National Fanbases

[lastcat3]

Really when it comes to the Raiders I'm not sure they really have all that strong of national following. I think you see a lot of people wearing their gear simply because they like the logo and the black and silver coloring. But in terms of following the team I'd bet few of the ones you see wearing that Raiders logo truly do follow the team.

I think you might have to put the Bears and the Giants at about the same level as the Steelers and Packers. And add the Patriots in as well.

The interesting thing about nfl fanbases is to decide are these teams truly a brand or are they just currently popular because they have been good for a long duration of time. Will they still have a lot of fans even if they go ten years with 8-8 or worse records? The Cowboys undoubtedly have proven they are a brand as they have mostly been a .500 team ever since the remains of the Jimmy Cowboys left and they still are easily the most popular team in the NFL.

On the opposite end though the Packers I think are mainly a product of being good since the early '90's. Starting this year if the Packers went the next decade without having a winning record I doubt you would see hardly anybody outside the state of Wisconsin wearing their gear. THe Packers in my opinion are similar to the 49ers but with just slightly more charm because they are really the closest thing the NFL has to a college fan base. THe Patriots in my opinion are similar to the Packers and the '80's 49ers. Popular while they are winning but give them a handful of bad years in a row and their popularity would really start falling off.

Teams like the Steelers, Giants, and Bears are somewhere in between the Cowboys and the Packers I think. They definitely aren't the brand that the Cowboys are but they also I think have a little more staying power than the Packers do. If they become mediocre for long durations of time I don't think they would fall into obscurity like the Packers would. What is the difference between those three teams and the rest of the NFL outside of Dallas? Well with the Giants I think it is largely due to the market they are from and I also think the New York market is what helped make the Cowboys as popular as they are. With the Bears and Steelers I think it is a combination of things. First thing is that they have arguably had the two best teams during the popularized nfl era (in the '85 Bears and the '78 Steelers). But so have the 49ers so why wouldn't the 49ers be in that category as well? Well that brings up the second point and I think that comes down to NFL films. You can't deny that the Bears and Steelers have been marketed as some of the toughest teams in the history of the Super Bowl era. Images of those '85 Bears defensive unit and the Steel Curtain are one of the more common things you will see from NFL films. That with an occasional shot of Dick Butkus's bloody knuckles and voollaa. Instant longstanding popularity. Compare that to how NFL films has shown the 80's 49ers to be a pass happy strategic team instead of a tough in your face team and there is no denying why teams like the Bears and Steelers would be more appealing to a lot of football fans than the 49ers would be.

[Rupert Patrick]

One of the reasons Pittsburgh developed a national fanbase in the 1970's is that between 1970 and 1985 or so, the population of the greater Pittsburgh area dropped significantly due to the steel mills shutting down as Pittsburgh was the World's capital of steel production and the city transformed into more of a corporate center. Along with the recessions of the mid-70's and early-80's, the local economy collapsed and upwards of a million or so people from the Pittsburgh area (of which I was one) scattered all about the country. In 1960, Pittsburgh was still I believe one of the ten largest cities in the United States, now it's number 62.

[nicefellow31]

For me I have to say the Cowboys-Steelers-Packers and still just making the cut Raiders are the only true national fanbases in the league. Where you'll find good amounts of them in every corner of this country. Raidernation has persisted through some rotten years. It's been diminished. But despite the tiny crowds in Oakland you still see a lot of them in every American bar on game-day

49ers were there at one time. But eventually totally fell off the map. From their 80's and 90's glory years I'd say by 2005 they had fallen into shocking obscurity.

Dolphins are an odd example. You still have whatevers is left of the 70's fans and the Marino bandwagon guys. This is dwindling though it seems. Plus they really haven't been able to even fill the building in Miami since the Orange Bowl. That's not a good pro sports city

Redskins also have never really gone national. They're mid-atlantic/south though their southern presence has been greatly diminished.

Ravens since moving to Baltimore have had a lot of competitive teams and a few championships. Still I've never met a Ravens fan anywhere but Baltimore

Denver has had good chunks of success in the 80's, 90's and of late and I see their fans everywhere. So maybe they're the next to go national

The period of time from the end of the Lombardi era to the start of the Favre/Reggie White/Holmgren era was dark days for the Packers. They had no national following at that time. I would put them in the same boat as the Niners.

[BD Sullivan]

While it wasn't national, the Giants basically controlled New York and every state in the New England region into the 60's. In the Patriots' first three years, they only played at home on Sunday twice because they didn't want to play when the Giants were on TV.

[sheajets]

While it wasn't national, the Giants basically controlled New York and every state in the New England region into the 60's. In the Patriots' first three years, they only played at home on Sunday twice because they didn't want to play when the Giants were on TV.

Yes that's definitely true. Even when the Patriots emerged a little and had brief periods of success that was always a baseball/hockey/basketball region and football was 4th. Up until 2001 even.

[rhickok1109]

For me I have to say the Cowboys-Steelers-Packers and still just making the cut Raiders are the only true national fanbases in the league. Where you'll find good amounts of them in every corner of this country. Raidernation has persisted through some rotten years. It's been diminished. But despite the tiny crowds in Oakland you still see a lot of them in every American bar on game-day

49ers were there at one time. But eventually totally fell off the map. From their 80's and 90's glory years I'd say by 2005 they had fallen into shocking obscurity.

