You have heard it for years. The Cowboys are America's team. You may have even heard the Yankees were America's team in baseball. I wanted to find out what America thinks about this. One factor I used to determine this is that the team could qualify in its particular sport if they have an equal or greater approval rating than the President of the United States. According to Pollreporting.com the president's approval rating is right around 30%.
One thing needed to determine this was a lot of input from fans all across America. I was able to gather over 700 responses to put this list together. Most sports actually have what would be considered America's team. Some sports were close but didn't have enough support. Whether you like it or not America has spoken and here are their teams.
NFL- Lets start with the most talked about and most obvious team. In the NFL the Dallas Cowboys wear the crown of being America's team. It has been said for years but with a 30% vote for, it was confirmed. Only one other team even registered a number higher than 3% and that was the New England Patriots with 17%.
MLB- Hereis another team that really was no surprise. In MLB the New York Yankees were anointed America's team with 33% of the vote. I thought maybe the Chicago Cubs might have a shot in this category but this one wasn't even close. The Yankees winning ways have given so many fans a reason to keep watching. They are a franchise that has been capable of putting together back-to-back Championships in almost every era.
The Yankees like the Cowboys have a love hate relationship with America. Fans either love them or hate them. There is always one or the other with these two storied franchises.
Now when you think of other sports they may not be as obvious but they are completely legitimate. Who do you think of as America's teams in College football and basketball? What about NHL and NBA? Upon further review it is the usual suspects. The teams we always see on nationally televised games because they get the best ratings.
NHL- Currently the NHL has fallen almost completely off the sports map in most cities. The NHL has its team though. That team is none other than the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings received the highest percentage of any team throughout the entire poll. The Wings garnered 37% of the vote to be crowed America's hockey team. The Wings were the team of the 90's and were able to put together Three Stanley Cups under "the Captain" Steve Yzerman. They also play in "HockeyTown" which may help too.
NBA- well in the NBA this was a little bit of a surprise. It was a huge 50% vote in this lopsided win that there is actually NO America's team in the NBA. The only team that even registered a double digit number was the Los Angeles Lakers with 27% of the vote. The Pistons were the only other team to get mentioned with 9% of the vote. So in the NBA there is actually no team but we know who gets the most ratings when they are on TV. That is why the NBA needs a Laker/Piston finals in 2008!
College sports the BIG 2-
College Football- You know America's college football team isn't going to be a team from the Big Ten or the SEC. You also know it isn't a team from the Pac 10 or the Big 12 right? It is the team with its own network. This was a no brainer. Notre Dame is America's college football team with 37% of the vote. This wasn't close at all with no other team getting more than Michigan's 9% total. Notre Dame has every game as a Nationally televised game. NBC is called the Notre Dame Network, if the games aren't on NBC they are on ABC.
College Basketball- This was somewhat of a surprise to me because I thought this team would be most hated. That is also why so many of the other America's teams are thought of this way. Duke Basketball is America's team in a landslide. No other team even registered more than 5% of the vote.
If you didn't know, now yo know. America claims a team for almost every sport. It isn't just the Cowboys either. Now when you see these teams on TV next time you will know why they are on, because they are America's Teams, Like it or Not!
We already knew the Lakers were America's NBA team because of all the hate and bitterness spewed on this blog against them. No suprise here.
No real suprise with Notre Dame because they are the biggest of all the church schools and Catholics certainly outnumber both Baptists and Mormons. If you took them out of the mix and not let them be voted on at all and started over? In no particular Order I'd say University of Spoiled Children, OU, Michigan, Ohio State and Florida/Florida State.
3 teams I absolutely loathe are America's teams. If you're a fan of the Yankees, Cowboys, or Notre Dame, you're a complete #### bag. If you're a Laker fan, you should be sent to hell.
If I watch hockey, I'd probably root for the Wings since a good friend of mine is from Detroit and it's not like Portland has a team.
Thanks bob. I think I am. What kind of mentality do you usually find from fans of these teams? (Don't want to stereotype, so note the use of the word "usually.") And I, like you, like the Red Wings.
i agree you either love or hate the yankees true!!! come to think about in all my years of loving sports i have never heard of someone not really hateing the yankees
Can't speak for the rest of America, but nobody on that list makes "my" America team. Use to be that before we started allowing pro's play in the Olympics, they were considered America's team. Personally I wish we'd go back to the old days to bring that kind of "spirit" back and let the pros be the overpaid all-stars they think they are.
nice post
Numbers are numbers, but nobody is really America's Team. You can't represent all of America when you desenters everywhere. I hate the Yankees, Cowboys, and Notre Dame. If you changed the thing to America's most overexposed teams, then you have something.
I have the feeling the voting for "America's teams" is similar to all-star voting. What I mean is, instead of each fan getting one vote (like in a political election), you get a core group of people who are so obsessed with making sure their team(s) end up #1, they vote as many times as they're allowed. Online voting is what really makes these things a sham.
