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-
