Note to Zombo on Cleveland Fans

ATENEARS

Here's an article from a neutral perspective:

The Monday Bangover: The best NFL fan bases

Posted by: admin

This list is going to really piss some people off. How do I feel about that? I feel great about it, actually. I’ve lived all over this country. I’ve watched games in bars and restaurants in more states than I can remember. I’ve been to quite a few stadiums. I’ve observed pretty much every team and its fans as they’ve visited Arrowhead over the years. I’ve frequented NFL message boards ever since my introduction to the Interwebs. I’ve been debating this question with my brother and others for two decades now. After doing some serious research, I’m more than qualified to drop this list on you.

The Top Ten Best NFL Fan Bases (in alphabetical order):

Buffalo Bills -If you have a problem with this pick, I suggest that you get on Netflix or go to Blockbuster and rent Buffalo ‘66 (Christina Ricci!). After that, if you still have a problem go screw yourself. Bills fans are some of the NFL’s best fans who routinely fight off both the elements (gloves help) and boredom to give their squad home field advantage.

Cleveland Browns - This is another nomination which needs no explaining. Browns fans were named No. 1 in “fan loyalty” in a somewhat recent study. That makes sense to me, as Dawg Pounders have been given every reason to stop caring about their Browns over the years, yet remain some of the best fans in the league. Take that, Art Modell. - BizJournals “NFL’s most loyal fans”

SOURCE

Dallas Cowboys - It pains me to do this, but I have no choice. Even Cowboys fans who started out as bandwagon fans during The Triplets era seem to have transformed into die-hards, despite the teams recent struggles. The ‘Boys have great fans spread all over the country, and the locals are pretty damn gung-ho about the team and its new QB as well.

Denver Broncos - I hate the Donks, so this definitely isn’t getting any easier for me. The Broncos are routinely in the top five in attendance, despite the meteorological hazards (you pussies cold?) of Mile High. The Broncos — not the Avalanche, Nuggets or Rockies — come first in Denver. Broncos fans also travel well, as they commute to Arrowhead better than any other opposing fan base (the Lambs and that pussball three-hour drive don’t count).

Green Bay Packers - Sundays are a religious experience in Wisconsin, and not just because of the sabbath. Furthermore, Brett Favre has turned this group of fans into one of the NFL’s largest. Pack fans are loyal, knowledgeable and willing to face the elements. Hey, Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons fans don’t even show up to watch their respective squads play under perfect weather conditions. The Green Bay faithful are also some of the NFL’s healthiest heartiest fans.

Kansas City Chiefs - Am I a Chiefs fan? Yes, I am. Am I biased? Yes. I don’t give a fuck — Arrowhead rocks harder than any stadium in pro sports. The team had the second-best attendance in the league over the past decade despite its location in the sixth-smallest and seventh-coldest market overall. Arrowhead sells out every Sunday, when it transforms into an 80,000-fan sea of red and the loudest stadium in the NFL. The Chiefs attendance is amazing considering the team hasn’t won a playoff game since ‘93, and hasn’t made an appearance in the Super Bowl since 1969 — the year Woodstock went down. Not only are Chiefs fans loyal and rabid, they are also knowledgeable and the best tailgaters period.

Miami Dolphins - From dealing with these fans on a regular basis due to my contributions over at RealFootball365, I can honestly tell you that they are possibly the NFL’s most stubborn delusional fans. It’s like they still think they’re better than the rest of us because their team had a perfect season 35 years ago around the time of prohibition. Still, they’re insanely loyal. Maybe the most impressive aspect of Dolphandom is how devoted the non-local Phins fans are. You can hardly ever go to any sports bar in the country on NFL Sundays without running into some serious teal (that just sounds gay).

