Kansas City Chiefs ranked as worst fan base in NFL
The Kansas City Chiefs usually get ignored during any type of discussion, but fans of the Chiefs have been called out. A study from Emory University ranked the NFL fan bases based on a number of factors and the Chiefs ranked dead last.
Kansas City Chiefs fans are used to getting kicked around and picked on. They’re a bit of a boring team, but one thing that typically isn’t insulted in Kansas City is the fan base. The fans have stuck around and proven they’re dedicated to the KC Chiefs.
That’s why when a study ranking the NFL fan bases was released earlier this week, Chiefs fans were a little puzzled to see themselves slotted in as the worst fan base in the NFL. According to Michael Lewis of Emory University, that’s where they belong.
"The Chiefs are the tough one on this list. The Chiefs fill their stadium but at relatively low price. Keep in mind that the analysis includes factors such as population and median income. In addition, Kansas City was ranked 29th in terms of Road Attendance last year and the social media following (Twitter) is middle of the road. The fundamental issue is that that the Chiefs produce these below average fan-based results while performing well above average on the field."
Lewis’ findings had the Chiefs in the bottom five along with the Bengals, Jaguars, Rams, and Titans. When looking at those five teams, which one clearly stands out? Probably the team that has been on fire in the last two seasons and holds the record for loudest outdoor stadium.
How is a fan base like the Jaguars, who can barely fill their stadium on a weekly basis, ranked higher than the Kansas City Chiefs?
Further proof that this list of “great fan bases” is ridiculous is that they have the Packers ranked ninth overall. Packers fans are notorious for being some of the best fans in all of sports, so that right there proves that this list is stupid.
Now I didn’t go to Emory, but I can tell you just from my experience of watching the NFL for half my life that the Chiefs are not the worst fan base in the NFL. They’re not even close to being down there with the Bengals, Jaguars, Rams, and Titans.
Over the last four years, the Chiefs have been one of the best teams in the NFL and the fans have been right behind them.
The KC Chiefs easily have one of the best fan bases in football. Fans pack Arrowhead Stadium rain or shine, scorching hot or freezing cold, and have made it one of the most intimating places to play in all of professional sports. I was at Arrowhead when the Chiefs got their noise record back and it was so loud that I couldn’t hear my friend standing right next to me! Would the “worst fan base in the NFL” be able to pull that off?
The Chiefs received the worst ranking in social equity, meaning that fans don’t interact with the team online or post about them much. I guess we’ll need to up the ante in that category, even though it still makes no sense to me as to why that matters.
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The other two categories, fan equity and road equity, both saw the Chiefs get a “29” from Lewis’ stats. The road equity portion makes sense because there aren’t a lot of Chiefs fans outside of Kansas City.
Teams like the Cowboys, Raiders, and Steelers have fans everywhere in the country, which makes going to road games much easier of a task for them. Chiefs fans more than likely have to travel somewhere if they want to watch the team play outside of Arrowhead Stadium.
When breaking it down, I understand why Lewis thought this made for a good study, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. I’m biased, sure, but the good folks of Chiefs Kingdom have proven that they’re a dedicated group who supports their team.
Over the last four years, the Chiefs have been one of the best teams in the NFL and the fans have been right behind them. They’re loud, they’re proud, and despite not winning a lot of big games in our lifetime, they’re a super supportive bunch who never back down when it comes to their love for their team.
But sure… The Cleveland Browns have a better fan base than the Kansas City Chiefs. That makes sense.