Two Minute Fun Exercise For Sports Fans
Ok, here is what I want you to do. You need to have a pen and paper for this exercise. Think about the four major sports: Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL), and write down the first team that comes to your mind when you think about each league.
Ok time’s up……
Pens down.
Here are my answers:
- MLB - NY Yankees
- NFL – Dallas Cowboys
- NBA – Boston Celtics
- NHL - Montreal Canadiens
The interesting thing is, my choices weren’t based all on my favorite teams.
The reason I chose the dreaded Yankees is probably because of all of their great players, championships and history at the stadium.
The Cowboys are America’s team for me and not just because I live in Dallas, maybe it is because of the star at midfield or because I liked Coach Landry.
In the NBA the Celtics are clearly the only choice for me. Based on class, championships, the parquet, announcers and everything about the team.
In the NHL I still would choose the Montreal Canadiens. They had great players and it just seemed that every team measured themselves against the Canadiens for so long.
I wanted to share the opinions of over 20,000 people who answered these questions in an online survey two months ago that we completed. Here is a chart by sport, broken down by gender and age.
MLB (Click here for the Complete List)
| Total | Male | Female | ||||
| Total | 26340 | 100.0 % | 9586 | 100.0 % | 16752 | 100.0 % |
| NY Yankees | 4306 | 16.3 % | 1579 | 16.5 % | 2727 | 16.3 % |
| Atlanta Braves | 2401 | 9.1 % | 750 | 7.8 % | 1651 | 9.9 % |
| Boston Red Sox | 2137 | 8.1 % | 706 | 7.4 % | 1431 | 8.5 % |
| Chicago Cubs | 1683 | 6.4 % | 612 | 6.4 % | 1071 | 6.4 % |
| Detroit Tigers | 1300 | 4.9 % | 483 | 5.0 % | 817 | 4.9 % |
| * * * |
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| Arizona Diamondbacks | 300 | 1.1 % | 92 | 1.0 % | 206 | 1.2 % |
| Florida Marlins | 231 | 0.9 % | 90 | 0.9 % | 141 | 0.8 % |
| Washington Nationals | 177 | 0.7 % | 78 | 0.8 % | 99 | 0.6 % |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | 130 | 0.5 % | 38 | 0.4 % | 92 | 0.5 % |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 58 | 0.2 % | 30 | 0.3 % | 28 | 0.2 % |
NFL (Click here for the Complete List)
| Total | Male | Female | ||||
| Total | 26053 | 100.0 % | 9598 | 100.0 % | 16451 | 100.0 % |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3267 | 12.5 % | 1045 | 10.9 % | 2220 | 13.5 % |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1747 | 6.7 % | 606 | 6.3 % | 1141 | 6.9 % |
| Chicago Bears | 1601 | 6.1 % | 655 | 6.8 % | 946 | 5.8 % |
| Green Bay Packers | 1549 | 5.9 % | 566 | 5.9 % | 983 | 6.0 % |
| New England Patriots | 1187 | 4.6 % | 484 | 5.0 % | 703 | 4.3 % |
| * * * |
||||||
| Baltimore Ravens | 325 | 1.2 % | 118 | 1.2 % | 207 | 1.3 % |
| Tennessee Titans | 292 | 1.1 % | 81 | 0.8 % | 211 | 1.3 % |
| Houston Texans | 279 | 1.1 % | 102 | 1.1 % | 177 | 1.1 % |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 219 | 0.8 % | 68 | 0.7 % | 151 | 0.9 % |
| Arizona Cardinals | 161 | 0.6 % | 52 | 0.5 % | 107 | 0.7 % |
NBA (Click here for the Complete List)
| Total | Male | Female | ||||
| Total | 22284 | 100.00% | 8483 | 100.00% | 13797 | 100.00% |
| LA Lakers | 3941 | 17.70% | 1287 | 15.20% | 2654 | 19.20% |
| Chicago Bulls | 3534 | 15.90% | 1219 | 14.40% | 2315 | 16.80% |
| Boston Celtics | 1792 | 8.00% | 884 | 10.40% | 908 | 6.60% |
| Detroit Pistons | 1460 | 6.60% | 559 | 6.60% | 901 | 6.50% |
| New York Knicks | 1456 | 6.50% | 592 | 7.00% | 864 | 6.30% |
| * * * |
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| NO/Okla City Hornets | 167 | 0.70% | 42 | 0.50% | 125 | 0.90% |
| Charlotte Bobcats | 143 | 0.60% | 68 | 0.80% | 75 | 0.50% |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 80 | 0.40% | 26 | 0.30% | 54 | 0.40% |
| LA Clippers | 76 | 0.30% | 31 | 0.40% | 45 | 0.30% |
| Toronto Raptors | 20 | 0.10% | 15 | 0.20% | 5 | 0.00% |
NHL (Click here for the Complete List)
| Total | Male | Female | ||||
| Total | 17725 | 100.0 % | 7347 | 100.0 % | 10376 | 100.0 % |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2277 | 12.8 % | 941 | 12.8 % | 1336 | 12.9 % |
| Boston Bruins | 1377 | 7.8 % | 609 | 8.3 % | 768 | 7.4 % |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 1273 | 7.2 % | 586 | 8.0 % | 687 | 6.6 % |
| New York Rangers | 1238 | 7.0 % | 562 | 7.6 % | 676 | 6.5 % |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 1198 | 6.8 % | 466 | 6.3 % | 732 | 7.1 % |
| * * * |
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| Florida Panthers | 195 | 1.1 % | 81 | 1.1 % | 114 | 1.1 % |
| Nashville Predators | 165 | 0.9 % | 49 | 0.7 % | 116 | 1.1 % |
| Vancouver Canucks | 104 | 0.6 % | 58 | 0.8 % | 46 | 0.4 % |
| Calgary Flames | 53 | 0.3 % | 26 | 0.4 % | 27 | 0.3 % |
| Ottawa Senators | 26 | 0.1 % | 13 | 0.2 % | 13 | 0.1 % |
It was not a surprise to see that respondents agreed with me on the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys. I was shocked to see the Detroit Red Wings were number one in hockey and was a little surprised that the Boston Celtics were third behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.
