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Bills Are 18th Best Fans in America


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I've been around the states enough to know that Bills fans are very good fans.  

 

But let me ask.  Those of you who are saying we have the very best fans ("#1 by a mile"), what data or observations are you using?  How are we better than Packer or Steeler fans, for example?  There are some other passionate fan bases out there.

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8 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

I've been around the states enough to know that Bills fans are very good fans.  

 

But let me ask.  Those of you who are saying we have the very best fans ("#1 by a mile"), what data or observations are you using?  How are we better than Packer or Steeler fans, for example?  There are some other passionate fan bases out there.

Um, because I’m a fan and we are the best. Duh, it’s science.

 

but while the Packers and Steelers are certainly at the top of the list, think about how passionate Bills have been with 17 years of missing the playoffs.  Honestly, in what other sport, would fans be such diehards, filling stadiums and bars across the country, like Bills fans???

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2 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

That makes sense but that's not what the study's author says...

 

Each year, I do an analysis of NFL fandom.  The analysis is grounded in economic and marketing theory, and uses statistical tools to shed light on the question of which teams have the most loyal or “best” fans.  The key point of differentiation is that this is a truly quantitative analysis.  It’s driven by data, not by emotion....

The fundamental question that guides the analysis is simple – Who has the best fans in the NFL?

 

https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/esma/2018/06/24/nfl-fan-and-brand-report-2018/

 

2 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

If I were going to measure fandom, I'd look at how rabid and loyal the fan base is.

 

Professor Lewis looks at very different things:

 

Fan Equity - how much the fans spend.  This has a lot to do with the wealth of the fans, the number of fans, and the win-loss record.

 

Social Media Equity - how much the team is talked about on social media.  This favors teams with national followings (e.g. Dallas - America's team) and the number of fans, not necessarily how loyal or rabid they are.

 

Road Equity - how well the teams sells tickets at away games.  Prof Lewis notes this metric favors teams with high national profiles.  It might also favor teams with affluent fan bases who can afford to travel.

 

 

Yeah, the study's author is an idiot.  Small market teams can never have the "best" fans using his metrics.  I mean, for crissake, the Packers are ninth and everyone knows that's crap.

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20 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Think about this:  About 7% of the population of metro Buffalo is at the Ralph on a football Sunday.   In comparison, only about 2% of the Boston metro area is in Foxborough on Sundays - or about .5% of the New England region that the Pats represent.  If game attendance is a measure of fandom, it's easier to find someone who went to the game in Buffalo than in Boston/New England.  

 

 

That is a bit misleading.  There is an upper limit who can be at each game and it is easier for NE fans to hit it based on population in area.
And remember this - there are a large amount of tickets sold in Buffalo home game to opposing teams fans.

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6 hours ago, JMF2006 said:

So I guess you need expensive tickets and PSL's to be a real fan.

 

There is at least one prominent Bills fan on this board who thinks so.

Of course he got a commission on PSLs before so his view is slanted. 

He probably could do a similar study.

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18 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

That is a bit misleading.  There is an upper limit who can be at each game and it is easier for NE fans to hit it based on population in area.
And remember this - there are a large amount of tickets sold in Buffalo home game to opposing teams fans.

 

You make valid points.

 

But the Emory study uses stats that favor large market, affluent fan bases with relevant teams.

 

So I cherry picked a stat that favors small market teams.  

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2 hours ago, Augie said:

Chiefs at #30 goes to prove what a joke this is. 

 

1 hour ago, dpberr said:

Surprised the Chiefs score so low.  

 

These people take their family photos with Chiefs gear on.  Their stadium lots smell amazing with all the wood smoke; we saw someone light their charcoal in the back of their open bed pickup truck while stuck in traffic entering the lot.  After initial boo-ing when they saw our Bills colors, most of them invited us over to share food and talk about our team and many complimented us for traveling to support them.  These are upper echelon fans in KC and they get a lot of respect in my book

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15 hours ago, 8-8 Forever? said:

I would have thought road equity would have been higher as, given the mass exodus of the 70s and 80s,  the  majority of Bills fans don't even live in Erie County .   But again, size of area skews most of what this guy came up with.  

 

I don’t think that would change results... those Buffalonians who left and live in Dallas, Nashville, Miami etc when they buy tickets it comes up as a Nashville person buying tickets 

 

not a Buffalonian, so the number is actually higher as well

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On June 26, 2018 at 3:30 PM, hondo in seattle said:

This is a complicated subject actually.  So many variables to consider...  

 

For example, the Emory prof looks at spending.  Well, the per capita income in Buffalo is only about half of the per capita income in some of the bigger NFL markets.  Of course Buffalonians spend less.  It's an economic factor not a fandom factor.  I bet we spend more as a percentage of discretionary income - a fairer measure.


Then there's the market.  How do you quantify this?  The Bills only represent the greater Buffalo area.  The other half of the state is represented by those two teams in Jersey.  Teams like Seattle and Denver, on the other hand, each represent an entire state.  The New England Patriots represent several states.  So of course Pats fans spend more.  The draw fans from a bigger geographical, more populous area.

 

Think about this:  About 7% of the population of metro Buffalo is at the Ralph on a football Sunday.   In comparison, only about 2% of the Boston metro area is in Foxborough on Sundays - or about .5% of the New England region that the Pats represent.  If game attendance is a measure of fandom, it's easier to find someone who went to the game in Buffalo than in Boston/New England.  

 

 

 

 

 

Not really. People in southwestern Conn, Northern Vermont and Most of Maine aren't  going to go to Foxboro to see a game.  Not with any regularity.  

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On June 26, 2018 at 2:59 PM, LABILLBACKER said:

Bears 6 ?

Colts 11?

A more realistic assessment would be Bills between 6-11

Considering 99% of the human population has never heard of Emory University,  who cares?

Mellenies love their analytics....

 

Come on!  It's one of the countless "Harvard of the South"s..........

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Anyone could flip this list with using any other random metrics.

 

1. Turnout compared to W/L record

2. Merchandise sales compared to metro area average income

3. Fan away traveling numbers


Or just throw out any other pointless ones...

1. Percentage of fans that know fight song!

2. Average DWI percentage leaving game

3. Percentage of team Hall of Famers average fan can recite.

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If the Patriots aren't winning they have no fanbase, prior to the Brady era I think ive met like 2 Pat's fan. The majority of cowboy fand that I know are 90s bandwagon fans. I'd like to see some of these teams sell out in a 20 year playoff drought within a smaller market

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3 hours ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

Who else has a Mafia??? Thread.

 

 

Good point, and for a losing team to boot.

 

Bills fans are the best fans of any team in any sport.

 

It's no secret that I am a lifelong Alabama Fan. We have a tremendous, loyal fan base but can you imagine how easy it is to be an Crimson Tide Fan? Even the name is fantastic! They are consistently great and have the best coach in the history of college football, and it isn't remotely close. If Bama loses their qb on the first play this year they will still probably lose only 2 games. I think all Bills Fans would be better off emotionally if they also were Tide fans but I digress.

 

Nobody is more loyal that Bills Fans. Nobody, and I mean this. We stuck with them through decades of disappointments and defeats yet year after year our hopes are high. I think that my daughters are stronger people because they are Bills Fans, and I sincerely mean this.

 

Yes, being fans is something we are the best at.

 

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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