When people think of polling, they tend to automatically conjure images of ballot boxes or people with clipboards in a mall who not only want all your personal information but also wish to glean as much free data from you as possible as you sip a coffee or chow down on a burger.
However, there are other sectors where polls are not only useful but can even be fun too, with their results giving sports fans around the world a sense of togetherness, as they realize that they have all been having the same worries and aspirations all along.
This article is dedicated to such sports polling sites, with a particular focus on US sports and its millions of dedicated followers.
Table of Contents
SB Nation FanPulse
This weekly poll from the ever-popular SB Nation is amazing for so many reasons, with perhaps the most pertinent one being that users can select the team whose polls they either wish to peruse or contribute to themselves.
While some of the topics covered in these SB polls can often be light-hearted jokey affairs, there are other more serious ones that can give sports bettors and keen fans alike the insights that just cannot be found via other avenues.
This means that such polls can actually become highly useful tools that punters, who go in search of that extra edge, can use when considering basketball, baseball, or American football betting odds and wagering options, as they ponder whether or not to follow the advice of an expert sports tipster.
So, whether you want to know if other fans agree with your opinion of the new Chargers uniform or how an NFL playoff game’s odds stack up, the SB Nation FanPulse polls are the ideal resource to have to hand. If you wish to vote in the polls yourself, you are required to sign-up, but that is a small price to pay to be involved with such a fun project.
ESPN Sports Nation
It is not just blogging platforms that are developing areas where people can peruse and take part in polls. Major broadcast networks are also using the data collected from such projects to use in everything from their 24-hour news feeds to their pre-game build-up shows.
ESPN is a good example of this, inventing the hashtag #PulseOfTheNation, which they use to find out exactly the way sports fans feel about certain pressing issues.
Whether this is to find out which NFL player had the best performance over a given weekend, or which college star an NBA franchise should select in the draft, these polls can be real eye-openers for fans, journalists, broadcasters, and sports industry insiders alike.
Chat Sports
Chat Sports is a one-stop-shop for sports fans who want to stay constantly updated regarding specific teams, as well as feeling a part of an online sporting community.
As part of their mobile-specific service, Chat Sports are constantly running polls, and like them to be about controversial topics, such as whether fans believe Matt Stafford is overpaid by the Lions, or which pitcher will win the Cy Young Award.
Amway Coaches Poll
Some sports polls are so famous that many fans and sportswriters alike return to them again and again, eager to see what their latest results are.
The Amway Coaches poll is one of these. The poll takes place on a weekly basis and asking top NCAA Football coaches around the country which teams and players they rate as being the best and worst across the divisions.
Baseline
Last but not least is this excellent website dedicated to tennis. Baseline regularly runs polls about which ATP and WTA finals were the most exciting of the year, along with many other revealing topics.