- How did you respond?
- What were your surprises?
I look forward to your comments.
December 6th, 2006 at 10:20 am
I think it all comes down to whether the respondents understand the history or sports. A young/casual fan will respond with what’s happened in the sport in the last 10 years. A sports enthusiast understands what the Celtics did in basketball. The Lakers and Bulls are recent winners, Celtics not since the Bird days. No casual fan even knows who Bill Russell is or how dominant his Celtic teams were.
December 6th, 2006 at 11:38 am
Pretty simple for me: Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins. Remember it was supposed to be the first team that came to mind. The day I would think of the Yankees over the Red Sox, even sub-consciously would be a sign of the apocalypse.
ps. I know few know or care but the UMASS Football Minutemen are in the quarter-finals for the I-AA National CHampionship and play Montana this weekend. If they win, they play for a National Title in Chattanooga next weekend. Go Minutemen!
December 6th, 2006 at 11:41 am
Your basketball answer definitely ages you and tells people where you are from. In the era of bball that you are so gently reminiscing, the Lakers were just as productive as the Celtics. The battles were epic and the heroes giant. But anyone younger than 30 wouldn’t have the Celtics in their top teams. The organization just hasn’t been since Bird was on the court.
Mine were sentimental:
MLB: NY Yankees - my grandmother was a huge fan and it stuck.
NFL: Miami Dolphins - going to HS in Miami - there really wasn’t anything else.
NBA: Mavs - i adopted them while living in Dallas, lived through some pretty lean years and then the great Mark bought them. What a break.
NHL: Stars - another adoption. it is fun to be with a franchise since its birth - or rebirth if you will.
I’d like to add:
The Premiership football league in the UK: Chelsea; and
College football: The TCU Horned Frogs! Go Frogs!
Fun! Thanks.
December 6th, 2006 at 12:01 pm
Funny, I picked the Yankees and Giants, Knicks and Rangers…..what do you expect I am a helpless New Yawka
December 6th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
First, growing up on the streets of Chicago on the southside there is only one football team and the man that help found the NFL George Halas and Da Bears.
Baseball is another story until my White Sox won last year, neither Chicago team can be classified first in anybody’s mind. So, like you and other Boston fans would unfortunately have to admit, the blue pinstripes win the baseball nod.
Basketball is definitely the Celtics because prior to them it was strictly a college sport.
Monteal Canadians of the 60’s and 70’s, demonstrating the real way hockey is and should be played, will always be hockey “Vive le Habitants”
Great blog Merrill have a warm holiday season filled with Peace, Joy and always love,
CHET
December 6th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, Lions -
Even though I’ve lived in Texas now for almost 3 years, there is no doubt that I will always consider myself a Detroiter. Three of the four teams have made us proud. Maybe I’ll see the Lions start winning after Matt Millen and the Ford family finally step down.
December 6th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
And by the way, my teams are the Cowboys,Celtics, Oilers and Cubs (you don’t have to be a winner to be endeared into the social fabric).
December 7th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
Dodgers, Steelers, Lakers & Rangers. Those were my top of mind and I really only care about and follow one of them… the Dodgers.
December 11th, 2006 at 9:13 am
The survey matches the ratings - as of December 7, the NFL’s most watched games this season:
I guess the Cowboys are still America’s team since they have been involved in 5 of the top 7 games.
December 11th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
The next time you do a survey, please include the largest growing sport (Nascar) especially with the female population. Latest figures report 49% of attendees to the tracks are female.
Of course, these young and upcoming handsome drivers will continue to attract younger fans and sponsorships geared to promoting products for females as well as continuing to promote the beer drinking guys. Let our voice be heard.
December 28th, 2006 at 8:01 am
very good point Nancy.
One more statistic on America’s team.
The Eagles/Cowboys game on Monday was the highest rated Christmas Day NFL game since 1993.
January 16th, 2007 at 8:19 am
More information on America’s Football Team
The Cowboys still have “it” with the networks. The Cowboys appeared in the number 1-rated regular season game of every network this year.
ESPN - Giants/Cowboys on October 23
CBS - Colts/Cowboys on November 19
Fox - Cowboys/Giants on December 3
NFL Network - Cowboys/Falcons on December 16
NBC - Cowboys/Eagles on December 25