ExWNYer Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 Atlanta and Miami. I read something several years ago that said there was a study done showing that Atlanta and Miami were the two worst pro sports cities across all sports, not just football. Any Dolphins home game you watch, the half filled stands consist of at least 1/3 or more enemy fans. The MLB Marlins are irrelevant as are the NHL Panthers and the NBA Heat are only noticed when they are front runners. There is just to much to do and see in South Beach and they have 'outdoor' weather year round, much like LA. Pro sports are secondary, unlike in the north east. Atlanta is just too transient and they are college crazy. The MLB Braves won the NL East like 14 years running and couldn't even sell out their playoff games during that time, the NHL Flames fled to Calgary and the NBA Hawks...do they even exist anymore (j/k)? Atlanta and Miami for me, not even close. Honorary mention to Jacksonville which is just an extension of southern Georgia.
Ethan in Cleveland Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 I would go with Jags and Panthers. Even as hapless as many of the other teams listed have been including the Bills, these two teams have zero NFL top 100 players and little historical events. The history of the NFL would be written and the only mention of these two teams would be that Carolina lost to New England as part of the Patriot's dynasty. Tampa has a SB win and Leroy Selmon. The Chargers have multiple top 100 players. Bengals have Munoz, two SB appearances, and the coldest playoff game in history. Atlanta is a close third, with only Deion Sanders as a top 100 for a significant portion of his career and again a footnote in the history of the Patriots dynasty.
folz Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 I went with Jacksonville and Cincinnati. I keyed on the OP's phrase "no one would notice." So, my criteria was that they do not have a following outside of their city. Their fans aren't rabid. Probably needs to be a smaller market city.They do not hold a special place in NFL history. They are not often on National TV. They do not have many HOF players. They do not have a recent tradition of winning. Never won a championship. So, nothing that anyone would miss. I thought about Detroit, but they play every Thanksgiving and Barry Sanders. Plus they have a long history in the NFL with old rivalries. I pondered Cleveland, but they were a very important part of the early NFL, won championships, and technically, Baltimore is the original Cleveland team, so there is that tie-in too. And the Dawg pound is well known. Cincinnati did make two Super Bowls (and lost), but when you're 2nd and 3rd best all-time franchise players are Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, well... Jacksonville is the only team without any HOF players (granted they've only been playing since 1995). Cincinnati only has two HOF players (franchise started in 1968). The only teams with fewer are Jacksonville with 0 and Houston with 1 (but they have only been playing since 2002). Jacksonville and Cincinnati seem to fit my criteria best. I think you could pretty much write the history of the NFL without those two franchises and only miss maybe a couple of footnotes really. 1
LeGOATski Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 4 hours ago, SydneyBillsFan said: Jax? Seems like a pretty disinterested fan base. Yep, this is the only team that jumps right to my mind. Not one ounce of interest since they entered the league. 1
Ethan in Cleveland Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 5 hours ago, folz said: I went with Jacksonville and Cincinnati. I keyed on the OP's phrase "no one would notice." So, my criteria was that they do not have a following outside of their city. Their fans aren't rabid. Probably needs to be a smaller market city.They do not hold a special place in NFL history. They are not often on National TV. They do not have many HOF players. They do not have a recent tradition of winning. Never won a championship. So, nothing that anyone would miss. I thought about Detroit, but they play every Thanksgiving and Barry Sanders. Plus they have a long history in the NFL with old rivalries. I pondered Cleveland, but they were a very important part of the early NFL, won championships, and technically, Baltimore is the original Cleveland team, so there is that tie-in too. And the Dawg pound is well known. Cincinnati did make two Super Bowls (and lost), but when you're 2nd and 3rd best all-time franchise players are Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, well... Jacksonville is the only team without any HOF players (granted they've only been playing since 1995). Cincinnati only has two HOF players (franchise started in 1968). The only teams with fewer are Jacksonville with 0 and Houston with 1 (but they have only been playing since 2002). Jacksonville and Cincinnati seem to fit my criteria best. I think you could pretty much write the history of the NFL without those two franchises and only miss maybe a couple of footnotes really. Good post. Carolina has two HOF players but neither played significant time with the Panthers. Anthony Munoz is in conversation for best OT of all time and as I put in my post Cinci has had some memorable moments. That’s why I chose Jax and Carolina. 1
HOUSE Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 Jacksonville & Cleveland are they still playing?
