Just how supportive is the Miami Dolphins fan base?

A recent study from OLBG.com (Online Betting Guide) revealed that teams consistently sold out their games and generated the most conversations online over the past ten years. The study also measured the amount of fan positivity or negativity. The goal? To gauge which fanbase was the most supportive in the NFL.

The Dolphins have had the sixth-most supportive fanbase in the league throughout the past decade. Their percentage of stadiums filled was 98 percent during the 2013-2014 season, climbing to 101 percent during the 2023-2024 season. The number of fans increased by two percent over the decade.

The Dolphins had 2,000,000 online mentions. Twelve percent of the online conversations were positive, and 24 percent were negative. The Dolphins’ online mentions by capacity was 30.6 percent.

The Dolphins were the highest-rated AFC East team, with an overall score of 55.8 (out of 100). The New England Patriots were next, placing 14th. Despite their success, they saw an eight percent decrease in fans.

The Patriots’ percentage of a packed stadium dropped from 104 to 96 percent. The amount of negative chatter nearly doubled the positive. The Patriots finished with an overall score of 44.1, tied with the Denver Broncos.

The Buffalo Bills, with an overall score of 40.7, ranked No. 18. The New York Jets, with an overall score of 35.9, ranked near the bottom of the rankings at No. 26.

The number one team on the list is the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys sported an impressive 110 percent capacity of stadium filled, which increased throughout the decade to 117 percent in 2023-2024. The Cowboys were part of 3,000,000 million online mentions. Only the Kansas City Chiefs were higher at 5,000,000. The Cowboys’ 67.4 overall score was the highest, of course.

The Dolphins, ranked sixth on the list, could see those numbers bolstered in time. The product on the field is more than worthy of the support. South Florida has a playoff-caliber team with an offense that is not just powerful, but high-powered, arguably one of the most high-powered offenses in the league.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – At least one person was taken into custody Monday morning after Miami Gardens police and multiple federal agencies served a warrant at a home.

Miami Gardens police confirmed that a federal operation was unfolding at a home in the area of Northwest Seventh Avenue and 179th Terrace.

Miami Gardens police officers were spotted at the scene along with FBI agents and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Sky 10 was above the scene as a man was placed in handcuffs. A couple of children were spotted nearby.

Police confirmed that the warrant was served peacefully and there were no threats or injuries.

Further details about the warrant were not immediately disclosed.

Ask columnist Jason Williams anything − sports or non-sports – and he’ll pick some of your questions and respond on Cincinnati.com. Email: jwilliams@enquirer.com

Subject: Another college football rivalry is lost

Message: It’s sad to see the Miami-UC football series is coming to an end. Long-time fans of both schools still cherish the regional rivalry, despite the game losing its luster over the past 20 years. How do you feel about the series being cancelled?

Reply: Yep, it’s sad but certainly not surprising. And reaction to the news that the fourth-longest-running rivalry in big-time college football is ending in 2026 shows not many UC or Miami fans care.

For those who do care, no need to cast blame on either UC or Miami. We’ve learned to accept regional rivalries aren’t important to the college football oligarchs beyond a handful of games. Realignment – and the haves-vs.-have-nots schism that’s come with it – has killed games like this.

Regional, non-conference rivalries are especially on the endangered species list. Moreover, the cancellation of the UC-Miami series will end the longest-running rivalry between schools from power and so-called Group of Five conferences. The Utah-Utah State rivalry, which started in 1892, came to an end in 2015 – five seasons after Utah joined a power conference.

So you knew this was coming after UC moved to the Big 12 last season. The conference has moved to nine league games, reducing the number of non-conference games to three from four. For its part, Miami needs a massive paycheck to help the athletic department budget when it goes on the road to play a power conference team. That wasn’t happening with the UC series.

Face it, if the UC-Miami rivalry hadn’t become so one-sided, the reaction to cancelling the series might have been different. But UC had won 16 consecutive games vs. Miami before the RedHawks defeated the Bearcats in overtime at Nippert Stadium last season.

The rivalry really hasn’t been fun since the 1990s and early 2000s. When I was a student at UC from 1993-1997, UC went 3-1-1 against Miami. Besides the 1994 tie, every game was decided by one score. The Miami games were among the few that filled up the Nippert Stadium student section back then. In those days, UC needed Miami. Now every game fills up Nippert.

We’ll have plenty of time to reminisce about this historic rivalry, which began with a riveting 0-0 tie in 1888. But I couldn’t help but think of two men who were on opposite sides of the Victory Bell rivalry when it was The Game for both schools – late legends Jim Kelly Sr. of UC and Wayne Gibson of Miami.

They both played in the 1940s before going on to work for their schools’ athletic departments and being named to their universities’ halls of fame. Kelly and “Gibby,” who was a close friend of my late grandfather, respected the rivalry and lived for keeping the Victory Bell in their athletic departments.

Those days are long gone. It’s long been just another game to the UC and Miami players and most of their fans.

But hopefully, the 60-60-7 series record can help today’s players and younger fans have some appreciation for this rivalry. RIP, Victory Bell.