We've seen it in commercials and on sit-coms for years: the average pro football fan portrayed as a grunting, jersey-wearing, beer-swilling, face-painting, chest-bumping, blue-collar guy in his twenties or thirties. How accurate is that stereotype? Not very, according to a Harris Interactive poll released this week.

Harris conducted a nationwide survey of US adults in September, and asked if they follow professional football. About half (49%) said they did, a stat holding steady, give or take a point or two, over the last 15 years.

Of those answering "yes", 63% were male, 37% were female. (So contrary to another common stereotype, there may not be as many "Football Widows" out there as we may have thought, when over a third of those watching football each weekend are women.)

The largest fan group by age is Baby Boomers (age 43-61) with 55% saying they follow football. Gen Xers, the 31-42 year-olds (and the ones most often depicted rooting for their team in beer commercials), tied for second with The Matures, those 62 and older, at 49% each. (Does this mean Miller Lite should start sending The Commish to the senior center?) "Echo Boomers", the 18-30 year-olds, were the least likely to follow the sport, with only 42% saying they do. (Why watch it on TV when you can be part of the action on Madden NFL '08?)

The poll also revealed the more educated someone became, the more likely they were to be an NFL fan. While only 45% of those with just a high school degree follow football, more than half with "some college" (51%), and 55% of college grads, do. Those with a post graduate degree? They're the biggest gridiron fans, with 60% tuning in on Sundays.

It shouldn't come as a surprise then, that the income level of fans rises along the same track as their education. Football was least watched by respondents earning less than $35,000 a year (41%), as opposed to 59% of those earning over $75,000, the group with the highest percentage of fans. (I'm wondering if regular viewing on a 56-inch plasma has anything to do with that.)

The poll also asked respondents who followed football to name their favorite team. Once again, and for the fourth time in eight years, the Dallas Cowboys were the favorite. (Dammit, they really are "America's Team".)

So the next time you see a middle aged guy in a business suit, climbing out of a European luxury car on his way to his law office, ask him how he thought Romo did on Sunday.

The full survey and results, as well as Harris' methodology, can be read here.