NFL fan bases ranked.

[MARINE_V]

LINK

Can you believe this

"5:07 a.m. January 26, 2005
NFL fan bases ranked, cheeseheads fill No. 2 spot
By Steve Czaban
Have you ever sat down and started making notes on the various NFL fan bases and tried to rank them according to some sort of coherent criteria? I have. And it wasn't easy.

So here's my list of the best fan bases in the NFL. This is not just home attendance. Not just a national fan base that shows up at bars and road games. Not just knowledge or dedication. All of the above. And weighted. Only I can't even say how. There is no formula. This is purely my opinion. Read it, and get mad.

1. Pittsburgh: For some reason, I just never seem to meet an obnoxious Steelers fan. (I know, there's a guy in your office I need to meet first.) These guys know their current team, they know their history, and they keep it all in pretty good perspective. If I've got to choose one "fan base" to sit down and drink a beer with, the "Stillers" fans get the nod.

2. Green Bay: No doubt Packers fans are insanely dedicated. To sit in Lambeau through the most arctic temps in the league year after year, is amazing. However, something about the Favre-worship bothers me. Not to mention getting married at the stadium. Part of me says to those people: get a life, it is only football. The other part is just jealous.

3. Miami: Whenever I meet a Dolphins fan in another city, the thing that impresses me is that he always has a really good take on what the hell is going on with his team many miles away. Too bad all the bar stool Fish fans from around the country can't get their butts down to Miami every now and then, because the locals can't ever seem to sell out the stadium for an entire season.

4. Dallas: In the city itself, these guys and girls are shameless front runners. There were non-sellouts during the Campo and Gailey regimes -- unacceptable, no matter how bad those guys were. But the Cowboy diehards around the country that have loved the team since Staubach and yet NEVER lived there, are smart and up to date on stuff. Even though some will act like rooting for the team since Aikman qualifies as a long time. I hate to admit it, but the Cowboys truly are "America's Team."

5. Oakland: Flat out, the biggest bunch of jerk fans in the NFL. Not altogether very knowledgeable, rational or employable. They obviously take their cues from the Greaser In Charge, Al Davis. What did you expect? Commitment to Excellence is easily the most pretentious slogan in sports, and their fans quote it as if it were Holy Scripture. Sadly though, like ants at a picnic, Raider fans are everywhere.

6. Cleveland: The city is too damn small, and the franchise without nearly enough past glory to have as many national fans as they do, but few teams pack bars in faraway cities like they do.

7. Chicago: When you are market No. 3, you will have plenty of fans scattered around the country, but the team's total lack of any player or season worth caring about since 1985 has kept this group very quiet.

8. New York Giants: Even worse than just being a New York team, the Giants reach deeper into New Jersey than the Yankees. And as usual, New York sports fans are just soooo endearing to everyone else around the country. Ugh.

9. Denver: I hardly know anybody who is from Denver, or ever lived there. Yet they seem to have a strong following that extends well beyond the local populace who keep the Broncos among the league leaders in consecutive home sellouts.

10. Philadelphia: Insanely loyal, intensely knowledgeable and neurotic to the core. Nothing good can come from anything the Eagles do in their minds. The fans that booed the McNabb pick on draft day, are now the ones saying he was their guy all along.

11. Washington: Once upon a time, a simply great core of fans. Sadly, Dan Snyder's lifeless mausoleum of greed (FedEx Field) has permanently softened the home field edge, and has also driven off five to 10 percent of the base in disgust of his hyper-spending, meddling ways.

12. Kansas City: The only team between Denver and St. Louis, fans of the Chiefs are hard core and legit, even though I rarely run into any around the country. Home field edge is no fluke, these fans rock on Sundays.

13. Buffalo: When you live under God's Snow Machine (Lake Erie), you are already a little bit insane. Yet, I've found Bills fans to be very easy to talk to without wanting to punch them in the face. You can't say that about many fan bases in the NFL that has a team which enjoyed a good amount of success recently. I guess LOSING all four Super Bowls, kept them humble. Otherwise, they might be insufferable.

14. New York Jets: Like with any New York based team, fans better bring knowledge and passion, or "just go the fu** home," as a Jets fan might say. But the last thing they could hang their hat on in terms of bragging rights was Namath, and he was a long, long time ago.

