“No one cheers on their team like NFL fans. From the New England Patriots to Cowboys Nation, these diehard fanbases are as crazy and as sports fans come. Turns out they’re pretty clever too.
These football fans totally stole the show with their ruthless and ridiculous signs that make us want to pick up some poster board for the next game. We all know which one of these funny NFL signs we would bring.”
No point in wasting time. Let’s start things off with the hapless Cleveland Browns and this long-faced fella who sums up every single Browns fan since the team’s inception. We have to appreciate this fan’s immaculate attention to detail with his spot on depiction of Cleveland’s woeful football franchise, the Factory of Sadness.
Three if by Strike
First, we have the presentation itself:
It wouldn’t be like the Browns to simply present this poster for others to see. One must embody the utter despair with a look that says, “I may or may not have just finished serious cry sesh.”
Couple this forlorn gaze into the void with appropriately layered clothing for Cleveland’s frigid cold, and finish off the trifecta with a poster as plain as the Browns uniforms.
Perfection.
Props to this Eagles fan for bottling up the spirit of Philadelphia sports into one simple poster. It isn’t about rooting for the home team so much as it is disrespecting everything the opposing team stands for. This guy made sure to cover all of his bases with a nice two-for-one quarterback shot.
Pro Football Zone
Torching former Chicago Bear quarterback Jay Cutler is a classic NFL pastime for fans, but just because the Eagles were facing the Bears that day doesn’t mean other opponents shouldn’t have a target on their back too.
Philly’s hatred for the Dallas Cowboys (and vice versa) has made for a timeless rivalry that feels as raw as ever. In the City of Brotherly Love, there’s no wrong way to diss a Cowboy.
Splitting up with a significant other can be one of the hardest things we ever experience in life. When it turns out that love of our life is actually the 53-man roster that makes up the football team we live to root for… it goes from not pretty to downright ugly.
Todd Warshaw / Getty Images
No one wants to see a grown man cry. Now multiply that sentiment by an entire football stadium and we get the poor city of San Diego, desperately pleading they change so their beloved Chargers won’t leave for their popular Los Angelino neighbors.
Love hurts. Leave it to LA to steal a sweetheart sports team and toss it aside like yesterday’s news. Not Super.
For all of the trash talk the Philadelphia dishes out, the city gets just as much in return. One witty football fan flexed their pun game so strong with this sign even the most diehard Eagles fans can appreciate. Either that, or accept the fact that since a majority of the league despises the Birds, finding the culprit is like finding a needle in a haystack.
reddit
One thing all NFL fans can find common ground on is some level of disdain for our flawed government (so many branches to choose from!) and the USPS delivers us that in package form. Slowly, of course.
Thank backup quarterback Nick Foles finally delivering the city its first Super Bowl since 1960, Eagles fans may finally be able to look at this without being consumed by rage.
It’s one thing to attend an NFL game during the regular season; going to the playoffs is another thing entirely. Tickets are often gone as soon as they’re made available, so fans need to jump at any opportunity available. Unfortunately, sometimes that “window of opportunity” is less open than it appears. This Vikings fan saw a wide-open window that turned out to be all glass. (Here’s the fateful field goal that crushed this fan.)
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Since these are NFL fans, they know it’s their duty to keep it classy. This is likely why both the Packers and Cardinals fans grieved along with this kid by mocking his pain with some supportive boohoos.
We’ll give this fan the benefit of the doubt and assume he intentionally left out the “H” to symbolize the kicker’s inability to find the uprights.
Aside from the select few teams that are just happy to reach the postseason and end whatever brutal playoff drought they had endured up to that point, it’s Super Bowl or bust in the NFL. That means there are going to be a whole lot of unhappy football fans when January rolls around every year.
obsev.com
Then, there’s this one optimistic Green Bay Packers fan. No doubt, this Rodgers fan is a glass half full kind of girl.
