According to The Athletic, Giants fans are second most pessimistic fanbase

[shadowspinner0]

The Athletic ran a survey to gauge how optimistic fans are about their teams this year. Lions fans are most hopeful while Saints fans are the least. Giants fan's hopes rank: 2nd last

[FL GMAN]

Judging by this board I would agree

[Gmo11]

What exactly have they done in the last decade or so to warrant optimism? 

[AZGiantFan]

Gee, how did that happen?

[PSUBeirut]

I feel this in my core.  And I am a hardcore optimist in every other area of my life.  They have beaten the optimism out of me and I go into this year with absolutely zero hopes and dreams.  Seriously hoping for pleasant surprises to get me back onto the optimist train!

[VanPelt]

How can New Orleans be worse?

[DaveBrown74]

I think one thing you're seeing in this chart is a lot of the pessimistic fan bases are of teams that have done great things in the past but aren't looking particularly good right now. The Giants, even though it has been over a decade now, have done great things in the past. The Pats obviously have too. So have the Saints in the Brees/Payton era. So have the Cowboys, albeit now we're going back a few decades. But you get the idea.

Conversely, this chart is saying that some of the most optimistic fan bases are of organizations that have never won a super bowl. Detroit is right at the top. Not only have they never won a Super Bowl, but until very recently they've been pretty consistently bad since their existence. The Bengals are up there in optimism, and while they have come close, they have never won. Neither has Atlanta. Neither has Houston, including when they were the Oilers.

Fans who have tasted greatness but haven't had it in a while and won't get it this year are among the most bitter it seems. Fans who have never had tasted it but have a glimmer of hope this year are among the most optimistic.

Interestingly, if you think about how people often behave in real everyday life, you can sort of see parallels with this.

[Bob In PA]

Ya see?  It's not me... it's you! 

By comparison to this bunch of sour-puss bummers, I only LOOK LIKE Pollyanna.

Actually, I'm nothin' but a regular old fan... y'all are just making me look calm.

Bob

PS. Go Daniel!!! (rah-rah)

[MightyGiants]

Carl Banks had a great answer to this.  If the Giants want to turn around their fanbase, they just need to start winning.

[Giant Jim]

Back in the late 80's or early 90's, I had a long delay for my connecting flight between SF and Nwk in Dallas, TX. They gave us a food voucher for a tavern/restaurant. When we got there, the Giants were playing the Redskins on the TV and beating them pretty good. Seemed like everyone that walked in asked what the score was? After hearing the score, you could tell the Giants fans from the Redskins fans.

Redskins fans-"Ooooooooh".
Giants Fans-"They'll blow it".

[Bob In PA]

Carl Banks had a great answer to this.  If the Giants want to turn around their fanbase, they just need to start winning.

...and I thought I was "Master-Of-The-Obvious"  . Bob

[Bob In PA]

Back in the late 80's or early 90's, I had a long delay for my connecting flight between SF and Nwk in Dallas, TX. They gave us a food voucher for a tavern/restaurant. When we got there, the Giants were playing the Redskins on the TV and beating them pretty good. Seemed like everyone that walked in asked what the score was? After hearing the score, you could tell the Giants fans from the Redskins fans.

Redskins fans-"Ooooooooh".
Giants Fans-"They'll blow it".

Great story, and so true... it gives a whole new meaning to the express "true blue" fans.  Bob

[TDToomer]

Back in the late 80's or early 90's, I had a long delay for my connecting flight between SF and Nwk in Dallas, TX. They gave us a food voucher for a tavern/restaurant. When we got there, the Giants were playing the Redskins on the TV and beating them pretty good. Seemed like everyone that walked in asked what the score was? After hearing the score, you could tell the Giants fans from the Redskins fans.

Redskins fans-"Ooooooooh".
Giants Fans-"They'll blow it".

I'm not buying this tale. Us fans were very optimistic during that time, even early into Handley's tenure. I don't recall epic blown leads like we saw with Fassel and Coughlin.

[Ed Vette]

Pessimistic or realistic?

[Giant Jim]

I'm not buying this tale. Us fans were very optimistic during that time, even early into Handley's tenure. I don't recall epic blown leads like we saw with Fassel and Coughlin.

I don't appreciate being called a liar here. You can send me a personal message if you don't believe something I post. I looked up the vacation, then the game. The Giants were up 24-9 in the 3rd quarter when we arrived. It was in 1988, they were 2-2 going into the game and came in last place the year before with a losing record. My story was fact, not opinion.