Philadelphia Eagles - Iggles fans, the pleasant group of folks cold-blooded bastards that they are, definitely belong on this list. Other than Broncos fans — who have less distance to travel and a rivalry as additional motivation — these fans travel to Arrowhead better than any other team’s base. And City of Brotherly love my ass — Iggles fans are nasty. Still, they know a great deal about their Eagles and the NFL, and are probably the second-loudest group in the league (I’m telling you, make the trip to Arrowhead). I just wouldn’t ever want to break my neck at The Linc.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Stillers fans annoy the shit out of me. Seriously, they’re annoying as hell even without those stupid yellow dishrags (look at those heffers!) they swing around like they were in a Petey Pablo video. Nonetheless, these fans always have both Heinz Field and American sports bars rocking on game days. Stillers fans almost were left of this list, however, due to the fact that they aren’t even in the top ten among NFL teams when it comes to filling the seats.

Captain Cheesedick

wow. We sound pathetic.

Our argument is that we are better fans because we follow a bad football team?

Just like the guy who has a rebel flag and can't accept the South lost the war.

Like the Iraq PR guy when the US was taking over Bagdad.

I miss the good old days when we would argue Quinn was better than Rothlisberger because , ...well, because we said so.

BUNSofSTEEL08

Correct ALL the Game s Were Sold out... Issues with Weather and Other Factors contributed to the numbers on Game Day. Geezz that Pats game was like 5 degrees with a -18 Wind Chill. Steelers put 25% and Higher of the Fans in Most ROAD games. They are know World wide as Some of Sports most Passionate fans ! Get the freak over your selves and you stupid obsession with Ripping Pittsburgh. This is the Only site I go on in the NFL where the Obsession is Not with the Home team but a Rival !! Goodness develop some Pride and Not this endless whining !!

OconRecon

Who give a flying fook about the Steelers? I don't. What kind of looser fan base comes to an 4-12 opponent's team board to post? Give me a break.

Browns fans are amazingly loyal through it all. Our day will come, and when it does, I STILL won't be over on the Steelers boards, no matter what rock or bridge they're under.

Trolling is for the lonely and unfullfilled. Go the hell home.

HowieDawg

FREAKofSTEEL08 said:
Correct ALL the Game s Were Sold out... Issues with Weather and Other Factors contributed to the numbers on Game Day. Geezz that Pats game was like 5 degrees with a -18 Wind Chill. Steelers put 25% and Higher of the Fans in Most ROAD games. They are know World wide as Some of Sports most Passionate fans ! Get the freak over your selves and you stupid obsession with Ripping Pittsburgh. This is the Only site I go on in the NFL where the Obsession is Not with the Home team but a Rival !! Goodness develop some Pride and Not this endless whining !!

hey Freak, and you are one, you blast us and yet you lurk around our board with your BS. 99% of discussion here is about our team and the passion we feel for them not your towel waving nonsense.

73,000 week in week out irrespective of results says everything you need to know. Of course we want more and will get it but when it comes those that witness it will have been there throughout not just jumping on the W train like your bunch of armchair "fans". I bet you have loads of fans who travel the globe to be part of your great fanbase.

Jealousy is ugly and even uglier in piss yellow and black.

Riffer X

Pretty sure I went through this entire thread and didn't see it brought up where Municipal Stadium held 80,000 people compared to Three Sewers holding 59,000.

Is any more discussion needed? BTW, Cleveland Browns Stadium holds 73,000 and Heinz Field holds 65,000. Even when they built a new one and had a chance to even things up they made it smallish by today's standards. Does anybody think the planners would purposely pass up revenue from more seats if they thought it was plausible week in and week out to sell out?

In comparison, the Redskins have almost 92,000 capacity at Fed Ex Field.

You Steeler jackoffs go on a five to ten year down period and watch all your little female fans vamoose----hell, two years for that matter. Gone will be the toothless wiggers and fast food workers. Your new generation fans here in Ohio that swear up and down they are fans cuz their "parents were" will start rethinking the fact it's not quite as cool anymore. The neckar crowd will start looking for another team they deem "tough" instead of the old black an yella. The yuppyish guy that really isn't into football all that much but thinks it's cool to look the part, will go back to whatever they did before they started being cool with the Steelers. I saw a Porsche today with a Steeler emblem in the rear window on I 271.

