ESPN Rankings- Best Fans in The League

[Flatinum]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/preview08/columns/story?id=3530077

[BroncoJoe]

Raiders in the top 10 with a grand total of 4 consecutive sellouts?

Huh. Sound like "great" fans to me.

[Northman]

Raiders in the top 10 with a grand total of 4 consecutive sellouts?

Huh. Sound like "great" fans to me.

Not too mention how sweet and wonderful they are too visiting fans. :lol:

[Magnificent Seven]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/preview08/columns/story?id=3530077

That's their lame opinion. Mile High Stadium and Invesco Field Stadium are still amazing. Even from the top of the Stadium you feel like part of the action. The Mile High Thunder is deafening, and fans all around the country always want to know what they chant.. It's IN-COM-PLETE! A great place to be a part of the game. Invesco field is a nice, big stadium. You've got an excellent view from all seats. The atmosphere is very great.

Additional Comments: I always get heavy goosebumps when I hit inside the stadium. My heart goes to Invesco Field.

[KCL]

I knew the Chiefs would be listed!

[claymore]

I knew the Chiefs would be listed!

Since MB isnt around..... I got his back,


:tsk:

[Day1BroncoFan]

Do you think the guy writing this aticle is a traider fan?

[turftoad]

Raiders in the top 10 with a grand total of 4 consecutive sellouts?

Huh. Sound like "great" fans to me.

The people ranking these fans must like clowns, because thats how Faider fans dress as.

[SmilinAssasSin27]

I haven't been to Invesco since it's opening season, but I noticed a difference between that and Mile High. The old sheet metal and physical vibrations of Mile High were replaced with a very nice concrete structure which doesn't help w/ the noise level. Same w/ Heinz Field...3 Rivers was fully enclosed and intimidating. Heinz is open ended and lacks that fear factor of 3RS. I miss some of the older places.

[Lonestar]

NFL's best fans? We gotta hand it to Steelers (barely)
By Matt Mosley
ESPN.com

The only problem with ranking the NFL's 32 fan bases -- other than the sheer insanity of the exercise -- is that someone must finish last. But let's not focus on the Cardinals right now.


The idea to rank the 32 fan bases was hatched by our Committee on Rankings in Bristol, Conn. With the steadfast belief that everything in sports should be quantified on at least a twice-weekly basis, we were off and running.



A team of eight esteemed bloggers was asked to rank fans over the past five seasons using scientific criteria such as "Tailgate factor" and "How well do they travel?"



When all was said and done, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers ended up tied for first. But much like the International Gymnastics Federation, we came up with an elaborate tiebreaking process in which Hall of Fame writer John Clayton of ESPN was called upon to keep things above board. Clayton, who grew up in the East Braddock section of Pittsburgh, picked the Steelers, which seems totally fair.



HOW WE RANKED YOU
Yes, there was a method to our madness in ranking NFL teams' fan bases. Five Bristol muckety-mucks sat in a room and hatched the genius idea of having our NFL division bloggers rate fan bases in their divisions over the past five seasons. Mike Sando (NFC West), Matt Mosley (NFC East), Pat Yasinskas (NFC South), Kevin Seifert (NFC North), Bill Williamson (AFC West), Tim Graham (AFC East), Paul Kuharsky (AFC South) and James Walker (AFC North) evaluated their teams in these categories:

• Stadium factor (St.): Loud? Great atmosphere?


• Live and die factor (LDF): Fans take loss hard? (That's a good thing.)

• Traveling road show factor (Travel): Big presence in other guys' stadium?

• Loyalty when team sucks (Loyal): You score points with us if you stick with a loser.

• Hate factor (Hate): Other teams' fans dislike your fans? (Hate is good in our book.)

• Tailgate factor (TG): Home tailgates sizzling or stale?

• Home fans' creativity (CF): Wacky ideas … or not?


A rating of 1 is great, 5 the worst.



After the bloggers' ratings were digested by our Bristol computer, we had several ties. Enter The Professor, John Clayton of ESPN.com. Clayton -- who has covered more NFL games over the past 10 years than almost anyone -- broke all ties.



Think our ranking stinks? Debate it here.





But even without John's gentle nudge, Steelers fans are deserving of the top honor. The decline of the steel industry in the 1970s coincided with the rise of the Steelers dynasty. At a time when the city's collective psyche was taking a major blow, the local football team offered a weekly respite.



A generation of young people left the city to find work elsewhere, but they remained passionate about their hometown team. And that's why your local stadiums are often invaded by a black-and-gold army.



"People save up all year and then plan their vacations around traveling to Steelers games," said native Pittsburgher Bill Hillgrove, a retired local TV icon and the team's radio play-by-play voice the past 15 seasons. "When you arrive at the team hotel, the fans are all waiting in the lobby."



