The Most Accurate Map Of NFL Fans Uses Facebook Data

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This is probably the best use of Facebook data we've ever seen. Look at the map, is it accurate?

Are people fans of a team because of their friends, their hometown, or just because that team enjoys some success? It certainly looks like winning helps. We looked at how many users clicked "Like" for each team's page on each day throughout the season. On any given day during the season a team either doesn't play, loses, or wins (we'll ignore ties). Because playoff teams get so much more attention, we'll break out separate categories for games during the playoffs.
 
See how crazy Nebraska looks? This is why I have to explain to people why we take college football so seriously... They ARE our pro team. If anyone ever makes a Nebraska NFL team, they will be raking in the $$$.
 
Interesting thought experiment.

As a lifelong Green Bay Packer fan, season ticket holder, and share holder (NFL team owner), I have never "Liked" their facebook page. I am rather curious how representative these maps are of the population at large. After all, only 10% of Facebook users have even bothered to "Like" an NFL page.

The playoff maps are a bit misleading. They can only show the number of native fans for the remaining teams in a county, not who the fans of teams who were knocked out root for. I know much of Wisconsin has a great dislike of the Patriots. I doubt the actual population of NE fans was very high as is suggested by the Week 3 map.

The more interesting metric is the "Common Fan Friends" chart. This helps show social connections between engaged fans on Facebook.

Last note, my gf is from Dallas and we travel there quite frequently. I've never met anyone down there that even cared to turn on a Cowboy's game when it was on TV. She is a massive football fan and through her whole life, always has the impression no one in Dallas liked the Cowboys. I wonder if the NFL as a whole struggles in TX, where High School and College rein.
 
See how crazy Nebraska looks? This is why I have to explain to people why we take college football so seriously... They ARE our pro team. If anyone ever makes a Nebraska NFL team, they will be raking in the $$$.

What's Montana's excuse?
 
I wonder what “NFL” stands for. Is it anything to do with guns, or is it that burger joint place?:(
 
NY Jets have one tiny spot located on Long Island, NY. I wonder how empty the stadium is when they play. Not hating or anything, makes you wonder why they have a team though. They even have to share a stadium.
 
Yea, I found that funny. I wondered what the smallest fan base was and I thought it was Jacksonville till I noticed that only the Bronx likes the Jets lol.
 
That map is way off...... there are 1 billion Dallas Cowboys fans in Washington DC/Metro Area.
The are like cockroaches. I am surprised that so many people from Dallas have moved to DC Area.
;)

My cousin is one of those "Americas Team" bull crap fans. Born in Georgetown Hospital... has never been to Texas anywhere near Dallas..... and is a Cowboy diehard. Poser ass.
 
That map is way off...... there are 1 billion Dallas Cowboys fans in Washington DC/Metro Area.
The are like cockroaches. I am surprised that so many people from Dallas have moved to DC Area.
;)

My cousin is one of those "Americas Team" bull crap fans. Born in Georgetown Hospital... has never been to Texas anywhere near Dallas..... and is a Cowboy diehard. Poser ass.

Obviously you don't need to be from the state to like the team. A lot of the time it's because you connect with something from the team: their motto, colors, mascot, family, philosophy, etc.
 
Obviously you don't need to be from the state to like the team. A lot of the time it's because you connect with something from the team: their motto, colors, mascot, family, philosophy, etc.

So basically a fair weather fan?
 
He is a Cowboys fan now, so obviously he is not a fan weather fan, We finished 8-8... again...

Winning also doesn't not make you a fan. See, Chiefs, Browns and Lions on the map... Lets not talk about the Jets :p
 
Interesting thought experiment.

As a lifelong Green Bay Packer fan, season ticket holder, and share holder (NFL team owner), I have never "Liked" their facebook page. I am rather curious how representative these maps are of the population at large. After all, only 10% of Facebook users have even bothered to "Like" an NFL page.

I think if you RTFA, you'll find its 10% of AMERICANS, not facebook users, that have liked an NFL team.
The number stated is 35 MILLION usa users have liked an NFL team.
 
Yea there is no way that much of Michigan has Lions fans....

Sure there is, just cause we're all so despondent that we don't give a crap most days, doesn't mean we aren't Lion's fans.


Though it MIGHT mean we're effing insane, but that's another thing entirely!
 
So basically a fair weather fan?

Just because someone doesn't pick their hometown team to route for, doesn't make them a fair weather fan. Some people just like teams for various reasons and then stick with them. They don't always pick a team because that team is winning or popular.
 