Also, the media (say, ESPN for example) hypes the living snot out of certain teams, and gullible fans just buy in.
Don't forget the bandwagoners either. Some of them get suckered in by ESPN, but some just jump on because a team is winning.
In the end, I think the biggest problem is diehards of certain teams (ND and the Lakers are the best examples) who just can't bear to see their team anywhere on the list than #1. A small number of fans go nuts, even if it means creating a dozen or more new email accounts to get extra votes, to ensure their team wins.
Basically, none of it really matters. The only people it matters to just happen to be the same ones who wasted all that time voting, and are now trying to stick it in the faces of everyone else that their team is better or more popular than anyone else's.
The Cowboy's were annointed "Americas Team" by NFL films, because so many fans came to their road games, nobody voted them this title.
The Cowboy's had the hightest rated games on all 4 TV networks(CBS,NBC,FOX, and ESPN) last year. They will also appear on an NFL high 7 national telecast this year. They are consistantly at the top of merchendise sold for sports teams. So the TV and merchendising numbers would say that a high number of Americans are interested in the team.
The only team that could rival them for the "Americas team" title would be the NY Yankees.
the supposed- that is more support for these teams being Americas Teams. when they have huge fan bases and get so much exposure it causes resentment from other fans, just like you!
I would be interested in knowing where the 700 votes came from. It is kind of sad to know 700 votes speak for me....what am I saying!! Bush is President!!
None on your list are my teams and I didn't vote for bush ;)
QCisco helped make my point. The media is a huge influence on who is considered "America's Team."
So the Cowboys are going to be on a league high 7 nationally televised games. Based on what though? Popularity, or the chance that a certain player who shall remain nameless might explode on the sideline and rip his QB, QB coach, offensive coordinator, or head coach a new one?
I honestly believe the Cowboys are not that popular right now, so much as controversy sells, and the networks are just hoping something happens. Look at what they always seemed to be talking about last year on tv....T.O. this and T.O. that.
If you base everything on how often a team appears on national tv, then the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants (or should I just say Bonds), Patriots and Colts would have to be at the top of every list. Why? Because with all except the SF Giants, it's about who is winning alot of games. With the Giants, again, it's controversy.
Like I said above, this isn't a true measure of who is really the most popular, because only a small portion of people voted. Just like with politics, many people just feel like no matter who they vote for, it either won't matter in the final vote total, or whoever wins will just turn into a lying, cheating, stealing two-faced jacka$$ anyway....just like Bonds, T.O., and the rest of the athletes who get the most face time.
MercuryRising, TO has been with the Cowboy's 1 year. The Cowboy's have always been a big draw on TV and at the stadium before he arrived. I'll give you that ESPN will create their own TO stories, just to have a TO story. They did this in Philly before he arrived in Dallas. The reason Dallas has 7 national games is because they draw the hightest ratings, not because of TO.
pumpdude, wins and losses don't matter Dallas will always be popular no matter if they win SB's or not. They have a rich tradition and the largest fan base, like the other teams on the list which everyone hates.
bluegrasslady and Rusirious- these votes were calculated from two big websites. The biggest one was FanIQ.com.
If you would like to see the poll and many more you have to be a member. It is free and very addicting. join here: http://FanIQ.com/user/BigBANKBob/co nnect
Last edited by bob260505 on July 16th at 12:51 PM.
America likes winners, and all of these teams are that, while the Cowboys have had their troubles lately winning a super bowl, i don't think a 12 year drought is so terrible and we have made it to eight, more than any other team. America also likes star power which is something all of these teams had.
The fact that the Patriots got as much support as they did tells me that this poll is skewed by ballot stuffers. No one outside of New England gave a #### about the Patriots before they started winning Super Bowls. The other teams who won for each sport have a long history of being in the spotlight, but the Patriots don't. It backs up the point that others have already made that these "America's Teams" are often fueled by media hype and bandwagoners.
bob
My own personal favorite sport's team as such was that of Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh. But then again I've always been a su*ker for females dressed in skimpy beachwear just throwing themselves all over the place for a ball.
I didn't get to view any of the fights over the weekend. But I've been told that Gatti looked as if he'd been hit by a Mack truck. Time for him to give it up don't ya' think ?
Come on over and take a visit of my site that I'm getting of the ground besides the others. Hopefully after perusing some of the topics there'll be something to interest you that you'd like to and no doubt will comment on.
I can't really say that I hate these teams...but I despise the way the media shoves them down our throat. By the time the MLB season is over, I am so sick of the Yankees that I can barely tolerate the playoffs. Just the constant stream of non-sports related headlines about the players, and the owners...it's ridiculous.