The Steelers of the 1970s pretty much took over the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- a subject you might consider avoiding the next time you bump into Roger Staubach. But a great deal of credit for the Steelers' first-place finish should go to the late Myron Cope, who from his local radio pulpit gave fans a distinctive voice.



In 1995, a group of Steelers fans were roasting a pig in the Three Rivers Stadium parking lot before a game against Jacksonville and thought it would be funny to send the pig's head to Cope in the radio booth. According to Hillgrove, Cope spent much of the game referring to the pig on-air as Jaguars middle linebacker Keith Goganious.



Steelers and Eagles fans are no-brainers as top-five selections, but they seem to come at things from a much different perspective. The Steelers have had so much success over the years that fans can live through a 6-10 season without doing anything to harm themselves or others. In that respect, they take their cue from the Rooney family. I've heard Pittsburgh referred to as a "big little town," which is not something you'd say about Philadelphia. Eagles fans are just as loyal as Steelers fans, but they have a different way of showing it.



"You could drop a Martian into Philly the day after a game, and within three minutes, he'd know if the Eagles had won or lost," said Glen Macnow, a sports radio talk show host for the wildly popular WIP and co-author of "The Great Philadelphia Fan Book." "When they win, you'll meet the friendliest cab drivers, CPAs and newspaper sellers. Whey they lose, it's like a five-day hangover."



Unlike places such as Dallas and Miami, Philadelphia isn't home to a lot of transplants. People aren't trying to leave, and potential newcomers aren't arriving any time soon. It sort of creates this bunker mentality that seems to fuel passion for local teams -- but mainly the Eagles.



When Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins recently called local fans "front-runners," he made a fatal error. You can say a lot of things about Philly fans, but this has never been a community of bandwagon jumpers.



"Sports here are handed down through generations," Macnow said. "Grandpa Joe watched games at Franklin Field, the son watched them at the Vet and the grandson's now in the seats at the Linc."




[+] EnlargeJeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images

Packers fans never dog it. They have sold out every home game since 1960.
Some of the stories over the years have been embellished, but I still think Philadelphia and perhaps Oakland are the last places you should wear an opposing team's jersey. Wearing a Cowboys jersey in certain sections of the Linc will almost guarantee you a fistfight. But for whatever reason (Halloween costumes perhaps), the infamous Black Hole in Oakland seems to have a more dangerous element.


I recall standing near the infamous section inside McAfee Coliseum during the closing seconds of a Cowboys-Raiders game a few years ago, praying that no one could tell I was from Dallas. Honestly, there's just something unsettling about a group of fans who make KISS seem like a folk band.



The Packers and Browns finished second and third in our rankings. Every NFL fan should make the pilgrimage to Lambeau Field at least once. I've done it in 55-degree weather in October and minus-6 degree weather in January -- and would recommend the latter for the true experience. The stadium is the league's most famous shrine and Packers fans are among the most loyal in all of sports. Sure, they love Brett Favre, but they love the franchise more. It's one of the few places in the league that feels like a college game day -- and that's a good thing in my book.



HIGHEST PROFILE
Which team has the most mentions in fan profiles on ESPN.com? Hint: Team has big star on its helmet. Check it out.



Packers fans also travel well. In parking lots across the league, Cheeseheads gather to drink beer with a man who wears a green-and-yellow robe and calls himself St. Vincent. I don't think it's any coincidence that most of our top fans come from cold-weather areas. Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Cleveland and Philadelphia fans will sit through anything. And I think there's something about the elements that make fans more rabid.



Browns fans lost a team, but they never lost their passion for football. The fan base has suffered through a lot of losing, but that almost seems to reinforce their loyalty. At first glance, I thought No. 3 was a bit high for Browns fans. I certainly wouldn't have put them in front of the Eagles, Chiefs and Broncos, but they deserve top-10 billing. The new Cleveland Browns Stadium (1999) doesn't seem as loud -- and as wild -- as old Municipal Stadium. But the Browns were smart enough to create another Dawg Pound in the east end zone bleachers. Last time I checked, a ticket in the Pound cost about $40.



My sincerest apologies go out to Seahawks fans. I don't know whom you should blame for the No. 20 ranking, although I can provide a couple of options. Other than the Chiefs, I think you have the loudest stadium in football and your ability to induce false starts is the stuff of legend.



Now, I encourage you to spend the next day or so arguing about this topic. Just remember: Don't shoot the messenger. They made me do it!

