Who’s got the most loyal NFL fans in Athens?

Saturday is full of the familiar scarlet and gray from fans of our stately neighbors to the north and the occasional smattering of Cincinnati Bearcat gear.

There is a noticeable lack of hunter green and white, Ohio's official colors. While students wear T-shirts and sweatshirts that sport their university pride, that's not the same as wearing gear that evokes athletics pride.

For better or worse, Ohio is not a school steeped in rich athletic tradition. Students generally do not come here because of the athletics program. Sports-crazed students usually channel their passion into other teams, teams they are familiar with.

On Sundays, students and community members really show where their sports allegiance lies.

The lack of a sports rich tradition at the university has resulted in an incredibly passionate set of NFL fans on campus.

Each Sunday, fans of teams don their jerseys or shirts proudly as they cheer on their favorite teams. The campus is dominated by fan bases of three teams: the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.

So which fan base is the most dedicated? Which set of fans are the most passionate? This ranking is not focused on which team has the most fans, but rather which team has the best fan base on campus.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have toiled in futility for years. Until recently, they were a laughing stock in the NFL and fans suffered through years of losing seasons and poor performances.

Perhaps Bengals fans are conditioned to expect failure from the team. Or maybe fans are more invested in the city's other major professional team, the playoff-bound Reds. But no matter the reason, Bengals fans are quick to lose faith in their team and accept mediocrity.

The Bengals have never won a Super Bowl (though they have played in two Super Bowls, something the Browns can't say). Many of their fans have begun to accept the fact that maybe the team simply cannot win a championship. The fans instead embrace the small victories. Beating the Steelers or winning a division can make the season for Bengals fans. But at the first harbinger of bad things to come, fans jump off the ship and lose faith in the team.

A solid fan base has to be dedicated to supporting their team through the wins and the losses. Being a fan is like a marriage, being committed to the team through the good times and the bad.

Bengals fans are distinguished by their propensity for shouting, "Who Dey!" but if the season heads south, those voices will turn quiet. A great fan base can never be silenced.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

On campus, Steelers fans are in enemy territory. Supporting an out-of-state team that's a bullying rival to the in-state teams, Steelers fans are significantly outnumbered by fans of the in-state teams.

And Bengals and Browns fans do not like the Steelers.

The Steelers are one of the most successful franchises in professional sports, winning six Super Bowls, more than any other NFL franchise. Steeler fans have been spoiled by success recently, with the team winning two Super Bowls in the last five years. Many of those wins have come at the expense of the Bengals and Browns. Again this season, the Steelers are considered among the favorites to return to the Super Bowl.

This success makes them a target on campus, but Steeler fans do not waver. Though they face harmless ridicule from other fans, they do not flag in their support of the black and gold. They exude the same confidence that their favorite team displays, a confidence that can border on snobbish. Steeler fans hold the team to a higher standard than the other teams ranked here. They expect the team to win championships, and wins against division opponents are just part of a larger goal.

So if the Steelers fans are so loyal and confident, why are they not ranked as the best fan base?

Because rooting for the Steelers is easy. Rooting for a team that consistently competes as one of the NFL's premier teams does not test the loyalty of a fan base. Yes, not every season is a great success, but Steeler fans are conditioned to believe that they will see success in the near future.

So maybe the Steelers have great, dedicated fans, but it is not tough to root for a great team. Staying loyal to a perennial loser is much more difficult.

Speaking of perennial losers...

1. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are part of a city of tortured sports franchises. The Cavaliers lost LeBron James, and the Indians have been in steep decline since making the playoffs in 2007. The Browns have had two winning seasons since 1999 and have lost 10 or more games in six of the last seven seasons. As of this writing, they were already 1-3 so far this season (A previous version of this article mistakenly stated the Browns' record as 3-0, a mistake an editor [a wishful thinking Browns fan] made in transposing the numbers. The new 1-3 record here reflects all four games played up to this point in the season).

That does not stop Browns fans from staying fiercely loyal.

Cleveland fans proudly sport their team's gear every day of the week. In nearly every classroom, a Browns T-shirt or jersey can be spotted.

Their loyalty in the face of futility is admirable. Bengals fans are used to losing and are not as invested in the team. Steeler fans expect winning, but remain loyal when the team loses.

It is difficult to say whether Browns fans really expect winning or losing, because they have the same dedication each week, no matter a win or loss.

Despite poor talent evaluation and shoddy ownership of their team, Browns fans stick by their team. If Browns fans had been in the same situation as Tiger Woods' ex-wife, they would have stuck by him and renewed their vows.

Why Cleveland fans remain so loyal is beyond any rational explanation. No one would blame Browns fans for giving up on the team and finding another team, yet they remain attached to the team.

Maybe that's what makes Browns fans special: nothing can faze them. Not losing seasons, ugly uniforms, recurring major injuries to players, or even Tim Couch.

That is why the Browns have the best fan base on campus. So congratulations, Cleveland, you finally won something.