Football's most fanatical cities

[Harry]

I found this analysis interesting and I hope you do as well.

Read more: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2013/01/footballs-most-fanatical-cities/3324/

[unt_rocket09]

Just think if it included HS attendence...

[Cougar King]

The city of Houston loves its football.

[Mean Green 93-98]

The city of Houston loves its football.

Not quite as much as DFW . . . but not bad.

[mgfan]

ESPN's Colin Cowherd offers a simple theory to account for the geography of football fandom, where big cities are served by and favored by pro teams while smaller cities favor the college game.

It makes sense, actually, that small towns would have a stronger support base for their college teams. Folks in bigger cities and metros have a lot of options for entertainment, but the options in smaller metros and college tons are more limited — making football the biggest game in town.

I've thought about this before and I believe it to be true for the most part.

[NT91]

Anyone been to Ladd-Pebbels stadium the home of U of SA? It looks nice.

[All About UNT]

Anyone been to Ladd-Pebbels stadium the home of U of SA? It looks nice.

It's old as dirt

[meangreener]

The city of Houston loves its football.

He's got a point...just got back from watching the Texans beat the Bengals...DFW wishes they could have a tailgate scene and a stadium as loud as Houston does...not to mention they support UH pretty well...and A&M...Houston has sold out every game except after Bud announced he was leaving the Dome...

[emmitt01]

The city of Houston loves its football.

Yes. As long as you include the Texans to carry the attendance load.

[DallasGreen]

ESPN's Colin Cowherd offers a simple theory to account for the geography of football fandom, where big cities are served by and favored by pro teams while smaller cities favor the college game.

It makes sense, actually, that small towns would have a stronger support base for their college teams. Folks in bigger cities and metros have a lot of options for entertainment, but the options in smaller metros and college tons are more limited — making football the biggest game in town.

I've thought about this before and I believe it to be true for the most part.

If this is true then DENTON is truly an exception to the rule. No, I don't see the good citizens' beating down the door to enrich the greedy multimilionaire Dallas pro owners either. Maybe they just prefer to be an artsy, fartsy nobody of a college town.

[Eagle1855]

He's got a point...just got back from watching the Texans beat the Bengals...DFW wishes they could have a tailgate scene and a stadium as loud as Houston does...not to mention they support UH pretty well.

Having done both (Cowboys and Texans), I'd agree with this statement agree. It's in the design of the stadium. Reliant is much more steep, whereas Cowboys Stadium seems to flatten out. Still a fantastic stadium in Arlington.

Texans playoff games (all two of them) are a really fantastic experience and the tailgating scene at every game is absolutely first-rate. I was shocked how much effort people pour into game day. If ever stuck in Houston during a game, pick up a tailgate pass- even if you don't go to a game. People are very friendly and there are a ton of good cooks (which follows, because we're a fat city).

Houston supports UH a hell of a lot better than D/FW supports SMU or NT in both attendance and with local media, but I think that is directly (and possibly exclusively) related to winning. Attendance was pretty sparse during the bad ol' days of the early 2000s. Rice doesn't draw much at all, but still a respectable crowd considering the size of the University. Can't speak to TCU regarding game day experience, as I've no first-hand experience, but I imagine the attendance dwarfs every other college in the D/FW and Houston area.

Also, tailgating at North Texas is a hell of a lot better than U of H. We'll see how they improve things with the addition of the new stadium.

HS football in both cities is extremely popular and well-attended. Hopefully our quality of education from top to bottom will soon follow suit.

[CaribbeanGreen]

He's got a point...just got back from watching the Texans beat the Bengals...DFW wishes they could have a tailgate scene and a stadium as loud as Houston does...not to mention they support UH pretty well...and A&M...Houston has sold out every game except after Bud announced he was leaving the Dome...

Except that they couldn't sell out a freaking playoff game until hours before the game. Gloops. http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/20507997/2013/01/04/tickets-still-available-for-texans-game-for-now

Save the Oilers Rally forever!

[Eagle1855]

Except that they couldn't sell out a freaking playoff game until hours before the game. Gloops. http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/20507997/2013/01/04/tickets-still-available-for-texans-game-for-now

Save the Oilers Rally forever!

Mostly related to the collapse at end of season, but yes, embarrassing all the same.

Spent an entire month thinking we'd have a first-round bye then watched the team collapse in the last 3 of 4 regular-season games. I know several people that had to rearrange schedules just to make it to that playoff game. Even the Monster Truck thing originally scheduled for that weekend (under assumption there was going to be a bye) had to be moved back a week.