[Lonestar]

1. Steelers
Consecutive sellouts: 299 | Season-ticket waiting list: More than six years

No team is as woven into the fabric of a city. The organization's stability has a lot to do with it, as generations of Steelers fans relate to the tradition of ownership (Rooneys), smashmouth football, quality head coaches (league-low three since 1969) and success (five Super Bowl titles). The season-ticket waiting list is extremely long and the consecutive sellout streak of 299 games, including playoffs, is unbelievable.
-- James Walker




St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 1 1 1 2 1 2 10

2. Packers
Consecutive sellouts: 269 | Season-ticket waiting list: 78,000

Want to talk about support? The Packers have been sold out since 1960. Win or lose, fans fill Lambeau Field. The Packers are a huge part of the community fabric, perhaps more so than any other NFL town. Passion is second to none. Of course, that passion has been directly challenged following the team's ugly divorce with quarterback Brett Favre. Many fans are upset, and some have taken it out on replacement Aaron Rodgers. But if they are true to form, the vast majority of Packers fans will remain supportive of the team.
-- Kevin Seifert



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
3 1 2 1 1 3 1 12

3. Browns
Consecutive sellouts: 72 | Season-ticket waiting list: Undisclosed

Browns fans are some of the most dedicated in the NFL. Cleveland is a football-crazed town year-round, and its loyalty has been tested like no other city. Cleveland lost its team to Baltimore following the 1995 season, and the "new" Browns have taken nearly a decade to get it together. Yet the fans remain rabid and hopeful every year, sometimes to a fault. Cleveland fans travel well and the "Browns Backers" are one of the NFL's largest and well-organized fan groups. About the only thing lacking is the stadium atmosphere, which has yet to reach the level of the old Municipal Stadium.
-- James Walker



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 1 3 2 2 1 2 13

4. Eagles
Consecutive sellouts: 71 | Season-ticket waiting list: 70,000

No other team dictates a city's mood like the Eagles. It's a loyal group of fans, but don't confuse it with blind loyalty. When the Eagles play poorly, they face the wrath of the fans. That rattles some guys, but players such as Jeremiah Trotter and Brian Dawkins have thrived on that tough love. Fans of opposing teams should tread lightly in the Linc.
-- Matt Mosley



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
1 2 3 1 3 1 2 13

5. Chiefs
Consecutive sellouts: 141 | Season-ticket waiting list: none

Kansas City is often referred to as the Green Bay of the AFC when it comes to fans. KC has a small-town feel, and the fans completely buy into the Chiefs. Arrowhead Stadium is a sea of red and the party begins early. There's nothing like arriving at a Chiefs game and smelling miles of smoking BBQ hours before game time.
-- Bill Williamson



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 2 2 3 3 1 2 15

6. Redskins
Consecutive sellouts: 319 | Season-ticket waiting list: 200,000

Redskins fans aren't as volatile as Eagles fans -- especially in swanky FedEx Field. It is, however, a very astute crowd that stays loyal through tough times. It's hard to tell who hates the Cowboys more between the Redskins and Eagles, although I'd lean toward the Eagles. The Redskins built a stadium at least 45 minutes from civilization -- yet fans never missed a beat. Owner Dan Snyder has plowed through coaches at an alarming rate, but the fan base has a remarkable amount of patience that has been passed down from generation to generation. Outside of Steelers and Packers fans, the Redskins travel better than anyone. And though politically incorrect, the feathers and face paint still reign.
-- Matt Mosley



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
3 2 1 2 3 3 1 15

7. Broncos
Consecutive sellouts: 293 | Season-ticket waiting list: 27,600

This is traditionally one of the stronger fan bases in the NFL. The magic of old Mile High may be gone, but Broncos fans brave varying degrees of football weather to cheer the Broncos season after season. If you are a no-show for a game in Denver, you'll endure plenty of shame from the orange-clad residents of Broncos Country.
-- Bill Williamson



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 2 3 4 1 1 3 16

8. Patriots
Consecutive sellouts: 149 | Season-ticket waiting list: 50,000

There's no way to argue with a fan base that has sold out Gillette Stadium since it opened -- pushing the Patriots' streak to 149 games, including playoffs -- and is willing to join a waiting list 50,000 deep to get a crack at season tickets someday. On-field dominance will do that. It will be interesting to see how the addition of Patriot Place -- a commercial development that offers shopping, restaurants, a movie theater and a medical center -- will affect the game-day dynamic. Do you throw Italian sausages on the grill or grab a teriyaki burger at Red Robin? One sounds more festive than the other.
-- Tim Graham



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 2 2 3 1 1 5 16

9. Raiders
Consecutive sellouts: 4 | Season-ticket waiting list: none

The Raiders may have the most fun group of NFL fans in the league. The Raider Nation travels like a college contingent, and game day in Oakland is an all-day Halloween party, whether it's October or Christmas Eve. The Raider Nation prides itself in bullying the opposition.
-- Bill Williamson



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 3 2 2 2 2 3 16

10. Giants
Consecutive sellouts: 249 | Season-ticket waiting list: 130,000

It's sort of a drag sharing a stadium with another team, but Giants fans are more loyal than Jets fans. And speaking from experience, Giants fans will tailgate in any weather. I prefer Lot C because that's where you find the short-rib experts.
-- Matt Mosley