Pouting about the team’s broken dreams isn’t going to accomplish anything, so may as well celebrate the Pro Bowl’s tropical weather (formerly Hawaii; now Orlando, FL) in what’s otherwise the worst all-star weekend in professional sports.
The Washington Redskins may not be the worst team in the league, but their front office sure does its best year and out to throw their name into the conversation. Not only are the good people of D.C. already victims of taxation without representation, their outlet to have some fun is rooting for the Skins. Woof.
New York Post
Washington sports fans have endured years of cheering for teams utterly destitute of success. Whenever it’s looked like the team’s on the right track, possibly stringing together a few solid games, team owner Dan Snyder diligently works to ensure that does not last.
(Shout-out Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals for finally bringing the horrific suffering of our nation’s capital to an end.)
If not to cheer on the home team, then spectators absolutely need to attend NFL games for the sole purpose of scoring some sweet deals, right? Just look at this Baltimore Ravens fan, who is mortified by the thought of a players strike that would bar him from taking advantage of some Sunday steals.
Smosh
Sadly, as clever as this sign is, getting four beers for $35 might only be possible by throwing a crumpled up wad of bills at the cashier and booking it before they get a chance to realize they were shortchanged.
At least the price of three bites of Dippin’ Dots still only costs one soul.
For too long, New York Jets fans have endured being a walking, talking skeleton key of phenomenal fan rebuttals. It doesn’t matter if it’s after a brutal loss, the end of a horrible season or something else negative entirely, fans can always look on the brighter side – at least they aren’t the Jets.
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“Could be worse” is the sentiment fans of 30 NFL teams – sorry, not you, Cleveland – can always share should their team suffer a dismal season.
If there’s one thing New York’s (other) faithful followers have on the rest of us, it’s thick skin. You’re either born with it, or you’ve been a Jets fan long enough.
No matter how embarrassing a draft pick, trade, play, game or entire season may be for Jets fans (obligatory butt fumble video), nothing they suffer will ever come close to the broken mental state that manifests from willingly being a part of the Cleveland Browns’ bleak existence. Existential dread was born out of the Factory of Sadness.
Boston Herald
While the Jets stumble through each season as smooth as Larry, Moe and Curly from The Three Stooges, the Browns approach losing with a calculated precision that borders what some would consider crimes against humanity.
On the plus side, at least decades of squander helped this poor guy save some money on supplies.
The Browns have had a monopoly on setting the bar low for NFL standards, but let’s not forget that the Detroit Lions gave Cleveland a run for its money in heroic fashion. Starting in 2001, it legitimately looked like the Lions might surpass the Browns as the worst franchise in the NFL, as highlighted by the league’s first ever winless season in 2008.
Detroit News
Thanks in large part to franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Lions have clawed their way out of the bitter pits of despair. That doesn’t mean they can’t still poke some fun at the Browns for being the first to do the only thing the Factory of Sadness does best – lose like it’s going out of style.
If commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners are taken out of the equation, the top villain left to direct all anger towards is a target big enough to see and hate from anywhere in the country. Come on, who else could it possibly be? We all know it’s Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The New York Times
After Brady’s infamous Deflategate scandal, fans from pretty much every team around the league finally had some solid ammunition to put the Evil Empire on blast, especially the Indianapolis Colts who were on the wrong end of TB12’s underinflated balls. (No pun intended. Yikes.)
As for the Indy fans who took advantage of their tunnel seats, well played.
Let’s be honest, the fact that every single sign on this list isn’t of a Cleveland Browns fan trashing their team took an unholy amount of restraint. Hard times make for creative minds – it’s like the beauty only a struggling artist can create… but sadder. If the Browns can’t beat any NFL teams, they’ll try and try again.
SB Nation
When repeatedly trying again for years and years doesn’t work, it’s time for a completely new approach.
Bring on the college teams, baby.
Just the thought of Cleveland fans roaring as the Browns actually take the field to face the NCAA powerhouse Alabama Crimson Tide is every bit as hilarious as it is depressing.
