Only one state has more sports-obsessed fans than Delaware, survey says

Kevin Tresolini, Delaware News Journal
·2 min read

Delawareans are obsessed.

With sports, that is.

At least that’s what JustGamblers, an online gambling information outfit based in Bulgaria, has determined through its web research.

In fact, only one state among our 50 has more fervent fans, even though Delaware has no major professional sports teams and just two NCAA Division I college programs that rarely make major headlines.

Alex and Kenneth Taylor of Wilmington proudly fly their Eagles flags as they prepare to tailgate with friends before the Eagles-Giants playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 21, 2023.
Alex and Kenneth Taylor of Wilmington proudly fly their Eagles flags as they prepare to tailgate with friends before the Eagles-Giants playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 21, 2023.

First State is No. 2

Only Nevada residents are more fanatical about sports than those from Delaware, according to the analysis.

Diminutive Delaware, the second smallest state, did beat out Northeast neighbors such as No. 3 New York, No. 4 Rhode Island, No. 5 Massachusetts, No. 6 New Jersey and No. 10 Maryland.

Big winners: Delaware's most influential people in sports

So how did First Staters earn such distinction?

Google says so

Google data was analyzed to pinpoint sports-related searches.

However, these searches weren’t to find Blue Hens, learn Joe Biden’s Archmere Academy football exploits or discover if Aubrey Plaza played youth soccer.

JustGamblers looked only at searches related to the five major professional sports organizations — the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Soccer — plus Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Apparently, in Bulgaria, they aren’t aware WWE is a unique form of theater, not sport.

And the survey didn’t include NASCAR, though, in which Delaware, thanks to the annual race at Dover Motor Speedway, is in the big leagues.

Bryan DiPasquantonio of Wilmington talks about love of the Eagles and tailgating. Fans for the Eagles-Giants playoff game show up early to tailgate and party across from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 21, 2023.
Bryan DiPasquantonio of Wilmington talks about love of the Eagles and tailgating. Fans for the Eagles-Giants playoff game show up early to tailgate and party across from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on January 21, 2023.

What was the score?

Data analysis revealed that Delaware averaged 72,283 monthly searches per 100,000 people seeking information in those seven categories.

Nevada’s victory, however, was quite one-sided, as it had 85,406 sports-related searches per 100,000 people.

Having all those bigger and better casinos probably helped.

Delaware Sports Hall of Fame:Two ex-NFL players among 2023 inductees.

E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!

The NFL was the most searched league in every state except New York, Massachusetts, California, Illinois and Georgia, where the NBA prevailed.

Delaware had an average monthly search volume of 34,132 per 100,000 people for NFL-related terms.

Big hat tip: Before heading to NBA G League playoffs, Delaware Blue Coats will honor previous champs

Nevada? They had just 31,182 NFL-related web queries.

That counts as a victory for the Philadelphia Eagles, certainly the favorite among most Delawareans, over their Las Vegas Raiders.

Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Nevada tops Delaware for most obsessed sports fans: Analysis