Scientific Proof: Mets Fans Prefer Metal, Yankees Fans Like Rap
I’ve been making the argument for years via this site’s Metal Mets column that the Mets are the team of the people, by far the most metal of all baseball teams, while their cross-town rival Yankees are the team of the 1% elitist upper-crust d-bags. Now I’ve got scientific proof to back those claims up!
The study comes from Exponential Interactive and was published on AdAge.com, and it tracked the online behavior of 1.3 million baseball fans gearing up for the season last month. Here’s the money quote:
Legendary Yankees closer Mariano Rivera may be known for sauntering to the mound to Metallica’s foreboding “Enter Sandman,” but it’s the fans of the National League club to the south in Queens who dig metal bands. That’s one of the tidbits gleaned by ad-intelligence outfit Exponential Interactive, which tracked 1.3 million baseball fans gearing up for the season last month online.
People who root for the New York Mets are also more likely to work in construction than fans of other teams, according to the Exponential data. It’s a portrait not unlike the stereotype of the blue-collar Mets fan.
People who checked out Yankees-related content online also appear to fit some stereotypes associated with fans of the team with the highest payroll. They are more likely to earn $250,000 or more annually — more than fans of any other Major League ball club. And, as superstar second baseman Robbie Cano signs with novice agent Jay Z — whose hip-hop tune “Empire State of Mind” has become somewhat of a Yankees anthem — it comes as no surprise they are more likely to appreciate rap music. They’re also 24 times more likely to seek information on tax preparation, according to the tax- and spring-training-season study.
So there you have it! Check out the AdAge.com article for more fascinating generalizations about MLB teams and their fans; for example, fans of the Atlanta Braves are 67 times more likely than the rest of the population to show interest in teeth whitening, Washington Nationals fans are 39 times as interested in telescopes and eight times more likely to be involved in online dating, and Chicago White Sox followers are nine times more likely to check out home security systems online. Whodathunkit?
As for the Mets, we’ve got a nice start to our season so far, eh? Hopefully we can keep up the pace and avoid last year’s mid-season implosion; I’ll believe it when I see it. But for now, Matt mothafuckin’ Harvey every 5 days is a treat to watch, amirite??
For more, and to learn about the methodology behind the study, click here. I leave you with this mind-boggling infographic:
Additional reporting: Former MS intern Matt Heafowitz