If there’s any NFL city we can trust to be fully prepared for whatever winter’s got every time Christmas rolls around, it’s Buffalo. Canada’s closest neighbors are as one with winter as humanly possible, meaning they know how to clear the roads and make way for Santa to touch down and do his thing. Prep all they want for Santa’s arrival, it still won’t help St. Nick deliver one thing.
Rich Barnes / Getty Images
A win.
The Bills Mafia can plow every last road, cook up truckloads of wings and write every single letter requesting saying all they want for Christmas is this one thing. The reality is, it just doesn’t matter. Only the Bills can a ‘W’ to Buffalo in December.
As much as it hurts, even Mr. Claus knows putting that type of responsibility on the Bills is asking for a nearly undeliverable gift.
Here it is – the legendary Cleveland Browns quarterback jersey. In the 1999 NFL draft, the Browns used the No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Tim Couch. What was hoped to be Cleveland’s savior turned into an ever-growing list of names – innocent young men turned lost souls after enduring the misfortune of starting under center for where dreams go to die.
Twitter
The craziest part about this giant list is the last name, Johnny Manziel, is already far from the bottom. There have been another seven since.
The Browns used the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft to take Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. May he be the eighth and final QB on this long, sad list.
This Green Bay Packers fan was not messing around taking this intense sign to the game. At a glance, it seems like she got a nice parting shot at her ex, as lounging out on the couch watching the game only to see this poster pop up on TV was likely a less than desirable surprise.
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On the other hand, boldly waving a poster to announce that your relationship was a total disaster doesn’t seem like the healthiest way to get over it and move on.
Taking the green and red lettering and all of the Santa hats into account seems to hint that this was a holiday affair (zing), soooo Happy Holidays?
Never underestimate the power of the football gods. No one understands that more than the holiest Pittsburgh Steelers fan in all the Terrible Towel-waving land. Fans all across the nation look up to the sky and pray for a miracle when it matters most, but this guy has some serious pull.
nfl.com
It really is a fantastic image: Jesus, in the flesh, waving one of Pittsburgh’s Terrible Towels and giving coach some otherworldly advice. Even better – Jesus chilling on his belly, feet in the air, surrounded by markers while coloring this in.
Silly as the thought may be, the obvious move here is to run the ball. Definitely not trying to upset Big Poppa.
There are fan signs that profess love for a player, signs that boil down hatred for a player into a few choice words (or images) and sometimes even simply point out an observation. Then there are signs that are signs just for the sake of signs. Sounds silly, but there’s no arguing that the best way to get on TV is to make a sign, and who doesn’t want to get a little TV loving?
Ranker
The many wonderful things a child’s innocence has to offer the world is always a breath of fresh air at an NFL game (or any pro sport; let’s be real, people). This cardboard sign illustrates exactly why.
Why, yes. Yes, that is a cardboard sign. And, yes, that definitely just got you on CBS.
Well done, small child. Never grow up. We have enough of those already.
Baltimore Orioles fans love their catcher, Matt Wieters, both on and off the field. For teams with a fanbase that has a history of not feeling invested in their team, it’s a miracle when they’re still able to get behind the success of one of their players. It takes a true star to shine in an unfortunate situation like that, but this is something that Wieters accomplished with flying colors.
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For all the hard work he put into the team, his fans decided to show their appreciation in other ways, specifically by making signs like this. Any Orioles game will always pay homage to Wieters.
No matter how a player or team may become hated over the years, it will never reach the level of animosity felt for commissioner Roger Goodell. Be it Goodell’s blatant disregard for the players’ health and safety or acting as the team owners’ patsy, players and fans always have more than enough reason to have a strong distaste for the league commissioner.
CBS Boston
Goodell’s questionable means of suspending Patriots quarterback Tom Brady – though plenty of disgruntled fans agreed with the decision – in 2016 was the final straw. New England fans struck up the rally call that “Roger Goodell is a clown,” and it’s been accepted as fact since.
