Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers finish at No. 87 in FanSided’s 2018 Fandom 250 rankings

By Peter Panacy

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 02: A San Francisco 49ers fan in the stands for the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 02: A San Francisco 49ers fan in the stands for the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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FanSided’s 2018 Fandom 250 rankings are out, and the San Francisco 49ers ended up finishing at No. 87 among all platforms — not bad considering some tough years.

It’s that time of year again. The folks over at Niner Noise’s parent company, FanSided, have been working hard to put together the top 250 fanbases across all platforms wrapping up 2018.

And guess what? Your San Francisco 49ers made the list.

The full rankings, which can be found here, include all sports, entertainment, music, lifestyle and a variety of other topics. So it’s pretty safe to say just making the list puts a team or topic into pretty good company.

The Niners, of course, came in at No. 87 overall.

Before we go any further, let’s just throw this out there. In 2016, the 49ers were unranked in FanSided’s Fandom 250. This was the case again last season where, despite San Francisco finishing on a five-game winning streak, the Niners weren’t exactly top tier enough to warrant consideration.

So, for those of you clamoring to see the red and gold higher, just feel happy the 49ers went from back-to-back unranked years all the way into the top 100.

Personally, it’s fitting to have San Francisco wind up at No. 87. For the casual fans out there, that’s Niners legend Dwight Clark‘s old number, who sadly passed away from ALS earlier this year.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – DECEMBER 04: Former 49er greats (L-R) Joe Montana and Dwight Clark look on before the game between the St Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on December 4, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – DECEMBER 04: Former 49er greats (L-R) Joe Montana and Dwight Clark look on before the game between the St Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on December 4, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Here’s what FanSided had to say about the placement:

"The 49ers have been supported for a very long time, but things have been difficult since the team relocated from San Francisco to Santa Clara, making it a substantial drive for a majority of the fanbase. San Franciscans are still showing up, but with the team struggling since the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh, the fans have been less inclined to fill the building. This year, things were expected to be different with Jimmy Garoppolo providing both hope and a reason to show up, but his Week 3 knee injury scuttled that notion. While the fans in San Fran are beginning to come back into the fold, it has been an uphill battle since leaving Candlestick Park."

Fans flocking to Levi’s Stadium know the story. While a phenomenal facility, the nostalgia of Candlestick is hard to match. It could be a full generation before that completely changes.

But we digress.

Here’s FanSided’s list of recognized NFL teams in this year’s Fandom 250:

  1. Cleveland Browns (No. 1)
  2. Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9)
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 16)
  4. Green Bay Packers (No. 18)
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (No. 28)
  6. Dallas Cowboys (No. 40)
  7. Buffalo Bills (No. 55)
  8. Minnesota Vikings (No. 56)
  9. New England Patriots (No. 67)
  10. New York Giants (No. 75)
  11. Seattle Seahawks (No. 85)
  12. San Francisco 49ers (No. 87)
  13. Chicago Bears (No. 96)
  14. Oakland Raiders (No. 105)
  15. New Orleans Saints (No. 114)
  16. Washington Redskins (No. 135)
  17. Houston Texans (No. 144)
  18. Denver Broncos (No. 152)
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 208)

“At least we’re gaining on those Seahawks,” you might say, right? Well, it’s close. The gap might not be closed just yet. But at least the fanbases are equalling out.

According to FanSided, anyway.

So let’s get back out there, 49ers Faithful, and remind the rest of the NFL world why we should be ranked towards the very top each and every year.

Oh, and kudos to the Browns. Usually it would warrant some fun-poking to see Cleveland ranked that high. But after years of dread and sorrow, the Browns are actually watchable again. Enjoy the moment, Browns fans.

Next. FanSided releases Fandom 250: Top fanbases everywhere in 2018. dark

I’d take being a Niners fans over a Browns fan any day, however.