This is fun: USA Today’s Mike Freeman puts New Orleans Saints fans among the best in the NFL, saying they’re by far the best fanbase within the NFC South. The Who Dat Nation was the only fanbase in their division to rank inside Freeman’s top 10. Freeman broke the NFL into 10 tiers and ordered each team’s fans from best to worst; a leaguewide assessment that Freeman cautions everyone reading with “Prepare to be outraged.”
But we’re not complaining. Here’s where Freeman put the Saints and each of their divisional rivals — the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers — plus the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
New Orleans Saints: Tier 3, 8th overall
There were times covering games there where I literally could not hear what the person next to me was saying. Sounded like being inside a jet engine.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tier 6, 16th overall
Fan base will be tested in the post-Brady era. The Yuccaneers might be back.
Carolina Panthers: Tier 6, 17th overall
Another beautiful stadium and the fan base is pretty good. I covered a lot of games there during the Cam Newton years and that place would explode. Plus, their mascot, Sir Purr (or is it Purrrr or So Purdy or Purrs in Boots), is awesome.
Atlanta Falcons: Tier 8, 24th overall
Kind of passionate, sometimes, a little bit.
