...is that the team has been so good for so long. The article acknowledges this issue. Does New England have a large proportion of bandwagon fans who will sign off when Tom and Bill are replaced by Dick and Harry (or whoever)? Probably. But how do you even approach that question when the team hasn't has a losing season in 17 years, or a run of sustained suckiness in 25? The fans who tuned out Hugh Millen to cheer Larry Bird are now wearing Depends. Their children might be less fickle.
While that's a fair point, I still think Boston is too small - and too interested in other sports - to rank anywhere near this high. The city does punch well above its weight as a sports town. I just think the passion will be redirected to the Celtics, Sox and Bruins when the Pats start losing.
Cowboys get a big boost because their stadium has the largest seating capacity. And do you honestly expect a team like Kansas City or Seattle to travel as well given the population size of their home town base as compared with Dallas and the Metroplex?
Cowboys imho are clearly overrated while the Seahawks, Chiefs and Packers are underrated.
...is that the team has been so good for so long. The article acknowledges this issue. Does New England have a large proportion of bandwagon fans who will sign off when Tom and Bill are replaced by Dick and Harry (or whoever)? Probably. But how do you even approach that question when the team hasn't has a losing season in 17 years, or a run of sustained suckiness in 25? The fans who tuned out Hugh Millen to cheer Larry Bird are now wearing Depends. Their children might be less fickle.
While that's a fair point, I still think Boston is too small - and too interested in other sports - to rank anywhere near this high. The city does punch well above its weight as a sports town. I just think the passion will be redirected to the Celtics, Sox and Bruins when the Pats start losing.
The greater Boston area has almost 5 million people, good for 10th largest population in the US
There are very smart posters on this board with whom I frequently disagree. They're some of my favorite posters as they often teach me things.
You aren't one of them. I can't recall a single post of yours that taught me anything. I've never found you to be thoughtful, insightful, or a valuable addition to this site. I've found every single post of yours that I've read to be vapid. Just empty calories.
Congrats on being a better fan then me.
Speedywheels. True - tenth isn't small - like, say, Green Bay.
The greater Boston area has almost 5 million people, good for 10th largest population in the US.
On the other hand, it isn't super-big either. Chicago metro has twice the population. NYC metro is four times as big. I didn't mean to diss Boston for size. It's just not a top-tier metro area, which puts the fan base (and franchise valuation) at an inherent disadvantage. The Giants' foothold in Connecticut and the Pats' relatively short history don't help either.
Pittsburgh is about half the size of Boston. What a great football city that is; and of course the Steelers have a big national following.
Dallas is 50% bigger than Boston, and it is the Cowboys' town. We think of Dallas fans as fair-weather @ssholes, partly because the ones we meet aren't usually from Texas. Lots of folks down there truly love their team.
Philadelphia is about 25% bigger than Boston. Nobody knows whether Eagle supporters are fair-weather fans, because they never win anything. Probably for the best, because Philly fans would likely react to a Super Bowl victory by incinerating the city.
RE: Speedywheels. True - tenth isn't small - like, say, Green Bay.
The greater Boston area has almost 5 million people, good for 10th largest population in the US.
On the other hand, it isn't super-big either. Chicago metro has twice the population. NYC metro is four times as big. I didn't mean to diss Boston for size. It's just not a top-tier metro area, which puts the fan base (and franchise valuation) at an inherent disadvantage. The Giants' foothold in Connecticut and the Pats' relatively short history don't help either.
Pittsburgh is about half the size of Boston. What a great football city that is; and of course the Steelers have a big national following.
Dallas is 50% bigger than Boston, and it is the Cowboys' town. We think of Dallas fans as fair-weather @ssholes, partly because the ones we meet aren't usually from Texas. Lots of folks down there truly love their team.
Philadelphia is about 25% bigger than Boston. Nobody knows whether Eagle supporters are fair-weather fans, because they never win anything. Probably for the best, because Philly fans would likely react to a Super Bowl victory by incinerating the city.
Metro GB area is 325K, about a tenth the size of Boston Metro area. And though NYG does have a stronghold on CT, the Pats have a stronghold on the rest of NE (though I don't know offhand the populations of VT, NH, RI and ME).
However, I see your point about the other metro areas you referenced. I highly doubt the population bump the NE states provide would bring it anywhere near the top tier Metro areas.
Were you living in NE at the time, to know first hand?
Nope. Nor did one have to live there during that time to know this.
If you mean the preceding few years you might be right. But if you're referring to a longer stretch of history you're dead wrong. I did live in New England in the 70's, and the Steve Grogan, Sam Cunningham and Russ Francis Patriots had a huge fan based that lasted well into the 80's.
They were pretty rabid up there going back to their 96 and 85 Super Bowl teams. But their bandwagon has swelled considerably since they started winning Super Bowls with a cute QB (let's be honest - how many chicks do we all know who don't know a thing about football but love the Pats bc of Brady - I can think of a half dozen without trying)
So you're not wrong about their bandwagon, but their core goes back a long way. Boston will always be a better sports fan town than places in the south or west coast
...is that the team has been so good for so long. The article acknowledges this issue. Does New England have a large proportion of bandwagon fans who will sign off when Tom and Bill are replaced by Dick and Harry (or whoever)? Probably. But how do you even approach that question when the team hasn't has a losing season in 17 years, or a run of sustained suckiness in 25? The fans who tuned out Hugh Millen to cheer Larry Bird are now wearing Depends. Their children might be less fickle.
While that's a fair point, I still think Boston is too small - and too interested in other sports - to rank anywhere near this high. The city does punch well above its weight as a sports town. I just think the passion will be redirected to the Celtics, Sox and Bruins when the Pats start losing.
