photo by Claudia Holwill
I live near the ballpark; not as close as some folks, as I am just north of the highway, but I’m a very short walk and certainly within earshot of the fireworks at Nationals Ballpark. Well, at least when there were fireworks. This season, the Nationals have switched to a horn…
Why did I love the fireworks so much? I am sure many of my neighbors who live a little closer to the park were not as pleased with the noise from them, but I loved the evening reminders that there was a game going on, and the proclamation that there was a home run or even a win. If you watched the game on TV or listened on the radio, the fireworks signaled that the hit, which was slightly delayed on my satellite TV, was going to be a good one. It made me feel much closer to baseball season than I have in the past. And on Friday nights, I could stand on my door step and watch a fireworks show at the end of the evening. I’ve been told that some people hate fireworks, and I know that they can scare kids and pets, but I love them. They are one of my favorite things to watch.
But this season there have been no more fireworks. I initially thought it was due to noise complaints or budget issues (and maybe those did play a part in the organization’s decision) but they say it was more because they were looking for a signature celebratory act. So, according to D.C. Sports Blog Bog, the nationals looked to the historic Navy Yard next door and borrowed the submarine horn.
Nats COO Andy Feffer told D.C. Sports Bog that “It’s less about fireworks and it’s more about the overall fan experience and our ability to deliver something new and different…Looking at the overall schedule of 81 games is important; it’s not just about 13 Friday nights. What’s popular yesterday and today, you shouldn’t rest on it. You have to always look to do something different. And that doesn’t mean we have it figured out.”
I don’t love the horn, although now knowing its ties to the Navy Yard and neighborhood does add a nice touch, so maybe it will grow on me. But I’d still love to have the fireworks back. And maybe I’ll get my wish? JDLand noticed an exciting tidbit on the events page for the game on July 2nd: “Post-game fireworks follow the conclusion of the second game!” I don’t know that this means they’ll be back for good but I know I’ll definitely be out on my front steps on Saturday night to enjoy the show.
FYI: it’s the sports “bog,” not “blog” (explained here).
and you have that error in here twice, not just once. 🙂
i hated those fireworks. we live 2 miles from the ballpark and could STILL hear them late at night after a Nats win. Super annoying when you are trying to keep your sleeping baby sleeping!! otherwise, go nats!
Let it be known that while I do hate fireworks, I also miss the post victory/HR display. Since we almost always have to leave a bit early to tend to our toddler, the signal would let us know our boys didn’t give up the win after we walked out of the park.
I miss the fireworks and would like to know how capitolA still gets to hear them (jealous).
I don’t still hear them NOW. But i could hear them from 2 miles away when they were going off. That was my point. Fireworks, to a lot of people, are noise pollution. We put up with a lot living in the city. It’s cool. But fireworks? Come on!
I miss them.