Dolphins are an odd example. You still have whatevers is left of the 70's fans and the Marino bandwagon guys. This is dwindling though it seems. Plus they really haven't been able to even fill the building in Miami since the Orange Bowl. That's not a good pro sports city

Redskins also have never really gone national. They're mid-atlantic/south though their southern presence has been greatly diminished.

Ravens since moving to Baltimore have had a lot of competitive teams and a few championships. Still I've never met a Ravens fan anywhere but Baltimore

Denver has had good chunks of success in the 80's, 90's and of late and I see their fans everywhere. So maybe they're the next to go national

The period of time from the end of the Lombardi era to the start of the Favre/Reggie White/Holmgren era was dark days for the Packers. They had no national following at that time. I would put them in the same boat as the Niners.

I'm not at all sure that's true. During the period 1973-1997, I went to three or four major conferences annually, all over the country and I always made it a point to wear a Packer cap when I ventured out of the hotel. As a result, I met multiple Packers fans everywhere I went--Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Lake Tahoe, Phoenix, and I won't even bother to name all the other cities I visited.

Many of those I met were older people who had become Packer fans well before Lombardi's arrival and continued to be fans after he left.

[rhickok1109]

While it wasn't national, the Giants basically controlled New York and every state in the New England region into the 60's. In the Patriots' first three years, they only played at home on Sunday twice because they didn't want to play when the Giants were on TV.

Yes that's definitely true. Even when the Patriots emerged a little and had brief periods of success that was always a baseball/hockey/basketball region and football was 4th. Up until 2001 even.

I live in Massachusetts and I know several people who are still Giants fans because their fathers/uncles/grandfathers were.

[JuggernautJ]

I live in Massachusetts and I know several people who are still Giants fans because their fathers/uncles/grandfathers were.

Wasn't the origin of these almost-national fan bases based on early radio coverage?

My understanding is that Halas and Marshall (and Mara?) contracted with radio networks early on (in the 1920's or 30's?) to carry their games and that that is why, before TV coverage went truly national, several regional alliances occurred (the Bears in the Midwest, the 'Skins in the South and the Giants in the Northeast).

The vestiges of these early loyalties are still with us, passed on (as Ralph said) through family allegiances.

[nicefellow31]

For me I have to say the Cowboys-Steelers-Packers and still just making the cut Raiders are the only true national fanbases in the league. Where you'll find good amounts of them in every corner of this country. Raidernation has persisted through some rotten years. It's been diminished. But despite the tiny crowds in Oakland you still see a lot of them in every American bar on game-day

49ers were there at one time. But eventually totally fell off the map. From their 80's and 90's glory years I'd say by 2005 they had fallen into shocking obscurity.

Dolphins are an odd example. You still have whatevers is left of the 70's fans and the Marino bandwagon guys. This is dwindling though it seems. Plus they really haven't been able to even fill the building in Miami since the Orange Bowl. That's not a good pro sports city

Redskins also have never really gone national. They're mid-atlantic/south though their southern presence has been greatly diminished.

Ravens since moving to Baltimore have had a lot of competitive teams and a few championships. Still I've never met a Ravens fan anywhere but Baltimore

Denver has had good chunks of success in the 80's, 90's and of late and I see their fans everywhere. So maybe they're the next to go national

The period of time from the end of the Lombardi era to the start of the Favre/Reggie White/Holmgren era was dark days for the Packers. They had no national following at that time. I would put them in the same boat as the Niners.

I'm not at all sure that's true. During the period 1973-1997, I went to three or four major conferences annually, all over the country and I always made it a point to wear a Packer cap when I ventured out of the hotel. As a result, I met multiple Packers fans everywhere I went--Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Lake Tahoe, Phoenix, and I won't even bother to name all the other cities I visited.

Many of those I met were older people who had become Packer fans well before Lombardi's arrival and continued to be fans after he left.

Growing up in DC area in 70's and 80's I never met or saw a Packers fan. Saw very few Packers game on TV. During my youth, those who weren't Redskins fans in my area liked the Dolphins, Steelers, Raiders, and (yuck) the Cowboys. The Colts were nearby so they had their fans too. Also during that time, I don't recall seeing a lot of adults wearing team affiliated gear. Children yes, but adults no. That's one of the striking things when you look at games from that time too.

[BD Sullivan]

I live in Massachusetts and I know several people who are still Giants fans because their fathers/uncles/grandfathers were.

Wasn't the origin of these almost-national fan bases based on early radio coverage?

My understanding is that Halas and Marshall (and Mara?) contracted with radio networks early on (in the 1920's or 30's?) to carry their games and that that is why, before TV coverage went truly national, several regional alliances occurred (the Bears in the Midwest, the 'Skins in the South and the Giants in the Northeast).

The vestiges of these early loyalties are still with us, passed on (as Ralph said) through family allegiances.

Marshall's fan base in the South was often the excuse given why the Skins remained lily-white until they were forced to integrate as a condition to move into DC/RFK Stadium.