Ebony Bird
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Ravens fans rank 4th best in the NFL, blow away rest of the AFC North

By Brett Foote

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Oct 19, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith, Sr. (89) signs autographs for fans after beating the Atlanta Falcons 29-7 at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Sports fans are a dedicated, motivated, and sometimes borderline crazy bunch.  They paint their faces, decorate their cars and their homes, even dress up their dogs.

They dedicate countless hours to reading about their teams and analyze every detail, follow every move, and try to guess what will happen next.

They take part in endless rivalries, which at best result in the exchange of some playful jabs, and at worst result in physical violence.

It’s no surprise then that every sports team’s fans would claim to be the “best,” but what exactly constitutes the best?  One group set out to find out, spending three years analyzing 15 years of data while trying to figure out what NFL teams have the best fans.

Emory Sports Marketing Analytics used a variety of factors to determine what NFL teams have the best fans, including fan surveys, attendance figures, team performance, market populations, and many more.

The results are, in a way, both surprising and unsurprising.  The Dallas Cowboys came in at number one, followed by the Patriots, Giants, and Ravens.  The Ravens easily beat out their AFC North foes, besting the Steelers (14th), Bengals (24th), and Browns (31st) by a country mile.

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To see the Steelers, along with the Packers (7th) and Seahawks (26th) finish this low is a bit of a surprise.  I admit, even seeing the Browns rank only above the Dolphins is a bit of a shock as well. Browns fans are, if nothing else, dedicated to their team.

ESMA admits that these teams would have finished with better rankings if you remove the financial metrics and focus on factors like social media following.  Just like any other survey or ranking, it’s hard to come to a consensus on how to measure things like who has the best fans.

But we at EB are a simple bunch and prideful bunch who will simply bask in the glow of the Ravens’ top four finish.  Even though it’s hard to take any ranking that places the Cowboys and Patriots at the top seriously.

Next: Ravens: 2015 Super Bowl Champs?

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