Ranking of Favorite Teams- NFL
Posted by deaconcat08 on February 8th, 2010
While at a Super Bowl Party last night wearning a Saints t-shirt and Mardi Gras beads, I was asked by a fellow guest if I was a Saints fan or if I was just cheering for them tonight. I responded that because of my love for the city as well as great underdog stories, they were definitely my third favorite team in the league. The guest then laughed and said “Third favorite? Do you have a ranking of all the teams?”. I actually don’t have such a list, but after thinking about it for a minute, I decided that I definitely should. Such a list would prevent me from “bandwagon jumping” and overstating my fanhood for certain teams in the midst of good seasons. It should be noted, however, that any rankings of this nature are subject to change depending on a team’s acquisition and disposal of certain players and coaches, as well as for any Cinderella and underdog storylines that emerge. Based on these considerations, I will now publish my favoritism rankings for all NFL, NHL, college basketball, and college football teams (yes, the college rankings def. change depending on the sport). The reason there is no NBA or MLB rankings is that I don’t have a favorite team in either sport, and you can’t exactly make a list if there is nothing to put at the top. Also, I’d like challenge other fans to make similar lists, as they will likely help you better understand yourself as a sports fan and why you gravitate to certain types of teams. Furthermore, these rankings will hopefully help you understand any fan bias that unintentionally comes out in my columns.
The ordering of my favorite NFL teams:
1. Patriots- They were my randomly selected favorite team during my childhood, and I’ve stuck with them when they’ve been good, when they’ve been bad, when they’ve been lovable, and when they’ve been hateable.
2. Panthers- Got to love the home team, especially when the city has never won a title before.
3. Saints- The ultimate lovable loser, who will undoubtedly be the subject of a movie about their 2009-10 season.
4. Cardinals- Another underdog who is easy to root for. Not to mention Phoenix is a great city.
5. Bengals- They were sort of the home team during my childhood years when I lived in Kentucky. They’ve also never won the big one.
6. Titans- I guess I better put my wife’s favorite team somewhere in the top 10.
7. Browns- I know I shouldn’t have two rivals like Cincy and Cleveland both in the top 10 but both are great annual underdog stories.
8. Seahawks
9. Falcons
10. Lions
11. Texans
12. Jaguars
13. Chargers
14. Raiders- Best logo and best fans in the game.
15. Cowboys
16. Bills
17. Jets
18. Broncos
19. Rams
20. Bears
21. Vikings
22. Buccaneers
23. 49ers
24. Chiefs
25. Redskins- I was a Cowboys fan during the Jimmy Johnson era, so naturally I didn’t like their archrival.
26. Dolphins- Didn’t like Dan Marino
27. Ravens- Don’t like Ray Lewis
28. Packers- I don’t like Favre, so I really didn’t like this team in the 90’s. However, know I don’t have anything against them.
29. Eagles- Worst fans in the world.
30. Giants- Just don’t like the Mannings
31. Colts- See above
32. Steelers- The Penguins are actually one of my favorite hockey teams, so I’m definitely hot and cold when it comes to Pittsburgh teams. Honestly, I just didn’t really like the Bradshaw era in the 70’s, and I’ve carried my animosity with me to this day. The Steelers are my favorite of my least favorite teams if that’s any consolation.