JMF2006 Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 Pottsville and Akron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_National_Football_League_franchises 1
TBBills Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 (edited) The Browns could leave and only their fans would care... No one cares about a Browns fan. The jags don't have fans so they are basically already gone. Edited November 17, 2020 by TBBills
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 London jaguars Indianapolis colts I never ever meet a colts fan. Ever.
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 1 hour ago, HOUSE said: Jacksonville & Cleveland are they still playing? It's only fitting that this version of the Cleveland Browns steal away under the cover of darkness for a new city, and the league installs an expansion franchise. Something along the NHL's s*** show in Atlanta.
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 9 hours ago, Rc2catch said: I think the Bills are a candidate. The core of fans is really solid, but nationally most people don’t even know they’re a pro team say what? There are Bills fans across the country.
Thunderstruck Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 At first I thought this was going to be a Thanos style wish list. I guess that's another thread
Rc2catch Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 1 hour ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said: say what? There are Bills fans across the country. There’s fans of every team across the country. Those are the die hard kinda fans imo. The casual fans only know the “popular” teams that are on ESPN all the time. We don’t get a lot of prime time games. Up until the last couple years we’re not talked about by the national media. I can only speak from my experience. Lived in Niagara Falls 30 years then in Vegas for a cup of tea and Tennessee for 10 years. And my nephew who stationed in Cali and Georgia and now in Alabama. People generally don’t know who the Bills are. Most people don’t even know there’s a whole state in New York it’s automatically “oh is it crazy living in New York” cause they think if you’re from New York you lived in New York City or at least visited there all the time. Most Bills fans are die hard fans, and they’re usually tied to the Super Bowl days in some way. But let’s face it, there’s been an entire generation growing up with buffalo in the basement of the league.
dave mcbride Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 (edited) 17 hours ago, GunnerBill said: Jaguars and Chargers. Without a second's pause. Exactly, and it ain't even close. The Lions have been bad for a while, but they are a historic franchise (90 years old), with 5 championships including 3 straight in the 50s. 13 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said: I would go with Jags and Panthers. Even as hapless as many of the other teams listed have been including the Bills, these two teams have zero NFL top 100 players and little historical events. The history of the NFL would be written and the only mention of these two teams would be that Carolina lost to New England as part of the Patriot's dynasty. Tampa has a SB win and Leroy Selmon. The Chargers have multiple top 100 players. Bengals have Munoz, two SB appearances, and the coldest playoff game in history. Atlanta is a close third, with only Deion Sanders as a top 100 for a significant portion of his career and again a footnote in the history of the Patriots dynasty. The problem with the Chargers is that they left the city that made them kinda famous and our now in a city that is populated entirely by non-fans of the Chargers. No one cares about them anymore. They are more of an incorporated but deterritorialized football team-like entity than a team rooted in a place with a history and lots of memories associated with them. Edited November 17, 2020 by dave mcbride
major Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 Jags and Panthers. Should have never been added in first place
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 5 hours ago, Rc2catch said: There’s fans of every team across the country. Those are the die hard kinda fans imo. The casual fans only know the “popular” teams that are on ESPN all the time. We don’t get a lot of prime time games. Up until the last couple years we’re not talked about by the national media. I can only speak from my experience. Lived in Niagara Falls 30 years then in Vegas for a cup of tea and Tennessee for 10 years. And my nephew who stationed in Cali and Georgia and now in Alabama. People generally don’t know who the Bills are. Most people don’t even know there’s a whole state in New York it’s automatically “oh is it crazy living in New York” cause they think if you’re from New York you lived in New York City or at least visited there all the time. Most Bills fans are die hard fans, and they’re usually tied to the Super Bowl days in some way. But let’s face it, there’s been an entire generation growing up with buffalo in the basement of the league. Granted, I've been to less than half of the 50 states, but I have not seen it where any populated area didn't know of the Bills. Mass, Vermont, Maine, Joisey, Pensyltucky, Georgia, Florida, both Carolina's, Texas, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan 1 hour ago, major said: Jags and Panthers. Should have never been added in first place The Panthers get a drawing. the Jags fans just don't seem to care. 1
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 2 hours ago, major said: Jags and Panthers. Should have never been added in first place The 'cat lobby' must have been big back then. 😾
blitzboy54 Posted November 17, 2020 Posted November 17, 2020 Jacksonville and Jacksonville Understand that toward the end of Ralph years we would have been at the top of that list
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