Discover Card’s College Fan Poll Proves No Loyalty to the Chicken Wing

Do you have a favorite game-day snack? When you wake up in the morning, put on your teams favorite colors, and tune in to watch a game of competitive badminton, we all get the munchies, so what is your indulgence? When I settle in to watch some synchronized diving with my bucket of chicken wings, most the rest of the country is watching an aggressive game of football.

There is nothing more symbolic of perfect Americana than football and the foodie experience, where countless fans, both tailgating and at home, fire up the grills, order the pizza and party subs, and cook up those chicken wings. We all have our fan favorite team, but how do College football fans rank their favorite foods, and how do they compare across the different conferences?

Discover Card (Facebook/Twitter) recently questioned college fans across the country to determine what their favorite game-day snacks were, so lets look at the results.

When asked what their favorite snack was, 23 percent said pizza, followed by:

• Wings, 15 percent
• Chips and dips, 14 percent
• Nachos, 8 percent
• Hot dogs or sausage, 6 percent
• Pretzels, 4 percent
• Something else, 20 percent
• Not sure, 10 percent

Clearly the results of this survey show that the real chicken wing fans are those that follow synchronized swimming, as our fans favor chicken wings over any other food 2 to 1. Ludicrous! Maybe NFL fans fare better than college fans.

And 20% enjoy something else, and 10% are not sure? Who are these people getting surveyed. I want names and numbers. At my next football party (fine I will succumb and watch a game), maybe I need to have what those 30% want to eat. Sushi anyone?

When asked do game day calories count, fans answered with the following:

• 46 percent, No, my diet goes out the window when I’m tailgating or watching my team play
• 39 percent, Yes, but I still indulge in a few favorites
• 10 percent, Absolutely, I don’t overeat or drink when I’m tailgating or watching my team play
• 4 percent, Unsure

Well great, here is where we can all come together as Americans and agree, dieting and tailgating do not go hand-in-hand. Although trying to fit into your synchronized swimsuit may be a little tough after a bucket of wing sauce. College fans after all need to justify the Freshman 15.

Lastly, College football fans still have a healthy appetite for Alabama as nearly half, 49 percent, chose them as the best team in the country right now. The Crimson Tide has secured the top spot each week since the beginning of the season. Following Alabama:

• Oregon, 9 percent
• Florida State, 6 percent
• West Virginia, 4 percent
• Louisiana State University, 3 percent
• Kansas State, 2 percent
• Georgia, 4 percent
• South Carolina, 2 percent
• Some other team, 11 percent
• Not sure, 10 percent

When asked which of the above teams’ would win the national championship this year, Alabama came out on top at 45 percent.

For reference, here are some of the other Discover Card Fan Loyalty Poll results.
– Will Discover Card’s College Football Poll Tell the Results of the 2012 Presidential Election?

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Discover Card does compensate our family for being an official Fan Loyalty Correspondent, but any opinions are our own.