BUSINESS FIRST, a Buffalo-based business journal,
     released the results of a study that gauged NFL Fan Support
     from '88-97.  "Support Factors" (avg. attendance, percent
     capacity, low attendance fluctuation) accounted for 60% of a
     team's score; "Difficulty Factors" (low winning percentage,
     a large number of seats per 100,000 population, high ticket
     cost per $10,000, chilly December temperature) accounted for
     40%. Green Bay's score is the benchmark for other teams. 
     ATTEND FLUX = Difference between best/worst annual
     attendance totals.  WIN % = Winning pct. '88-97.  SEATS/100K
     = Seats per every 100,000 metro residents.  COST $10K =
     Ratio of '97 average ticket price to every $10K of local per
     capita income.  DEC. TEMP = Average high temperature for
     December; Domed-stadium teams are assigned a temperature of
     72 degrees.  '96 rank in parentheses (BUSINESS FIRST). 

                     

  
 
    

      
RANK
    
    
TEAM
    
SCORE
    
AVG.

      ATTEND
    
%

      CAP
    
ATTEND

      FLUX
    
WIN

      %
    
SEATS/

      100K
    
COST

      $10K
    
DEC.

      TEMP
  
  
 
    
 
      
1
    
    
 
      
(2)
    
    
 
      
GB^
    
    
 
      
100
    
    
 
      
56,604
    
    
 
      
96.7
    
    
 
      
9.9%
    
    
 
      
.550
    
    
 
      
28,530
    
    
 
      
$14.87 
        
    
    
 
      
29
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
2
    
    
 
      
(1)
    
    
 
      
DEN
    
    
 
      
98.5
    
    
 
      
73,205
    
    
 
      
96
    
    
 
      
6.1%
    
    
 
      
.581
    
    
 
      
3,341
    
    
 
      
$13.48 
        
    
    
 
      
46
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
3
    
    
 
      
(6)
    
    
 
      
PHI
    
    
 
      
94.4
    
    
 
      
64,080
    
    
 
      
98.6
    
    
 
      
7.8%
    
    
 
      
.584
    
    
 
      
1,094
    
    
 
      
$15.91 
        
    
    
 
      
43
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
4
    
    
 
      
(3)
    
    
 
      
BUF
    
    
 
      
94.3
    
    
 
      
75,262
    
    
 
      
93.8
    
    
 
      
17.2%
    
    
 
      
.644
    
    
 
      
6,809
    
    
 
      
$15.26 
        
    
    
 
      
35
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
5
    
    
 
      
(4)
    
    
 
      
NYG
    
    
 
      
92.1
    
    
 
      
71,667
    
    
 
      
92.9
    
    
 
      
10.9%
    
    
 
      
.566
    
    
 
      
394
    
    
 
      
$12.98 
        
    
    
 
      
42
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
6
    
    
 
      
(10)
    
    
 
      
WAS
    
    
 
      
89.3
    
    
 
      
55,105
    
    
 
      
94.7
    
    
 
      
8.2%
    
    
 
      
.503
    
    
 
      
1,723
    
    
 
      
$17.17 
        
    
    
 
      
47
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
7
    
    
 
      
(5)
    
    
 
      
JAX^
    
    
 
      
84.8
    
    
 
      
68,579
    
    
 
      
93.9
    
    
 
      
4.1%
    
    
 
      
.500
    
    
 
      
7,238
    
    
 
      
$16.18 
        
    
    
 
      
66
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
8
    
    
 
      
(8)
    
    
 
      
STL^
    
    
 
      
82.4
    
    
 
      
62,494
    
    
 
      
97.5
    
    
 
      
11.3%
    
    
 
      
.375
    
    
 
      
2,590
    
    
 
      
$13.34 
        
    
    
 
      
72
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
9
    
    
 
      
(7)
    
    
 
      
CHI
    
    
 
      
82.1
    
    
 
      
59,038
    
    
 
      
88.2
    
    
 
      
13.5%
    
    
 
      
.506
    
    
 
      
778
    
    
 
      
$13.89 
        
    
    
 
      
35
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
10
    
    
 
      
(12)
    
    
 
      
DAL
    
    
 
      
80.6
    
    
 
      
60,818
    
    
 
      
93.6
    
    
 
      
22.7%
    
    
 
      
.544
    
    
 
      
1,436
    
    
 
      
$17.11 
        
    
    
 
      
58
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
11
    
    
 
      
(9)
    
    
 
      
KC
    
    
 
      
79.5
    
    
 
      
71,134
    
    
 
      
90.8
    
    
 
      
34.3%
    
    
 
      
.619
    
    
 
      
4,698
    
    
 
      
$15.47 
        
    
    
 
      
40
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
12
    
    
 
      
(—)
    
    
 
      
BAL
    
    
 
      
78.4
    
    
 
      
59,185
    
    
 
      
91.4
    
    
 
      
1.4%
    
    
 
      
.328
    
    
 
      
2,608
    
    
 
      
$14.77 
        
    
    
 
      
45
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
13
    
    
 
      
(13)
    
    
 
      
IND
    
    
 
      
77.4
    
    
 
      
54,225
    
    
 
      
90
    
    
 
      
16.2%
    
    
 
      
.419
    
    
 
      
4,061
    
    
 
      
$13.85 
        
    
    
 
      
72
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
14
    
    
 
      
(11)
    
    
 
      
CIN
    
    
 
      
76
    
    
 
      
52,132
    
    
 
      
86.7
    
    
 
      
25.9%
    
    
 
      
.406
    
    
 
      
3,144
    
    
 
