Sabres the 2nd most liked team in the NHL

[gilbert11]

Found this on Yahoo Sports,  from X:   Is this because the fans of other teams like the Sabres as opponents?

 

[PerreaultForever]

That's ridiculous.

[Cascade Youth]

Not around these parts lol

[Taro T]

22 minutes ago, gilbert11 said:

Found this on Yahoo Sports,  from X:   Is this because the fans of other teams like the Sabres as opponents?

 

People hate on St. Louis?  Really?  Why?

People like Dallas?  Really?  Why?

[Pimlach]

 Which team would you root for in a head to head match up?   That was the question?  

I can't think of a response.

[dudacek]

Wake up people.

if you don't ask Buffalo fans, what other result would you expect?

[Archie Lee]

If the Sabres make the playoffs and get on a run, they will become almost everyone’s 2nd favourite team for a year. 

[SwampD]

Doesn’t that actually mean that they are the second “least hated”?

I can see that. People usually hate teams that beat their team all the time.

Either that, or it’s gotta be pity.

[Stoner]

Another Cusp. Sigh.

@Sabres Fan in NS

[Wyldnwoody44]

I wonder who lindy would pick, Buf vs NJ 😜

[North Buffalo]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

Doesn’t that actually mean that they are the second “least hated”?

I can see that. People usually hate teams that beat their team all the time.

Either that, or it’s gotta be pity.

Pity and not a threat

[JohnC]

If the question would have been which franchise is the most irrelevant franchise in the league, it would be in the running for the top spot. Generational futility is an absurdity especially when the system is designed to give advantages (draft and waiver pickups) to the worst teams to prop them up. Yet, the Sabres are still stuck in the muck of mediocrity. It's ridiculous and shameful. 

[Weave]

11 hours ago, Taro T said:

People hate on St. Louis?  Really?  Why?

People like Dallas?  Really?  Why?

My fist thought was similar, but…

People hate on St. Louis?  Really?  Why?

People like San Jose?  Really?  Why?

I have to wonder if the responses are more along the lines of least not liked.  I could see Buffalo near the top of that list, except in Buffalo.

[...]

They have 935k followers on X. That's right up there with the big market teams.

This team, for whatever reason (we can all build a list of good guesses), still has the sheen of the Hasek and Miller era Sabres. The momentum from those eras was so strong - and the escapees from WNY so many - that hope and goodwill for the team remain strong. Today, there could be old underdog attribution as well.

Imagine if the team became competitive. The marketing department would have no idea what to do.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/243070/twitter-followers-of-national-hockey-league-teams/

[LTS]

Because of a lot of people like hockey in this region and the Sabres are the team in the region?  Not every one is on this forum analyzing the franchise day to day. It's conceivable to think that people just like the team.

I don't know how the poll was fully conducted but I could see hated teams being from bigger markets because they have big rivals.  People from Chicago are not going to like St. Louis.. Chicago is a big town.

Lots of people like San Jose, they really aren't major rivals with people and they've had some likeable players, Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Owen Nolan, Logan Couture

I mean, in the end its an internet poll, so how much stock do you put into it?

[Weave]

8 minutes ago, LTS said:

Because of a lot of people like hockey in this region and the Sabres are the team in the region?  Not every one is on this forum analyzing the franchise day to day. It's conceivable to think that people just like the team.

I don't know how the poll was fully conducted but I could see hated teams being from bigger markets because they have big rivals.  People from Chicago are not going to like St. Louis.. Chicago is a big town.

Lots of people like San Jose, they really aren't major rivals with people and they've had some likeable players, Joe Thornton, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Owen Nolan, Logan Couture

I mean, in the end its an internet poll, so how much stock do you put into it?

You might be taking the poll and the responses more seriously than the responders here.

[OverPowerYou]

They’re soft and easy to beat 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

My fist thought was similar, but…

People hate on St. Louis?  Really?  Why?

People like San Jose?  Really?  Why?

I have to wonder if the responses are more along the lines of least not liked.  I could see Buffalo near the top of that list, except in Buffalo.

Pretty sure you're on the right track with that.

Hey, TO's playing X, who are you rooting for?  Team X unless it's the B's or the Phlyers and then am rooting for both teams forfeiting due to teamwide intestinal distress (food poisoning) and neither having enough guys that aren't on the toilet to play the game.

There's several other teams that would garner that same response.

[msw2112]

The only three things I can think of that would explain these results:

1.  People often prefer to root for the underdog, or the team that has not won anything in a while.  So if you asked a casual NHL fan which team they'd prefer to win in a matchup, they might pick the Sabres.

2. Despite low attendance due to a poor team for the last several years, the Sabres (like the Bills) have a large and dispersed fanbase.  Maybe the survey happened to catch a lot of Sabres fans.

3.  While more so 2 seasons ago than last, the Sabres were playing a high-flying, fast-paced, offensive game with lots of scoring.  Many fans like that style of hockey, as it can be very entertaining versus a dump and chase/grind it out style.

[ska-T Chitown]

7 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

Pity and not a threat

But the Avs being #1 and the hawks being near the bottom really shoots that theory down?

[ska-T Chitown]

Just now, msw2112 said:

Those teams play a fast-paced style (at least the Avs do), which was #3 on the list of theories.  With Bedard and some of the other young players, the Blackhawks may also play fast.  Admittedly, I have not seen them play much, so I can't say for sure.

I was thinking that #1 and #2 on the list are in totally different places with regards to recent success and "exciting hockey" - as are Vegas and Chicago. To me, Chicago being last pokes a hole in the "easy to beat" being higher on the list theory - although I am sure there is nuance to how many people reached saturation with the 'Hawks in the 2010's?

Personally, "least hated" seems like a more apt theory. I'd choose the Sharks over any other Eastern Conference team, etc ... I suspect outside of Buffalo fandom, most NHL fans don't have much of a reason to hate the Sabres.

[Night Train]

Sounds like more of an indifference ranking. "Don't hate them" means you get a better ranking. 

[PerreaultForever]

Here's a list of "popularity" of NHL teams that seems more accurate. Buffalo comes in 19th.

https://www.stadium-maps.com/facts/nhl_facebook_table.html#fbtable

ebay merch sales create a fairly similar ranking

https://o-wai-sa.com/which-nhl-teams-move-the-most-least-sales-on-ebay/

 

[Taro T]

35 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Here's a list of "popularity" of NHL teams that seems more accurate. Buffalo comes in 19th.

https://www.stadium-maps.com/facts/nhl_facebook_table.html#fbtable

ebay merch sales create a fairly similar ranking

https://o-wai-sa.com/which-nhl-teams-move-the-most-least-sales-on-ebay/

 

The question wasn't who is your FAVORITE team, as posited in the OP it was who is your SECOND favorite team.  (And, it really is most likely a reflection of which team do you dislike the least.)

But how many people buy merchandise for their SECOND favorite team?  Merchandise sales would be a reflection of who fans' #1 team is, wouldn't it be?

(YOU might have Bruin and Sabre gear, but personally doubt many others here have a whole bunch of merch for teams other than the Sabres.  And expect that trend would be similar across the league and across sports.)

[mjd1001]

No Montreal on the list (either side)?  No Toronto?  Sure Vancouver made the list, but the fact Toronto and Montreal are not on  there leads me to think it was heavily influenced by polling of people from the United States.