If one had to make a list of the professional sports fanbases who have endured the most suffering over the last few decades, it would be hard to find a better option than the Detroit Lions.
Sure, the team’s fortunes have improved of late, but that doesn’t make up for the historical ineptitude of the franchise. Since 2000, the Lions have had just seven winning seasons and have made the playoffs just five times.
When you factor in that three of those winning seasons and two of those playoff appearances have come in the Dan Campbell era, then the picture gets even bleaker.
Thus, it’s not surprising that the Lions apparently have one of the most foul-mouthed fanbases in the NFL.
Bill Speros of Bookies.com recently analyzed 1,000 Reddit comments from each of the 32 NFL fanbases to identify which fanbases use the most curse words. The Lions came in at No. 10, with 103 of the 1,000 surveyed comments containing foul language.
This finding likely surprises no one. The city of Detroit is known for having tough, resilient people who aren’t afraid to speak their mind. Add in decades of watching a fledgling NFL team, and it’s no surprise that Lion fans like to curse.
Of the NFC North teams, only the Chicago Bears have a more profane fanbase the Lions. The Bears came in at No. 5, while the Vikings came in at No. 16 and the Packers came in tied at No. 31.
It’s probably also not surprising that the Chiefs and Packers, who have enjoyed plenty of success, are the two fanbases who use the least amount of foul language. The Jets, meanwhile, who have also been a dumpster fire of late, are the most vulgar fanbase according to Speros.
As mentioned earlier, things are looking up for the Lions, though. In 2023, the team came one game shy of making their first Super Bowl in team history, and in 2024, the team won 15 games in the regular season.
Heading into the 2025 season, the Lions are widely considered to be one of the five-or-so teams with the best shot at winning it all. The team returns most if its key starters from 2024, and will also welcome back a healthy Aidan Hutchinson and a promising rookie class.
While it may take a while for Lions’ fans to become more positive, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the fanbase fall down this list if the team keeps winning.
