D.C. - not exactly a sports town

I'm a Chicago girl. And as any good Chicagoan, I am a major fan of all Chicago sports teams - da Bears, da Bulls, da Hawks and da Cubs (there is no other baseball team here...). So when a friend of mine in D.C. offered me free tickets to see the Bulls play the Washington Wizards back in February, I was naturally thrilled. Then I came to realize - the experience of watching a game in D.C. is entirely different than in Chicago.

empty Wizards stadium

I got to the Wizards stadium a little early, so when the majority of the seats weren't filled, I wasn't too shocked. Then tip-off time came. Still, majority of the stadium not filled. And that's how it stayed, the entire  game. Well, not quite... the stadium started to empty even further at half-time. The Bulls were, naturally, crushing the crap out of the Wizards. Cheers from Bulls fans drowned out those of the the Wizards fans by far, but the experience was nothing in comparison to the mad house United Center in Chicago. Another difference - the attire. In Chicago, everyone supports the team by wearing their colors, or jerseys. In D.C., there was a much higher proportion of people wearing suits. As I've said before, I've never seen a city so filled with people wearing suits. The game came off as more of an alternative to happy hour than a game.

Andrew, me and Kate at the Nats game

I had a similar experience with a Washington Nationals game in April. I was excited to see the game, as the Nationals were playing the dreaded Mets. But I felt like I was the only one there to actually watch the game. It cost just $5 to get into the stadium, but once my friends and I were in, we never actually made it to our nosebleed seats. Why bother when there is a large bar located in the outfield, with plenty of standing room and an even better view of the field than what I assume we would have had from our seats. And even better - on the floor below the bar was a restaurant, with outdoor seating, a wide variety of beer options, waiters bringing you yummy fried goodness, and a completely uninhibited view of the field. The view we had would have cost me about $50 at Wrigley field, I would've had two beer choices - Bud and Old Style, and the waiters would have been replaced by cranky men screaming "HOT DOGS! GET YOUR HOT DOGS!" at the top of their lungs. Nationals stadium was a completely different experience than what baseball should be. I had a great time, don't get me wrong, but it felt more like going to dinner and drinks with friends, and there just happened to be a baseball game being played next to us. Most people there were more interested in their conversations than the game. The whole experience was very clean and fun, and I would definitely do it again if given the chance, but I would never trade Wrigley for it. Wrigley, where peanut shells decorate the floors, sticky from beer; where bleacher bums drunkenly yell at the opposing teams' outfielders until they are kicked out; where fans actually know the stats, AND the names, of the players; and where everyone in the stadium joins together for a rousing chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in the middle of the 7th and "Go Cubs Go" if we actually win at the end of the 9th. Where the passion of the fans and the love of the game are contagious.

That's something you just won't find in Washington, D.C. Everyone there is from somewhere else. No one has that pride to be from D.C. that you see in Chicago, New York, or Boston. I loved D.C., but the sports teams really made me miss Sweet Home Chicago.

If you are in D.C. and are suffering from Chicago withdrawal, fear not! There's a place to call home during football season. Union Pub on Massachusetts Ave. shows all Bears games, and even has an outdoor patio if you miss the authenticity of freezing your ass off at Soldier Field. You can also find the Chicago-brewed 312, my all-time favorite beer, on tap here. Make sure to get in early! Due to that wonderful loyalty of Chicago fans, this place crowds up quick.

I was even lucky enough to get a Hawks sighting while in D.C. I got to cover the Hawks being honored by the president on the White House south lawn, and a clinic they held afterwards with the first lady to teach D.C. youth to play hockey. Just inches away from Patrick Kane's face. Outstanding experience.