BLOG: 49ers Most Followed Team in Hawai’i County

Without a home professional team, Hawai’i is known as a place where football fans cheer for a number of different teams.

Twitter, the popular 140-character social media website, aimed to find out the popularity of different National Football League teams, based on the counties that people live in and which teams they follow.

In Hawai’i County, the San Francisco 49ers are the most followed team on Twitter. The social media network’s “#NFL Fan Map” found that the 49ers are followed by 10.45 percent of Big Island users.

It is natural for the 49ers to top this category. Former University of Hawai’i offensive lineman and fan favorite Jesse Sapolu was drafted by San Francisco and now works in the team’s front office. Another former Rainbow, Dana McLemore, spent most of six seasons in the Bay Area. Other notables include Isaac Sopoaga and Jeff Ulbrich.

Following the team is easy. Games are aired every week on KPUA-AM, the longtime affiliate of the San Francisco 49ers radio network, originating from KNBR-AM 680 in San Francisco.

San Francisco was also the most followed team in every other county in the state, except for little known, and little populated, Kalawao County, located on the island of Molokai. This tiny dot on the map represents a population of 90 people, making it the second-smallest county in the country (and yes, it is considered a county). Twitter Sports’ findings say that the Dallas Cowboys were the most followed team in that area, tracked by 11.51 percent of users there. San Francisco came in second.

The Big Island does have a local standout in the pros, and he happens to play for the 49ers’ rival, the Seattle Seahawks, who came in second on the list with a following of 8.14 percent. Max Unger, a graduate of Hawai’i Preparatory Academy, is a Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl champion, but has battled injuries this season that has forced him to miss some time.

Don’t forget about Dallas, or as some faithfully call, “America’s Team.” Over six percent of Hawai’i County tweeters follow the Cowboys.

Of course, not everyone uses Twitter. Plus, one individual could follow multiple teams or all 32 NFL teams if they choose to.

Was your favorite team left off of this list?

Get a complete breakdown of every county in every state by clicking here.