Nikki's Top 10 Craziest Fan Bases in Sports
Ahhh fandom. It makes the world go round. It brings groups of people together and can just as easily tear them apart. Fandom brings us great debates, biased opinions and the ability to look the other way when our favorites do something we don’t necessarily agree with. It can bring out the best in us or the worst in us. Fandom is a fiery passion that burns deep in all of us and in Fandom you can truly find your tribe. #nyg
Think about everything you’re a fan of. Sports teams, TV Shows, Music, Movies, Food, Drinks, Days of The Week (#teammonday here) Cars, Fashion Designers, Books, Podcasts and the list goes on and on. Fandom touches every aspect of our lives whether we realize it or it. I mean isn’t it crazy how the mere mention of someone disagreeing with your fandom immediately sparks a fiery reaction? For example if I say that Seinfeld is better than Friends I KNOW the Friends Fandom will come at me and that’s ok. I will die on that hill and I know #teamseinfeld will have my back.
Welcome To The Dark Side
As great as Fandom can be there are times when Fandom can take a dark turn. As we have seen over the years at so many events, that passionate love can turn into a dangerous situation very quickly. I have to give credit where it’s due, the inspiration for this article came from a friend of the 3rd & 3 Podcast Mike Patton who is a great supporter of our show and hosts his own podcast called “Touring The AFC South” which you can find on all streaming platforms. Mikes most recent episode kicked off with a rant about crazy fans and given I just the watched the Malice at the Palace documentary on Netflix I became inspired to do a list of my Top 10 Craziest Fan Bases in Sports.
I really don’t condone violence but I can't say that I blame an athlete for retaliating against a fan who provoked them. Don’t start none won't be none. Pretty sure that was a Real Housewives tagline somewhere along the way.
But Fandom isn’t all bad. In fact it’s THE lifeline of all sports isn’t it? Where are any of these sports without fans? Broke and non-existent. Would March Madness be the absolute behemoth that it is without all of us supporting it? No. In fact I don’t even know anyone that watches college basketball outside of March Madness. It’s a ratings juggernaut, money machine and it has us all rooting for St.Peters #StrutUp.
So let's jump into some of the craziest fan bases in all of sports: Nikki's Top 10
10. WWE Wrestling Fans
Look I don’t get this fan base at all because I just don’t see the appeal of wrestling. I blame this on my brother who just had to try out all these wrestling moves on me and my sister when we were little every chance he got. But the WWE fan base is incredibly loyal and knowledgeable about their sport. The craziest thing to me is that the fan base can actually have an effect on the character arc or storylines depending on their reactions during a live show.
9. LSU Tigers
I’m not even an LSU fan but going to one of their games is on my bucket list. And so is going to a Saints game. But mostly I just KNOW tailgating at an LSU game has to be lit and you know the food is probably outstanding. It’s an electric atmosphere featuring LSU fans yelling non-stop for the entire game. I don't know how they keep that energy up for the entire game. If the tailgating is lit I can't even imagine the after parties.
8. Brazil National Team
Is there a more soccer crazed country than Brazil? I don’t know of any. This fan base has crazy high expectations and they expect those expectations to be met each and every time their team plays. You don’t even have to be a soccer fan to know this fan base. You see them decked out in their canary yellow jerseys, belting out their national anthem in unison and cheering on their team with a passion that only Brazil can bring. #brazilbucketlist
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
It really does not matter where the Steelers are playing because this fan base will travel and they will travel in the most obnoxious way possible. If there is ever a game played on Mars I guarantee you there will be a sea of Terrible Towels up there representing Steelers Nation. This is an extremely proud fan base that lives to fuck up a home game for the opposing team. This fan base will lose their mind if you dare question anything about their beloved Steelers and you are often met with a "Six-Burgh" as the sole response back to any positive/negative comment or reasonable question.
6. Montreal Canadians
If there was a superlative for a fan base “Most Likely to Riot For Any Reason” the Habs fans would win it. I know, I’m sure you thought I would give that to Eagles fans. Habs fans riot for wins, losses and just because it’s Tuesday. They analyze every play, call and decision as if they were about to prepare a dissertation at the end of every game. There’s crazy and then there’s Canadians. Ole!
5. Roll Tide
I find it fascinating that almost an entire state can be found at a college football game on a Saturday. Save for Auburn I suppose. I think it's because I'm from New Jersey and college football just isn't that big of a thing here. Sure we have Rutgers and yes we root for Hofstra too but really college football just falls by the wayside in the Northeast. But it’s a whole other ball game in Tuscaloosa and being a Crimson Tide fan is just a way of life down there.
4. City of Brotherly Love
I couldn’t leave Eagles fans off my list. They simultaneously make my "craziest fan base" list and "most hated fan base" list. And probably for a lot of the same reasons. They are a frenetic, boisterous bunch that aren't afraid to boo; their team after the first 2 min of a game, Santa Clause or burn their city down as a show of “celebration” for winning the Super Bowl. Because nothing says elation like eating horse poop.
3. J-E-T-S - Jets Jets Jets
The Jets? In my top 3? How could they be near the top of my list??? The Jets fan base ranks number 1 for me based on sheer DELUSION. You ever try to reason with a Jets fan? Try it sometime. Jets fans throw out all logic and reason when their team plays and they truly think every year is “their year” and they will tell you this with a straight face. Which is comical because like when is the last time your team won more than 2 or 3 games? The Butt Fumble era? Could you argue there are crazier fan bases? Sure. More delusional? No way.
2. Devil with a Blue Dress On
Why else would the student section at Duke Basketball be called Cameron Crazies? Located on the side of the court and behind the basket the student section has become famous over the years for straight up terrorizing opposing teams. The fans live and die for their team and they take great joy in making life miserable for opposing teams with their chants and choreographed stunts.
1. The Black Hole
The Raiders Fans. Since the move to Vegas the Black Hole has been recreated but let's not forget the Black Hole at the Oakland-Alameda County Colosseum. The Black Hole is know for bizarre and menacing costumes and all out rowdy behavior. Raiders fans have a strong hold all over the county and the world. That level of crazy is something else in Raider Nation. They are the football's most notorious fans and for good reason.
So let’s go fans. Bring on the debates, opinions and hot takes. That’s part of what makes being a fan so fun. Just don’t cross over to the dark side. We will leave that to Eagles fans. #wearefanatics