Packers take over as new America's Team
By BOB WOLFLEY
bwolfley@journalsentinel.com
Last Updated: Oct. 2, 2002
The Green Bay Packers have knocked the Dallas Cowboys out of their saddle as America's favorite National Football League team, according to a new Harris Poll.
In the previous three polls Harris had conducted - 1999, 1998 and 1997 - the Packers had finished second to the Cowboys. But in the new poll, the Packers ascended to the Cowboys' No. 1 spot, and Dallas slipped to No. 4.
The 2002 Harris survey was conducted online between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3 with 2,203 adult respondents, including 1,033 who said they follow pro football.
Respondents in the second group were asked to name their favorite two teams, and the results were combined to arrive at each team's total.
Green Bay finished first, with 17% of the respondents naming the Packers as their first or second favorite, followed by the San Francisco 49ers (14%) and Oakland Raiders (12%). The St. Louis Rams were tied with the Cowboys in fourth place (11%).
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants were the only other teams in double-digit territory (10% each).
Despite the deterioration of their play and the off-field misadventures of some of their players, the Cowboys, long known as America's Team, had finished first in each of the six previous Harris polls, dating to 1993. But in each of the last two seasons the Cowboys have gone 5-11.
The teams least mentioned as a favorite in the survey were the Baltimore Ravens (the Super Bowl champion in the 2000 season), Arizona Cardinals and expansion Houston Texans (2% each).
The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots managed only a 2% jump in popularity this year, named by 8% of the respondents as their favorite, up from 6% in 1999.
In other results in the same poll, the percentage of people who said they follow professional football, dropped from 53% in 1999 to 47% in 2002, the lowest proportion since 1993 (46%).
By BOB WOLFLEY
bwolfley@journalsentinel.com
Last Updated: Oct. 2, 2002
The Green Bay Packers have knocked the Dallas Cowboys out of their saddle as America's favorite National Football League team, according to a new Harris Poll.
In the previous three polls Harris had conducted - 1999, 1998 and 1997 - the Packers had finished second to the Cowboys. But in the new poll, the Packers ascended to the Cowboys' No. 1 spot, and Dallas slipped to No. 4.
The 2002 Harris survey was conducted online between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3 with 2,203 adult respondents, including 1,033 who said they follow pro football.
Respondents in the second group were asked to name their favorite two teams, and the results were combined to arrive at each team's total.
Green Bay finished first, with 17% of the respondents naming the Packers as their first or second favorite, followed by the San Francisco 49ers (14%) and Oakland Raiders (12%). The St. Louis Rams were tied with the Cowboys in fourth place (11%).
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants were the only other teams in double-digit territory (10% each).
Despite the deterioration of their play and the off-field misadventures of some of their players, the Cowboys, long known as America's Team, had finished first in each of the six previous Harris polls, dating to 1993. But in each of the last two seasons the Cowboys have gone 5-11.
The teams least mentioned as a favorite in the survey were the Baltimore Ravens (the Super Bowl champion in the 2000 season), Arizona Cardinals and expansion Houston Texans (2% each).
The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots managed only a 2% jump in popularity this year, named by 8% of the respondents as their favorite, up from 6% in 1999.
In other results in the same poll, the percentage of people who said they follow professional football, dropped from 53% in 1999 to 47% in 2002, the lowest proportion since 1993 (46%).
