Poll on the popularity of Boston sports teams among local fans

[gpap]

http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/extras/bruins_blog/2014/08/bruins_breathing_down_red_sox_necks_in_fan_popularity_survey.html?camp=rss:bruins&dlvrit=834387#comments

Interesting and pretty discouraging, considering the Celtics are the only Boston team I really care about (although that might have to change.)

Hopefully in the next couple years, this can change.

It certainly seemed during the finals runs between 2008-10 that the Celts were definitely up there, just behind the Pats in popularity.

[Donoghus]

Can't say I'm too surprised.  Celtics are the most downtrodden of the four right now (I know Sox are in last place but they're coming off a world series title).

The 2 winter sports are probably always going to jostle for 3 & 4.  Sox seem to be a way of life and football is the #1 sport in the U.S. although it'll be interesting to see how the Pats are looked upon once Brady/Belichick are gone.   

Btw, who the heck was voting in this part?  Morons? Reiss & Orsillo excluded.

The survey also gauged favorite sports media figures with Sox announcer Don Orsillo and 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tony Massarotti topping broadcast polls. Favorite writers include ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, the Herald’s Gerry Callahan and Boring Broadsheet Bigfoot Dan Shaughnessy.

[D.o.s.]

It's because Boston is a front-runner sports town, insofar as team success and their subsequent place in the hierarchy of 'favorite local sports team' is concerned. Boston sports fans are largely 'Boston' Sports fans, not necessarily 'Celtics' or 'Bruins' or 'Patriots' fans, you know?

20 years ago, there's absolutely no way that the Patriots come out in first place in this poll (that would've been right after the Krafts bought the team, by the way).

[BigAlTheFuture]

Not surprised. I've always said that Boston is a Patriots/Red Sox town. With the Bruins 3rd, and Celtics last.

[slamtheking]

It's because Boston is a front-runner sports town, insofar as team success and their subsequent place in the hierarchy of 'favorite local sports team' is concerned. Boston sports fans are largely 'Boston' Sports fans, not necessarily 'Celtics' or 'Bruins' or 'Patriots' fans, you know?

20 years ago, there's absolutely no way that the Patriots come out in first place in this poll (that would've been right after the Krafts bought the team, by the way).

pretty much this.

I've been in RI and Mass my whole life (closer to 50 than I care to admit) and fans have typically followed the hot team for the most part when they follow more than one local team.  I'm only a fan of 1 local team, C's obviously, so I see the others with what I consider a more-impartial eye than 'area' fans.

I find the poll results questionable if only for the fact the Pats are rated first.  would never have been the case pre-Brady and I suspect that will go back to being the case post-Brady until another Superbowl win.  I suspect that if/when they decline to an average football team, within 2 seasons they'll be back to the backburner fighting with the Bruins and C's for coverage/fan adulation.  growing up it was a rarity to find a kid that followed the Pats.  Almost everyone in my grade school and junior high followed another team.  (in my case, Redskins)

Based on the people I've interacted with over the years, I've always seen the Sox as the main team in New England.  they're talked about year-round and with more passion than any of the other teams.

Bruins and C's have always had their core fans and only really pick up the casual/bandwagon fan in good times.  Pats were the same way but they just seem to be holding on to the casual/bandwagon fans longer than usual.  There were loads of fans in the Orr years as well as the Bird years so when those teams are doing well, they go back to being the area's sweetheart teams.  This would explain the upswing the B's popularity in the poll and the C's decline.

[Donoghus]

It's because Boston is a front-runner sports town, insofar as team success and their subsequent place in the hierarchy of 'favorite local sports team' is concerned. Boston sports fans are largely 'Boston' Sports fans, not necessarily 'Celtics' or 'Bruins' or 'Patriots' fans, you know?

20 years ago, there's absolutely no way that the Patriots come out in first place in this poll (that would've been right after the Krafts bought the team, by the way).

pretty much this.

I've been in RI and Mass my whole life (closer to 50 than I care to admit) and fans have typically followed the hot team for the most part when they follow more than one local team.  I'm only a fan of 1 local team, C's obviously, so I see the others with what I consider a more-impartial eye than 'area' fans.

