There are 3 NFL teams with either “New York” in the name or a city from the state. But which team has the most hardcore fans in New York?
The Empire State is one the most populated states in the United States, with nearly 20 million people.
New York City is one of the worldβs most famous cities belonging to the state. Youβll find the 27-time World Series Champion New York Yankees in that city, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and so much more.
Three NFL teams have either βNew Yorkβ in the name or a city from the state:
- New York Giants
- New York Jets
- Buffalo Bills
Interestingly enough, though, the two New York teams arenβt located in New York. Instead, theyβre located close by in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and share the same stadium.
The Bills are located more north and close to Canada up in Buffalo.
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But that doesn’t mean there is no rivalry there. Just look at the Steelers and Eagles in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, respectively. Their stadiums are almost 500km apart, but they both belong to Pennsylvania.
With three teams representing New York and all having storied histories and accomplishments over the years, who has the most hardcore fans in New York?
Letβs start in the north with Bills Mafia.
Buffalo Bills
The most well-known fan base in the NFL is Bills Mafia, hands down.
While not all fans participate in the antics, this is what theyβre referred to as a collective group.
Before games, Bills Mafia will tailgate hours before the game and not only drink themselves into a drunken stupor but take it another level by hosting their WWE-like events, jumping through and putting each other through tables.
Now a Bills game is one Iβve attended in personβas a fan of another team.
Itβs like it was yesterdayβRavens wide receiver Torrey Smith returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Jumping up in excitement for my team was not well met by some of the fans who proceeded to lunge aluminum beer cans toward my head.
Thankfully managing to escape unscathed by the cans. That experience reiterated to me that Bills fans are hardcore.
There have been individual reports of violence like with any fans. But Bills fans are what weβd call a βrare breed”.
There are violent tendencies, but Bills fans are mostly obnoxious and meme-worthy. Making them worthy of a spot on the list of One of the most hardcore fans in New York.
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New York Giants
Itβs been tough sleddinβ for Giants fans since the glory days with Eli Manning beating the New England Patriots in 2004 and 2007.
Since then, there havenβt been many stories that point to Giants fans as being overly violent or rude. They’re not one of the most hardcore fans in New York, but rather something different.
According to World Sports Network, Giants fans rank as the most pessimistic fan base.


The study was performed using SentiStrength, which βmeasures the tone of a short piece of text and categorizes it as either positive, neutral, or negative.β
This makes sense. Thereβs been a lack of organizational structure with poor general management and head coaching. Heading into 2022, it should be better with new head coach Brian Daboll from the Bills and Joe Schoen as general manager.
The Giants drafted Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in 2019. This was commonly looked at as a reach, and the results have not lived up to expectations.
The 2022 season could be Jonesβ last in New York if he doesnβt perform, adding to the negativity from Giants fans.
New York Jets
Although the Giants dawn the same βNew Yorkβ in their name and share a stadium, it seems the stereotypical New Yorker is more like a Jets fan.
The Jets havenβt won a Super Bowl since 1969 with Joe Namath. Since then, there has been some success, including years with Mark Sanchez as the quarterback and Rex Ryan as head coach.


New Yorkers are somewhat abrasive, but the Jets havenβt been good in some time.
Since 2010, the Jets have only had two winning seasons and two seasons finishing 8-8. The rest were all losing seasons, with the lowest win total coming in 2020, going 2-14.
So, while there may be that arrogance from the average fan, thereβs nothing to back it up due to the teamβs struggles. Definitely not one of the most hardcore fans in New York.
Most Hardcore Fans in New York: Bills, Giants, or Jets?
While Bills Mafia is more prone to throw an aluminum beer bottle at your head, they also create some of the most viral and hilarious sports content. And, let’s be honest, they’re a very passionate bunch.
When compared to Jets and Giants fans, who are just negative fans with hints of arrogance, thereβs not much to go off there.
Bills Mafia wins this battle of most hardcore fans in New York, and theyβre by far the best team of the bunch.