Emory U study: Best fans in College Football

[Eldon]

Interesting study

https://blogs.emory.edu/sportsmarketing/college-football/best-fans-in-college-football/

Our plan is to go conference by conference, and talk about which teams have the most loyal fans.  Our approach is data and statistically driven, as we will be looking at how fans support their teams after controlling for how well the team performs.

SEC is the top conference, followed by Big, followed distantly by BigXII and then PAC.  Top overall, regardless of conference was Texas (followed by Georgia).

They also applied this methodology to the NFL

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/team-most-loyal-fans-science-says-dallas-cowboys-171057776.html

Cowboys come out on top, Raiders are dead last.

[forgetful]

Any methodology that determines the Packers are 14th in fan loyalty is flawed.

[MUBurrow]

even worse that the Browns are 20th

[brewcity77]

Any methodology that determines the Packers are 14th in fan loyalty is flawed.

Disagree. Having lived here in the 1980s, Packers fans were as down about their team as anyone, and quite a few seemed to turn on the 4-12 team from a few years back. Packers fans are about as fair-weather as anyone, they just think they are superior because of long season-ticket waitlists, fan "ownership", and being one of the oldest franchises. I'm not saying Packers fans are bad fans, but they're no more or less fickle than other fans.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Disagree. Having lived here in the 1980s, Packers fans were as down about their team as anyone, and quite a few seemed to turn on the 4-12 team from a few years back. Packers fans are about as fair-weather as anyone, they just think they are superior because of long season-ticket waitlists, fan "ownership", and being one of the oldest franchises. I'm not saying Packers fans are bad fans, but they're no more or less fickle than other fans.

+1

Can we please dispense with the "sold-out" crap? It's well known that for decades of the franchise's downturn, corporations bought up tons of season tickets in order to make the stadium "sold-out." I grew up in that area. This hyped up franchise lore is one of the reasons I despise the team.

[GGGG]

Disagree. Having lived here in the 1980s, Packers fans were as down about their team as anyone, and quite a few seemed to turn on the 4-12 team from a few years back. Packers fans are about as fair-weather as anyone, they just think they are superior because of long season-ticket waitlists, fan "ownership", and being one of the oldest franchises. I'm not saying Packers fans are bad fans, but they're no more or less fickle than other fans.

Packer fans are very loyal...but very quick to turn on a bad team.  Always have been.  But "fair weather" fans IMO are those who don't even bother to show up and watch when they are bad.  Packer fans still do that.

+1

Can we please dispense with the "sold-out" crap? It's well known that for decades of the franchise's downturn, corporations bought up tons of season tickets in order to make the stadium "sold-out."

That's simply not true.  Corporations may have bought up the boxes and other indoor seating, but the general seating is by and large owned by individuals.

[Warriors10]

Any methodology that determines the Packers are 14th in fan loyalty is flawed.

Any methodology that says the Saints have the 4th most loyal fan base is flawed...

[hairy worthen]

+1

Can we please dispense with the "sold-out" crap? It's well known that for decades of the franchise's downturn, corporations bought up tons of season tickets in order to make the stadium "sold-out." I grew up in that area. This hyped up franchise lore is one of the reasons I despise the team.

You are wrong about the corporations buying "tons" of season tickets. I bet there are other reasons you despise the team.

[hairy worthen]

Disagree. Having lived here in the 1980s, Packers fans were as down about their team as anyone, and quite a few seemed to turn on the 4-12 team from a few years back. Packers fans are about as fair-weather as anyone, they just think they are superior because of long season-ticket waitlists, fan "ownership", and being one of the oldest franchises. I'm not saying Packers fans are bad fans, but they're no more or less fickle than other fans.

Fickle? yes, I would buy that. I think Packer fans turn on the coaches and management very quickly when things go bad, but they support the team and show up to fill the stadium regardless.  Fans that bitch quickly or are "fickle" as you put it show that they are engaged and care about the team's success. Fair weather fans are fans that are complacent or apathetic when their team sucks.

