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15 Most Underrated Fan Bases In Sports

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15 Most Underrated Fan Bases In Sports

Oakland Raiders v Denver Broncos
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Most people know the big fan bases in sports, but there are plenty of fan bases that don't get the love they deserve. These fan bases stick with their teams through thick and thin and they deserve a lot of credit for that.

15. Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning v Nashville Predators
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15. Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning v Nashville Predators
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For a hockey team in Florida, the Lightning actually get a lot of support from their fans. The fact they're a successful team with one of the best players in the game certainly helps, but the fact this southern team has so much hockey support is impressive.

14. Cleveland Indians

Texas Rangers v Cleveland Indians
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14. Cleveland Indians

Texas Rangers v Cleveland Indians
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Everyone knows how passionate Cavaliers fans are because of LeBron James, but not a lot of people realize that the town's baseball fans are are just as voracious. The team nearly won a World Series in the 1990s and came up just short, but that hasn't kept fans from wishing for that elusive World Series title.

13. New Orleans Saints

Divisional Playoffs - New Orleans Saints v Seattle Seahawks
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13. New Orleans Saints

Divisional Playoffs - New Orleans Saints v Seattle Seahawks
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Fans in New Orleans live and die by the Saints as they're the big sports team in town. They also get loud -- really, really loud. Saints fans are able to intimidate opposing teams and force them into silent counts, which is the definition of a home-field advantage.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder v Memphis Grizzlies - Game Six
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12. Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder v Memphis Grizzlies - Game Six
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This fanbase may be tested if Kevin Durant and/or Russell Westbrook leave the team, but the fans endlessly support this team for now, even while they're having a rough go of it this season.

11. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots
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11. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots
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The resurgence of Bills fans has come over the past couple seasons as they are perhaps feeling nostalgic about the Jim Kelly days. Better times appear to be on the horizon for the Bills, so they should be able to reward their fans' faith soon enough.

10. Baltimore Orioles

ALDS Game 3: Baltimore Orioles v. Detroit Tigers
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10. Baltimore Orioles

ALDS Game 3: Baltimore Orioles v. Detroit Tigers
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They get overshadowed because they're in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox, but the Orioles have some of the best fans in baseball. Even when the team wasn't doing well, fans packed into Camden Yards and now that the Orioles are back in the thick of things, Baltimore provides one of the most exciting atmospheres in baseball.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates v Miami Marlins
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9. Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates v Miami Marlins
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The fact the Pirates still have a fanbase after two decades of losing seasons is a testament to how good of a fanbase they really have. These fans stuck with the team through 20 years of losing and now they're being rewarded with a consistently competitive team. Since they're rooted in history, these fans are just that much better.

8. Toronto Raptors

Brooklyn Nets v Toronto Raptors - Game Seven
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8. Toronto Raptors

Brooklyn Nets v Toronto Raptors - Game Seven
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Toronto is an underrated sports city as a whole and Raptors fans don't really get the credit they deserve. They've been good off and on for a while now, but they've never sustained success. That hasn't stopped their fans from supporting the team, though. Perhaps fans are just trying to forget the Maple Leafs even exist.

7. Seattle Mariners

Cleveland Indians v Seattle Mariners
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7. Seattle Mariners

Cleveland Indians v Seattle Mariners
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The Mariners once again appear as though they will be competitive in 2015 and they should have plenty of fans cheering them on along the way. Sometimes they get lost in the noise of some other big MLB fan bases, but Seattle is a great sports town and they know their baseball.

6. New York Islanders

New York Islanders v Vancouver Canucks
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6. New York Islanders

New York Islanders v Vancouver Canucks
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It's easier to recognize the Islanders' fanbase now that their team is playing really well, but this hockey fanbase always turns out regardless of how the team is doing.

5. Cleveland Browns

Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns
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5. Cleveland Browns

Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns
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With all the heartbreak the Browns have gone through over the past several decades, it's amazing the team still has supporters. Not only do the Browns have supporters, but they have some of the best fans in the NFL.

4. Minnesota Wild

Chicago Blackhawks v Minnesota Wild - Game Six
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4. Minnesota Wild

Chicago Blackhawks v Minnesota Wild - Game Six
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Minnesota sports fans are just as passionate about hockey as Canada is and they show it with their rooting for the Wild. While the team is having a rough go this season, they still sell out games regularly. For some reason, they're usually not recognized among hockey's best fan bases, but that's where they belong.

3. Oakland Raiders

Denver Broncos v Oakland Raiders
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3. Oakland Raiders

Denver Broncos v Oakland Raiders
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A lot of people realize the Raiders have a great fanbase, but don't think about just how much the fanbase has been through. Raider Nation has had to deal with a decade of horrible football after some great seasons in the early 2000s. That torture may soon be over, but this fanbase still being around is a testament to its tenacity

2. Sacramento Kings

Phoenix Suns v Sacramento Kings
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2. Sacramento Kings

Phoenix Suns v Sacramento Kings
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The NBA keeps nearly moving the Kings out of Sacramento, but every time they do, there is some serious pushback from the fans. They don't want to lose their team and they fight for them. Not too many fanbases can say they've done that.

1. Golden State Warriors

Indiana Pacers v Golden State Warriors
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1. Golden State Warriors

Indiana Pacers v Golden State Warriors
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There's a reason why the Oracle Arena in Oakland is called the "Roaracle." Warriors fans pack that stadium and make it extremely loud. They've been like this for a while, too, not just since the team got good again. With the Super Splash Brothers in town, don't anticipate this fanbase getting quiet any time soon.

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