There hasn’t been a lot around the Tampa Bay Bucs to root for in a very long time, so it’s unclear just how accurate the ratings are.
Still, Bucs fans ranked in the top three-quarters of the NFL, so that’s something to cheer, at least.
A study by the Emory Sports Marketing Analytics has ranked the NFL’s fans from best to worst. “What we are really trying to get at is the most avid, engaged, passionate and supportive fans,” the study says. To do so, they used data such as attendance, prices and revenues.
The Bucs, who have not won a playoff game since their Super Bowl win following the 2002 season, still ranked higher than Jacksonville (29th) and Miami (32nd) in the rankings.
Dallas, New England, the Giants, Ravens and the Jets led the way. The worst fans were Buffalo, Jacksonville, Oakland, Cleveland and Miami. Tampa Bay was behind Minnesota, Arizona and Atlanta and just in front of Carolina, St. Louis and Cincinnati.
Perhaps the Bucs can move up with quarterback Jameis Winston and wide receiver Mike Evans. Much of that will depend on whether coach Lovie Smith can win more than two games.
