DALLAS — There are those that love the Dallas Cowboys and those that hate them but it can’t be denied that the team has a legion of devoted fans that support the franchise unlike anywhere else around the league.
So says a recent study from Sidelines, which took a look at eight metrics ranging from social media followers, engagement and average likes, the average home, away and total attendance, the average money spent on merchandise yearly as well as food and drinks at games. The metrics were then given a score from 1-10 and combined to determine the outcome.
According to the data, the Cowboys fans were on top with the highest average total attendance (82,915) and average home attendance (93,465). Cowboys fans also spend the most with an average of $279.81 on merchandise and an average of $147.68 on food and drink at the game. The numbers show that Cowboys fans don't just show up to see their team, but they are willing to grab something at the pro shop and concessions.
The fascinating element of Cowboys fans placing in elite levels of fandom is the team's lack of championship success. It is understandable why New England Patriots fans would remain in the top-10 given their six Super Bowl wins since 2001. Dallas has not produced so much as a conference championship game appearance since 1996, yet fans of America's Team continue to represent in most participation, enthusiasm, and engagement metrics.
The two other teams who have longer NFC Championship Game appearance droughts than the Cowboys are the Detroit Lions and Washington, who incidentally faced one another in 1991, when their droughts began. However, Detroit has had 20 losing seasons in that span with one division title and zero playoff wins. Washington has just three playoff wins to show in that time frame. Meanwhile the Cowboys have at least won the NFC East eight times, earned home-field advantage in the playoffs twice (even though they wouldn’t advance), and have been dinged with just eight losing seasons.
With the Cowboys, there is evidence that each year "could be the year," which feeds into the frenzy of fans continuing to support the team despite the immaterial improvements to the franchise's legacy.
The optimism for Cowboys fans in 2023 stems from the fact that they were able to keep Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator. With the mastermind on defense returning for his third season, the expectation is that Dallas will still have a dominant unit to complement Dak Prescott and the offense.
One thing owner Jerry Jones can count on is the fans will be there in bunches for the first training camp practices in Oxnard, California, this summer.
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