9th Worst Fans in The League?

A narrative that is often seen around social media is that many Bucs fans claim that the fan base in Tampa Bay is the worst in the league.

Some people are never happy and prefer to see the glass half empty. From ownership to coaches to the players themselves. People get frustrated with the team when their favourite players are let go or traded. Most people are tired with the cycle of losing seasons.

When that feeling of tiredness and frustration boils over, fans react. Often taking to social media to vent. This isn’t just an issue in the Bay Area. With 32 franchises covering the entire country, not every fan base can be happy!

But do the Buccaneers truly have a bad fan base? Many people might point out how loyal they are considering the losing seasons.

A study by Emery University judges fan bases based on fan equity (how much dollar is spent on tickets and merchandise), social media equity (fan interaction with the team via social media) and road equity (fans travelling to games).

Unsurprisingly the fan bases in the top half are either larger markets or recent championship winners. Those occupying the bottom half are either among smaller markets or in the midst of multiple losing seasons. The lone outlier being the LA Rams, who are an unknown after moving to a new market.

The thing that this study cannot account for is fan pride and passion. In recent years the Bay Area, which the Bucs represent, has suffered from an economic downturn. This undoubtedly affects the disposable income available for fans.

In truth these things are fun to read but these studies need something to quantify. With two of the categories depending on disposable income and the other on the number of people in a given area, the Buccaneers will never be put on a list of the best fan base in the NFL.

That doesn’t mean we don’t have the most dedicated, resilient and passionate fans in the league.