It’s not unusual to see academics across the country try to objectively rank professional sports team fans. They have used a variety of metrics to create the clearest picture possible of which city carries the most fanatical supporters, ranging from ticket sales to social media activity.
The latest attempt comes from Emory University’s Professor Michael Lewis, Ph.D. A longtime member of Emory’s Goizueta Business School, Lewis specializes in marketing science and research. He has recently conducted studies into the strength of fandom in the National Basketball Association (the New Orleans Pelicans placed 24th last year, which is typical of bad teams) and Major League Baseball (I guess the Atlanta Braves are a de facto team for New Orleans locals?