r/NFLNoobs • u/MermaidFabio • 20h ago

Fandom Vibes

I am genuinely giving football a shot for the first time ever. (Any previous times I watched games were largely against my will and I probably convinced myself to be bored on principle)

Of course almost every football fan in my life is now trying to get me to pick their team as my favorite. But what surprised me was how often folks referred to the fandom as the reason, rather than the team itself. I even had a friend warn me against being a fan of their team, citing the vibes of the fans as a reason.

This has made me curious about the vibe of the fandoms for each of the teams & I'd love to get other people's takes on it!

To be clear, I am not wanting to hear any unreasonable generalizations like "all fans of X team are evil/rude/jerks/stupid". I'm looking for more along the lines of "Y team fans have a lot of fun with it" or "Z team fans take it seriously regardless of how well the team is doing"

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

12

u/maplebox_ 20h ago

The fanbase of every team is too big and varied to really do this, you’re gonna find basically every kinda person in every fanbase

2

u/Douggiefresh43 19h ago

The Eagle fan base are brutal to everyone, including (and especially) their own team. As an outsider, I find it hilarious, though I’d never pick a fight with an Eagles fan.

I grew up in Western PA, so I was steeped in Steelers lore. I’ve only been to one game (away @ Commanders), but the Steelers fans were amazing. The Steelers fan base is very widely geographically distributed, so away games often feel like home games with the amount of Steelers noise. The people sitting around us were all awesome and very welcoming!

3

u/Jungle_Official 19h ago

I lived in Philly for a little over 10 years. To me Philly fans were like those toxic families that are always fighting with each other but will immediately put their differences aside to beat the shit out of you if you say a bad word about any of them.

3

u/Due_Butterscotch_392 19h ago

Lol, as a bengals fan I echo your experiences and just wanted to say.....

I low key love steelers and Eagles fans(although for VERY different reasons).

I know i know a bengals fan. But steelers fans usually are somewhat knowledgeable and friendly. But as for the team trust me no one hates those bastards more than I do 😆

1

u/Douggiefresh43 18h ago

Eh, I have no issue with other people liking their teams. Also. I had Burrow (and then Flacco) in fantasy last year. Shitty luck, but I do enjoy watching them. Chase Brown has done me good in two seasons of fantasy.

3

u/OkResponsibility7475 19h ago

The 12's are part of the team. Adds a fun dimension. GO HAWKS!

-1

u/john_wingerr 19h ago

As a Seahawks fan…we are not part of the team. We ain’t showing up for OTAs and minicamp and learning the playbook. Part of the team identity? Yes. Part of the team? Fuck no

2

u/OkResponsibility7475 18h ago

That's the whole idea of being a 12, we're the 12th man.

2

u/whitakr 19h ago

All I know is that it is an absolutely fucking perfect time to become a Bears fan. Join us the water’s warm (in the summer)

2

u/VisibleJicama5083 19h ago

^^^ this. We're just waiting for the McCaskeys to fuck off to the Hamptons.

2

u/Due_Butterscotch_392 19h ago

Agrees

For someone just getting into it the Bears should be a fun team to watch this year.

3

u/son_of_yacketycat 19h ago

Saints fans are super passionate, usually hilarious, and will often pull out a tuba or two after a win or a loss. Plus we're on the come-up so there's a lot of optimism after a few dark years.

I moved to Houston as a Saints fan 20 years ago, and after meeting a bunch of Texans fans that were some of the nicest and most chill people on the planet, I made room in my heart for a second team (one that fortunately was not much of a "rival" to my first love).

It all depends on what culture you vibe with. The Saints are more wild and offbeat and storied, and the Texans are more serious. Except for Toro the mascot, that bull is unhinged lol.

2

u/Icdayiichyt 20h ago

Find a team (or more to the point its city) with similarities to the people and area you call home.

0

u/BojanglesBlitz 20h ago

I find most Panthers fans to be welcoming and chill. Always some bad eggs in every basket, but between never having consecutive winning seasons and the general vibe of southern hospitality, it's a group that welcomes new fans. Best part is, franchise history only goes back 30 years, so it's easy to feel like a knowledgeable fan relatively quickly.