lived one year as a local Ravens fan. Everything since then has been from afar.

In my opinion, he Ravens will make very little inroads in DC and NoVa, with the exception perhaps of some disillusioned Skins fans (if the Skins don't consistently win). However, presuming the Ravens continue their winning ways, I wouldn't be surprised if Southern Maryland becomes more of a 50-50 split. Same goes for Frederick, and I think there's even some potential with PG and Montgomery counties. I did see more and more of my old school friends on Facebook from Southern Maryland posting about the Ravens during the playoff run, so they've definitely made significant progress over the past 17 years.

**JohnBKistler** · 02-05-2013, 09:15 PM

I rest my case: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-to-our-heart/

Wait...NOW I rest my case: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...in-d-c-market/

What the hell...it just keeps coming: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-ravens-fever/

**Tommy_Carcetti** · 02-06-2013, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by JohnBKistler

I rest my case: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-to-our-heart/

Wait...NOW I rest my case: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...in-d-c-market/

What the hell...it just keeps coming: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-ravens-fever/

Wow, someone's a bit obsessed.

**JohnBKistler** · 02-06-2013, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Tommy_Carcetti

Wow, someone's a bit obsessed.

Yeah, it's funny...I like Steinberg's blog and his wit...but in the past, he always went out of his way to make a big deal about Baltimore fans having the "little-brother" syndrome with DC.

Someone needs to maybe look in the mirror.

**Tommy_Carcetti** · 02-06-2013, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by JohnBKistler

Yeah, it's funny...I like Steinberg's blog and his wit...but he used to make a big deal about Baltimore fans having the "little-brother" syndrome with DC.

Someone needs to maybe look in the mirror.

As football goes, DC is a "big brother" to Baltimore in the same vein as Randy Quaid and Beau Bridges.

**D-RavedUp5-27-52-20** · 02-06-2013, 12:24 PM

I live in Central Virginia about 15 minutes from Richmond and here it is very heavily Skins territory here. Not many raven fans here but a few people cheered for them. Most of them didnt care who win (which i wasn't surprised).

OT, does the Eastern Shore and lower Delware count as Ravens territory or is it mixed Skins, Eagles, etc?

**PurplePill** · 02-06-2013, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by D-RavedUp5-27-52-20

I live in Central Virginia about 15 minutes from Richmond and here it is very heavily Skins territory here. Not many raven fans here but a few people cheered for them. Most of them didnt care who win (which i wasn't surprised).

OT, does the Eastern Shore and lower Delware count as Ravens territory or is it mixed Skins, Eagles, etc?

Eastern Shore of MD is Ravens territory, Delaware I think is considered Eagles, Eastern Shore of VA is Skins

I would say most of Eastern Shore MD is heavily Ravens fans until you get up to Cecil County which has a mix of Eagles fans. And Southern Eastern Shore MD has some Redskin following. Delaware from what I can tell is Eagles and Ravens, with a small contingent of Steelers and Skins fans

**Mista T** · 02-06-2013, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by JohnBKistler

If RG3 returns fully healthy and goes on an extended career of winning teams, playoffs, a championship or two, that trend would almost certainly be reversed.

You read it here first: RG3 will be gone by 2018, if that long, due to his injury history, fragility, and his dumbass coach who lets him play a college game in the big leagues i.e. runaround instead of pocket passer.

**Tommy_Carcetti** · 02-06-2013, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Mista T

You read it here first: RG3 will be gone by 2018, if that long, due to his injury history, fragility, and his dumbass coach who lets him play a college game in the big leagues i.e. runaround instead of pocket passer.

Somewhat off topic, but did anyone else catch the irony when you compare the situations between Washington's football and baseball teams and their approach to their stud player?

The Nationals shut down an uninjured Steven Strausburg a month before the regular season ends, out of fear that he might get injured. The result arguably is the Nationals bow out early in the NLDS where had they had Strausburg they may have been able to advance further into the playoffs or even World Series.

And on the other hand, the Redskins choose to recklessly play a clearly injured RGIII in the first round of playoffs in the hopes that he will advance them deeper into the playoffs or even to the Super Bowl. The result is that he injures himself further in the playoff loss and now his status for next year remains questionable.

Talk about one way or the other, with neither option delivering any positive results. Must suck for DC fans.