Having lived in Houston for several years, I know what fair weather fans are. Back in the early 90's the Oilers had a hard time selling out the Astrodome. I remember several games that were blacked out locally. When the team sucked or even when it was good at times, the fans became complacent and turned to other things such as high school football. I am guessing there are many other cities that act the same way about their professional sports

[Coleman]

The corporations buying tickets claim is total bunk. The waiting list is 30+ years, how would a corporation swoop in and buy tickets during a couple bad seasons? It's simply not true. What big corporations are in Green Bay anyhow? It's a bunch of farms and paper plants. Theres 100,000 people in Green Bay. Think about that for a minute. What other market even close to that could support an NFL team?

As others have stated, the fans are fickle. They are fickle because unlike any other NFL team, they have real skin in the game. The fans own the team and the city has twice had to bail out the team in its history. But as stated, fans always turn on management or coaches, rarely on players. And the games always sell out. They sit on metal bleachers in zero degree temps.

[brewcity77]

Having lived in Houston for several years, I know what fair weather fans are. Back in the early 90's the Oilers had a hard time selling out the Astrodome. I remember several games that were blacked out locally. When the team sucked or even when it was good at times, the fans became complacent and turned to other things such as high school football. I am guessing there are many other cities that act the same way about their professional sports

I view fair-weather as probably at least 40% of today's Packer fans. People that rarely if ever go to games but wear a Green Bay jersey every time work allows a Packer Friday or something similar. The people that claim to be die-hard fans when the team is a contender but can't name anyone outside the starting lineups and don't pay any attention in down years. The only reason they have been so "loyal" of late is because the team has only had one losing season in the past 20 or so years. But barely anyone cared about the Packers in the 1980s. You saw more Bears shirts around Milwaukee by far than you did Packer shirts. If Green Bay went in the tank for 5-10 years, you'd see that 40% vanish in a heartbeat. They are the same way with the Brewers (many fans already wandering away) and Bucks (they've been gone since the Big Three era ended).

[hairy worthen]

Brew,

You are completely wrong about everything you wrote
I lived in Milwaukee as an adult in the 80s and there is NO WAY IN HELL there were more bear jerseys floating around than packer jerseys, no way.  Sure there are some fair weather fans but the majority of fans are knowledgeable and die hard. And to say most people do not go to games, there is a 40,000 person waiting list for season tickets, and they have sold out every game for years, someone is going to the games. You are not making sense. How do you just get up and go to a game unless you have season tickets.

[brewcity77]

Brew,

You are completely wrong about everything you wrote
I lived in Milwaukee as an adult and there is NO WAY IN HELL there were more bear jerseys floating around than packer jerseys, no way.  Sure there are some fair weather fans but the majority of fans are knowledgeable and die hard. And to say most people do not go to games, there is a 40,000 person waiting list for season tickets, and they have sold out every game for years, someone is going to the games. You are not making sense. How do you just get up and go to a game unless you have season tickets.

In the 80s? Everywhere I went I saw more Bears than Packers stuff. It wasn't until Majkowski and Sharpe, right before Favre came in, that Packers stuff really became popular again.

And you didn't even remotely understand my post if you think I'm talking about the people that go to games. Go to any office and you'll see a bunch of people wearing Packers stuff every week. I'm saying of those people, 40% are fair-weather fans. That doesn't mean there aren't enough out of the 60% to fill the stadium or to follow the team when times are down, but the reason the 40% wears Packers gear and watches Packers games is because they are fashionable (translated: winning). When they weren't winning, they weren't wearing that stuff because it wasn't fashionable.

[GGGG]

brew, I am sorry, but you are completely off base on pretty much everything you wrote.  I think most Packer fans in Wisconsin have been Packer fans forever. 

And you didn't see more Bears shirts.  No way.  No how. 

Packer fans are much more loyal than Brewer or Bucks fans.  By a long shot.  People very much cared about the Packers in the 70s and 80s.

[hairy worthen]

Brew

How do you go to a game if you can't get a ticket unless you pay $200 each, minimum. There are a lot of good packer fans that do not go to the games.

