Seahawks fans get mediocre ranking in new study

12s aren’t very good with following their beloved Seahawks. At least, according to one new fanbase study, this was the conclusion.

12s, you believe that you love your Seahawks. Maybe you like to talk about them and complain about them and cheer them ferociously. But according to a study by Emory University professor Mike Lewis 12s rank as only the 15th best fanbase in the NFL. So forget all the crowd noise records 12s have set at CenturyLink, Seattle fans simply aren’t loud or good enough.

Now, mind you, there is a lot that goes into judging a group of fans. I think 12s are fantastic and knowledgeable and fair. Lewis, though, doesn’t care what I think. He basis his study on things I don’t really understand. But you might. According to Emory’s website, Lewis basis his rankings on this

"The fundamental question that guides the analysis is simple – Who has the best fans in the NFL?  For the business folks, maybe we phrase this as – What are the best brands in the NFL? It’s a simple question that requires some complicated analyses.  First, we have to decide what we mean by “best”.  What makes for a great fan or brand?  Fans that show up even when the team is losing?  Fans that are willing to pay the highest prices?  Fans that are willing to follow a team on social media? Fans that show up to see the team play in other markets?"

Lewis is smarter than I am. Going head to head against his formula and answer would be dumb. He might be right and he might be wrong. My thinking is that Lewis probably approaches the issue of which fanbase is best from a scholarly point and not from a fan’s point. A fan’s point, of course, is purely emotional and Lewis’s is more logical.

But following a favorite team has no basis in logic other than, say…I grew up in Seattle and therefore my favorite team is where I am from. Ranking fanbases can be fun and somewhat educational but it is mostly without point. The only thing one does when ranking a fanbase is making a fanbase angry that is ranked low and makes a higher ranked fanbase feel even more entitled.

The Kansas City Chiefs are ranked 31st in Lewis’ study. Does that really mean that the Chiefs have the 31st worst fans in the NFL? Of course not. Chiefs’ fans are loyal and loud and a lot like Seahawks fans.

But hey, if nothing else Lewis gets people talking in a time when there are no NFL games. Good for him. He had a job to do and he did it. Are 12s the 15th best fans in the NFL? No. 12s are the best. And that is a completely biased opinion, just like being a fan of a team is a biased opinion. If one tries to make logic out of something emotional, that person misses the point of what being a fan is about.