Oh well, at least we get to go back to New England.

[JesseMartin]

I'm surprised that no one pointed out how spurious the comparison statistics are for "attendance". Stadiums have a CAPACITY, so no matter how large or small the population area, only a certain number of people (rather than percentage) can physically occupy seats. So for stadiums like ours that are never at capacity, it could be fairly accurate. However, for a considerable number of the "ranked" locations, their stadiums are always at capacity, have waiting lists, etc. So they went out of their way to explain that viewership on a non-first-person basis is excluded, then avoided pointing out that physical presence capacity has a maximum even though population does not have either a minimum OR a maximum. So the result of the findings allow for some total percentages - on all comparisons - to be inflated and for others to be deflated. This kind of study may have held up well in the 50's, but today this would barely be considered a valid statistical analysis by 6th-grade standards. Compiling a list of numbers and saying, "hey, look! MATH!" doesn't make it a valid study by any leap of the imagination if the most cursory of evaluations instantly shows it to be poorly calculated. You could still leave out viewership but consider capacity percentages on a revolving annual basis or something if you wanted, but this is seriously devoid of any academic skill whatsoever.

[meangreener]

Except that they couldn't sell out a freaking playoff game until hours before the game. Gloops. http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/20507997/2013/01/04/tickets-still-available-for-texans-game-for-now

Save the Oilers Rally forever!

The reason there were tickets is because they usually release anywhere from 1000 to 5000 tickets the day before the playoff game and most people thought they were going to be off this weekend so made plans. Either way, it was a complete sell out, so try again with the snotty half-hearted comeback.

We will win this weekend and host the Texans-Ravens game.

Edited January 8, 2013 by meangreener

[Green P1]

We (the Houston Texans) will win this weekend and host the Texans-Ravens game.

Nope.

[Quoner]

The reason there were tickets is because they usually release anywhere from 1000 to 5000 tickets the day before the playoff game and most people thought they were going to be off this weekend so made plans. Either way, it was a complete sell out, so try again with the snotty half-hearted comeback.

We will win this weekend and host the Texans-Ravens game.

NFL Kram?

NFL Kram.

Also, it's a schedule for human beings, Dan.

[meangreener]

Nope.

Typical jealous Cowboy fan. Make sure to save this posterity.

Edited January 8, 2013 by meangreener

[Eagle1855]

Typical jealous Cowboy fan. Make sure to save this posterity.

They're going to tell you about the five rings. Just giving you a heads up.

[Green P1]

Typical jealous Cowboy fan. Make sure to save this posterity.

for posterity

[meangreener]

They're going to tell you about the five rings. Just giving you a heads up.

And I'm going to tell them about our 2 playoff wins in 11 years and their 1 in 16 years. And the fact they haven't won a Super Bowl during our existence.

[Quoner]

And I'm going to tell them about our 2 playoff wins in 11 years and their 1 in 16 years. And the fact they haven't won a Super Bowl during our existence.

And then the Cardinals, Rams, Panthers, Seahawks and Falcons fans are going to realize this is the rare argument that they can show up to unannounced and just laugh at everyone.

[meangreener]

And then the Cardinals, Rams, Panthers, Seahawks and Falcons fans are going to realize this is the rare argument that they can show up to unannounced and just laugh at everyone.

My point is that it's not really appropriate to compare the Texans & Cowboys because you have 40 years of history to draw off of, we have 10. It's still sad that people in Texas just can't root for each other, I'd rather the Cowboys in the SB than anyone else, but, hey, Dallas's inferiority complex is outrageous so whatever. I rooted for the Rangers and the Mavs. Not like the Texans and Cowboys are rivals.

[Arkstfan]

Stadium capacity places an upper limit on attendance but I believe excess capacity deflates attendance. Too many empty seats gives a depressing feel to a game and excess capacity reduces the pressure to buy a season ticket knowing one is always available. A person with a season ticket is more likely to use it than let it "go to waste" if the weather isn't perfect or the team is a little (or a lot) disappointing this year, while the walk-up buyer just doesn't bother to come out at all. The season ticket holder is more likely to schedule other events around a game, the walk-up buyer is more likely to come if it doesn't conflict.

Edited January 8, 2013 by Arkstfan

[UNTexas]

They're going to tell you about the five rings. Just giving you a heads up.

Not today! No mention of rings here today, however, the Cowboys do have five Superbowl trophies and the highest winning percentage in NFL history. (Actually tied with Chicago on that one at .575, booo)