Nationals wear Virginia Tech hats

[jkrdevil]

The VT logo goes better with the Nationals scripts that their actual Cap logo.

[StoneRaizer]

Honestly the maroon VT hats actually don't look too out of place coupled with the Nationals' jersey. If they wore something really different like say Wake Forest's black and gold or Tulane green then it would look ugly, but this is a nice gesture that was nicely executed and didn't look too awful.

I know it's a message board and that everybody's entitled to their own opinion, but anybody that criticizes this move is heartless. The baseball cap is a cultural phenomenon, an article of clothing that can be purchased with just about any team on it regardless of sport. Wearing VT's baseball caps is a unique, touching and brilliant way to honour the victims of this horrible massacre.

[meetthemets]

It's a classy move. Who cares if they were all different. Makes the gesture more authentic that they are just regular hats that are all different. Similar to the Mets/Yanks wearing the FDNY/NYPD hats after 9/11. They were all different.

[NJTank]

Where do we draw the line? Should we have all teams wear NYPD caps on the anniversary of 9/11? Ten times as many people had their lives cut short that day than at VT.

Well the Mets do it and thats good enough, and the Mets should continue to do it.

Mets also wear FDNY, EMS and Port Authority PD

[NatsFan2004]

FWIW, I happen to know the fan who suggested this idea. He's a good friend of mine, a great guy, and probably the most devoted Nationals fan there is. He suggested the idea this afternoon to Stan Kasten by e-mail, and once Stan gave the idea the green light, the Nationals only had a couple of hours to scramble to get the hats. This on top of all the work that has to be done in order to carry off a Major League Baseball game by a relatively small front office staff. So I'd say that the more cynical of us should cut them some slack and applaud the Nationals FO for doing the right thing (as well as listening to a humble fan suggestion).

[OB33]

Just heard on Channel 9 in D.C. that Chris Snelling's hat is going to the Hall of Fame. I'd assume it will probably be featured with or near the tributes that the Yankees and Mets did after 9-11.

[LMU]

One heck of a gesture. Very classy.

[FiddySicks]

Yeah im not really a fan of this idea, as I wasn't a fan of the Mets wearing FDNY NYPD hats after 9/11. It looks like they said "Hey, lets go to Lids and snag as many VT hats as we can and wear them for our game tonight, that way we dont have to do anything of real meaning in tribute.". But at least the Mets let the city use their facilities durig the crisis (like they had a choice, or as if were going to object anyway). Id like to see more places REALLY do something in tribte to a fallen school/team, such as what WVU did for Marshall after the plane crash that killed the entire team (If We Are Marshall is accurate anyway). Do what you can to help the school get back on its feet and for the sake of us all do it quietly. Dont take someone elses struggles as an opportunity to say "Hey, look at me!!! Im doing good too!!!!"

[RollWolfpack]

I just returned from a candlelight vigil honoring the victims, and that might make me be more emotional than usual, but I wish all teams would find some way to pay tribute to these kids and professors who had their lives cut short.

I'm sorry for the loss, and can't imagine what you're going through, but I think that would be an over-the-top gesture.

Where do we draw the line? Should we have all teams wear NYPD caps on the anniversary of 9/11? Ten times as many people had their lives cut short that day than at VT.

The Nationals should do it, as the closest representative. Simple, dignified. An appropriate response to a terrible crime.

No I understand that you could say it would be over-the-top, but with such a tragedy as this I think it would be very appropriate for a one-night-only tribut and would only help the healing process of people involved in the situation.

And to clarify, I personally did not know anyone affected, but many friends of friends and other acquaintances have been incredibly affected by this.

And thank you so much for your thoughts, they are greatly appreciated by everyone in the academic community dealing with this tragedy.

[swilson160]

maybe i'm an a$$hole...

No, no, no. No maybes about it.

[leedsunited]

Sorry, I don't see this as an appropriate gesture AT ALL. A moment of silence is more befitting, not wearing the school's hat during GAMEPLAY? Smacks of crass pandering. Let's recognize the solemnity of the tragedy, as it truly deserves as such.

[eRay]

maybe i'm an a$$hole...

No, no, no. No maybes about it.

i'm sorry you think that.

