So who saw this survey?

Melrose Munch

Registered User
Mar 18, 2007
23,546
2,006
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/Ne... Default/mid/1508/ArticleId/1136/Default.aspx

College football and auto racing remain third and fourth

NEW YORK , N.Y. - January 17, 2013 - Football versus baseball. It's an argument for bars and living rooms all across the nation. But, when it comes to America's favorite sport, football wins. Over one-third of adults who follow at least one sport (34%) say professional football is their favorite sport while just 16% say baseball is their favorite. The gap between the two sports has narrowed from 2011 to 2012 - in 2011, 36% said pro football was their favorite while 13% said baseball was their favorite sport.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,176 adults surveyed online between December 12 and 18, 2012 by Harris Interactive.
Looking at how other sports fared, just over one in ten sports fans (11%) say college football is their favorite sport while 8% say it is auto racing, 7% say men's professional basketball, and 5% say hockey. All other sports are favorites for 3% or less of sports fans.
 
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Inkling

Same Old Hockey
Nov 27, 2006
5,655
679
Ottawa
You can only have one favourite sport. I'd be interested if they also determined what percentage of people were hockey fans versus other sports.
 

Brodie

the dream of the 90s is alive in Detroit
Mar 19, 2009
15,399
359
Chicago
Uhm, why laugh? They both have a huge base of fans.

I believe he was laughing at the fact that one of the largest support groups for racing was "those with a HS diploma or less" while one of the lowest support groups for it was "postgrads", thus suggesting a correlation between lack of education and interest in auto racing.
 

IU Hawks fan

They call me IU
Dec 30, 2008
28,516
2,813
NW Burbs
:laugh: at auto racing and education

That's awesome.

Hockey's problem is finding a way not to make it people's favorite sport, but garnering interest as a secondary one. Look at the NBA, there's not that many more who consider it #1 vs those for hockey. What makes the NBA as big as it is is the amount of casuals who will tune in come playoff time.
 

Ugmo

Registered User
Oct 24, 2011
12,300
0
I don't understand how anyone can watch pro football. It's like 10 minutes of action over a span of 3 hours. That would drive me insane.
 

tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
84,980
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Bojangles Parking Lot
I don't understand how anyone can watch pro football. It's like 10 minutes of action over a span of 3 hours. That would drive me insane.

There's a lot more action in a football game than just what happens during the play. A great deal of the time spent getting to the line, calling audibles, sending players in motion, celebrating touchdowns, using the chains to determine first downs... all of that is part of the action, even if it's not "live ball" time.
 

Ugmo

Registered User
Oct 24, 2011
12,300
0
There's a lot more action in a football game than just what happens during the play. A great deal of the time spent getting to the line, calling audibles, sending players in motion, celebrating touchdowns, using the chains to determine first downs... all of that is part of the action, even if it's not "live ball" time.

Okay, but all of those things are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I mean, watching a ref use a chain to determine a first down is exciting? I suppose it must be to millions of people, but I'll never understand it.
 

Pepe Silvia

Registered User
Jan 2, 2012
8,915
0
Chicago
I don't understand how anyone can watch soccer. It's like 5 minutes of actual excitement over a span of 2 hours. Plus a lot of the players are soft. That would drive me insane.
 

IU Hawks fan

They call me IU
Dec 30, 2008
28,516
2,813
NW Burbs
Soccer has terrific pace and amazing tension. Plus no commercials, the play is pretty constant, and games are done in under 2 hours. It's great.
 

cutchemist42

Registered User
Apr 7, 2011
6,705
220
Winnipeg
I can't get into soccer, I just cant get over the fact that diving is such an element of the sport. Europe has much better sporting exports then soccer to me personally.
 

Brodie

the dream of the 90s is alive in Detroit
Mar 19, 2009
15,399
359
Chicago
More

That's awesome.

Hockey's problem is finding a way not to make it people's favorite sport, but garnering interest as a secondary one. Look at the NBA, there's not that many more who consider it #1 vs those for hockey. What makes the NBA as big as it is is the amount of casuals who will tune in come playoff time.


Less

I don't understand how anyone can watch pro football. It's like 10 minutes of action over a span of 3 hours. That would drive me insane.

please
 

tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
84,980
137,350
Bojangles Parking Lot
Okay, but all of those things are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I mean, watching a ref use a chain to determine a first down is exciting? I suppose it must be to millions of people, but I'll never understand it.

"Okay, but all of those things are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I mean, watching players dump the puck and go for a line change is exciting? I suppose it must be to millions of people, but I'll never understand it."

You can easily do this with any sport. Strategic elements are less exciting to non-fans.
 

Victorious Secret

2024 Lottery Winner
Jul 18, 2011
14,862
452
Matt's Meat Market
I wonder how much this survey would change based on time of the year. i.e. people with mixed feelings on what their favorite sport may be could change depending on what playoff season it is
 

Ugmo

Registered User
Oct 24, 2011
12,300
0

Edit: Sorry, I thought you were questioning my statistic.

I don't understand how anyone can watch soccer. It's like 5 minutes of actual excitement over a span of 2 hours. Plus a lot of the players are soft. That would drive me insane.

It's not so much that they're actually soft as that they get rewarded by the referee for embellishing fouls. It used to drive me insane too, but somehow I've gotten used to it by now.
 

Doan Jidion*

Guest
What the NHL lacks in raw numbers, it makes up for with good demographic breakdowns. It's at least good that they're known to have an educated, tech-savvy base.
 

Gardner McKay

RIP, Jimmy.
Jun 27, 2007
25,416
13,797
SoutheastOfDisorder
Okay, but all of those things are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I mean, watching a ref use a chain to determine a first down is exciting? I suppose it must be to millions of people, but I'll never understand it.

The same way I will never understand the love for European Football. Ive played Soccer my entire life and love the game but when it comes to watching it I would rather sit at the DMV.
 

JoeCool16

Registered User
Sep 9, 2011
2,516
275
Vancouver
Survey done during the lockout? I wonder if that caused some bitter fans to report a different sport as their favourite.
 

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