I don't understand how Steinbrenner and Jerry Jones can be in charge of "America's teams". I guess it makes sense...money trumps leadership in this country.
Shooter
That's the perceived view of the likes of ESPN and writers like Bayless, Adande and others to tell us what we think we like. Rather than us determining it fir ourselves. It's as if they think we're a bunch of fools ? Which couldn't be farther from the truth. I think we're intelligent enough to know what we ultimately like and dislike. I watched the re-airing of the ESPY's last night. And thought the whole event was something of a bore. Other than seeing the acceptance speech of LaDanian Tomlinson was it really worth all that airtime ? LeBron was out of his depth and Kimmel is a complete buffoon. He's about as funny a heart attack and just freakin' annoying as having the in-laws visit !
I don't know that the Red Wings are really "America's Team" when it comes to hockey. Perhaps they are the trendiest team (which is really what it boils down to in any sport) in the states, but in Canada where the sport really thrives its hard to argue against the Leafs and Habs.
I always thought Red Summervilles curling team was Americas Team... I say the vote was rigged... attica attica attica, no peace, revolt until revote...
Very good read! I believe you and the other bloggers hit it right on the head. These teams are not necessarily the favorites, but they are most talked about. There seems to be no middle ground with these teams( though I personally do not believe the NHL and NBA teams have as great a divide). Cowboys, Yankees, ND, Duke- you either want to see them win or want to see them lose...period.
Interesting read. I can tell you this - I only root for one team out of that group. And it's my beloved Red Wings. I don't like the Yankees, and football and basketball are lower than lacrosse on my sports radar. But my Wings, that's another story. I've been a fan for over 40 years, and I don't see that changing. GO WINGS!!!!!!
do your privates itch really bad? maybe you should lather them up with motor oil and smack them with a ping pong paddle. i think you should stop running pine cones up and down your shaft. thats not a good idea. this is the dumbest blog ive ever read. why the heck shouldnt your willy be smashed in a dictionary?
Interesting post. I would agree with most of the teams you mentioned in the respective sport with label "America's Team." Like the NBA, I would have to disagree with your assessment of the Red Wings being America's team in the NHL. I still don't think we have one. Detroit has only been on the map in the most recent years for hockey, and the motor city will always be known for the Pistons. Canadian hockey cities have had their dynasties, like the Oilers when Gretzky was in his prime. Fans in Boston and Philly would likely dispute this also.
I still don't understand the racket Notre Dame football has with the major networks specifically NBC, but most of America outside of South Bend say enough already! Boring... Brady Quinn doesn't need a bigger head than he already has.
As far as the NFL, I would agree that the "Patriots" are slowly taking away the label of America's team from Dallas. I'm in the generation of seeing how dominating the Cowboys were with Staubach, Randy White, Ed Too Tall Jones, and others. Those were great teams, but that was over three decades now. The Chargers and Seahawks have better looking cheerleaders also.
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-bob260505@ya hoo.com-
Three time defending (division 2) four square champion
1993 United States Hacky-Sack Champion (runner up in 92 and 94) - finishing move "the Stall"
MVP of 1986 Whiffleball World Series - WWS was played in the side yard and had longer home runs.
2006 1st place league Champion fantasy baseball, 2003 and 2004 second place in fantasy football, 2003 second place in fantasy baseball and hockey, The last person out in Dodgeball in a record 17 of 22 games played in 1992 and led the gym class with over 175 kills in 92 - 93 (averaged 8.18 kills per game)
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One thing needed to determine this was a lot of input from fans all across America. I was able to gather over 700 responses to put this list together. Most sports actually have what would be considered America's team. Some sports were close but didn't have enough support. Whether you like it or not America has spoken and here are their teams.
MLB- Here is another team that really was no surprise. In MLB the New York Yankees were anointed America's team with 33% of the vote. I thought maybe the Chicago Cubs might have a shot in this category but this one wasn't even close. The Yankees winning ways have given so many fans a reason to keep watching. They are a franchise that has been capable of putting together back-to-back Championships in almost every era.
NHL- Currently the NHL has fallen almost completely off the sports map in most cities. The NHL has its team though. That team is none other than the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings received the highest percentage of any team throughout the entire poll. The Wings garnered 37% of the vote to be crowed America's hockey team. The Wings were the team of the 90's and were able to put together Three Stanley Cups under "the Captain" Steve Yzerman. They also play in "HockeyTown" which may help too.
College Football- You know America's college football team isn't going to be a team from the Big Ten or the SEC. You also know it isn't a team from the Pac 10 or the Big 12 right? It is the team with its own network. This was a no brainer. Notre Dame is America's college football team with 37% of the vote. This wasn't close at all with no other team getting more than Michigan's 9% total. Notre Dame has every game as a Nationally televised game. NBC is called the Notre Dame Network, if the games aren't on NBC they are on ABC.
