Throughout his tenure as owner of the Baltimore Orioles, Peter Angelos had rabidly campaigned against Major League Baseball adding a franchise in Washington. He was afraid of another local team stealing his fanbase. Can the Orioles' falling attendance numbers be attributed to the Nationals' increasing popularity, or to the fact that Baltimore hasn't had a winning record in over 10 years? One may never know.
↵Angelos has since taken a different opinion. Because the Nationals' MASN ratings help his own bottom line, Angelos has said that he hopes Washington continues to improve.
↵But what about the fans? With all this history, between the two franchises dating back to when the Nats were still the Expos, do the fans really care? Is this really a rivalry, as the media and team box offices surely want you to believe it is? Share your thoughts in our poll below.