[Lonestar]

11. Bills
Consecutive sellouts: 8 | Season-ticket waiting list: none

Don't blame Bills fans for the team's financial angst. The front office hasn't fielded a playoff team since 1999, but fans have purchased the third-highest number of season tickets in franchise history and the most since Buffalo's fourth straight Super Bowl season. In the Ralph Wilson Stadium parking lot, you'll find some of the best tailgating anywhere. A convoy of RVs pulls in days before the game and the masses party all weekend. Some locals will show up just for the pregame festivities even if they're not going to the game.
-- Tim Graham




St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
3 2 1 3 1 3 4 17

12. Cowboys
Consecutive sellouts: 145 | Season-ticket waiting list: Not applicable due to new stadium

Cowboys fans aren't nearly as rabid as Eagles and Steelers fans, but the Cowboys have more of a worldwide audience. If you stay in the team hotel, you'll see something pretty remarkable. No matter where the Cowboys show up (even Appleton, Wis.), there are at least 30 fans waiting for them in the lobby. Texas Stadium is iconic because of the hole in the roof, but now it's simply a dump. This isn't a fan base that feels a great deal of hatred for certain teams or players. In fact, I think Texas Stadium is one of the safest places in the league to wear an opposing jersey. The most hated player from an opposing team is now lining up at wide receiver for the Cowboys.
-- Matt Mosley



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 3 3 2 3 1 3 17

13. Bears
Consecutive sellouts: 202 | Season-ticket waiting list: 4,000

The Bears inspire high emotion among Chicagoans, who like to think of themselves as part of a blue-collar city. Life is thrilling when the Bears are winning, but things can get nasty when they're not. Best of luck to Kyle Orton this season. But win or lose, you can expect Bears fans to fill Soldiers Field's parking decks before the game and the stands during it -- regardless of wind, rain, sleet or snow. The stadium's location on Lake Michigan can make for some interesting weather conditions, but Bears fans don't let that affect them.
-- Kevin Seifert



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 2 3 3 1 4 3 18

14. Jets
Consecutive sellouts: 249 | Season-ticket waiting list: 9,000

The Jets' sellout streak and season-ticket waiting list are impressive considering their fans have endured three years with six or fewer victories since 2003. Jets fans are rabid and quite ribald. The NFL this month issued a fan code of conduct partly in response to the goings-on at Gate D at the Meadowlands, where unruly fans harassed women during games.
-- Tim Graham



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 3 3 2 4 1 3 18

15. Saints
Consecutive sellouts: 16 | Season-ticket waiting list: Five figures, according to Saints

Bourbon Street is close by and that means the tailgate parties start Saturday afternoon. The party atmosphere fuels the Superdome. When the Saints are playing well, this can be one of the league's loudest venues. Before Hurricane Katrina, there were rumblings the Saints could be a candidate for a move. But the team became a rallying point for the entire Gulf Coast in the aftermath of the storm and the fan base is now stronger than ever.
-- Pat Yasinskas



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 2 3 4 3 2 2 18

16. Colts
Consecutive sellouts: 56 | Season-ticket waiting list: 17,000

The Colts had a tremendous advantage in the way the RCA Dome held sound. We'll need some time to see if the extra square footage of Lucas Oil Stadium dissipates some of the noise, which is likely. The fan base has been great while the Colts have been an elite team in the AFC and won a Super Bowl. But insiders in Indianapolis wonder how things will be when the team ultimately hits a dip.
-- Paul Kuharsky



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
2 3 3 3 3 2 3 19

17. Ravens
Consecutive sellouts: 96 | Season-ticket waiting list: 3,000

Ravens fans are a mixture. There are some traditional, longtime football fans who rooted for the old Baltimore Colts and really understand the history of the game, and there are the new-age fans who just adopted football full time when the Ravens came to town. The loyalty factor is pretty good. But with the Redskins to the south and Eagles to the north, the Ravens geographically have a much smaller, boxed-in fan base than most NFL teams. A Super Bowl win in 2000 helped, but the organization still hasn't built up as much loyalty as its AFC North brethren.
-- James Walker



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
3 2 4 3 3 2 2 19

18. Titans
Consecutive sellouts: 72 | Season-ticket waiting list: 28,000

Titans fans have lived off reputation for some time. When their building opened in 1999 as Adelphia Coliseum, it was incredibly loud and could throw an unfamiliar visitor off. It's been quite some time, however, since the volume was a real factor. Fans were also spoiled by early success -- the team went to the Super Bowl in its first season as the Titans and had the best record in the following regular season. In SEC country, the tailgating is hard-core. But there are empty seats at LP Field when things aren't going well and ticket holders in the club sections generally spend too much time inside.
-- Paul Kuharsky



