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Study: Cowboys have NFL's best fans, Chiefs the worst

Mike Stone / Reuters

By this stage of the NFL offseason, we're all left to patiently await the conclusion of summer vacations and the beginning of training camp schedules around the league.

So here's something to argue about in the meantime.

A recent study, conducted by professor Michael Lewis of Emory University, sought to rank the NFL's 32 fan bases with consideration to factors of "fan equity," "social media equity," and "road equity."

With the Dallas Cowboys checking it at No. 1, and the Kansas City Chiefs all the way down at No. 32, here's a look at Lewis' full list.

Rank Team
1 Cowboys
2 Patriots
3 Eagles
4 Giants
5 Steelers
6 Saints
7 Bears
8 Broncos
9 Packers
10 49ers
11 Colts
12 Ravens
13 Jets
14 Dolphins
15 Redskins
16 Bills
17 Panthers
18 Seahawks
19 Falcons
20 Raiders
21 Lions
22 Texans
23 Vikings
24 Chargers
25 Buccaneers
26 Browns
27 Cardinals
28 Bengals
29 Jaguars
30 Titans
31 Rams
32 Chiefs

Lewis explains in his analysis that the "fan equity" category weighs home revenues against the expected performance based on the team's performance and characteristics of the local market.

The "social media equity" aims to account for the size of a fan base's online presence, acknowledging the fact that not all are able to pay prices associated with attending games.

"Road equity" evaluates how well fans turn out to support their teams when on the road, providing a sense of national appeal.

A passionate group known for making Arrowhead Stadium one of the most hostile environments in professional sports, let alone football, it's safe to assume Chiefs fans will be among the many who will have something to say about these rankings.

- With h/t to CBS Sports

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