I saw an article earlier this week that conveyed data compiled from X in which BetOnline.ag attempted to calculate which NFL fan bases had the largest constituency of people wanting to boycott Super Bowl LIX. The study compiled the frequency of tweets that included both team branded hashtags and some combination of the words “boycott” and “Super Bowl.”
I have no idea how exact this study was, but the list they sent out passes the eye test:
Bills – 24,816
Ravens – 22,489
Lions – 17,862
Browns – 14,637
Vikings – 11,893
Saints – 9,556
Dolphins – 8,743
Bengals – 7,563
Cowboys – 7,248
Giants – 7,145
Broncos – 6,942
Bears – 6,608
Commanders – 5,964
Jets – 4,236
Patriots – 2,981
Raiders – 2,877
Texans – 2,533
49ers – 2,332
Titans – 2,179
Packers – 2,154
Chargers – 2,075
Steelers – 2,039
Buccaneers – 1,746
Rams – 1,736
Jaguars – 1,693
Panthers – 1,485
Falcons – 1,355
Seahawks – 1,273
Cardinals – 1,237
Colts – 1,229
Eagles – 582
Chiefs – 347
I can understand the Bills Mafia, the nickname for Bills fans, being at the top of that list after they were the latest victim of refereeing ineptitude in games that happened to involve the Chiefs. Makes perfect sense. Texan fans sit right in the middle, 17th on this list, so I say all this to encourage 2,533 of you whose tweets made it into this study to still watch Super Bowl LIX, as there are numerous former Texans taking part in some fashion.
If you’re wondering exactly who I’m talking about, the list is below. Here is my rooting order for the nine former Texans employees that are involved in this game. You should know that, overall, I am rooting for the Eagles, so no Chief, even a beloved one like DeAndre Hopkins, will supersede an Eagle on this list. Here we go:
9. CHARLES OMENIHU, Chiefs defensive end
Omenihu was a solid rotational defensive lineman for the Texans his first couple seasons in the league, but somehow he ran afoul of the David Culley/Jack Easterby regime in 2021. Eventually, Nick Caserio traded him to the Niners for a Day 3 pick. He is down at the bottom of this list, because for some reason he can’t turn the page. The dude loves to still throw shade at the Texans, so he can kick rocks.
8. STEVEN NELSON, Chiefs cornerback (practice squad)
Nelson was signed onto the Chiefs practice squad with a few weeks to go in the regular season. Nelson couldn’t resist throwing shade both as a Texans, and after leaving the Texans. While here, he made fun of Caserio’s vests that he liked to wear, in an odd attempt to get a raise, then after leaving the Texans last season, he called DeMeco Ryans a “Milk Dud head” on social media. That’s no way to get any love.
7. JUSTIN REID, Chiefs safety
Reid was always a popular Texan, and is a really good guy. That said, he’s won two rings since leaving the Texans, so I really don’t need him getting even MORE hardware. The fact that he doesn’t name call puts him above Omenihu and Nelson.
6. DeANDRE HOPKINS, Chiefs wide receiver
Hopkins is on a borderline Hall of Fame career track, and while he’s slowed down in recent seasons, a Super Bowl ring would certainly be a nice feather in his cap when it comes time for John McClain (or whoever is repping Houston on the Hall of Fame committee by then) to make a case for Hopkins.
5. CAMERON ERVING, Eagles offensive lineman (practice squad)
Erving was in training camp with the Texans in August. That’s about all I got. He’s only above the previous four on this list because I’m actually rooting for his team to win.
4. BOBBY KING, Eagles linebackers coach
King spent four seasons in Houston with Bill O’Brien and one with David Culley coaching linebackers. That alone should make him a sympathetic figure to Texans fans. Go King!
3. THOMAS BOOKER IV, Eagles defensive tackle
Booker was drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, and was with the team for one season before getting waived just prior to the 2023 season. He’s managed to hang on with the Eagles for a couple seasons. He always seemed like a nice guy!
2. CONNOR BARWIN, Eagles Head of Football Development and Strategy
Barwin is a Texans legend, and a key piece of the defense on the two best versions of the Texans in franchise history, the 2011 and 2012 teams. While he was in Houston, Barwin was a man of the people, often seen around town at some of the more interesting hot spots. The only negative for Barwin is that he was one of the catalysts behind the letterman jackets the Texans wore to New England in 2012, on the night they got throttled on national television.
1. VIC FANGIO, Eagles defensive coordinator
Fangio was the Texans first ever defensive coordinator, and was with the team for the entirety of the Dom Capers Era, 2002 through 2005. Since then, he’s bounced around, largely successfully, as a defensive coordinator, and had one head coaching stint in Denver that didn’t go great. Fangio has never been part of a Super Bowl team, so seeing him do so for a team in his home state of Pennsylvania would be very, very cool to see.
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