Really though, this was more of a scientific confirmation, giving proof of what we already knew to be true.
This young Vikings fan must absolutely crush it in school. He’s a boss. First off, he’s already clearly a math whiz with the way he’s dropping this double negative knowledge on us. Second, no doubt he has a good roast ready if anyone tries getting a good burn on him.
Twitter
There is one glaring question here, though. How is it this little purple people eater has two Cheeseheads for parents when he’s clearly living in Minnesota? Good for him for standing up to the big green and going skol.
Another option is mom and pops are from Green Bay, in which case, get ahold of your son. Can’t tolerate such blasphemous insubordination.
This Broncos fan was not playing games when she sat down to write up this bad boy. There were no intentions of making this poster look pretty (buying a pink board is about as far as that effort went); this was all about coming up with a message that would hit right in the big fat feels.
Sports Retriever
Props for The Biggest Loser reference, because that’s actually pretty clever. But good lord, what is going on with the execution here?!
Sheesh, maybe just make the font, you know, big enough so that the Chiefs fan right in front of you doesn’t have to squint to read it. Maybe she was stylistically going for the kidnapper ransom note look.
One of the rarer occurrences in the NFL is capturing a genuine smile on the face of a Bills fan. There simply aren’t many opportunities for such an occasion, especially when the Patriots are involved. Of course, the only thing most of the country has to smile about involving the Patriots is watching any pain or suffering involving Tom Brady.
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When all else fails, Deflategate jokes never go stale.
Even if they did go stale a while ago, which will never be the case when TB12 is involved, just imagine being the one to break the news and wiping away the joy on their innocent faces. Go ahead and tell them that isn’t clever and the Bills stink. Yeah, didn’t think so.
As always, Philly shows up with yet another flawless display of fandom by dishing out some of that unparalleled love the city’s become so famous for. Actually, this G-rated form of hostility is something we can all get behind, considering the special occasion. It’s the 2017 NFL Draft, meaning there’d be an appearance by the beloved commissioner.
SB Nation, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Since Philadelphia was hosting the draft, this Eagles fan wanted to be sure he came prepared.
It is every NFL fan’s duty to mercilessly boo Roger Goodell. This guy just wanted to be 100 percent certain that even if the commissioner couldn’t hear all of the individual hate, he could still see it without any problems.
There’s never a bad time for a South Park reference and, for Patriots fans, there’s never a bad time to rub their championships in the rest of the league’s face. These little nostalgic ’Memberberries that love to remember the glory days so much are recalling a certain moment from one of Tom Brady’s many Super Bowl appearances.
Boston Herald
The Seattle Seahawks looked to be headed toward certain victory, marching down the field in the final two minutes. With 27 seconds on the clock and one yard to go, a handoff to red zone assassin Marshawn Lynch would assure victory.
Rather than juice up Lynch with some Skittles and let the man go Beast mode… they passed.
’Member? (See fourth sign for help ’membering aid.)
Let’s take it back to a simpler time, a time when Chad Ochocinco simply went by his given name, Chad Johnson. Let the nostalgia wash over and remember how football was just about football, not the individual. When celebrations rarely ventured past the simple spike of the football.
cincinnati.com
Unless we’re talking about guys like this Bengals legend, Mr. Ochocinco.
Between Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens, there was enough personality to distribute across a few football leagues. With the number of ridiculous celebrations these two bust out at every game, they probably earned enough fines to fund a few leagues too.
It has been a long and slow journey for the Jaguars to build up a respectable program in Jacksonville. There have been more than a few bumps along the way, but the wait is finally paying off. Of course, INSANE decisions like the one this poster points out have not helped.
Ranker
In 2012, the Jags actually decided that selecting a punter in the third round would be a fantastic idea. Five picks later, the Seahawks took Russel Wilson off the board.
Two Super Bowl appearances later, Jacksonville fans probably feel pretty much the same as they did when this first happened.