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
1 3 3 4 2 5 1 19

19. Vikings
Consecutive sellouts: 104 | Season-ticket waiting list: None

The Metrodome has spoiled a generation of Minnesota football fans who don't realize how good they have it. Try sitting outside for three hours in -10 wind chill when you're not used to it. There is also an undeniable fair-weather factor among Vikings fans, and the team needed corporate help to sell out its games last season for the first time in a decade.
-- Kevin Seifert





20. Seahawks

Consecutive sellouts: 44 | Season-ticket waiting list: 14,000

No team in the league has a louder stadium, inside or out. It's always been that way. Seattle fans rocked the Kingdome so hard that opposing quarterbacks routinely backed out from under center to ask the referee to intervene. The place only got louder. They rocked Qwest Field hard enough to induce the Giants into 11 false-start penalties -- in one game. Management has succeeded in selling the 12th Man concept. The waiting list for season tickets goes thousands deep. On the downside, a city ordinance prevents fans from tailgating at the stadium, a major deduction that kept the Seahawks from moving up the list.
-- Mike Sando



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
3 2 4 3 3 1 4 20

21. Bucs
Consecutive sellouts: 80 | Season-ticket waiting list: Undisclosed

This fan base survived some lean early years and Raymond James Stadium has brought a big-time atmosphere to town. The parking lots are one huge tailgate party. Teams from the North sometimes catch a break because of transplanted fans.
-- Pat Yasinskas



St. LDF Travel Loyal Hate TG CF TOTAL
3 3 3 3 2 3 3 20

22. Chargers
Consecutive sellouts: 30 | Season-ticket waiting list: Undisclosed

Chargers fans haven't quite caught up to the team they follow, but they are trying. Chargers fans have become very vocal, and sellouts have become a trend just north of the border. Perhaps these fans suffer from the reputation of being laid-back SoCal fans. After all, there are plenty of other things to do besides going to a football game … no matter how good that team may be.
-- Bill Williamson

[Lonestar]

23. Texans
Consecutive sellouts: 60 | Season-ticket waiting list: 3,500

In 2006, when local hero Vince Young returned as a member of the division rival Titans, fans couldn't have greeted him more warmly. When he won the game with a TD run in overtime, most of Reliant Stadium cheered him. Texans fans are desperate for a winner and appreciate first-class ownership. They score well in loyalty (though as Young proved, a good share of it is to the University of Texas.) Though they can be whiny on a Monday morning, they've had a reasonable amount to whine about.
-- Paul Kuharsky

24. 49ers
Consecutive sellouts: 259 | Season-ticket waiting list: Undisclosed

San Francisco fans must be dedicated to sell out 259 consecutive games at one of the league's worst stadiums. The impressive sellout streak has nearly ended more than a couple of times during lean years, but fans keep coming back. The team's glory years in the 1980s helped, solidifying a fan base well beyond the Bay Area. The parking lots at Candlestick Park produce some memorable fare. The team has had trouble securing public funding for a new stadium, always a tough sell in California, even as fans keep turning out for games.
-- Mike Sando

25. Panthers

Consecutive sellouts: 41 | Season-ticket waiting list: None

There's a bit of a wine-and-cheese atmosphere at Panthers games, but there is a strong core of diehard fans who bring energy to Bank of America Stadium. Charlotte lives and dies with the Panthers because there aren't a lot of other options in the sports world.
-- Pat Yasinskas

26. Bengals




Consecutive sellouts: 36 | Season-ticket waiting list: Undisclosed



Bengals fans are disenchanted with their team. Cincinnati has just one winning season in the past 17 years, and during that span the city has grown accustomed to having a sub-par football team. Cincinnati historically is a baseball town, not a football town, and there is no natural pigskin rival to root against. If anything, Bengals fans spew most of their venom on their own. They're upset at star receiver Chad Johnson for his antics and wanting to get out of town. They turned on Carson Palmer recently for supporting USC -- his alma mater -- over Ohio State. A majority of fans turned long ago on the Bengals' front office led by owner Mike Brown. Granted, Cincinnati does draw well and has more loyal followers today than during the lean Dave Shula/Dick LeBeau/Bruce Coslet years. But Bengals fans remain very skeptical of their franchise.
-- James Walker

27. Jaguars




Consecutive sellouts: 0 | Season-ticket waiting list: None



Even with tarps covering seats to cut Jacksonville Municipal Stadium down to a more reasonable capacity, the building doesn't fill consistently enough. Three of the NFL's 10 blacked-out games last year were in Jacksonville. The team says it had the option of corporate bailouts to prevent those, but didn't accept them on principle. The city was spoiled some by the team's early success, but this piece of SEC country has not developed the hardcore loyalty to its NFL team that you find in Nashville.
-- Paul Kuharsky

