Spectator Sports
Just because government and politics tend to dominate the character of Metro Washington and outsiders’ perceptions of it, don’t underestimate the importance of leisure activities—spectator sports especially—to residents. You’ll find every level of competition here, from outstanding high school and college action to professional teams representing a variety of sports.
In 2005 the Nation’s Capital welcomed the Washington Nationals, Major League Baseball’s newest team. Washington has experienced several diverse sports milestones in recent years. In keeping with its international presence and status as the Nation’s Capital, the city recently hosted worldwide and national sporting events, including the NBA All-Star Game and the ACC men’s basketball conference tournament, along with the Presidents Cup PGA tournament.
Before becoming immersed in Washington Redskins mania, we should also mention Metro Washington’s representatives in the National Basketball Association and Women’s National Basketball Association, the Washington Wizards and the Washington Mystics. Hockey fans can root for the previously mentioned Capitals, the National Hockey League’s local team. Conveniently, they all have the same home, the Verizon Center. Here you also can watch the popular Georgetown University Hoyas basketball team.
In 2008, baseball fans welcomed the Washington Nationals, marking the end of professional baseball’s 30-year absence from the Nation’s Capital. The team has a new home on the Anacostia waterfront. Of course, the D.C. area is home to plenty of Baltimore Orioles fans, who frequently travel north to Camden Yards to catch a game. Also at RFK, soccer fans also get their kicks watching Major League Soccer team D.C. United.
Devotees of the diamond will also be happy to know that Minor League Baseball has a strong presence in Metro Washington, with the Potomac Nationals, Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys, and Hagerstown Suns all within a short drive. Intercollegiate athletics are a big part of the sports scene as well, and the region’s many colleges and universities afford plenty of opportunities for the spectator. Schools with the most prominent athletic programs include the University of Maryland, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University, and George Mason University. Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins University, just up the road in Baltimore, is a perennial lacrosse powerhouse; and to the south in Charlottesville, the University of Virginia wields a big stick in lacrosse, as well as soccer, basketball, and football.
You also can live out your sports fantasies with a variety of other events, including horse and auto racing, golf, and tennis, to name a few. So, having discarded the stodgy, white-collar, work-reigns-supreme label that seems permanently affixed to Washingtonians, let’s take a closer look at an abundant sporting roster. The following provides an overview of spectator sports in Metro Washington (see our Parks and Recreation chapter for general recreational pursuits).
1. The Washington Wizards
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
Description: The Washington Wizards have won only one championship, way back in 1978 when the team was known as the Bullets. That doesn’t stop fans from flocking to the Verizon Center to cheer on the team. Available tickets for home games range from $16 seats in the upper levels to $100 court-side seats. And one thing’s for certain about the Wizards: They play hard and they’re fun to watch, winning or not.
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
3. George Washington University
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (202) 994-6050
Description: Not to be excluded from Metro Washington’s major college basketball lineup, George Washington University is an emerging program in its own right.Catch the Colonials in action at the cozy Smith Center, located in the heart of the Northwest Washington campus.
4. Howard University
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (202) 806-7140
Description: These small but powerful Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Bison teams have played inconsistently in recent years.
5. University Of Maryland
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (301) 314-7070, (800) 462-TERP
Description: Another of the region’s prominent basketball programs is the University of Maryland, which holds court at the 17,100-seat Comcast Center. While basketball usually gets top billing, the Terps’ football program also merits some attention. The men’s soccer team has made it to the Final Four four times since 1998, winning the title in 2005. The field hockey team has appeared in 11 Final Fours, claiming back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006, while the women’s lacrosse team clinched seven straight national titles from 1995 through 2001.
6. Rosecroft Raceway
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (301) 567-4000
Address: 6336 Rosecroft Drive
Description: Just a few minutes from the Wilson Bridge, off Capital Beltway exit 4A, this 55-year-old raceway features live harness racing starting at 5:20 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 7:20 p.m. Saturday, most of the year. Patrons also can watch simulcast thoroughbred races. Admission is $3, and minimum bets are $1. You also can watch the races from an enclosed dining room, which offers televisions at each table; reservations are recommended. Call (301) 567-4045. Seats are $2. General parking is free.
7. The Show Place Arena
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (301) 952-7900
Address: 14900 Pennsylvania Avenue
Description: This 5,800-seat, multipurpose arena often plays host to horse-riding competitions. Call for a rundown of upcoming events.
8. The Washington International Horse Show
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (202) 525-3679
Address: 601 F Street NW
Description: This annual event, held for more than a week each fall, features some of the world’s top show jumpers, hunters, and dressage riders, not to mention those entertaining canine show-stealers, the racing Jack Russell terriers. This is a fun event that the whole family can enjoy. Tickets for the evening shows usually run $20 and up. Daytime event admission is around $15. Tickets go on sale in mid-August, but also are available at the door.
9. Washington Boat Show
City: Washington, DC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (703) 823-7960
Description: If you enjoy browsing larger and more expensive pleasure craft, keep an eye out for this annual trade show, held each February. It includes entertainment, too, such as Twiggy, the waterskiing squirrel.