Find Out About the Worst NFL Fan Bases

by Blake Roberts, February 27, 2023

• The US’ Worst NFL Fan Bases
• Who Are The Worst NFL Fans?
• The New York Giants Fans
• The Falcons’ Fans Lack Consistency
• New Orleans Fans Exit Quickly
• Dallas Cowboys – A Bandwagon?
• Philly Eagles and Criticism?
• New England Patriots – Hate All But Brady?
• The Detroit Lions: A Surprise Entry?

NFL football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, with millions of dedicated and passionate fans. However, not all fan bases are created equal. In this post, we will be taking a look at some of the worst NFL fan bases that have earned a poor reputation. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the worst fans in NFL!

The Worst NFL Fan Bases

Naturally, the worst NFL fan bases are subjective; this means that your opinion may differ from that of someone else. However, there are, generally speaking, some teams that stand out – and some notable teams with less-than-desirable fans include the New York Giants, the Atlanta Falcons, and the New Orleans Saints.

The Worst NFL Fans

In today’s fast-paced world – especially with the creation of the internet – fans love the opportunity to proclaim that their fan base is the best in the NFL. While, as a general rule of thumb, the NFL has much better-behaved fans than those you’d find in the UK, for example, there are still problems that can arise – and some fan bases have, in the past, been shown to be downright nasty, rude, or badly-behaved.

When looking at the most annoying NFL fans, a number of considerations must be taken into account. These include the rate of game attendance, tailgating, how the fans treat the opposition team, and how the fans treat their own team when they’re not performing at their optimal ability.

Some teams – the Raiders and Steelers, for example – have solid fan reputations; they’re well-behaved and show great sportsmanship, even in times of struggle. However, this, unfortunately, isn’t the case for all teams – and below, we’re going to look at a few notable teams who have been accused of having some of the worst football fans in the league!

New York Giants Fans

The New York Giants continue to generate controversy in New York City; perhaps it’s because there are two different teams in the city, and a unique rivalry has been created. Another reason why they’re often at the forefront of attention is likely down to the fact that they play in one of the world’s most recognizable cities. That being said, the New York Giants fans are known to be quite fickle – and rude, at times.

For example, before the New York Giants managed to win the Super Bowl, the fans in the stands were verbally abusive to Manning; they were booing when he had possession, and shouting phrases such as “bust” and “Peyton’s adopted brother.” However, after the team won the Super Bowl, the fans changed tune – saying he was one of their best quarterbacks ever!

New York Giants fans have also been known to cause trouble after losing a game; while this has rarely escalated to violence, it has on a few occasions led to street fights – with arrests made as recently as last month!

Atlanta Falcons Fans

The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team was established in 1965 as an expansion team and has since become one of the most popular franchises in the NFL.

The Falcons have won the NFC South division title six times, made the playoffs 15 times and made an appearance in Super Bowl LI. The Falcons have been led by a number of Pro-Bowl quarterbacks throughout their history, including Matt Ryan.

The Atlantic Falcons’ fan base is “bad” for a different reason; while they’re usually well-behaved in the stands, the team regularly fails to fill their stadium, and their fan base was significantly weakened after Michael Vick was arrested during the 2007 season.

To complicate matters further, Bobby Petrino’s exit from the club also hampered support for the team – and even though they’ve recently enjoyed a playoff appearance, the team fails to bring in the number of fans it should.

New Orleans Saints Fans

The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The team was founded in 1967 as an expansion team and has since become one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. The Saints have won the NFC South division title six times and have made nine appearances in the playoffs. They won Superbowl XLIV in 2009 against the Indianapolis Colts.

Some may disagree with putting the New Orleans Saints’ fans on this list – and it’s especially hard, given the fans really have endured some setbacks recently, such as the retirement of Drew Brees – a player they are yet to come close to replacing.

However, they do, unfortunately, get a mention here, as the Saints fans were responsible for creating – and popularizing – the wearing of paper bags – something that’s seen as incredibly disrespectful. To make matter worse, they also started to refer to their team as the “Aint’s” which greatly impacted the morale of the players.

Philadelphia Eagles Fans

When it comes to the worst NFL fan bases, the Philadelphia Eagles are definitely up there; the whole idea of a fan is to go to a game and support the team you’re backing. Unfortunately, the Eagles’ fans regularly do anything but that – and time and time again, the team’s fan base bombard the players with boos and loud criticism. To make matters worse, it doesn’t matter how proficient the players are – the boos and negative chants continue to come!

For example, if the players fail to win a game, the fans will instinctively call for poorly performing players to be released from the team. In some cases, death threats have even been received by players – resulting in direct police intervention.

In another notable example, even after McNabb led the Eagles to a total of six consecutive playoff appearances – and took them to the Super Bowl XXXIX – the Eagles’ fan base called for his head on a platter after just one below-par season in 2005.

Interestingly, the Eagles’ old Veterans Stadium was the only NFL stadium in the world to have a custom-built courtroom and temporary jail built into it. This should give you a pretty solid indication of why the team’s fans are often considered some of the worst fans in NFL history.

Dallas Cowboys Fans

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most iconic teams in the NFL. Known as “America’s Team,” they have made it to the Super Bowl eight times, tied for the most in the NFL. They have a rich history filled with Hall of Fame players, and a passionate fanbase.

Unfortunately, this passionate fanbase has led to problems in the past – for example, when the team is playing at the top of their game, fans all over the country can be seen donning their jersey. However, as soon as fans realize the team has failed to become Super Bowl champions, all these jerseys get thrown in the trash.

This has been a common occurrence – and it’s even prompted some charity groups to criticize the fans, claiming they’re wasting a lot of clothing which could, otherwise, be given to the homeless or others in need.

New England Patriots Fans

The New England Patriots, aka the “Pats”, are the dynastic rulers of the NFL, with 6 Super Bowl championships under their belt. Until recently led by the GOAT quarterback Tom Brady, this team has been a perennial powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, they have some of the worst football fans in the States – and they’re regularly accused of “jumping on the bandwagon” when the team ends up winning – only to completely abandon them when they go through a losing period. Some experts believe around 95% of fans don’t even know who Irving Fryar or Steve Grogan are – making many of their fans, essentially, “glory seekers.”

Just look at some of the team’s record holders, below – and ask yourself why their fans are so unhappy!

Detroit Lions Fans

The Detroit Lions, also known as “The Pride of the Midwest”, may not have the best championship pedigree, but they are still a team with a rich history and dedicated fanbase. They may not have that many playoff appearances in recent years but they have had their moments and will always be ready to roar and surprise everyone!

In fact, some of our readers may find the inclusion of the Lions on this list to be hard to believe – but the reality is, the fans are virtually silent at some matches – and this has even led to some of the players commenting on the lack of enthusiasm! It’s important for players to get “hyped up” at games – and this is something that the Lions’ fans seem to be just incapable of helping with!