28. Dolphins




Consecutive sellouts: 77 | Season-ticket waiting list: None



The Dolphins might have the most alluring fans in the league. You won't see any sweatshirts or parkas around Miami Dolphins Stadium. Chances are pretty decent there will be bikinis and midriffs showing off tanned bodies. Problem is, the fans are supposed to enjoy watching what's on the field, not each other. A six-season playoff drought has led to rows of empty orange seats. The visiting crowd has been louder at times.
-- Tim Graham

29. Rams

Consecutive sellouts: 2 | Season-ticket waiting list: None



St. Louis is a baseball town, and the Rams' roots in the city go back only to 1995. The Edward Jones Dome gets plenty loud when the Rams are on their game, but the enthusiasm has dropped off in recent seasons. With the team's future in question following the death of owner Georgia Frontiere, fans can't be sure if the franchise will stay in St. Louis for the long haul. Two consecutive sellouts aren't much to brag about.
-- Mike Sando

30. Falcons

Consecutive sellouts: 0 | Season-ticket waiting list: None



The Georgia Dome has the potential to be loud, but it seldom has been. The Falcons have struggled through much of their existence. The Braves and the University of Georgia are the favorites in this town, and the Falcons only draw attention when they're good.
-- Pat Yasinskas

31. Lions




Consecutive sellouts: 49 | Season-ticket waiting list: 0



Visit Ford Field in midseason and you feel like you should keep your voice down. That's how quiet it is. Of course, given the Lions' long history of disappointment, it says a lot about the loyalty of those who do come to the games.
-- Kevin Seifert










32. Cardinals

Consecutive sellouts: 20 | Season-ticket waiting list: 2,500

The team's new stadium has helped draw sellout crowds, but the franchise faces challenges. Too many football fans in the region had already latched onto other NFL teams, notably the Cowboys, by the time Bill Bidwill brought the Cardinals to the desert in the 1980s. Mismanagement and losing seasons kept fans away. The franchise is on an upswing and the fans are responding, but the Cardinals must win to turn skeptics into full-fledged believers.
-- Mike Sando

[NameUsedBefore]

List sucks.

[Hobe]

ESPN's rating must be hurting again to a list like this. Football season is about to start and Baseball is headed towards their play-offs. Can't they find something better to write about?

[Bronco9798]

Don't believe anything you read. Bronco fans are the best, period. They wasted plenty of ink and paper on that article.

[Skinny]

20. Seahawks

No team in the league has a louder stadium, inside or out. It's always been that way. Seattle fans rocked the Kingdome so hard that opposing quarterbacks routinely backed out from under center to ask the referee to intervene. The place only got louder. They rocked Qwest Field hard enough to induce the Giants into 11 false-start penalties -- in one game. Management has succeeded in selling the 12th Man concept. The waiting list for season tickets goes thousands deep. On the downside, a city ordinance prevents fans from tailgating at the stadium, a major deduction that kept the Seahawks from moving up the list. Unbeleivable. That place is electric during a game, should be alot higher but i see why it's not now.

[broncosfanscott]

I am surprised that the Jaguars have 0 consecutive sellout. I guess they don't have as loyal a fan base as I thought.

[Lonestar]

I am surprised that the Jaguars have 0 consecutive sellout. I guess they don't have as loyal a fan base as I thought.

they have alot of college teams in the area.

Also the ocean is across the street.. for that matter almost none of the Florida teams are consistent fan favorites unless you have a winning team, they turn out if not they go to the beach.
Almost the same thing for the old Rams and now the bolts..

[SmilinAssasSin27]

Also, much like is being said about the Tampa Rays, many Florida residents are transplants and already had a favorite team not from Florida.

[Lonestar]

Also, much like is being said about the Tampa Rays, many Florida residents are transplants and already had a favorite team not from Florida.

forgot about all the transplants, that also applies to all Californicate teams ..

add PHX to the list..

[Stargazer]

Also, much like is being said about the Tampa Rays, many Florida residents are transplants and already had a favorite team not from Florida.

Dolphins have a loyal fan base, but they've been in the league for decades.

[Stargazer]

they have alot of college teams in the area.

Also the ocean is across the street.. for that matter almost none of the Florida teams are consistent fan favorites unless you have a winning team, they turn out if not they go to the beach.
Almost the same thing for the old Rams and now the bolts..

College teams and transplants. A lot of fans there, but of other teams. Jax are probably the worst team in the league in regards to fan support and attendance.

[Stargazer]

I am surprised that the Jaguars have 0 consecutive sellout. I guess they don't have as loyal a fan base as I thought.

They have to use tarps on the upper deck of their stadium to cover seats.

The area is not overly wealthy. Still surprised there's actually a team in that city.

