As Arizona Cardinals fans, we know how hard it has been over the years to remain faithful to the team. There have been some very, very bad years -- especially if you pledged your football allegiance to the team before the Ken Whisenhunt days.
Apparently, Cardinals fans are truly rare -- almost mythical -- according to an ESPN poll that measured how popular different NFL teams are. In the results of that poll, we learn that the Cardinals are the fourth least popular team in the nation, being named as people's favorite team by only 0.8 percent of the population.
That means that out of every 500 people there are in the US, only four would say that Arizona is their favorite team. Considering that the Cardinals are so popular here in the Phoenix area, I am part interested and part scared of what the numbers would say if they were to factor out people in the Phoenix metro area.
Over on the regional Arizona page for SB Nation, Scott Coleman, of of our writers there noted how even in Tucson the Cardinals do not get that much love.
Certainly the lack of any sort of winning tradition over a long period of time hurts. But even with a Super Bowl run and on of the NFL's best players in Larry Fitzgerald, the Cards are still almost anonymous nationally.
So, Cardinals fans, wear that title as a badge of honor. We are few and far between.
Luckily, though, the Cardinals aren't even the least popular team in their own division. That title belongs to the St. Louis Rams, who rank second to last, being the favorite team of 0.7 percent of the population.
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