Believe what you want about the jerseys and bear apparel, you are dead wrong, I am sure there are others that will back me up on that. Believe it or not Chicago sports are not the center of the universe and I would guess over 90% of Wisconsin sports fans give a rats ars about Chicago sports and close to that despise the bears. People did care about the packers in the 80s and they went to the games and believe me they didn't magically become bear fans until majkowski came along. That's so absurd it is not even worth having the discussion
if you think packer fans suddenly would become bear fans after years of a bitter rivalary, you have no idea of what the bear packer rivalry is all about

[GGGG]

Brew

How do you go to a game if you can't get a ticket unless you pay $200 each, minimum. There are a lot of good packer fans that do not go to the games.

Believe what you want about the jerseys and bear apparel, you are dead wrong, I am sure there are others that will back me up on that. Believe it or not Chicago sports are not the center of the universe and I would guess over 90% of Wisconsin sports fans give a rats ars about Chicago sports and close to that despise the bears. People did care about the packers in the 80s and they went to the games and believe me that didn't magically become bear fans until majkowski came along. That's so absurd it is not even worth having the discussion
if you think packer fans suddenly would become bear fans after years of a bitter rivalary, you have no idea of what the bear packer rivalry is all about

I will back you up 100% on everything you say. Packer fans *are* fickle...but they are *very* loyal.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Disagree. Having lived here in the 1980s, Packers fans were as down about their team as anyone, and quite a few seemed to turn on the 4-12 team from a few years back. Packers fans are about as fair-weather as anyone, they just think they are superior because of long season-ticket waitlists, fan "ownership", and being one of the oldest franchises. I'm not saying Packers fans are bad fans, but they're no more or less fickle than other fans.

Yup.  When I was a student in the 80's going to County Stadium to attend games was a walk in the park.  Some of them not sold out, in a small stadium. 

Packers fans are great, but winning helped a lot because it was pretty bad support for quite awhile.  I still miss ALL MY PACKERS weekly on Lazer 103...classic.

[ChicosBailBonds]

In the 80s? Everywhere I went I saw more Bears than Packers stuff. It wasn't until Majkowski and Sharpe, right before Favre came in, that Packers stuff really became popular again.

And you didn't even remotely understand my post if you think I'm talking about the people that go to games. Go to any office and you'll see a bunch of people wearing Packers stuff every week. I'm saying of those people, 40% are fair-weather fans. That doesn't mean there aren't enough out of the 60% to fill the stadium or to follow the team when times are down, but the reason the 40% wears Packers gear and watches Packers games is because they are fashionable (translated: winning). When they weren't winning, they weren't wearing that stuff because it wasn't fashionable.

From about 1983 to about 1990 the Bears fans were very vocal in Milwaukee area....especially on campus.  So many Chicagolanders with plenty of obnoxious spirit about them.  I think some Packers fans are forgetting that time period.  Sure, Packer fans were "loyal" during that time period, but they were drowned out big time by Bears fans during that period.  I went to a few games at County Stadium...Cowboys vs Packers (Boys won..yeah), an epic battle of Lions vs Packers when I think both teams won 3 or 4 games the whole year.

Do folks here not remember the twice annual BAY OF PIGS game between the Bucs and Pack that ESPN would always highlight?   Or the weekly syndicated column of the 10 worse football teams in America which often included a mix of college and pro....Kansas, Kansas State, Packers, Lions, Bucs, Columbia U, etc....or when Notre Dame would lose one game they would stick them in there.

The NFC Central was one of the worst divisions in all of sports, definitely the worst in the NFL.  That was dreadful football back then and the "support" of the team may have been there, but it was a more silent majority.  On campus few people wearing Packers stuff, but when the dimmest glimmer like Majik arrived they would get undies turned inside out like the Super Bowl was around the corner.  Some funny stuff.  People's memories here are faded....big time.

Anyone remember 1991 Packers vs Colts at County Stadium that drew 42,000 fans?  None of the three games in County Stadium that year sold out, including the Cowboys game.  Or later that year at Lambeau when they drew only 44,000 for the Lions game?

In 1988, 44K for the Lions game at County Stadium...I was that game.  Dreadful. 

[brewcity77]

Brew

How do you go to a game if you can't get a ticket unless you pay $200 each, minimum. There are a lot of good packer fans that do not go to the games.

