Survey says Phillies fans are the best

By Mark Paul
This article was produced by a Yahoo! Sports user.

One week after GQ ripped Philadelphia Phillies fans as the worst in sports, a new survey has called them the most loyal.

According to Brand Keys, Phillies fans were found to be the most loyal. As a Phillies fan, it is refreshing to see ourselves on a list that is positive. Frankly, I think it is long overdue.

The market research firm interviewed 250 fans in each market and factored in sales, merchandise, history, tradition, and the relationship between fans and the team. As famous as the fan bases are in Boston and New York, the Philadelphia Phillies topped the list. I have to say, it is deserving. Fans wait for hours in line every home game to try and nab standing room tickets. We wear our red gear all year long. As soon as one baseball season ends, we count down the days until pitchers and catchers report.

The national media is rarely kind to Philadelphia fans. In most cases, they cite the overblown Santa Claus story any time they mention Philadelphia fans. As a result, we generally ignore most of these lists because we know that the outsiders just don't get it.

However, it is nice to be viewed by people as positive fans. Best of all, this is a market research panel and not just one person's opinion. Instead of just saying Phillies fans are evil, Brand Keys actually took the effort to interview Philadelphia fans.

Phillies fans are going to watch this team every game. We have a contending team that plays in a beautiful ballpark. The Phillies have come a long way after being a mediocre franchise for a long time. The current management has recognized that Philadelphia is a great baseball town. As such, they have reinvested ticket sales in to the club. They are loyal to us, and we are loyal to them.

Philadelphia is becoming the envy of the baseball world. It's time for other cities, Boston and New York included, to start realizing that.