15. New England: Despite the recent run of glory, it'll always be a baseball town. Plus, I want to see the passion level in five years, when there's a good chance the team slips back into the middle of the pack. These fans barely exist outside of New England.

16. Minnesota: Sometimes unified by hating the Packers, more than loving their own team. City should have built the team a new stadium by now, but I can see the hesitancy to put money in Red McCombs' pocket.

17. San Francisco: Utterly spoiled by the Greatest Long Term Run any NFL franchise has ever had, and they now have no clue how to act or think. Here's a hint. Just sit there and suffer, like the rest of us usually do.

18. Tampa Bay: A part of that state which used to just care about the 'Noles and Gators, is now hardening into a really good NFL city. I still can't get over the old Creamsicle uniform colors and stupid pirate logo. It was almost as if somebody had a secret bet (ala Trading Places) that he could make the franchise fail in less than five years.

19. Tennessee: No doubt the fans in the Volunteer state know their teams and show up and shout like hell for them. But at the NFL level, I would guess that Titans fans don't watch or care about much else besides their own team.

20. Houston: A great football city dating back to Luv Ya Blue, or so I'm told. And even though Bud Adams was a two-faced ****, you just can't let your team walk like you did. Getting back into things quickly though, with a fabulous stadium and impeccably sharp color scheme and logo.

21. Indianapolis: It's a good thing this city has the smallest current stadium in the league, and the best quarterback of a generation, otherwise I think they would have a hard time filling up the seats. Very few "original" Colt fans migrated emotionally with the team from Baltimore, and for good reason.

22. Carolina: Fair weather like you can't believe, and winning so much in just their second season didn't help expectations. Still, I was happy to see the core group of Panthers fans rewarded by a trip to the Super Bowl last year. Insanely tight restrictions on behavior at home games (like no removing your shirt, among others) just crushes passion.

23. Jacksonville: Had trouble selling out games this year early, despite a team that was hot out of the gate and with one of the league's best young QBs. Maybe the market size just isn't big enough, and the league made a mistake here. Crushing AFC title defeat to Titans didn't help either.

24. Baltimore: I'll give them this much, their stadium is great. Otherwise, way too many Ravens fans act like they were in the limo with Ray Ray, and it was all blown out of proportion. Early Super Bowl victory in their return to existence, pegged the needle on obnoxious.

25. Detroit: These fans are really, really loyal and still show up to take it in the shorts year after year after year. I know this fan base exists, but it is harder to find than Osama Bin Laden right now outside of Michigan.

26. St. Louis: Always will be a baseball town (see Boston) and not having a team for a while hurt the momentum.

27. San Diego: I was a East Coast kid at 10 years old who fell in love with the 'Bolts because they were almost always the late game on NBC. And who didn't like watching Air Coryell? Now however, fan base seems to be predominantly So Cal gang banger -- witness the annual knifing in the parking lot after the Raiders come to town.

28. Cincinnati: These fans do exist outside of southwest Ohio, in fact I know one of them. One. That's all.

29. Atlanta: I read a stat where something like 70 percent of Atlantans are originally from somewhere else. This explains a lot.

30. Seattle: Poor, poor, Seahawk fans. Twenty-five years or something like that without a playoff win? And these saps once thought Jim Zorn to Steve Largent was a hot combination. How far did that take you?

31. New Orleans: The ghost fan base. Ask yourself: ever seen a dude rolling in Saints gear? Bad teams, bad attitudes, a ridiculous owner with a parasol on the sidelines, and this is what you get.

32. Arizona: Half empty stadiums on Sunday as far as the eye can see. New crib is being built as we speak, as if that will actually change anything. Two problems I see here besides the fact the teams have always sucked. 1) Worst owner in football 2) A nickname that is both stupid and not even remotely appropriate for the geography."

[Sapp is God300]

i cant believe arizona is last!!!!!!!

[bucsfan9740]

miami at #3!!! are you serious!

[MARINE_V]

Originally Posted by bucsfan9740

miami at #3!!! are you serious!

"3. Miami: Whenever I meet a Dolphins fan in another city, the thing that impresses me is that he always has a really good take on what the hell is going on with his team many miles away."

Yeah like every fan knew Ricky would be gone this season...

[Are You Ready]

This whole thing is a joke. Miami #3? Didn't they have a playoff game blacked out 2 or so years ago?