      
$14.35 
        
    
    
 
      
42
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
15
    
    
 
      
(15)
    
    
 
      
MIA
    
    
 
      
75.6
    
    
 
      
65,057
    
    
 
      
87.9
    
    
 
      
20.4%
    
    
 
      
.563
    
    
 
      
2,140
    
    
 
      
$17.84 
        
    
    
 
      
76
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
16
    
    
 
      
(14)
    
    
 
      
PIT
    
    
 
      
74.2
    
    
 
      
54,206
    
    
 
      
91.5
    
    
 
      
16.7%
    
    
 
      
.588
    
    
 
      
2,505
    
    
 
      
$14.86 
        
    
    
 
      
38
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
17
    
    
 
      
(16)
    
    
 
      
NYJ
    
    
 
      
72.2
    
    
 
      
59,834
    
    
 
      
77.6
    
    
 
      
23.3%
    
    
 
      
.359
    
    
 
      
392
    
    
 
      
$9.64 
        
    
    
 
      
42
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
18
    
    
 
      
(20)
    
    
 
      
MIN
    
    
 
      
70.6
    
    
 
      
57,054
    
    
 
      
90.2
    
    
 
      
13.3%
    
    
 
      
.569
    
    
 
      
2,321
    
    
 
      
$14.84 
        
    
    
 
      
72
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
19
    
    
 
      
(19)
    
    
 
      
SD
    
    
 
      
70.3
    
    
 
      
52,872
    
    
 
      
85.6
    
    
 
      
27.1%
    
    
 
      
.456
    
    
 
      
2,674
    
    
 
      
$18.36 
        
    
    
 
      
66
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
20
    
    
 
      
(17)
    
    
 
      
SF
    
    
 
      
68.8
    
    
 
      
62,613
    
    
 
      
93.1
    
    
 
      
9.2%
    
    
 
      
.756
    
    
 
      
1,062
    
    
 
      
$14.61 
        
    
    
 
      
57
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
21
    
    
 
      
(18)
    
    
 
      
NO
    
    
 
      
65.5
    
    
 
      
60,309
    
    
 
      
87.7
    
    
 
      
41.2%
    
    
 
      
.506
    
    
 
      
5,288
    
    
 
      
$16.29 
        
    
    
 
      
72
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
22
    
    
 
      
(23)
    
    
 
      
NE
    
    
 
      
63.6
    
    
 
      
49,888
    
    
 
      
82.3
    
    
 
      
35.6%
    
    
 
      
.406
    
    
 
      
1.04
    
    
 
      
$13.81 
        
    
    
 
      
41
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
23
    
    
 
      
(24)
    
    
 
      
CAR^
    
    
 
      
63.1
    
    
 
      
63,696
    
    
 
      
83.9
    
    
 
      
26.3%
    
    
 
      
.542
    
    
 
      
5,696
    
    
 
      
$16.29 
        
    
    
 
      
53
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
24
    
    
 
      
(22)
    
    
 
      
OAK^
    
    
 
      
62.9
    
    
 
      
49,510
    
    
 
      
79
    
    
 
      
8.3%
    
    
 
      
.396
    
    
 
      
954
    
    
 
      
$16.69 
        
    
    
 
      
57
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
25
    
    
 
      
(21)
    
    
 
      
SEA
    
    
 
      
62.8
    
    
 
      
54,918
    
    
 
      
83.6
    
    
 
      
27.7%
    
    
 
      
.431
    
    
 
      
2,000
    
    
 
      
$12.45 
        
    
    
 
      
72
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
26
    
    
 
      
(25)
    
    
 
      
TB
    
    
 
      
53.4
    
    
 
      
51,720
    
    
 
      
69.6
    
    
 
      
33.7%
    
    
 
      
.363
    
    
 
      
3,378
    
    
 
      
$15.66 
        
    
    
 
      
72
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
27
    
    
 
      
(26)
    
    
 
      
DET
    
    
 
      
51.8
    
    
 
      
61,498
    
    
 
      
76.5
    
    
 
      
41.8%
    
    
 
      
.481
    
    
 
      
1,521
    
    
 
      
$12.92 
        
    
    
 
      
72
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
28
    
    
 
      
(27)
    
    
 
      
ATL
    
    
 
      
50.5
    
    
 
      
49,936
    
    
 
      
74.8
    
    
 
      
33.7%
    
    
 
      
.381
    
    
 
      
2,011
    
    
 
      
$12.32 
        
    
    
 
      
72
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
29
    
    
 
      
(28)
    
    
 
      
ARZ
    
    
 
      
47.3
    
    
 
      
47,022
    
    
 
      
64.6
    
    
 
      
34.2%
    
    
 
      
.344
    
    
 
      
2,668
    
    
 
      
$16.25 
        
    
    
 
      
66
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
30
    
    
 
      
(NR)
    
    
 
      
TN
    
    
 
      
—
    
    
 
      
28,028
    
    
 
      
44.9 
        
    
    
 
      
0.0%
    
    
 
      
.500
    
    
 
      
5,786
    
    
 
      
$17.07 
        
    
    
 
      
52
    
  

 
          NOTES: ^ = Green Bay's figures adjusted to reflect the
     Packers' five home games in Green Bay and three in Milwaukee
     from '88 through '94.  Carolina, Jacksonville, Oakland and
     St. Louis began play in '95.  Their figures are for three
     seasons.  Baltimore began play in '96.  Its figures are for
     two seasons.  Tennessee began play in '97.  It is not
     included in the overall rankings (BUSINESS FIRST).

                              -30-