Despite an NFL-leading 11 straight seasons without a playoff appearance, Buffalo Bills fans still rank in the Top 5 in fan support - at least, according to the latest study from Forbes.
In order to reach this conclusion, Forbes took each team's popularity index and factored in market size to come up with their "rabid" ratio. Aided by one of the league's smallest markets, the Bills slid into the No. 4 slot, where they tied the Kansas City Chiefs and trailed just the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts.
The study most definitely favors smaller markets, as larger-market teams like the Dallas Cowboys (easily the league's most popular team) and New York Jets (who rank dead last) did not fare well in the ranking.
As for pure popularity index, which factors in local and national television ratings as well as Internet traffic and mentions, the Bills finished a respectable No. 20 in the league when the rankings were unveiled prior to Super Bowl XLV. It was calculated with 2009 season data, however.