Jakob Wegmueller, junior, Boston Red Sox fan

I’m a Red Sox fan because my mom is from Boston and most of my family still lives there. They’ve been very successful over the past 10 years and many iconic players have played for them. It’s fun to go to Red Sox games at Nationals Park because I get to stand up and cheer by myself. Red Sox fans are more established than Nationals fans and they’re also louder. I prefer Boston but I don’t mind D.C. teams, and if they’re not playing any teams from Boston I generally root for them.

Haley Rose, junior, New York Mets fan

I’m a fan of the Mets because I got into hockey about four years ago and I became a diehard fan of the New York Rangers. Being a fan of the Rangers and watching them on TV got me exposed to a lot of stuff about the Mets. One thing that’s kept me with the team was being able to go to the one World Series game the Mets won last year against the Royals at Citi Field. There was an electric atmosphere that made me fall even more in love with the team. Even though I’m down here in Virginia, I would not root for the Nationals. I’ve never really hated the Nationals but I’ve also never felt attachment or love. However, I hate the Capitals with a burning, fiery passion. They’re the absolute worst.

Max Brooks, junior, Philadelphia Phillies fan

I’m a Phillies fan because my dad’s side of the family is from Philadelphia and I’ve been a Phillies fan since I was born. My dad and I watch their games on television and we go to games throughout the season so I never lose interest in them. I like to go to Nationals games but it’s not the same as going to a game in Philadelphia where the majority of the fans are rooting for my team. Nationals fans tell me that we suck and that Philadelphia is obnoxious, but they aren’t as passionate and loyal to their team. They only like the Nationals when they are winning games. I don’t like the other DC teams because they have rivalries with Philadelphia teams in other sports.

Dean Howarth, physics teacher, New York Mets fan 

I’m a Mets fan because they have the classiness of New York City, but with that blue collar grit that the Yankees don’t have. I’ve been a fan since 1969 when we won the World Series and they called us “the Miracle Mets.”

It’s kind of cute that the Nationals are coming along as a team; they try hard, but then they meet the Cardinals in the playoffs and we all know how that’s going to work out. The true problem that will always keep the Nationals from being a world class baseball team is their mascot. Screech is horrible. They would be better off having an empty garbage can. I would only root for the Nationals if they were playing the worst team in the world, which is the Atlanta Braves, or the second worst team in the world, the Philadelphia Phillies. Going to games at Nationals Park and rooting for the visiting team is outstanding, because Nationals fans get nervous in about five minutes and think they’re going to lose, so it’s extra fun to rub it in just a little bit.

Mets fans have that “not give up” attitude. We’ve had a ton of injuries this year and we’re still hanging with the Nationals. Nationals fans complain when all the New York fans come to visit. They should be more welcoming to their neighbors from the north. There’s not much they can say to us, because last year we smacked them down pretty good. But the worst thing a Nationals fan can do to a Mets fan is wear a Daniel Murphy jersey.