Largest media market list 2009 NFL?

Answer 1

gotta be New York (population density and huge displacement); New England (Pats draw fans from NY, Conn, RI, NH, VT, and obviously the huge and dense Mass/Boston area), Pittsburgh (huge displacement factor - as a city, Pitt stinks and everyone that only partially suffers lead paint poisoning brain damage moves away but still roots for Squealers), and Dallas (America's Team).

Go to an ESPNZone or whatever a city's biggest sports bar is on any given Sunday and notice how many Giants, Steelers, Dallas, and Pats jerseys you see. I guarentee you will see more from those 4 teams combined than the other 27 combined (obviously not considering the 'home team' (example: in St. Louis, don't count the Rams jerseys, just compair the 'big 4 market teams' to the other 27 cities)

I watched the Bucs win the NFC Championship in a Tampa sports bar and there were more Squealers jerseys represented than the other 30 teams combined (not counting the bucks, obviously)

ever watch an NFL game where all the calls seem to go against the Giants or Patriots or Steelers? didn't think so. howabout Minnesotta (prior to the Favre era)? or Baltimore? or Jacksonville? is the picture becoming any more clear?

a superbowl with Giants vs Pats or Steelers should make about 10-20% more income than, say, Tennessee vs Arizona.

when Tom Brady gets grazed upon his calf by the back of the hand of a pass rusher who was blocked in the back and is falling to the ground, in a light enough manner that Brady's leg doesn't visibly move nor the fabric on his pants move, a penalty is always called Roughing the Passer.

when Joe Flacco gets sacked and pulled to the ground with a defender's hand on his facemask and another on the back of his neck (4th quarter 11/8/09 vs Cincinatti), it's NOT called for roughing the passer.

follow the often ridiculous disparity of interpretation of the rules to discover the undisclosed 'biggest NFL market' list.

DO NOT just look at the local market. As a local market, Pitt looks relatively small, but almost every large American city has a sports bar that turns into a Steeler bar every fall Sunday. (huge displacement factor means lots of fans leaving Pittsburgh and settling elsewhere, but remaining loyal to their prior home team.) Honestly, I see more yellow and black jerseys here in Balt than the other 30 teams combined (not counting Ravens obviously).

Also of consideration when applying the disparity of rule interpretation (BS officiating) method of determining the pull of any given market - certain factors (such as the compelling human-interest story of Brett Favre leading Minnesotta to unprecidented heights) will come into play. Minnesotta not normally being a huge market will draw more viewers than normal this season, accordingly.

Whatever match-up gets the NFL the biggest Super Bowl viewership is the most likely to occur due to the officiating discrepencies. (Giants vs Steelers, anyone? - maybe Minnesotta vs Pats? - not really a Cowboys year, but within the next two, they will play for the championship - NFL can't have that huge of a market unrepresented for too long, now can it?)

a projected audience that is 10% larger means at least 10% more advertising revenue. hundreds of millions of dollars is enough to make pleanty of pay-outs and still rake in the cash. 1+million for a 30 second advertisement (when there is roughly 90+ minutes of commercials just between 1 hour pregame and 15 minutes postgame)

hopefully, this is all it is, and not Vegas calling the shots - although after watching the 2009 MLB playoffs, I am starting to wonder - how else can a ball be 2 feet in-play and be ruled a foul by an umpire whose primary job is to stand directly over the foul line and make that call?