Steeler fans are absolutely worthless, stupid fans for the most part. The ones that are diehards should despise the majority of their fanbase. Puker types live their lives vicariously through their football team yet can't tell you their GM's name. When I say living vicariously, I mean wearing the garb on a daily basis and defining their personality based on rooting for the Steelers. They're fooking morons.

? 88fingerslewy

Hiwaygal....I love your boot.

sisky fringo

@the-gipper said:
Cleveland fans, in addition to being the longest suffering in North America, may very well be the best fans in North America.

and they may very well be guilty of being enablers too. some day we need to stop rewarding a lack of success. not being a Richard, Gip, but there seems to be a correlation there. makes a guy wonder if CLE may have developed a "free pass" mentality?

hoorta

@fsg said:
You're an idiot. The games were Sold Out. That was my point.
Now, did at times fans fail to attend? Yes. But if you are going to sit there and talk up how great a fans you guys are and never fail to go to games, then you are a hypocritical assclown. I grew up in Ohio, I watched plenty of Steelers games on Channel 3 when Cleveland Stadium wasn't sold out, and this was during the "Browns heyday" of 1985-1989. I got to see at least 4 Steelers games per year due to the Browns being blacked out and another game being put on in its place.

To sit there and talk about what great fans you are, you guys are full of shit. What you are, is sickeningly jealous, to the point where it drives you crazy, that you have routinely rooted for losers and Pittsburgh has had 11 World Championships to feast on since you last had one. Hell, we've had 2 in the last 4 months, you've had NONE in the last 45 years. So, what you do, is make up this pathetic self-given title that you are "the best fans" to make yourselves feel better. Then go ahead and think you are the greatest fans on Earth, ignoring the obvious. You would give anything to have just one of the Championships we have, and jack, that is the real fact.

Thanks for making our point. FRONTRUNNER Insanely jealous? Hardly. Easiest thing in the world to root for a winner. Uh, I haven't seen a hell of a lot of 49ers Jerseys lately here in Ohio. Can you follow that drift? And the Steelers are on the same roll, and the karma will change, eventually.

Now if you want to talk blackouts- the Browns had one of the biggest stadium in the NFL- and did you ever sit in any of the less desirable seats? I sure did. Obstructed views, seats at such a low angle it was impossible to see the game past the 50 yard line, beyond nosebleed up in the rafters, with 40 mph -20 windchill coming up your back in December. Yeah,the beer froze back in the 70's at a Rams game before we ever made it to the stadium. In case you didn't know it- the old stadium was built for a possible Olympic bid way back in the 30's and for baseball and football it left a hell of a lot to be desired.

The Gipper

@fsg said:
You're an idiot. The games were Sold Out. That was my point.
Now, did at times fans fail to attend? Yes. But if you are going to sit there and talk up how great a fans you guys are and never fail to go to games, then you are a hypocritical assclown. I grew up in Ohio, I watched plenty of Steelers games on Channel 3 when Cleveland Stadium wasn't sold out, and this was during the "Browns heyday" of 1985-1989. I got to see at least 4 Steelers games per year due to the Browns being blacked out and another game being put on in its place.

To sit there and talk about what great fans you are, you guys are full of shit. What you are, is sickeningly jealous, to the point where it drives you crazy, that you have routinely rooted for losers and Pittsburgh has had 11 World Championships to feast on since you last had one. Hell, we've had 2 in the last 4 months, you've had NONE in the last 45 years. So, what you do, is make up this pathetic self-given title that you are "the best fans" to make yourselves feel better. Then go ahead and think you are the greatest fans on Earth, ignoring the obvious. You would give anything to have just one of the Championships we have, and jack, that is the real fact.

You say those games were sold out? First off, I have seen no evidence or proof of that other than a Steeler fans statement.

Secondly, if they were sold out, that is even more pathetic, because that means on many, many occasions more than 10,000, 20,000, in some cases as many as 30,000 no shows.