Disagree.
As soon as Kraft bought the team, the Pats sold out and were number 1a in that town.
Pre-Kraft they were mostly like the Giants of the 70s.
Understandable that fans then stayed away.
I mean, have you ever talked to a Dallas fan? Every single one of them introduce their fandom by saying "I'm a HUGE Cowboys fan". Or "I'm a DIEHARD Cowboys fan". It is always preceded by some strange need to let you know just how big a Cowboys fan they are. Never simply "I'm a Cowboys fan". No other fan base has this complex.
So yeah, all Cowboys fans are diehards and huge fans. Very. Single. One.
But the Patriots were a distant fourth in New England's sports hierarchy before Parcells & Kraft arrived. After that, they moved up & have obviously their popularity has skyrocketed with BB & TB. I've spent a ton of time in New England & lived up there for a year & a half after college. I visit the region multiple times each year, but I don't know if they're more popular than the Sox. They might be.
But the Patriots were a distant fourth in New England's sports hierarchy before Parcells & Kraft arrived. After that, they moved up & have obviously their popularity has skyrocketed with BB & TB. I've spent a ton of time in New England & lived up there for a year & a half after college. I visit the region multiple times each year, but I don't know if they're more popular than the Sox. They might be.
That changed when Kraft bought the team WELL before The Pats won their first SB.
While that's a fair point, I still think Boston is too small - and too interested in other sports - to rank anywhere near this high. The city does punch well above its weight as a sports town. I just think the passion will be redirected to the Celtics, Sox and Bruins when the Pats start losing.
Cowboys imho are clearly overrated while the Seahawks, Chiefs and Packers are underrated.
While that's a fair point, I still think Boston is too small - and too interested in other sports - to rank anywhere near this high. The city does punch well above its weight as a sports town. I just think the passion will be redirected to the Celtics, Sox and Bruins when the Pats start losing.
The greater Boston area has almost 5 million people, good for 10th largest population in the US
There are very smart posters on this board with whom I frequently disagree. They're some of my favorite posters as they often teach me things.
You aren't one of them. I can't recall a single post of yours that taught me anything. I've never found you to be thoughtful, insightful, or a valuable addition to this site. I've found every single post of yours that I've read to be vapid. Just empty calories.
Congrats on being a better fan then me.
Pittsburgh is about half the size of Boston. What a great football city that is; and of course the Steelers have a big national following.
Dallas is 50% bigger than Boston, and it is the Cowboys' town. We think of Dallas fans as fair-weather @ssholes, partly because the ones we meet aren't usually from Texas. Lots of folks down there truly love their team.
Philadelphia is about 25% bigger than Boston. Nobody knows whether Eagle supporters are fair-weather fans, because they never win anything. Probably for the best, because Philly fans would likely react to a Super Bowl victory by incinerating the city.
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The greater Boston area has almost 5 million people, good for 10th largest population in the US.
On the other hand, it isn't super-big either. Chicago metro has twice the population. NYC metro is four times as big. I didn't mean to diss Boston for size. It's just not a top-tier metro area, which puts the fan base (and franchise valuation) at an inherent disadvantage. The Giants' foothold in Connecticut and the Pats' relatively short history don't help either.
Pittsburgh is about half the size of Boston. What a great football city that is; and of course the Steelers have a big national following.
Dallas is 50% bigger than Boston, and it is the Cowboys' town. We think of Dallas fans as fair-weather @ssholes, partly because the ones we meet aren't usually from Texas. Lots of folks down there truly love their team.
Philadelphia is about 25% bigger than Boston. Nobody knows whether Eagle supporters are fair-weather fans, because they never win anything. Probably for the best, because Philly fans would likely react to a Super Bowl victory by incinerating the city.
Metro GB area is 325K, about a tenth the size of Boston Metro area. And though NYG does have a stronghold on CT, the Pats have a stronghold on the rest of NE (though I don't know offhand the populations of VT, NH, RI and ME).
However, I see your point about the other metro areas you referenced. I highly doubt the population bump the NE states provide would bring it anywhere near the top tier Metro areas.
Were you living in NE at the time, to know first hand?
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that barely existed before 2001. That's rich.
Were you living in NE at the time, to know first hand?
Nope. Nor did one have to live there during that time to know this.
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In comment 13507721 Dave in Hoboken said:
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that barely existed before 2001. That's rich.
Were you living in NE at the time, to know first hand?
Nope. Nor did one have to live there during that time to know this.
If you mean the preceding few years you might be right. But if you're referring to a longer stretch of history you're dead wrong. I did live in New England in the 70's, and the Steve Grogan, Sam Cunningham and Russ Francis Patriots had a huge fan based that lasted well into the 80's.
They were pretty rabid up there going back to their 96 and 85 Super Bowl teams. But their bandwagon has swelled considerably since they started winning Super Bowls with a cute QB (let's be honest - how many chicks do we all know who don't know a thing about football but love the Pats bc of Brady - I can think of a half dozen without trying)
So you're not wrong about their bandwagon, but their core goes back a long way. Boston will always be a better sports fan town than places in the south or west coast
While that's a fair point, I still think Boston is too small - and too interested in other sports - to rank anywhere near this high. The city does punch well above its weight as a sports town. I just think the passion will be redirected to the Celtics, Sox and Bruins when the Pats start losing.
Disagree.
As soon as Kraft bought the team, the Pats sold out and were number 1a in that town.
Pre-Kraft they were mostly like the Giants of the 70s.
Understandable that fans then stayed away.
So yeah, all Cowboys fans are diehards and huge fans. Very. Single. One.
That changed when Kraft bought the team WELL before The Pats won their first SB.