Pretty solid points that a lot of people always make.  I have friends who refer to the folks that act like the article states as a cult.  I'm not sure it's too far off.   I think Bruce Hooley's comments are probably both the most telling, and the most accurate. 

I've come to believe that a lot of winning breeds this kind of stuff.  Consider that many people in Ohio have similar opinions about Steelers fans.  Both teams have substantial bandwagons from many consecutive years of successful seasons on the field.