I find the poll results questionable if only for the fact the Pats are rated first.  would never have been the case pre-Brady and I suspect that will go back to being the case post-Brady until another Superbowl win.  I suspect that if/when they decline to an average football team, within 2 seasons they'll be back to the backburner fighting with the Bruins and C's for coverage/fan adulation.  growing up it was a rarity to find a kid that followed the Pats.  Almost everyone in my grade school and junior high followed another team.  (in my case, Redskins)

Based on the people I've interacted with over the years, I've always seen the Sox as the main team in New England.  they're talked about year-round and with more passion than any of the other teams.

Bruins and C's have always had their core fans and only really pick up the casual/bandwagon fan in good times.  Pats were the same way but they just seem to be holding on to the casual/bandwagon fans longer than usual.  There were loads of fans in the Orr years as well as the Bird years so when those teams are doing well, they go back to being the area's sweetheart teams.  This would explain the upswing the B's popularity in the poll and the C's decline.

I can see the Pats dipping again after Brady/Belichick again but I don't see it dropping to pre-Parcells/Bledsoe levels.  There's a whole generation now that has grown up with every Pats game on television and competitive teams year in & year out.  This new generation is programmed and accustomed to the Pats.

Our generation (more or less, 30 years old & up) that can remember the Billy Sullivan days and the constant blackouts of home games were much less attached to the team than this current group of kids compared to us as kids.  Heck, I probably saw more Niner & Giants games on television prior to Parcells/Bledsoe than I did Pats.    The younger generation doesn't know this.   For the most part, they've known success and Kraft. 

I think it'll remain a battle between Sox & Pats for #1 depending on the situation (with the Sox more ingrained in the region.  Personally, I think Sox are #1) but I don't see the Pats dropping into a battle with the B's & Celtics for #3 just due to the popularity of football in both the region & the country and the fact this upcoming generation has the Patriots much more built into their psyche than people born prior to the mid-80s or so.

The hot team does bounce up (see Bruins & Celtics) every now & then but, for the most part, it's Red Sox & Pats.

I still maintain that the Bruins have the most ardent fanbase of the 4, though.

[gpap]

No doubt whichever team is most successful  at the time of the poll plays a factor in who is going to be voted the most "popular."

However, I do also think this kinda represents a microcosm of what's taking place throughout the rest of the nation which is fan interest increasing for football and then hockey, followed by a significant decline in fan interest for baseball.

No doubt Boston has never been a big basketball town which is why interest in the Celtics is at a fever pitch ONLY when the team is doing well and then wanes in a HUGE way when the team is struggling.

However back to football, I am not so sure the Pats popularity declines if the team isn't doing well.

Football just seems to be HUGE right now and is only getting bigger (hence now you have games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights.)

[gpap]

It's because Boston is a front-runner sports town, insofar as team success and their subsequent place in the hierarchy of 'favorite local sports team' is concerned. Boston sports fans are largely 'Boston' Sports fans, not necessarily 'Celtics' or 'Bruins' or 'Patriots' fans, you know?

20 years ago, there's absolutely no way that the Patriots come out in first place in this poll (that would've been right after the Krafts bought the team, by the way).

pretty much this.

I've been in RI and Mass my whole life (closer to 50 than I care to admit) and fans have typically followed the hot team for the most part when they follow more than one local team.  I'm only a fan of 1 local team, C's obviously, so I see the others with what I consider a more-impartial eye than 'area' fans.

I find the poll results questionable if only for the fact the Pats are rated first.  would never have been the case pre-Brady and I suspect that will go back to being the case post-Brady until another Superbowl win.  I suspect that if/when they decline to an average football team, within 2 seasons they'll be back to the backburner fighting with the Bruins and C's for coverage/fan adulation.  growing up it was a rarity to find a kid that followed the Pats.  Almost everyone in my grade school and junior high followed another team.  (in my case, Redskins)

Based on the people I've interacted with over the years, I've always seen the Sox as the main team in New England.  they're talked about year-round and with more passion than any of the other teams.