Believe what you want about the jerseys and bear apparel, you are dead wrong, I am sure there are others that will back me up on that. Believe it or not Chicago sports are not the center of the universe and I would guess over 90% of Wisconsin sports fans give a rats ars about Chicago sports and close to that despise the bears. People did care about the packers in the 80s and they went to the games and believe me they didn't magically become bear fans until majkowski came along. That's so absurd it is not even worth having the discussion
if you think packer fans suddenly would become bear fans after years of a bitter rivalary, you have no idea of what the bear packer rivalry is all about

You're putting words in my mouth that I didn't type. I didn't say anyone became Chicago fans. I'm saying they don't care about football when the Packers suck. They don't watch games on Sundays, they don't wear any football apparel, and thus the already existent Bears fans in the area are more evident than the faux-Packers fans that are only loyal when the team is winning.

I've lived here all my life. I understand just fine what the Packer/Bear rivalry is all about. But anyone who mystifies Packers fans as some wondrous fanbase that was just as dedicated in the 1980s when the team sucked as they were when the team had their rebirth under Ron Wolf is full of crap. Packers fans in the 1980s were about as visible and dedicated as Bucks fans are now.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I've lived here all my life. I understand just fine what the Packer/Bear rivalry is all about. But anyone who mystifies Packers fans as some wondrous fanbase that was just as dedicated in the 1980s when the team sucked as they were when the team had their rebirth under Ron Wolf is full of crap. Packers fans in the 1980s were about as visible and dedicated as Bucks fans are now.

Pay the man his bonus now....nailed it.

[GGGG]

Pay the man his bonus now....nailed it.

Says the guy who grew up in California and didn't move here until the Ron Wolf era started.

Don't be so purposefully belligerent. 

[GGGG]

You're putting words in my mouth that I didn't type. I didn't say anyone became Chicago fans. I'm saying they don't care about football when the Packers suck. They don't watch games on Sundays, they don't wear any football apparel, and thus the already existent Bears fans in the area are more evident than the faux-Packers fans that are only loyal when the team is winning.

I've lived here all my life. I understand just fine what the Packer/Bear rivalry is all about. But anyone who mystifies Packers fans as some wondrous fanbase that was just as dedicated in the 1980s when the team sucked as they were when the team had their rebirth under Ron Wolf is full of crap. Packers fans in the 1980s were about as visible and dedicated as Bucks fans are now.

You can keep typing it brew...it's still 100% wrong.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Says the guy who grew up in California and didn't move here until the Ron Wolf era started.

Don't be so purposefully belligerent.  

Ron Wolf was hired in 1991...my senior year.  I went to plenty of games prior to Ron Wolf.  Maybe a little fact checking by you would be good.  

I actually grew up in Texas, Panama, Peru, California, etc.

Here were some of the games I went to.... 1991 Packers vs Colts at County Stadium 42,000 fans.  None of the three games in County Stadium that year sold out, including the Cowboys game (which I went to).  Or later that year at Lambeau when they drew only 44,000 for the Lions game.  Those were the start of the Ron Wolf era.

In 1988, 44K for the Lions game at County Stadium...I was that game.  Dreadful.  Went to a few others in the pre-Wolf era, dreadful support.  Reminded me of the stellar support UW-madison was getting while playing #1 Miami at Camp Randall and drawing about 35K if I recall.  Dreadful

Who could forget this weekly event on Lazer 103.  It was classic and the Bears fans couldn't stop laughing...I give Packers fans credit because they were laughing as well.

ALL MY PACKERS

http://www.youtube.com/v/UZMncuji-Ic

[hairy worthen]

Pay the man his bonus now....nailed it.

Ok like I said believe what you want. You and brew are both off base maybe you needed to get off campus.

Brew  your statement that the packer support of the 80s was the same as bucks support now is laughable. Of course the fan support goes down when the team is losing but in general the packer fans are extremely loyal.

[ChicosBailBonds]

For those that were around in the 1980's...a trip down memory lane with several All My Packers.  Great stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/v/JfrPGxN_GMM

http://www.youtube.com/v/hUA_2QtzJfs

http://www.youtube.com/v/qSMtTwow1jU

http://www.youtube.com/v/-iYyc-cMfrM

http://www.youtube.com/v/Bkv5GjU8SR0

http://www.youtube.com/v/H4EbIHZNxqQ


http://www.youtube.com/v/08xohjyuimA