[lex]

The only two fan bases that one might consider more loyal and/or dedicated are Packers and Steelers fans. Denver, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh are all smaller markets but Green Bay and Pittsburgh both cultivated fanbases nationally by the fact that those two franchises had dynasties. There are a lot of fans who started watching football in either the 1960s when the Packers were a dynasty or the 1970s when the Steelers had their dynasty. The closest thing Denver has had to that was 1997-1998, which was only around 10 years ago. But more to the point, Denver has developed its dedicated fan base without a dynasty to point to on the same scale as what you see with the Packers and Steelers. In fact, Denver's sell out streak began 4 or so years before they had their first winning season. Its easy to cultivate a fan base when your team is dominant but Denver has done it without a comparable dynasty to point to, which says a lot really. And along those lines its an absolute joke that KC is rated as high as it is. I can remember back in the 1980s when there would be several empty seats at Arrowhead. The same can be said for the Patriots. Thats not true with Denver. If you look at any regular season game for Denver going back to the 70s, the stadium has been packed every game. Denver fans havent taken a decade off.

However, I will say that the dedication has sort of eroded in the form of opportunistic season ticket holders who are season ticket holders for the sake of profiteering. Its lame to sell your tickets to a Steelers or a Packers fan. Its a shame. And unfortunately it seems there has been more of that in recent years than in years prior. I think part of the reason is that Denver has kind of transitioned to a city where transplants are more prevalent and the Broncos are a core connection to the city for those who are natives. But with the influx of some many auslanders, the connection overall doesnt seem as strong anymore. Instead of having a neighbor who is also a native and who also has a strong attachment to the Broncos, its more likely now for that neighbor to be from California where there is little to no dedication.

[Lonestar]

The only two fan bases that one might consider more loyal and/or dedicated are Packers and Steelers fans. Denver, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh are all smaller markets but Green Bay and Pittsburgh both cultivated fanbases nationally by the fact that those two franchises had dynasties. There are a lot of fans who started watching football in either the 1960s when the Packers were a dynasty or the 1970s when the Steelers had their dynasty. The closest thing Denver has had to that was 1997-1998, which was only around 10 years ago. But more to the point, Denver has developed its dedicated fan base without a dynasty to point to on the same scale as what you see with the Packers and Steelers. In fact, Denver's sell out streak began 4 or so years before they had their first winning season. Its easy to cultivate a fan base when your team is dominant but Denver has done it without a comparable dynasty to point to, which says a lot really. And along those lines its an absolute joke that KC is rated as high as it is. I can remember back in the 1980s when there would be several empty seats at Arrowhead. The same can be said for the Patriots. Thats not true with Denver. If you look at any regular season game for Denver going back to the 70s, the stadium has been packed every game. Denver fans havent taken a decade off.

However, I will say that the dedication has sort of eroded in the form of opportunistic season ticket holders who are season ticket holders for the sake of profiteering. Its lame to sell your tickets to a Steelers or a Packers fan. Its a shame. And unfortunately it seems there has been more of that in recent years than in years prior. I think part of the reason is that Denver has kind of transitioned to a city where transplants are more prevalent and the Broncos are a core connection to the city for those who are natives. But with the influx of some many auslanders, the connection overall doesnt seem as strong anymore. Instead of having a neighbor who is also a native and who also has a strong attachment to the Broncos, its more likely now for that neighbor to be from California where there is little to no dedication.


valid pints but think in this manner PIT and GB have been or were founding franchises in the NFL if not been around a Long time well before DEN even thought about FB..

KC had pro baseball for many years before the rockies were started up and they also had Pro basketball before the nuggets came on the scene.. for the longest time the Broncos WERE the ONLY game in the state.. the Buffs sucked for decades and the Rams were small division teams before that..

Most of the other franchises throughout the league had other things going for it.. DEN only had the Broncos.. SKI/snowmobiling season did not start for the most part till football was over.. Nothing else to DO in DEN.. also until the late 80's there were not all that many people that lived in DEN proper.. In the state at the time probably less than 1.8 mil or so. Many older franchises had that many people in the city itself not counting the surrounding areas..

[lex]

valid pints but think in this manner PIT and GB have been or were founding franchises in the NFL if not been around a Long time well before DEN even thought about FB..

KC had pro baseball for many years before the rockies were started up and they also had Pro basketball before the nuggets came on the scene.. for the longest time the Broncos WERE the ONLY game in the state.. the Buffs sucked for decades and the Rams were small division teams before that..

Most of the other franchises throughout the league had other things going for it.. DEN only had the Broncos.. SKI/snowmobiling season did not start for the most part till football was over.. Nothing else to DO in DEN.. also until the late 80's there were not all that many people that lived in DEN proper.. In the state at the time probably less than 1.8 mil or so. Many older franchises had that many people in the city itself not counting the surrounding areas..