There are three options, and three options only that could possibly describe the sign situation we have going on here: a) This is the most unbelievably optimistic homeless person. b) She is the most diehard Eagles fan in Philly. c) It’s an insane coincidence, and she’s talking about a different Tom Brady.
Corey Perrine / Getty Images
We do have to give this girl some credit since Nick Foles came out of Super Bowl LII hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in victory, while Brady went home with nothing.
Then again, Brady went home, so… you know, even though he went home with nothing, he still went back to something. We’ll give this one to her anyways.
Could it be that Philly really has royalty suiting up under center for the Birds? We doubt it, but may as well just Google “Eagles quarterback” to take a little loo. By the big-hatted guards of Buckingham Palace, it’s marvelous. It’s official, Carson Wentz is the undisputed ltimate bearded doppelganger of Prince Harry.
Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
The Eagles may not be landing the next in line for king of the British throne, but holy man of Meghan Markle did Philly still score big by getting House Windsor to quarterback its team.
Who needs Prince Charles? All we want are some stylized Queen’s Guard helmets on the O-line to complete the outfit.
There are some things that – no matter how bad we may wish and want it to happen – there is no coming back from or getting over. For the Atlanta Falcons, that’s the devastating loss suffered at the hands of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. Sorry, Atlanta, but it was really only a matter of time before this came up.
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
It’s one thing having to deal with gloating Patriots fan, but when the ENTIRE league constantly serves reminders that Atlanta blew a 28-3 lead… that’s just living in nightmare.
And you know it’s powerful when teams that haven’t even come close to a Super Bowl appearance in years still use it and it actually hurts.
Between the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers, we have two beautiful sunny cities that bring nothing but joy and two terrible football teams that bring nothing but sorrow. Scratch that, we only have ONE team that disappoints its city now that Los Angeles stole San Diego’s squad.
Donald Miralle / Getty Images
By far the best part of this picture is that this Dolphins fan actually got two people to autograph a sign that is trashing their team. Looks like this Fins fan got the last laugh in multiple ways, now that he gets to remind his smart pal his team is MIA. Too soon?
No surprise to see disgruntled Chargers fans coming out in droves with the way owner Dean Spanos screwed both the entire city of San Diego and the team. Without a doubt, the decision to move the Chargers to Los Angeles immediately ranks the team dead last in city support, and we’re talking professional and college teams.
Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
Not only is essentially every “home” game essentially an away game for the Chargers in LA, they are literally playing in a soccer stadium.
This poor guy’s sign sums it all up. Two Hall of Fame players who enjoyed the entirety of their careers in a city that loved and cheered for them will end their careers in a tiny stadium filled with opposing fans.
This Falcons fan is willing to accept the reality of the traumatic experience the Patriots put them through in Super Bowl LI. With Atlanta pitted against the AFC East, they’d at least get a shot at some redemption in the regular season. That’d have to wait a couple weeks. First, the lowly Bills.
Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images
The worst part? The Bills ended up handing an ‘L’ to the Falcons. To make matters worse, the Dolphins did the same thing next week. Don’t forget the Patriots repeated the process the following week.
Atlanta may be east coast, but they don’t want anything to do with the AFC East. Woof.
That’s clever and all, except for the whole thing where this Cowboys fan seems to have forgotten we haven’t been in the ‘90s for quite some time now. Not only have the Cowboy’s not won a Super Bowl since 1995, the Eagles literally went on to win it all in 2017. 20/20 hindsight, right?
Rich Schultz / Getty Images
This Cowboys fan bragging about championships from decades ago is the football equivalent of Yankees fans constantly dropping “27 titles” on us. That’s really neat, guys. Were you there for those back to back pennants in 1927 and 1928? We’re so angry we missed those and all the others they won before we were born.
Nothing wrong with enjoying a little more trashing of our favorite San Diegan villain, Dean Spanos. Prices of every and anything at an NFL game always manage to clean out our pockets, but just thinking about that first line is a hard pill to swallow. Buying a pair of season tickets for $2,600 is one thing, but for the Chargers?!
Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
The fact that an organization that’s been this poorly run for such a long time could have the audacity to drop those prices is outrageous.
For the sake of being fair, that “silver spoon” part about Spanos is quite accurate, so maybe it’s a simple misunderstanding and he just doesn’t understand the value of a dollar. Wait, this isn’t even funny… Thanks for killing the vibe again, Spanos.
Go, Firefox! No, seriously. Go. Fire Fox. What looks like nothing more than the Firefox internet browser logo to the vast majority means something else entirely to Chicagoans. Bears fans would see that sign and nod approvingly, as former John Fox’s tenure (2015-17) as Chicago’s head coach ended with one of the worst records in team history (14-34).
Twitter
This image perfectly captures the tumultuous times of the Fox-led Bears. Three straight seasons finishing dead last in the NFC North was enough to bring disgruntled fans out of the woodwork all the way in Philadelphia to speak on Chi-Town’s behalf.
Two positives: This fan’s genius is showing, and the Bears finally don’t suck.
Ahh, the great Pacific Northwest. The spectacular corner of the States known for its lush greenery, stunning national parks and the rainiest rain rain ever rained. Seattleites understand that dreary fact as well as anyone from the the cloudiest coast, and this Seattle Seahawks fan took it upon himself to spread the world.
obsev.com
Although there’s some highly questionable comma and apostrophe usage, we’ll look past the offending grammar to appreciate the ski-goggled good Samaritan’s message, because that’s what matters most.
Heed his warnings: Seattle literally rains on any parade, even if it’s for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
Any city that rains on its team’s parade simply can’t be trusted. No wonder the Supersonics left.
A certain someone in North Carolina who really digs the Panthers is NOT happy about a particular past player. Cam Newton may be Superman, but even superhero quarterbacks need capable receivers if throwing is going to be a part of the game plan. Therein lies the problem with wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.
Twitter
After a monster rookie season, a torn ACL looks to have been the downfall of the promising receiver. He came back looking a whole lot heftier and a whole lot slower.
When the Panthers traded the receiver to Buffalo, safe to say he hasn’t been missed a ton. To this Panthers fan, Benjamin is more like Benji.
After both Super Bowl XLIX and Super Bowl LI, some cheeky thief snuck into the Patriots locker room and managed to nab Tom Brady’s game jersey. Pats fans know that an overwhelming majority of the NFL hates New England, but there could only be one culprit willing to commit such a heinous act.
NBC Sports
Robber Roger Goodell.
Nobody’s disdain for Brady and the Pats is more glaringly obvious than the commissioner’s. The man went to the end of the earth to get Brady suspended and knowing how petty he’s been in the past, would we really put it past him to cop a jersey too?
Wow, there he is right there, in the flesh, straight chilling with the common folk in the stands. Jesus, that’s crazy. Scratch that. Cameron Wake is GOD?! Woah. Guess we really do learn something new every day. We suppose there were signs of, like how He graced Canada with His almighty presence before joining the NFL for a Pro Bowl-laden career.
Sports Retriever
Nonetheless, of all the NFL teams, the last one we’d expect God to be suiting up for is the Miami Dolphins. On the other hand, He does always tend to those who need Him most. Bless His soul, and bless His son’s soul for being such an avid supporter of pops.
Whoever is willing to sit (or stand) through an entire Green Bay Packers game without a winter jacket is rugged. A person willing to go through one of these frigid games without a shirt is just plain crazy or just plain dumb…. or a very unhealthy mixture of both. Frost bite, anyone?
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On the plus side, this guy isn’t as dumb as his brother, at least according to his sign. That poor guy has apparently been rooting for the Raiders on purpose! It’s true what they say – for some people, winning really isn’t everything.
Who are we kidding, this guy’s brother is soaking up the sun in California. Point Raiders bro.
Sources: Pro Football Reference, CBS Sports