Bruins and C's have always had their core fans and only really pick up the casual/bandwagon fan in good times.  Pats were the same way but they just seem to be holding on to the casual/bandwagon fans longer than usual.  There were loads of fans in the Orr years as well as the Bird years so when those teams are doing well, they go back to being the area's sweetheart teams.  This would explain the upswing the B's popularity in the poll and the C's decline.

I can see the Pats dipping again after Brady/Belichick again but I don't see it dropping to pre-Parcells/Bledsoe levels.  There's a whole generation now that has grown up with every Pats game on television and competitive teams year in & year out.  This new generation is programmed and accustomed to the Pats.

Our generation (more or less, 30 years old & up) that can remember the Billy Sullivan days and the constant blackouts of home games were much less attached to the team than this current group of kids compared to us as kids.  Heck, I probably saw more Niner & Giants games on television prior to Parcells/Bledsoe than I did Pats.    The younger generation doesn't know this.   For the most part, they've known success and Kraft. 

I think it'll remain a battle between Sox & Pats for #1 depending on the situation (with the Sox more ingrained in the region.  Personally, I think Sox are #1) but I don't see the Pats dropping into a battle with the B's & Celtics for #3 just due to the popularity of football in both the region & the country and the fact this upcoming generation has the Patriots much more built into their psyche than people born prior to the mid-80s or so.

The hot team does bounce up (see Bruins & Celtics) every now & then but, for the most part, it's Red Sox & Pats.

I still maintain that the Bruins have the most ardent fanbase of the 4, though.

Funny, just saw your response right after what I typed above.

Agreed, I just think football has become so big that even after the Brady/Belichik days are over, the Pats likely still remain either the top team in Boston or tied with the Sox for the top team.

Speaking of the Sox, baseball on the other hand is losing ALOT of popularity to the point where if the Sox aren't perennial World Series contenders like every year, I could actually see baseball slipping to 4th in New England.

Today's audience is just not accustomed to sitting through a 3 hour baseball game (including yours truly.)

Which is why it actually wouldn't surprise me if as a whole, right now the NBA is doing better than MLB.

[jambr380]

I basically agree with others here.

The Red Sox are consistently #1 and this is seen not only in New England, but around the country (and even the world). The other three's popularity depends on their level of success. The Pats are on a Spurs-like run right now and the Kraft era has created an entirely different culture. I think the team will build off of this in the future, even after everybody else is gone.

The Cs hit their prime in the 80s and the Bruins in the Orr years. Boston fans in general are very passionate and our '4th' favorite team (in any given year) could still be #1 or #2 in many cities. We are very lucky.

As a side note, I spent the first 30 years of my life in the Boston / NH area and moved to FL about five years ago. Spending time away from Boston has only enhanced my opinion of the Boston sports culture. HOWEVER, the Boston sports media is HORRIBLE and whenever I watch or listen to the local shows, it makes me want to slit my wrists.

[D.o.s.]

You know, Bud Selig goes around saying 'baseball's more popular than ever', and on the face of it it sounds exactly like what the commissioner of the league would be required to say, but there's actually a fair amount of evidence that he's right.

[nickagneta]

It's because Boston is a front-runner sports town, insofar as team success and their subsequent place in the hierarchy of 'favorite local sports team' is concerned. Boston sports fans are largely 'Boston' Sports fans, not necessarily 'Celtics' or 'Bruins' or 'Patriots' fans, you know?

20 years ago, there's absolutely no way that the Patriots come out in first place in this poll (that would've been right after the Krafts bought the team, by the way).

pretty much this.

I've been in RI and Mass my whole life (closer to 50 than I care to admit) and fans have typically followed the hot team for the most part when they follow more than one local team.  I'm only a fan of 1 local team, C's obviously, so I see the others with what I consider a more-impartial eye than 'area' fans.

