Pro Football's Most Passionate Fans

Book excerpt: Professional football is the most popular sport in the United States today. With so many famous players from the past and present, some of whom achieved notoriety because of a persona they created, there are fans who have also made a name for themselves by either their work and loyalty for their team, or by creating an alter ego with respect to how they cheer or support their team. Some have incredibly wild and outrageous outfits. On game days, some of these diehard fans take longer to get themselves ready for games than the players they cheer for! The face paint, the outrageous outfits, the chants and cheers, and the attention to detail are what make these fans unique. During football season, these diehard fans can be seen each weekend as they showcase themselves in support of their team in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers worldwide. In 1998, Visa sponsored a national contest to find the wildest, most loyal, and most intriguing fans for each team in the league. The award was entitled, The Visa Hall of Fans Award as fans were chosen from each team based on their submitted essays and photos. Contestants had to explain why they should represent their respective team in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. At the time, a special wing in the Hall was created to honor these diehard fans. Visa awarded plaques to the winners -- originally at the Hall, and later in front of the hometown fans at each team s stadium. The Hall of Fame displayed the plaques for a year until the new class of fans was selected and their plaques were displayed. At that point, the prior year s winners had their names placed on a permanent wall plaque in the Hall of Fans wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Since the days of the original Visa promotion, this group of honorees has carried on the tradition of recognizing ultimate fans each year. Some of the fans are easily recognizable by their outfits and their nicknames. Sadly, some have passed on. This book profiles and showcases many of those fans who were honored by Visa at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As you read through the book, you will undoubtedly recognize many of these famous fans. But for those fans who are not so easily recognized as some, this book s aim is to illustrate that all of the fans who were honored by Visa possess as much passion, loyalty and enthusiasm as the next. So when you watch Pro Football this season and always, keep this book handy and when the cameras pan the NFL stadiums, see how many faces you can spot from the group that calls themselves .. Pro Football s Most Passionate Fans!