Its hard to sell the point that there are other things to do when the NFL has been snowballing in popularity from the 60s/70s up through today...and now it includes more women who are also into football. If "other things to do" was such a factor it should be reflected at the macro level, but like I said, football is the most popular sport in the united states. So basically, the existence of other teams and other activities in other cities hasnt prevented the popularity of the NFL from snowballing.

[Lonestar]

Its hard to sell the point that there are other things to do when the NFL has been snowballing in popularity from the 60s/70s up through today...and now it includes more women who are also into football. If "other things to do" was such a factor it should be reflected at the macro level, but like I said, football is the most popular sport in the united states. So basically, the existence of other teams and other activities in other cities hasnt prevented the popularity of the NFL from snowballing.

I guess living in DEN in the 60's does not qualify me from making he observation there was little else to do at the time.. other than the Denver bears a triple A team..

Other sports where not there.. If you wanted to see a event it was the Broncos and thus the passion that developed for the team..

The old slogan the Only Game in Town rang true here in DEN..

Whereas s in other cities they did have "other" teams to follow..

For example in many other cities the closeness of other franchises made them easier to ID with.. when you have 5-6 other teams with in a 500 mile radius of your home city some time allegiances could happen that way..

But not so in DEN.. the nearest other city with the NFL was KC over 650 miles from DEN.. Only Game in Town came into play..

The TV contracts did wonders for the NFL and that almost alone made it the driving force in its popularity..

[lex]

I guess living in DEN in the 60's does not qualify me from making he observation there was little else to do at the time.. other than the Denver bears a triple A team..

Other sports where not there.. If you wanted to see a event it was the Broncos and thus the passion that developed for the team..

The old slogan the Only Game in Town rang true here in DEN..

Whereas s in other cities they did have "other" teams to follow..

For example in many other cities the closeness of other franchises made them easier to ID with.. when you have 5-6 other teams with in a 500 mile radius of your home city some time allegiances could happen that way..

But not so in DEN.. the nearest other city with the NFL was KC over 650 miles from DEN.. Only Game in Town came into play..

The TV contracts did wonders for the NFL and that almost alone made it the driving force in its popularity..


So are you saying having other sports and other things to do are a distraction or not?

[Lonestar]

So are you saying having other sports and other things to do are a distraction or not?

other things to do lessen the chances of consistent sellouts in struggling franchises..

IN DENs case it did not matter because frankly there was nothing else to do.. the influx of out of towner's did not start till the mid to late 70's. Colorado was a pristine state with very few Californians or east coast folks.. Growth came slowly till then..UNtil it was discovered by skiers and other tourists in the 70's. It was considered the outback.. almost no artsy fartsy stuff to do and those in the metropolitan ares in the east and west looked down their noses at Colorado..

[broncosfanscott]

they have alot of college teams in the area.

Also the ocean is across the street.. for that matter almost none of the Florida teams are consistent fan favorites unless you have a winning team, they turn out if not they go to the beach.
Almost the same thing for the old Rams and now the bolts..

I know there are successful college teams in Florida, however I figured that there would be more people in the stand since the Jags have been a good team lately........guess not.


They have to use tarps on the upper deck of their stadium to cover seats.
The area is not overly wealthy. Still surprised there's actually a team in that city.

Dude, that is kind of pathetic. Very interesting though and had no idea.

[Lonestar]

I know there are successful college teams in Florida, however I figured that there would be more people in the stand since the Jags have been a good team lately........guess not.



Dude, that is kind of pathetic. Very interesting though and had no idea.


part of the reason the college teams in FL are supported is they are really good teams.. and many folks like college ball better for many reason cost being one tickets to college games are not nearly as pricey as the NFL..

[Stargazer]

for the longest time the Broncos WERE the ONLY game in the state.

This is what I love about the Broncos. To add to your point, they are still the only team to represent a time zone. In this day & age, that still says something.

:salute:

[Lonestar]

This is what I love about the Broncos. To add to your point, they are still the only team to represent a time zone. In this day & age, that still says something.

:salute:

depending on what time of the year PHX is in the same time zone.. actually it is in the Mountain zone all year they however do not observe daylight savings time.

good try though

[Stargazer]

depending on what time of the year PHX is in the same time zone.. actually it is in the Mountain zone all year they however do not observe daylight savings time.

good try though

Just read up on it. Very cool.

http://phoenix.about.com/cs/weather/qt/timezone.htm

[lex]

part of the reason the college teams in FL are supported is they are really good teams.. and many folks like college ball better for many reason cost being one tickets to college games are not nearly as pricey as the NFL..


It seems to be more the case that pro football is popular in the north which was more urbanized back in the day. The south was more rural and there was a stronger connection with the college teams.