I just never seem to meet an obnoxious Steelers fan

Hmmm, well now he may be right, but since week 7 upto last sunday he should've been listening to WIP. The Steeler fans calling in daily were just as bad as gaint fans.

And Arizona may acually have the smallest fanbase, but considering this is Arizona, is that enough of a reason to call them a bad fanbase? If that team had some good owners who acually tried to put together a winning team, then they probably wouldn't have half empty stadiums everyweek.

[TrueSteelerFan]

Not bad at all.

[Psykes]

Wow, somehow had a bad day. Doesn't like the Tampa logo, what a *******. Funny how he didn't mention that for Clevland or Cincy.

Over this season, I've seen like a 46% increase in the number of Steelers fans at my school. Definately a sign of people jumping on the 'ol bandwagon.

Iono about the Steelers being #1 though. GB is pretty crazy. I mean that's probably the only sport they can play in such cold. But then again Pittsburgh names meals after their QB so, its a pretty close call.

[Ballin_Since_76]

interesting read. 18 huh. well us fans better step it up and get into that top 10 there...

[BucFanInKC]

The thing that rings out the Dolphins at #3 is this. A good majority of Miami residents are not from Miami. They are from all over. Transplants from all over the country. They are fickle. Trendy town, trendy fans. Far from hardcore fans.

I, for one, get really sick of hearing that fans from team X "deserve" this or that because they are loyal, knowledgable, etc,. Hogwash. No fan of any team is any more loyal than any other. There are hardcore fans, middle of the road fans, and frontrunners. This is true of every team, in every pro sport, regardless of what people say.

[QUOTE=MARINE_V

5. Oakland: Flat out, the biggest bunch of jerk fans in the NFL. Not altogether very knowledgeable, rational or employable. They obviously take their cues from the Greaser In Charge, Al Davis. What did you expect? Commitment to Excellence is easily the most pretentious slogan in sports, and their fans quote it as if it were Holy Scripture. Sadly though, like ants at a picnic, Raider fans are everywhere.

[/QUOTE]


true-est statement ever

[Airborne Eagle]

I just don't get the rationale for many of these.

[Urbanswashbuckler]

[QUOTE=Awbucman37]

Originally Posted by MARINE_V

5. Oakland: Flat out, the biggest bunch of jerk fans in the NFL. Not altogether very knowledgeable, rational or employable. They obviously take their cues from the Greaser In Charge, Al Davis. What did you expect? Commitment to Excellence is easily the most pretentious slogan in sports, and their fans quote it as if it were Holy Scripture. Sadly though, like ants at a picnic, Raider fans are everywhere.

[/QUOTE

true-est statement ever

AMEN...yo u have no idea..

[BucPride2003]

Miami at #3. Wow. I haven't met a Dolphin fan ever...

[QUOTE=Psykes]Wow, somehow had a bad day. Doesn't like the Tampa logo, what a *******. Funny how he didn't mention that for Clevland or Cincy.
QUOTE]

I still can't get over the old Creamsicle uniform colors and stupid pirate logo.

Straight out of the website. I love the pirate logo, it's also another reason why we are called the BUCCANEERS buccaneers are pirates so we have a pirate logo.

[XTrenTX]

30. Seattle: Poor, poor, Seahawk fans. Twenty-five years or something like that without a playoff win? And these saps once thought Jim Zorn to Steve Largent was a hot combination. How far did that take you?

I'd take Kreig to Largent over Zorn to Largent....Kreig to Largent got us to the AFCC game in 83.

As for Seahawks fans being ranked down at 30? Complete B.S.

When Ken Behring tried to move the team, fans staged a sit in in front of equipment busses. One guy spent 100,000 dollars of his own money trying to keep the team here. We hadn't won a damn thing for over a decade, and the fans were doing everything they could to keep the team here. If watched the playoff game, and heard the fans, you know they don't deserve that low of a ranking, that place was as loud as a dome. In the 80's, the Kingdome was one of the most feared places to play, because it was so loud.


And, BTW, it's 20 years without a playoff win, not 25....

This guy is a tool.

I thought that was pretty accurate. It looks like our division has all teams ranked very low. Take the Bucs out of it and the other 3 teams are way down near the bottom. And rightfully so.

[Airborne Eagle]

Out of respect for TSF, I will be nice on Steeler fans.

