In the heart of Frederick, MD, a digital town square with over 22,000 members is stirring up its annual NFL season debate, thanks to a popular cartoon (featured photo). Frederick Unplugged, a Facebook group founded by local resident Herbie Balboa, has become a hub for community discussion, and its latest feature is designed to get people talking.
Inspired by the classic comic strip Bloom County, Balboa’s cartoons are a humorous take on local life. “I grew up reading Bloom County and wanted to bring that style of humor to Frederick County,” he explains. The series has tackled a wide range of topics, including local elections, the new city flag, the Flying Cows Basketball team, and the proposed entertainment tax. This time, the subject is the NFL and which teams Frederick County residents support.
Balboa’s latest cartoon outlines the presumed fan percentages in Frederick County: Commanders lead with 50%, followed by the Ravens at 30%, Steelers at 10%, Eagles at 7%, and Cowboys at 3%. “Honestly, I believe most people would emphatically disagree,” he said. The cartoon is a tool to gauge the fan base and ignite engagement within the group. We’ve previously discussed the home team situation for Montgomery County in the past– it can be seen here.
While his personal fandom is tied to his roots in Philadelphia, where he “was born in North Philly,” he acknowledges a more nuanced reality for Frederick County. Balboa recalls his late uncle in Philadelphia who never got to see an Eagles Super Bowl win, a victory he now cherishes. However, when asked to pick a single home team for Frederick County, Balboa chose the Commanders.
Despite a strong Ravens presence, he believes the Commanders have a “deeper historical and cultural roots” in the area. The recent buzz around quarterback Jayden Daniels is creating a “new sense of pride and palpable excitement in the DMV,” something Balboa feels has been missing for a while. He concludes, “They are contenders again,” a sentiment that resonates with many long-suffering fans and is fueling the renewed energy in the region.
Balboa, a retired Air Force veteran who served multiple tours and whose last duty station was Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, is a transplant to Maryland. A native of North Philadelphia, he created Frederick Unplugged during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to stay connected with his neighbors. The group has since grown into a major platform for local news, business highlights, entertainment, and humor, and is the birthplace of the Frederick County cartoon series.