Being an NFL fan can be tough business sometimes—trust me, I know, I’m a Cleveland Browns fan. But thanks to a new study performed by an Emory University professor named Michael Lewis, we all know who the best and worst supporters are—no matter how shitty the team may or may not be.
Here are the results, listed from best to worst, per The Score:
- New England Patriots
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- San Francisco 49ers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- New York Giants
- Chicago Bears
- New Orleans Saints
- Baltimore Ravens
- Carolina Panthers
- Green Bay Packers
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- Houston Texans
- San Diego Chargers
- Washington Redskins
- New York Jets
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Atlanta Falcons
- Tennessee Titans
- Detroit Lions
- Minnesota Vikings
- Cleveland Browns
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Arizona Cardinals
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Miami Dolphins
- Buffalo Bills
- L.A Rams
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Oakland Raiders
- Jacksonville Jaguars
Professor Lewis determined the results using a method called Dynamic Fan Equity (DFE), which I’ll alow him to describe:
The DFE measure leverages the best features of the two measures. Fan Equity is based on the most important consumer trait – willingness to spend. Social Equity captures fan support that occurs beyond the walls of the stadium and skews towards a younger demographic. The key insight that allows for the two measures to be combined is that there is a significant relationship between the Social Media Equity trend and the Fan Equity measure. Social media performance turns out to be a strong leading indicator for financial performance.
In other words, the Pats came out on top due to factors such as fan loyalty despite premium prices and because of their strong attendance and social media following, not because they’ve played in six Super Bowls since the 2000 season.
There are a few surprise teams higher than expected, but, for the most part, it seems that the crappier the team, the worst the fans are. Go figure.