Bucs No. 28
February 1st, 2013
Bucs fans would like to think the team has one of the biggest followings in the NFL. Shoot, even Joe would like to think so.
But alas, not only are the Bucs not the NFL’s most popular team, they aren’t remotely close. In fact, the Bucs are closer to the bottom of the NFL in popularity than the top.
The eggheads at something called the “Harvard College Sports Analysis Collective” got out their calculators and spreadsheets and determined, using various collections of data, the Bucs are No. 28.
Dallass, of course, is No. 1, relayed by Deadspin.
For an NFL franchise to truly be “America’s Team,” as the Cowboys have claimed to be for 35 years, they would need to be beloved across the nation, by more people in more places than any other team. But the Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl in 17 years. They’ve struggled through mediocrity for a decade. Is the nickname accurate, out of date, or is it just an ingenious marketing ploy that has convinced pundits to repeat ad nauseam?
Ten years ago the best way to get a sense of a team’s fanbase might have been to do an assessment of TV ratings for each team. These ratings were (and still are) not released in detail for public consumption. Today we have a better method for determining how many fans like each team. Specifically, finding out how many fans “like” each team.
Rounding out the top five are the Steelers (no shock), the Patriots (bit of a surprise), the Packers (no shock) and the Saints.
The Saints?
Joe can’t figure that out, unless it takes a future Hall of Fame quarterback to play for a team, or maybe a team wins a Super Bowl just after a natural calamity nearly wipes a city off the map.
February 1st, 2013 at 4:14 pm
The Saints?
That’s more confusing than a blind lesbian at a fish market.
February 1st, 2013 at 4:14 pm
And not to mention for many years before their recent success they were referred to as the Aints and the fans wore paper bags over their collective heads for more than a century. LMAO
February 1st, 2013 at 4:18 pm
I prefer not to have a big following, i enjoy having a team not many people are rooting for… makes it all the more sweeter when we actually do win. GO BUCS!!
February 1st, 2013 at 4:27 pm
Saints fans are the biggest front runners in NFL history. People forget they were a hair away from being the San Antonio Saints or the LA Saints. Benson was getting death threats. Where were the fans then?
How do you spot a bandwagon Saints fan? His jersey is dry.
February 1st, 2013 at 4:36 pm
I looked at Harvard College Sports Analysis Collective chart and they claim the Bucs have 417,800 fans but if you go further down and read the next chart on loyal fans, they say out of the Bucs 417,800 fans only 43% are loyal fans. 57% are considered band wagoneers. LMAO.
Here’s the link,
http://harvardsportsanalysis.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/who-is-really-americas-team/#more-4071
February 1st, 2013 at 4:52 pm
saints? weren’t they the aints not that long ago? bandwagoners!!!
February 1st, 2013 at 4:53 pm
I can see it…how many times have we been in the Playoffs in the last 10 years…
February 1st, 2013 at 5:38 pm
As much as I hate the Saints, they are liked because of Katrina. It was a feel good story when they came back to NO and beat Atlanta on MNF. Ever since then, they’ve been media darlings, even with all the bounty stuff. All teams have bandwagon fans, and Tampa has its share too, so I wouldn’t point the finger at any other team.
February 1st, 2013 at 5:39 pm
Consistently winning creates fans around the country.
The big reason the Cowboys are America’s team is because every idiot who doesn’t watch football says “I like the Cowboys”, because that’s the only team they ever hear about. The national media is so in the bag for the Cowboys. Every single year the prognosticators are on the Cowboys bandwagon. Every year, they get choice primetime games. Feed people the same gruel over and over again and they learn to love it. This is how top 40 radio and blockbuster films operate. Of course they’re popular – they’re the most publicized team every year regardless of their record.
F%#K the Cowboys.
February 1st, 2013 at 5:49 pm
I live up here in Northwest Florida. Trust me there aren’t that many Saints bandwagon fans. They are a little more obnoxious now that they won a Super Bowl, but the Saints do have a pretty big fan base here in the south. They were one of those teams that you hated to love and knew they would just let you down, but it was OK, cause they were this regions Tampa Bay Rays, where you would go to see the Saint’s play because they are playing either your other favorite team or just see another great NFL team play, but now both teams are contenders.
Not to mention Joe, you’re in NO right now, that town is easy to fall in love with to come and visit, you’ll think twice or three times to move there, but it is one fun town to take a trip too.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Bucs, but I have a better chance of seeing them in NO against the Saints than I do of getting a trip to Tampa in. So it’s no surprise to me to see this. And remember how close Louisiana is to Texas, the saints claimed a lot of Houston Oiler fans when they left, the Texans are just re-claiming their territorial fans from the Saints.
Just thought I would share from someone who lives in Saints region who is a Bucs fan. I have to hope the Saints are playing Thursday night, Sunday Night, Monday Night, or the Bucs/Saints game to be able to watch TB on tv, basically the stars must be aligned.
February 1st, 2013 at 5:56 pm
Patriots are big because they have been the winningest team over the past 10-15 years. Saints are big because of Katrina and no other reason at all.
February 1st, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Saints has nothing to do with Katrina, it’s more to do with their recent success and the fact that they pull fans from a wide area of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and to some extent east Texas and the panhandle.
February 1st, 2013 at 6:12 pm
Also, most Dolphins fans will tell you that Wannstedt’s record looks pretty good in hindsight. They haven’t found a halfway decent head coach since he left.
February 1st, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Child please, everyone knows the Jaguars are the new America’s Team.
February 1st, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Glad my Bucs arent too popular….just the way I like it….Love my underdog Bucs 🙂
February 1st, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Pretty easy to see why the Saint’s are up there.
Alot of sympathy and support for that city
That’s just the way it is
February 1st, 2013 at 7:59 pm
and BTW it’s easy to be a fan of popular teams
We are a true brand of fan right here jaja 🙂
February 1st, 2013 at 9:19 pm
TOP FIVE Cheerleaders 🙂
February 2nd, 2013 at 9:36 am
Other teams fandom are unimportant to me. They seem to be band wagoners anyway and not true fans.
February 2nd, 2013 at 1:22 pm
Hey did any of these eggheads contact you guys? Yea I wasn’t contacted either.This stuff is crap they don’t know the real numbers.
February 2nd, 2013 at 7:20 pm
lol Goodpoint