Both have had to put up with a NFL team(s) that went nowhere for an extremely long time. The Saints fans have still been loyal. However, I have met quite a few Houstonians who don't care for the Texans at all. In fact they seem proud to dislike them. What happened? Would these same people have turned their backs on the Oilers had they stayed?
After that Titans game on Monday Night Football, I don't see how anyone can question the Texans fan base...
Funny, I watched it at a bar in Houston where a large percentage of the people were openly not pulling for them.
Arn't the Texans like the 3rd most valuable NFL franchise? Someone has to be supporting them. That being said, I think they have a large casual fan base. I have never met a die hard Texans fan in my life the way I have seen Rockets fans or even Astros fans to a lesser extent.
Funny, I was at the game where the crowd was just electric. You would have thought the Texans were a Super Bowl bound team the way the stadium was rocking that night, but it was just a team that just had HOPE of getting a wildcard spot in the playoffs, which says a lot about the fans base here and their hunger for a successful football franchise. Maybe it's the people you hang around with? I have family members rooted in Louisiana and the city of New Orleans used to always clown the Saints and there were many people in New Orleans who were big Falcons fans. but then there were still people who had faith in the Saints during the tough times just like there are Browns fans who support the Browns through thick and thin. Every fan base has it's fair-weather fans and true fans.
apples and oranges. the Saints, when they were barely 8 years old, didn't have the city's heart like they do now. those things take time. would the city have turned on the Oilers had they stayed? who knows? who cares? if Jefferson didn't swindle Napolean out of Louisiana, would we all be speaking Spanish and playing fútbol right now? does it matter? what ifs are an exercise in futility. different circumstances. different cities. different cultures. bottom line: this dick-measuring-esque comparison of fans in different cities is ludicrous and a waste of time. you will find all types with varying opinions, affections, and "loyalties" (as silly as it is to speak of loyalty with regards to teams playing games) in *every* city. Nawlins is a great town. Houston is *GREAT* town. That is all.
The Texans are still a very new franchise. After another decade or so, once the team becomes more ingrained in the fabric of the city you'll start to see more openly die-hard fans.
First and foremost, Houston has a TON more transplants than a city like New Orleans because of the cost of living and job market. More transplants means less likely to have a city full of diehard fans. Secondly, the casual observer still thinks of the Texans like the '02-'06 teams that was full of beginners and was like watching your toddler learn to walk. Not everyone realizes that we are growing up and reaching maturity now (though more and more are). When we finally get to the playoffs, the bandwagon will be full, just like the Rockets and Astros. They were on the verge this year until the losing streak. There are also a fair share of Cowboys, Titans, and even Saints fans in the city due to obvious reasons. These are the one's that you see are proud to dislike the Texans. But really, the Texans have a great season-ticket holder base that makes for a great stadium atmosphere and is good for business. They just haven't and probably won't fully capture the casual sports fan every year, especially in down years- just like the Rockets and Astros. It's more of a Houston thing than a Texans thing.
do you really think all these saints fans were this crazy when they were the worst franchise in football? Winning cures all ills. Texans have a very good base of loyal fans. don't think this is a good comparison by any means.
excellent point about the great number of transplants. just another reason this is a pointless, apples-to-oranges discussion.
I'm a Bull Pen season ticket holder, come sit in my section sometime and see if you still feel the same.
It took 20 years for New Orleans to have a winning season... it took 8 for the Texans. If the Saints can develop a diehard following despite that many years of ineptitude, so will the Texans. Simply proof that all you need is time... and a lot of games. Winning does help speed up the process though.
This is a completely useless argument. When the Texans have been in Houston for 40+ years, let's discuss it then. The Texans are still in their infancy as a franchise.....if you want to compare, let's compare the fact that the Saints didn't have a winning record for 21 years, while the Texans did it in 8. In another 10 years, I guarantee the Texans will have just as rabid a fan base as the Oilers used to, and the Saints have now. The people who are proud to NOT root for the Texans only do so because they feel like VY was slighted when they didn't pick him.....system and need be damned. If you're FROM Houston, and live here today, there is NO reason to root for anyone else. Plain and simple. This city provides you with a home, and income....the least you can do is support the local teams.
Saints fans were TERRIBLE fans (partly due to a TERRIBLE team). The owner was about to move until Katrina happened. They were so bad that they now have banners showing ticket sell outs. Imagine the ridicule if the Texans tried to pull that. Overall, NO isn't a good place for owners. The fans didn't really care the Hornets, even when they were good.
I would consider myself a diehard Texans fan, and I live about 1500 miles from Houston. I would so have season tickets if I lived there.