It looks like they said "Hey, lets go to Lids and snag as many VT hats as we can and wear them for our game tonight, that way we dont have to do anything of real meaning in tribute."...Do what you can to help the school get back on its feet and for the sake of us all do it quietly. Dont take someone elses struggles as an opportunity to say "Hey, look at me!!! Im doing good too!!!!"

totally agree.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I don't know why there needs to be a rush to questions the motives of the team. They're the closest team to Blacksburg and there happens to be a large Hokie population in DC. I say good on the Nationals; sometimes helping something "get on its feet" is simply letting them know they're being thought of.

Considering the scope of this board, there must be at least one Tech-associated member. Not that it would be representative of the larger VT community, but I'd be interested to hear their reaction to the gesture.

[NJTank]

Well apparently this started from a fans email to the team, so it was not even their idea.

[meetthemets]

Yeah im not really a fan of this idea, as I wasn't a fan of the Mets wearing FDNY NYPD hats after 9/11. It looks like they said "Hey, lets go to Lids and snag as many VT hats as we can and wear them for our game tonight, that way we dont have to do anything of real meaning in tribute.". But at least the Mets let the city use their facilities durig the crisis (like they had a choice, or as if were going to object anyway). Id like to see more places REALLY do something in tribte to a fallen school/team, such as what WVU did for Marshall after the plane crash that killed the entire team (If We Are Marshall is accurate anyway). Do what you can to help the school get back on its feet and for the sake of us all do it quietly. Dont take someone elses struggles as an opportunity to say "Hey, look at me!!! Im doing good too!!!!"

The school is over 250 miles away from DC. The Nationals weren't obliagated to do anything at all. The fact that they were thoughtful enough to wear them on such short notice shows some class IMO. I don't think it was a "look at me" thing at all. Some people show their support in different ways. I thought it was a classy move.

[fiasco!]

I'm going to come right out and say it. You people that decry this as pandering and a bad idea (whether it be aesthetically unpleasing due to mismatching, or you think it could have been done better) are a bunch of idiots. The Nationals did the right thing by trying to honor the victims of a heinous crime in the vicinity of the majority of their fan base. I applaud their effort and their willingness to scramble to do the right thing. The Nats showed some class, which is more than I can say for you.

[iowahoo]

Have any of the MLB Va Tech hats shown up on mlbshop.com with a commerative patch? now THAT would be pandering.

[beansdooma]

Where do we draw the line? Should we have all teams wear NYPD caps on the anniversary of 9/11? Ten times as many people had their lives cut short that day than at VT.

100 times as many.

Anyway, I think this is a great tribute. Very classy.

[McCall]

I'm going to come right out and say it. You people that decry this as pandering and a bad idea (whether it be aesthetically unpleasing due to mismatching, or you think it could have been done better) are a bunch of idiots. The Nationals did the right thing by trying to honor the victims of a heinous crime in the vicinity of the majority of their fan base. I applaud their effort and their willingness to scramble to do the right thing. The Nats showed some class, which is more than I can say for you.

Exactly. They weren't doing this to get attention on themselves. They were doing this because it was a horrendous tragedy that did in fact affect the whole country. This was a college where students from all over attended. Any of the fallen could have been from anywhere in the U.S. and those hometowns could very well be feeling the loss as a whole. I think this shows that, with Va Tech being in there "Home Fanbase", that they truly do feel for their fans when something like this happens. Plus, playing in the National Capital, with such a tragedy that effects the country, I think it's appropriate for that reasoning as well. Yes, people are entitled to their opinions about whether this is appropriate or not, but others are entitled to their opinions about those people. So if you feel like making your statement against this, be prepared for some verbal backlash. I don't care if the hats are mismatched, don't go with the uniforms, or any other nitpicky detail. The truth is their reason for doing it was to honor those who lost their lives. Don't try and act like you know some other TRUE reason behind it because your some skeptical moron. Leave it be. I'm pretty sure those affected were touched and moved by the sentiment on the Nats part. Don't try and tell them they shouldn't. They've already suffered enough.

[Artmanc3po]

I think it was a terrific gesture. The variety of caps didn't take away from it, in my opinion. I'm just glad they did it.