Furthermore, you reconfirm my EXACT point....that Pittsburgh HAS had all these championships and Cleveland has had none, yet it is CLEVELAND that supports its teams far better. Pittsburghers NEED all those titles to consider themselves "good fans". We haven't needed them. When all y'all have been put in the position the Browns have been in in the past a pathetic 35,000 or so have shown up. And note, parenthetically, it is a hell of a lot harder to sell out an 80,000 seat stadium with a bad team than it is to sell out a 55,000 seat stadium with a good team

The Gipper

The Soldier said:
wow. We sound pathetic.
Our argument is that we are better fans because we follow a bad football team?

Just like the guy who has a rebel flag and can't accept the South lost the war.

Like the Iraq PR guy when the US was taking over Bagdad.

I miss the good old days when we would argue Quinn was better than Rothlisberger because , ...well, because we said so.

Its not that we are better fans because we follow a bad team, we are better fans because we still rabidly support that bad team notwithstanding the fact that the team is bad. And the contrary argument is would those so called "great fans" of the Steelers...or Cowboys or whoever be such "great fans" if their team sucked as bad as ours has? Likely not.

(I agree with you though on the South thing....except today it is manifested by the fact that the yokels down South think that because the SEC has had a decent recent run of success in football that they are vindicated for having had slavery and Jim Crow laws and lynchings and Ku Klux Klan rallies)

The Gipper

FREAKofSTEEL08 said:
Correct ALL the Game s Were Sold out... Issues with Weather and Other Factors contributed to the numbers on Game Day. Geezz that Pats game was like 5 degrees with a -18 Wind Chill. Steelers put 25% and Higher of the Fans in Most ROAD games. They are know World wide as Some of Sports most Passionate fans ! Get the freak over your selves and you stupid obsession with Ripping Pittsburgh. This is the Only site I go on in the NFL where the Obsession is Not with the Home team but a Rival !! Goodness develop some Pride and Not this endless whining !!

Like a stupid Steeler fan you missed the whole point. The whole point was that we DO have pride...true pride. Pride that comes through in hard times. We have shown that. The fans here show up in hard times...losing times, bad weather times. We do not need the championships that the Steelers have to equally be fanatical for our team. And the fact is your own statements simply point out what fair weather fans Pittsburghers were...and very may well be again when hard times hit that franchise.

5 degrees and -18 wind chill? That would result in 300 no shows here, or in the worst scenario, 3000. But you had 30,000 no shows. Sorry, I got to go along with the guy from KC. Bills and Browns fans vehemently support their teams through good and bad. We certainly would never have 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 no shows in a PLAYOFF season as did the Steelers.

(even if you forgive them that one bad weather game....what happened the previous two weeks when only 42,000 or so fans chose to show up)

The Gipper

@sisky-fringo said:
and they may very well be guilty of being enablers too. some day we need to stop rewarding a lack of success. not being a Richard, Gip, but there seems to be a correlation there. makes a guy wonder if CLE may have developed a "free pass" mentality?

Valid question. I certainly hope that would not be true.

Let's face it, the difference between the two organizations has been: Ownership, organization, management.

We have had Art Modell and Randy Lerner for the most of the last 50 years. We all know what a failure Art was, and Randy has not been able to get his act together...yet. They do not compare to Dan Rooney who has competently run the Steelers for these last 40 years (Art Rooney became a figurehead owner of that team long before their breakthrough in the early 70s...nice man, but it was his son that brought that team to prominence and who has kept it there).

Needless to say, the "management" of the Browns has left a lot to be desired. When Modell had a football guy like Paul Brown or Blanton Collier or Ernie Accorsi running things, the team thrived. When he tried to be too hands on...not so good.

And since the team's "return" in 1999 we have had a series of failed coaches/GMs from Dwight Clark to Butch Davis to Phil Savage.

Considering the bitching that goes on about the team, and the dismissal of the above mentioned persons I would hope that doesn't give us a "free pass" mentality...such as was prevalent for years and years in say the Cardinals organization.