I spent years in Steeler country (Indiana, Westmoreland, Beaver counties) and their fanbase knowledge was lacking. Ask any diehard to name their starting line and you'll get Faneca, maybe Hartings, and a mish-mash of names from 10 years ago. Furhter, "keep it all in perspective?" Man, you can't have a conversation without tripping down memory lane to the seventies. Clock it. Next time you have a talk with a Steeler fan, clock the time til he/she mentions any Golden Era Steeler or the Super Bowls.

Central PA Steeler fans are far worse because they're not deluged with stories everyday.

They do love their team, no debate there. Other sports in that city take fifth place to the Steelers, Steelers, Steelers, and the Steelers (fifth will come with the one for the thumb).

Of course, the most unbearable fans in PA are Penn State fans. They combine the obnoxiousness of Philly fans with the cluelessness of Steeler fans. It's brutal hearing them talk about the Lions.

[TrueSteelerFan]

Originally Posted by Airborne Eagle

Out of respect for TSF, I will be nice on Steeler fans.

I spent years in Steeler country (Indiana, Westmoreland, Beaver counties) and their fanbase knowledge was lacking. Ask any diehard to name their starting line and you'll get Faneca, maybe Hartings, and a mish-mash of names from 10 years ago. Furhter, "keep it all in perspective?" Man, you can't have a conversation without tripping down memory lane to the seventies. Clock it. Next time you have a talk with a Steeler fan, clock the time til he/she mentions any Golden Era Steeler or the Super Bowls.

Central PA Steeler fans are far worse because they're not deluged with stories everyday.

They do love their team, no debate there. Other sports in that city take fifth place to the Steelers, Steelers, Steelers, and the Steelers (fifth will come with the one for the thumb).

Of course, the most unbearable fans in PA are Penn State fans. They combine the obnoxiousness of Philly fans with the cluelessness of Steeler fans. It's brutal hearing them talk about the Lions.

Everyone knows the smartest Steelers fans are in Allegheny county. Thanks for being nice though.

Its true that far too many fans are obsessed with the past but their knowledge isnt nearly as bad as you make it out to be. Die hards can certainly name all of the players. True, there are a lot of clueless fans, but thats because everybody (I do mean everybody) gets caught up in the season. The Steelers are all people talk about. Even those that really dont know anything about football. They are passionate though and do try.

There is nothing worse than the week after a Steelers loss. The entire fan base is completely miserable and bitter. Then again, after the Steelers win, most fans still find something to complain about.

[Airborne Eagle]

I fully admit my discussions with Allegheny (Pittsburgh city) fans is limited. In fact, not sure how many I ever talked to. Mainly suburban types.

Originally Posted by TrueSteelerFan

There is nothing worse than the week after a Steelers loss. The entire fan base is completely miserable and bitter. Then again, after the Steelers win, most fans still find something to complain about.

Maybe it's a Pennsylvania thing.

Dolphin fans get a horrible wrap, and unfairly so. On FinHeaven there was a poll with about 15 diffrent geographical locations to pick, with the Miami SF area being one of its own. There were more fans from the mid-west then there were form Miami.

There were also a suprising number of european and asian fans as well. But my point is that most of Dolphin fans dont live in Miami, thats not there fault. FinHevan alone has over 7000 diehard members.

Dolphin fans are great fans, just nost arent in Miami.

Originally Posted by Airborne Eagle

Of course, the most unbearable fans in PA are Penn State fans. They combine the obnoxiousness of Philly fans with the cluelessness of Steeler fans. It's brutal hearing them talk about the Lions.

AE, I have a package I am going to send you.....

Pay no attention to the ticking...

Originally Posted by Urbanswashbuckler

AMEN...yo u have no idea..

ohh i have a pretty good idea...if they were to have a 0 win season they would still party and say raiders are the best team ever. im a serious raider-hater (i made that up and its got an personal copyright on it so no stealin my material, you thievin' people....lol just kidding)

Originally Posted by TrueSteelerFan

Not bad at all.

yea, i'm sure you think its right on the money.

[DragnSlayrF31]

That list is crap. Mostly crap. Dallas fans are about as bad as Oakland fans. Apparently, this guy did not attend games when he made out his little list. :

[TheFalconArmy]

Since I am the only Life-long Falcons fan west of the Mississippi, that was born and raised on the West Coast and have no family anywhere near Georgia, I can understand the #29 ranking!

[tampabayfan]

Miami #3? this is the team that couldnt sell out a playoff game?

