New Study Finds Cowboys Fans “Best” In NFL

Get ready for another reason to hate that obnoxious Dallas fan at your local sports bar, because the Sports Marketing Analytics Department at Atlanta’s Emory University have deemed Cowboys fans to be the “best” in the league. How, you ask, can numbers and computers quantify such a subjective question? By whoever has the most money, of course.

Despite the authors of the study defining “best” as “the most avid, engaged, passionate and supportive fans”, the research relied heavily on far more assessable tools like home game attendance, ticket pricing and overall revenue. Ergo, teams sporting a combination of recent success, a large fanbase and a far-reaching media market are naturally going to earn a high ranking. That may explain Dallas’ list-topping performance, despite only very recently pulling itself out of the pit of mediocrity.

The top five is rounded out by the New England Patriots, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets. Based solely on franchise history, the Jets are the obvious outlier, but the team’s constant state as a magnet for controversy in the nation’s largest media market means the Jets will be near the top for a long time.

The study is naturally very flawed in its approach to the idea of “best” fans, and may have been more appropriate – but perhaps not as click-worthy – if it were a test of the “best supported” franchise instead.

Anyone who’s even a casual NFL fan may be quick to point out some glaring holes. How can the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose Terrible Towels adorn the walls of almost every sports bar in America be 14^th?

How can fans of the Green Bay Packers, many of whom would be lucky to snag season tickets for their great-grandchild’s great-grandchildren, take a back seat to the Cowboys, whose home stadium is often enveloped by opposing team colors because Jerry Jones has damn near priced himself out of the market in his own city?

For what it’s worth, Seattle’s infamous “12s” – a heady mixture of passionate diehards and detestable bandwagoners – came in 26^th, while the “Dolfans” of Miami brought up the rear, with the study citing the beautiful South Florida weather and the state’s large transplant population for the Dolphin’s statistically dismal fanbase.