The Gipper

@fsg said:
Please.
Drop it hypocrite.

If you are the fans you claim to be, watching your "winning" team in the late 80s, why should you not have a sell out?

There is no team in America that doesn't have bandwagon jumpers. You are no different. No one ever heard of the Indians prior to 1994, but all of a sudden, a winning team comes along and you sell out every single game.

Yet you claim you are fans thick and thin? You're a hypocrite.

The Cavaliers couldn't draw flies before 2003.

Back in 1993, I remember all these Browns fans telling me how they didn't care anymore and wanted the Browns to lose because Belichick cut Bernie.

You guys are hypocrites.

But whatever makes you feel good. Steeler Nation is 10 times stronger than you could ever be. Opposing teams ask their fans not to sell their tickets to Steelers Fans. Super Bowl XL was 90% Steeler Fans. There was a 25 to 1 ratio of Steeler fan to Cardinal fan in Tampa, and those people just came down for the game itself, no tickets. We own your asses....but if it makes you feel better, go ahead and pretend you're the best fans---its a paper championship and I prefer the parades and hardware. 11 titles we've had since your last one jack. Thats a fact.

Ask any of those teams like in Tampa, Arizona, San Diego etc. Browns fans....even with the bad teams are serious road warriors. That is not to say that Steeler fans are not good fans who travel well. They clearly are. Though they may at best be incrementally better than Browns fans are at this point...with our bad team.

Yes, there are going to be your frontrunners...how many Cowboy/Raider/Yankee/Celtic/Bulls/Laker fans did you see everywhere when those teams are winning.

Again, the point being that your 12 championships (see, Pittsburgh fans are so dim they can't even keep track of the titles that teams in their town have won) have gotten you an ever so small advantage...perhaps...in fan enthusiam.

Let's see how enthusiastic all of yinz would be if you went as long as we have without a title. That would take you from now til 2054 without a title. (Can you say the El Paso Pirates...the Winnipeg Penguins...maybe the Steelers stay)

BUNSofSTEEL08

@howiedawg said:
F
hey Freak, and you are one, you blast us and yet you lurk around our board with your BS. 99% of discussion here is about our team and the passion we feel for them not your towel waving nonsense.

73,000 week in week out irrespective of results says everything you need to know. Of course we want more and will get it but when it comes those that witness it will have been there throughout not just jumping on the W train like your bunch of armchair "fans". I bet you have loads of fans who travel the globe to be part of your great fanbase.

Jealousy is ugly and even uglier in piss yellow and black.

The Green Eyed Mosnter Lives in CLEVELAND Howie... Totally Hilarious that you would think we (STeeler Fans) have any Longing to be like Cleveland. And I dont Lurk , and am very positive here. You dont see me ripping you guys up. I respect Cleveland and its History. Most on this site KNOW i am not a Troll or ignoramus. I will defend our Fan base however. And You generalize and exaggerate so much about Pittsburghs fans, its sad. And I Know Tons of Browns fans (Like 50) and a Good half of them Follow 2 teams .... So while they remain "Fans" They also , have another team they "Like". Maybe its from the No Team days , I dont know. But dont blow the Holier than Thou BS. The Teams Fans in General are cut of the Same Cloth. Fans are Fans and WINNING will increase you Fans. Thats life... you will see . DAMN you HAVE Seen look at the Tribe !!! They had NO Fans then The Jake and Albert Bell Thome and Co. Happend and BOOM !!! Cleveland is suddenly a baseball town. Fans are Fans !!

hoorta

@jadbf said:
*Note to Mods
if you delete a post from a moron and I've responded to said post. please feel free to delete my post also. you won't hear any whining from me.

Yeah, some people can't figure out our team great, yours sucks doesn't fly well here. Or nyah, nyah, our fans better than your fans.