Originally Posted by Airborne Eagle

Out of respect for TSF, I will be nice on Steeler fans.

I spent years in Steeler country (Indiana, Westmoreland, Beaver counties) and their fanbase knowledge was lacking. Ask any diehard to name their starting line and you'll get Faneca, maybe Hartings, and a mish-mash of names from 10 years ago. Furhter, "keep it all in perspective?" Man, you can't have a conversation without tripping down memory lane to the seventies. Clock it. Next time you have a talk with a Steeler fan, clock the time til he/she mentions any Golden Era Steeler or the Super Bowls.

Central PA Steeler fans are far worse because they're not deluged with stories everyday.

They do love their team, no debate there. Other sports in that city take fifth place to the Steelers, Steelers, Steelers, and the Steelers (fifth will come with the one for the thumb).

Of course, the most unbearable fans in PA are Penn State fans. They combine the obnoxiousness of Philly fans with the cluelessness of Steeler fans. It's brutal hearing them talk about the Lions.

WOW, ABSOLUTELY WOW.... A nail has never been hit harder and more directly on the head.
But, you have to be a little understanding.... The Rooneys apparently have such a tight grip on the media market in Western PA that most kids grow up not knowing that other teams exist, except when they come to town to play the Steelers. You're lucky if you get more than a paragraph in any paper, from the Post-Gazette to the Valley News Dispatch on anything other than what the Steelers are doing. There was actually more column space given to Hines Ward's tearful press conference than their was to the Super Bowl matchup.

Penn State is even worse. The two AM sports stations in town would preempt national sports radio every Thursday and Friday to run THE SAME SHOW brought to you from the "Big Blue" Penn State Book Store and you could listen to the guy take calls on such fascinating subjects as how well he thought the Baby Lion (high school) football team would do that year. MADDENING!

It's funny that so many sports writers will hack on Bucco Bruce but will give the Dolphin unis a pass. Sorry, the Aquamarine and Orange with Flipper in a helmet is just as gay and the old Red and Orange. It's kind of like, "Well, I can't find anything else bad to say about the Bucs fans, so I'll just call the uniforms ugly."

Nice job by Czaban for finding a way to write a column without having to do too much research or work too hard. Man, it would be nice to have a gig like that.

[BucsRule4669]

How can miami be #3. When I use to live their they could never sell out a game in a good season. I mean every week people asked me to go the game with them. I don't think miami could even sell out a playoff game. Another thing why are bucs ranked #18. We have sold out every game at ray jay since it opened and it opened in 98. Also everytime I go to Tampa you can see buc logos everywhere you go.

Originally Posted by therealbucsfan

steelers fans ahead of Bucs, yeah. do we riot and burn our city? no. do we throw stuff all th time at the players? no.

Steelers fans have never rioted, and I've been to a number of both CLeveland/Steeler Games and Rave/Steeler games (steelers biggest rivalries) and NEVER seen either teams fans physically abused. The worst they get is "YOU SUCK" or perhaps a little more colorful expression of that idea.

But, hearing "ONE FOR THE THUMB" talk this year was truly oboxious. I'm pretty sure the only people with any link to the 74-79 Steelers still associated with the team are the Rooneys, and they're all too old to properly pimp 5 SB rings. Heck, 3/4 of the FANS who were screaming "one for the thumb" weren't even alive in 1980.

[Urbanswashbuckler]

Originally Posted by Awbucman37

ohh i have a pretty good idea...if they were to have a 0 win season they would still party and say raiders are the best team ever. im a serious raider-hater (i made that up and its got an personal copyright on it so no stealin my material, you thievin' people....lol just kidding)

there are plenty of raider haters here in the SF bay, theyre niner fans..


seriously though, were talking about fans who have their static cling decals that theyll put on theyre cars at the beginning of the season, but mysteriously disappera mid way through when they realize theyre team is a steaming pile of dog doo...

i had guy come up to me and brag about getting sapp, but near the end of the season, he though it was a huge waste...

and even if they make it to the playoffs they still cant sell out, and theyre afraid that monday night games will be blacked out..

most "fans" can barely name 2 players on the team, and some still think brown and rice are theyre..

in reality, raider fans are the worst in all the world..

id rather hang out with some soccer hooligans they a raider fan..

but thats just me...it s the one reason i hate living 2 minutes away from oakland...