Study Ranks Steelers’ Fan Base 18th In NFL

By Alex Kozora

Up goes the article, up goes the pitchforks. The Pittsburgh Steelers ranked 18th in a statistical model created by a professor from Emory University, ranking all fan bases in the NFL.

Maybe the craziest thing is that the creator doubts his own results.

The methodology, as Professor Mike Lewis explains, comes in two forms.

“This year I have come up with a new method that combines these two measures: Dynamic Fan Equity (DFE). The DFE measure leverages the best features of the two measures. Fan Equity is based on the most important consumer trait – willingness to spend. Social Equity captures fan support that occurs beyond the walls of the stadium and skews towards a younger demographic. The key insight that allows for the two measures to be combined is that there is a significant relationship between the Social Media Equitytrend and the Fan Equity measure. Social media performance turns out to be a strong leading indicator for financial performance.”

In layman’s terms, fan bases are judged on the money they spend and the social media outreach they extend. Off those metrics, according to Lewis, the Steelers finished below average. He made special note of this in his analysis, calling into question what his model spit out.

“The one result that gives me the most doubt is for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have long been considered one of the league premier teams and brands.”

READ MORE: http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/07/study-ranks-steelers-fan-base-18th-nfl/

We all know better. 18th pfffft. Do it the old fashioned way by poll. I've lived in Maryland,Pa,Fl and Tx and have found tons of fans everywhere I've lived.

Once I went to a Bucaneers/Steelers game in Tampa and Vinnie Testaverde had to call a time out because his o-line could not hear him. I know it was Tampa during the Culverhouse ownership but still. We out numbered Bucs fans that day in their stadium.

The study judges fanbases on economics and social media. Two of the foundations of what being a football fan is built on.

So if they struck oil in your backyard and you love twitter and facebook, you are the worlds best football fan.

Last year, watching Steeler fans in Buffalo showing up for the Bills-Jets game that had playoff implications decked out in jerseys and waving Terrible Towels says it all about Steeler fans.  

The professor needs to recheck his data.

Here's the full study rather than a few pulled quotes, for those interested: https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/esma/2016/06/28/the-best-nfl-fans-2016-the-dynamic-fan-equity-methodology/

On a similar note, I put out a podcast earlier this week, asking if our fanbase was oversensitive to rankings like this, i.e. where our players, etc. aren't ranked THE ABSOLUTE BEST.

The answer is more complicated, but no doubt, we are a spoiled bunch.

This study sucks. Using Social media is dumb, there is countless bandwagon fans, many that follow multiple teams.

The Panthers are rated higher, which is laughable. Let them host the Steelers and watch the colors of Black & Gold out show Carolina Blue.

Chargers also? I remember their home game looked like a Steelers home game last year.

18th!!

If they'd fire Haley, they'd probably move up about 17 spots.

Doesn't matter to me where we're placed.

so the sum of a "true" fan is now based on how much NFL merchandise you purchase ?
i've come across countless people wearing raiders gear only to find out they weren't really raider fans at all ,or even nfl fans for that matter. they just thought the logo made them look "cool".

Wallace108 wrote:

If they'd fire Haley, they'd probably move up about 17 spots.

Crash, is that you?

Wallace108 wrote:

If they'd fire Haley, they'd probably move up about 17 spots.

And Tomlin. Then BEG BA to jump ship and get us back on track. He would hire Crash as his OC bad knees and all.

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

so the sum of a "true" fan is now based on how much NFL merchandise you purchase ?  
i've come across countless people wearing raiders gear only to find out they weren't really raider fans at all ,or even nfl fans for that matter.  they just thought the logo made them look "cool".

That is why the ranking doesn't make sense to a lot of us that have been fans thru the good and bad times. Are the Chiefs really #30 and Seahawks #13? I'd have to bet that Chiefs fans are likely more knowledgeable and passionate about their team than the vast majority of Seahawk fans that jumped on the bandwagon the past 5 years.

it's not the first time it's happened, it won't be the last...

BUT....


we all know better.

I blame Crash for our ranking.

Pittsburgh @ KC in November 2011. Basically a Steelers home game, Tyler Palko and the Chiefs were not a very good football team then, so that didn't help the Chiefs set any attendance records but it was  really a good showing from Steeler Nation in the Midwest. Lot of fellow Iowan Steelers fans at the game. Just from what I see in the midwest alone this team and it's fans travel like no other. I'd never even seen a Seahawks fan in Iowa for most of my life, in fact I never saw someone wearing Seahawks colors until they won the Super Bowl. I've seen one Cardinals fan, of course that was 2009 when we beat them in the Superbowl. I see the occasional Dolphins fan, Colts fans, and Raiders fans. But honestly it's understandably a ton of Packers, Chiefs, Vikings, and Bears fans that I see. Outside of that, the most fans I see of any team other than the aforementioned Midwestern teams is the Steelers. We even have a Des Moines Steelers Fan Club here in Iowa.

So being ranked 18th... That's just silly.  

On another note. One funny thing about this game... Bruce Arians unstoppable offense put up a whopping 13 points and if it were not for a stellar defensive performance, and Tyler Palko's interceptions, we'd of probably lost to one of the worst teams in the NFL that season. So suck it Crash. Arians had Hines Ward, Emmanuel Sanders, and Antonio Brown at his disposal and his offensive genius accounted for 13 entire points all of which were scored in the 2nd Quarter.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

Pittsburgh @ KC in November 2011. Basically a Steelers home game, Tyler Palko and the Chiefs were not a very good football team then, so that didn't help the Chiefs set any attendance records but it was  really a good showing from Steeler Nation in the Midwest. Lot of fellow Iowan Steelers fans at the game. Just from what I see in the midwest alone this team and it's fans travel like no other. I'd never even seen a Seahawks fan in Iowa for most of my life, in fact I never saw someone wearing Seahawks colors until they won the Super Bowl. I've seen one Cardinals fan, of course that was 2009 when we beat them in the Superbowl. I see the occasional Dolphins fan, Colts fans, and Raiders fans. But honestly it's understandably a ton of Packers, Chiefs, Vikings, and Bears fans that I see. Outside of that, the most fans I see of any team other than the aforementioned Midwestern teams is the Steelers. We even have a Des Moines Steelers Fan Club here in Iowa.

So being ranked 18th... That's just silly.  

On another note. One funny thing about this game... Bruce Arians unstoppable offense put up a whopping 13 points and if it were not for a stellar defensive performance, and Tyler Palko's interceptions, we'd of probably lost to one of the worst teams in the NFL that season. So suck it Crash. Arians had Hines Ward, Emmanuel Sanders, and Antonio Brown at his disposal and his offensive genius accounted for 13 entire points all of which were scored in the 2nd Quarter.

"But Arians only did what the fans wanted him to do"

The biggest myth is how well the Steelers fans travel. This conclusion is reached by how many Steelers fans there are at away games. "Boy, those Steelers fans sure do travel well" they say. What they fail to realize is that most of those Steelers fans live in those away cities. We are everywhere. This is STEELER NATION!!