HowieDawg

FREAKofSTEEL08 said:
The Green Eyed Mosnter Lives in CLEVELAND Howie... Totally Hilarious that you would think we (STeeler Fans) have any Longing to be like Cleveland. And I dont Lurk , and am very positive here. You dont see me ripping you guys up. I respect Cleveland and its History. Most on this site KNOW i aint not a Troll and ignoramus. I will defend our Fan base however. And You generalize and exaggerate so much about Pittsburghs fans, its sad. And I Know Tons of Browns fans (Like 50) and a Good half of them Follow 2 teams .... So while they remain "Fans" They also , have another team they "Like". Maybe its from the No Team days , I dont know. But dont blow the Holier than Thou BS. The Teams Fans in General are cut of the Same Cloth. Fans are Fans and WINNING will increase you Fans. Thats life... you will see . DAMN you HAVE Seen look at the Tribe !!! They had NO Fans then The Jake and Albert Bell Thome and Co. Happend and BOOM !!! Cleveland is suddenly a baseball town. Fans are Fans !!

FoS08, I can honestly say that i do not think we are jealous of you stoolers. Seriously.

Jealousy is not an emotion I have ever encountered from a Browns fan with regard to Pittsburgh. Plenty other emotions for sure but not Jealousy. No one can take your rings away and yes the team has outplayed us in recent history but that does not make us jealous, in the slightest. We just want to beat you. That's all that drives us.

BUT I do think that Pittsburgh knows that our fanbase is better than theirs, you might not admit it but you know deep down inside it's true. Go one, ask yourself honestly now, does the Browns have a more dedicated fanbase than the Stoolers? If you don't go into self denial you will will come up with a yes, the browns are more dedicated to their team than us. The reason being, the whole of the US knows it so don't fight it. Damn, I'm from England and have known it for over 20 years, when it comes to the best fans in the league, it's all about Cleveland.

I also reckon that there is a little bit of you that wants to be a Cleveland fan too, isn't there? be honest with yourself. You can come out on this board, no one will laugh.

Good luck with your impending introspection.

Howie.

The Gipper

FREAKofSTEEL08 said:
The Green Eyed Mosnter Lives in CLEVELAND Howie... Totally Hilarious that you would think we (STeeler Fans) have any Longing to be like Cleveland. And I dont Lurk , and am very positive here. You dont see me ripping you guys up. I respect Cleveland and its History. Most on this site KNOW i aint not a Troll and ignoramus. I will defend our Fan base however. And You generalize and exaggerate so much about Pittsburghs fans, its sad. And I Know Tons of Browns fans (Like 50) and a Good half of them Follow 2 teams .... So while they remain "Fans" They also , have another team they "Like". Maybe its from the No Team days , I dont know. But dont blow the Holier than Thou BS. The Teams Fans in General are cut of the Same Cloth. Fans are Fans and WINNING will increase you Fans. Thats life... you will see . DAMN you HAVE Seen look at the Tribe !!! They had NO Fans then The Jake and Albert Bell Thome and Co. Happend and BOOM !!! Cleveland is suddenly a baseball town. Fans are Fans !!

Cleveland was always a sleeping giant as a baseball market. If you go 40 years without winning anything...not even a single playoff berth, obviously there is going to be some detritus in the fan bases interest. Sure that is human nature. Gee, where could we see another example of that? Hmm....how about amongst Steeler fans from 1933 to 1973. A total losing team whose fan based showed little interest. Then all of a sudden they started winning and gawwwllly gee, all of a sudden their fan base is so good! Imagine that.

Again, the simple point is that we in Cleveland hahave NOT had the titles that Pittsburgh or some other towns have had, yet have maintained equal if not superior support for our teams.

(Why Steeler fans got on a rant about themselves, I don't know. This thread was directed at Cleveland fans for Cleveland fans...and yes, it was a propping up of ourselves for our support of our teams. I don't know why Steeler fan had to get so defensive about it. Do they have a reason to be so defensive? Do they have a reason to be so insecure?

Pumpkin Eater

I'm not jealous of a franchise that has had to cheat to win every single one if its championships.

BrownIndian

sometimes i wonder if these teams here are taking advantage of the faithful fan base.