I find the poll results questionable if only for the fact the Pats are rated first.  would never have been the case pre-Brady and I suspect that will go back to being the case post-Brady until another Superbowl win.  I suspect that if/when they decline to an average football team, within 2 seasons they'll be back to the backburner fighting with the Bruins and C's for coverage/fan adulation.  growing up it was a rarity to find a kid that followed the Pats.  Almost everyone in my grade school and junior high followed another team.  (in my case, Redskins)

Based on the people I've interacted with over the years, I've always seen the Sox as the main team in New England.  they're talked about year-round and with more passion than any of the other teams.

Bruins and C's have always had their core fans and only really pick up the casual/bandwagon fan in good times.  Pats were the same way but they just seem to be holding on to the casual/bandwagon fans longer than usual.  There were loads of fans in the Orr years as well as the Bird years so when those teams are doing well, they go back to being the area's sweetheart teams.  This would explain the upswing the B's popularity in the poll and the C's decline.

When I lived in RI I also saw a lot higher incidence of people willing to be front runners and follow non-Boston teams and follow front running national teams. Growing up in Everett, its something I just never noticed. It was rare for a kid to not be a Pats, Sox, Bruins, or Celtics fan. When I moved to and lived in RI from 94 to 05 I noticed the kids there where much more partial to winning teams or NY teams than inner city Boston kids were. RI is pretty much evenly split between Yankee and Sox fans and before the Superbowls were evenly split amongst Giants and Pats fans.

I think for people inside Route 128, I think the fervor of following Boston sports teams first and foremost is different than parts outside of that area, for the most part. I also don't see the generation of my sons, the generation that grew up having champions in every sport for over a decade, fading away from their predilection of their sports teams anytime soon. They were raised watching winning sports and will be "programmed" to keep watching those sports and following them through thick and thin. Some of their "pathetic losing Boston fan" ness from their parents are sure to rub off on them and keep them fans through some lean years.

[gpap]

You know, Bud Selig goes around saying 'baseball's more popular than ever', and on the face of it it sounds exactly like what the commissioner of the league would be required to say, but there's actually a fair amount of evidence that he's right.

Not sure about that. When I hear that Pats pre-season games get higher ratings than Red Sox regular season games in August, that tells me that interest in baseball is at an all-time low.

[Donoghus]

You know, Bud Selig goes around saying 'baseball's more popular than ever', and on the face of it it sounds exactly like what the commissioner of the league would be required to say, but there's actually a fair amount of evidence that he's right.

Not sure about that. When I hear that Pats pre-season games get higher ratings than Red Sox regular season games in August, that tells me that interest in baseball is at an all-time low.

I bet that's the case for a while now.  Football ratings tend to dwarf the other sports. 

[kraidstar]

the c's are down right now, and likely will be for a few years. note that the poll asks what is your  FAVORITE team. at a given moment, the fans are most invested in the teams closest to a championship. bruins had horrific ratings and only fringe appeal for years; they're perennial title contenders now, and they also have their hardcore base to fall back on, which is why they're going pretty well.
sox are pretty self-explanatory.
the NFL, and especially the pats, attract a lot of fake fans. they watch a few games a year and call themselves "the biggest fan" afterwards.
and around draft time every NFL fan acts as if the draft is the greatest event in the world, and as though they know every player in the draft, and as though player X in the 4th round is gong to make a huge difference etc.... but 99% of them are lying, i guarantee you hardly any fans know anything about the left tackle from arizona state, or whatever. i could go on in greater detail about the ignorance of NFL fans, but i won't, it just annoys me for some reason.

[kraidstar]

You know, Bud Selig goes around saying 'baseball's more popular than ever', and on the face of it it sounds exactly like what the commissioner of the league would be required to say, but there's actually a fair amount of evidence that he's right.

Not sure about that. When I hear that Pats pre-season games get higher ratings than Red Sox regular season games in August, that tells me that interest in baseball is at an all-time low.

pats are title contenders, and only play one game a week. the red sox stink this year. overall, when they're good, the sox' weekly ratings (and weekly ticket revenue) are remarkable. baseball popularity is great in new england, and in the northeast in general. i do agree the popularity is much weaker elsewhere.