A New Jersey research firm has issued a survey that rates the Green Bay Packers with the strongest brand in its local market in North America. The Steelers, ranked No. 1 last year, slipped to No. 3 in this year's list.

This seems like heresy at the epicenter of Steeler Nation, but, as other condemnors of heresy have found in ages past, there isn't much point in arguing with science.

Anyone in a No. 7 or a No. 43 black-and-gold jersey could argue all day whether the 300 sports fans in the Pittsburgh area polled for Turnkey Sports & Entertainment were truly representative, but in the end the ranking is no embarrassment. As Lee Perna, the firm's president and CEO, said of this city's football fans: "They should be very, very proud of where they fit. There is nothing bad to say about the Steelers whatsoever."

That being so, it leaves us to say only bad things about the other pretenders to having the most loyal local fans. In Green Bay's case, the football team plays in a tundra-like setting where the only entertainment is to don a yellow, foam cheesehead and become a human icicle. Moreover, Green Bay's ranking owes a lot to the fuss over quarterback Brett Favre, who retired from the Packers only to re-emerge with the New York Jets.

As for the No. 2 team in local brand loyalty -- baseball's Boston Red Sox -- their fans are their own rabid nation, which the perennially losing Pittsburgh Pirates can only dream about. (The Bucs slipped from 72nd to 90th among the teams in the survey.)

One thing for sure is that Pittsburgh is a sports town and fans have the luxury of choices. The Penguins were rated the eighth strongest local brand, up from 20th last year. No other city except Boston (with the Rex Sox, the New England Patriots and the Celtics) has more than one team in the top 10 brand in a local market.

Now, if only one of our teams can become No. 1 where it really matters -- in winning a championship.