I love the placement of the Raiders fans in California... I seriously didn't know anyone lived in those spots, let alone got internet.
 
Go Steelers. Black and Gold. I'm surprised, living now in one of those states that Steelers has a pretty large following down in the carolinas. With that said, I believe the map is atleast somewhat accurate of real-world representations.
 
My cousin is one of those "Americas Team" bull crap fans. Born in Georgetown Hospital... has never been to Texas anywhere near Dallas..... and is a Cowboy diehard. Poser ass.

Obviously neither of you have ever been to Dallas, because "poser ass" describes everyone in that city to a T.
 
So are the white spots on the map the last remaining areas in the country without internet access?:p
 
He is a Cowboys fan now, so obviously he is not a fan weather fan, We finished 8-8... again...

Winning also doesn't not make you a fan. See, Chiefs, Browns and Lions on the map... Lets not talk about the Jets :p

Surprisingly enough, there's some NFL fans in Canada too. I know some of my family members are Cleveland Browns fans, mostly because of Proximity.

Of all the teams to like...
 
Obviously neither of you have ever been to Dallas, because "poser ass" describes everyone in that city to a T.

Whoa easy amigo!

am I the only one who got really curious by the few counties in america that didn't post at least SOMETHING about football?

Then I looked at Loving County, which is the furthest west county in texas that didn't post anything. Then the google machine provided this nuggest:

Loving County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. With no incorporated municipalities, its seat and only community is Mentone. With a 2010 population of 82 residents, it is the least populous county in the United States.[1][2]
 
I think if you RTFA, you'll find its 10% of AMERICANS, not facebook users, that have liked an NFL team.
The number stated is 35 MILLION usa users have liked an NFL team.

Really? Why don't you read the post and add something to the discussion rather than effectively point out a grammar mistake. There was quite a bit more in my post about the particulars of the "FA" that I did read. One small mistake in the sample size does not invalidate my points.

What about the potential misleading limitations of the playoff fan maps? Any useful intellectual input on any of the article?

As others have brought up, there are areas that are much more heavily influenced by college football. I suspect TX as a whole is one of them. I encounter few actual Cowboys fans in the Dallas area.

The maps provided do nothing to indicate the percentage of the Facebook population in each county that has "Liked" an NFL team's page. The numbers may be so low in some areas as to not even be meaningful. You can already see some counties where no teams were "liked".
 
I goddamn HATE people using Choropleth maps so much. That's all people loved to use in college when making a map.

Playoff pictures are lame because it doesn't state the numbers used from the counties. I can guarantee you that Allegheny County (PA), to an extent that mattered, was not rooting for the Patriots in the Playoffs. For all we know it could have been 5 people in a county rooting for a specific team during the playoffs.

"I chose Choropleth as my type of map because it's easy. It looks pretty, too!"

Luckily for them, their conclusion that you're more likely to know people that are fans of the Cowboys or Steelers is correct. But you don't need a map to tell you that, you just have to look at bumper stickers and window decorations around your area.
 
Sure there is, just cause we're all so despondent that we don't give a crap most days, doesn't mean we aren't Lion's fans.


Though it MIGHT mean we're effing insane, but that's another thing entirely!

Now that they kicked out the moores the team is fun to watch now.

Go chargers!
 
I like the one county in in Kansas that is flagged as being for Baltimore. I'd guess this is largely due to a "super fan" or two posting their love of Baltimore on Facebook to a level of annoyance.
 
Interesting thought experiment.

As a lifelong Green Bay Packer fan, season ticket holder, and share holder (NFL team owner),

Only a drunken sconny would actually believe your cute little certificate means anything... Skol Vikings! ;)
 
No, it's not accurate.

No way in hell Southeastern Virginia is Dallas territory.

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS, baby. It's a 7 or so to 1 ratio against Dallas fans (though with the military here, there are fans of every team).

This chart is more "Here are what a few Facebook posters say are their team". The rest of the people in the area have a life instead of just Facebook.
 
Surprisingly enough, there's some NFL fans in Canada too. I know some of my family members are Cleveland Browns fans, mostly because of Proximity.

Of all the teams to like...

Tons of Vikes fans and a good amount of Packas fans on the border territories.
 
More proof that NW Indiana needs to secede to Illinois. NW Indiana is so different from the rest of backwards Indiana. If you go east of Laporte County or south into Jasper County, you're in Hicksville USA.

:-P
 
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