Best & worst franchises in sports
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by user Shrubbery
So, since soooo many have taken issue with my assessment I'll throw down my criteria. The factors in deciding which franchises are the best/worst are as follows: 1) recent success; 2) winning % over the last 25 years; 3)recent failures; 4) coaching, both historically and now; 5) ownership competency; 6) financial viability; 7) size of market and television revenue. Without further adieu…
Best Franchises
These franchises have set the bar that all other teams must reach. All have solid ownership, hire great people, they win, and they are amongst the most celebrated and imitated organizations in sports.
1. New England Patriots
All you have to know is the Pats have three Vince Lombardi Trophies in four years. Only one other NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys, has ever won three Super Bowls in four years. Team owner Robert Kraft was widely criticized when he hired Bill Bellichick but no one is laughing now. Bellichick is now regarded as the best coach in football and maybe one of the best ever. But that’s another argument for another day. When Kraft took over the Patriots in 1994 the team was last in the league in attendance and revenue…they’ve sold out 114 straight games since. Within three years Kraft & Co. turned around a floundering franchise and had it playing in the Super Bowl in 1996. Over the last five years the Pats have been the best team in football and one of the most profitable. In 2002 Gillette Stadium opened. What is unique about this is the stadium is the largest privately financed venue in sports. Kraft has created the most sound business model in the NFL.
2. New York Yankees
Love ‘em or hate ‘em no one can argue that the Yankees are the most recognizable team in American sports. No other franchise can lay claim to the historical significance that is the New York Yankees. The most visible team in America’s largest city the Yankees own more professional championships than anyone in North America. Enigmatic owner George Steinbrenner has built a team that has won with almost frightening consistency. World Series champs in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 the Yankees have 26 crowns. When you figure the team started in 1903 that’s a title every four years. Some of the most famous personalities in sports have played for the Yankees: Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Lou Gehrig are but a few. As a long time baseball hater it pains me to say this but Yankee Stadium is a cathedral. No other venue in sports, save Notre Dame Stadium, has the lore and spine tingling aura of the “House that Ruth Built”. If you’re a baseball fan do yourself a favor and attend a game in the hallowed confines of Yankee Stadium and visit Monument Park, buy a Coney Island hot dog, soak in the experience, and bottle it.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
When then owner Jack Kent Cooke sold his sports empire to real estate mogul Jerry Buss the stars aligned foretelling the future of the most successful North American sports franchise of the last 25 years. Since 1980 the Lakers have won eight NBA championships with only two losing seasons and a gaudy .650+ winning percentage. They own the league records for wins by a franchise and are second in championships. Former General Manager Jerry West built one of the most enduring sports dynasties in America. Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaq, and Kobe Bryant were all brought in by West and cemented the mythos of the most financially valuable team in basketball. West not only made brilliant player personal moves he also hired arguably the two best NBA coaches ever. Together Pat Riley and Phil Jackson combined to coach the Lakers to seven NBA titles and twelve finals appearances. The blood feud between Kobe and Shaq has tainted the image of the Lakers but not their legacy.
4. San Antonio Spurs
The forgotten team from central Texas has racked up three NBA titles since ’99, not bad for a team in one of the smallest markets on the continent. Originally an ABA franchise the Spurs were a consistently average to good team until Gregg Popovich was hired. In his nine years as head coach Popovich has led the Spurs to the playoffs every year but one. Dell Harris had the Spurs on the edge of greatness but Popovich pushed them over…with a little help from Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Since 1990, the Spurs have had one losing season, and that netted them the lottery pick that would be Duncan.
5. Manchester United
Now some will scoff at the notion of Man U on this list but if you look closely you just might learn a thing or two. According to Forbes Magazine Manchester is the most valuable sports franchise on Earth. With an estimated worth of $1.2 billion Manchester is at least $200 million more valuable than the richest team in North America, the Washington Redskins But overall worth does not paint the whole picture. Since 1993 Man U has won eight English Premier League titles. They’ve also won the UEFA Cup twice in their history. Even though the current ownership situation is in flux Manchester remains the most admired professional sports team in the world. Truly a marketing phenomenon this team’s jerseys and merchandise are coveted in nearly every country with an even timid soccer following. Manchester United is a nearly perfect marriage of marketing, team success, and financial health.
6. Denver Broncos
Pat Bowlen was recently named by ESPN as the best owner in sports. You can’t argue with his results. Bowlen purchased the team in 1985 and immediately put his brand on the Broncos. Five AFC Championships and two Super Bowl titles later the Broncos are still one of the most consistently good/great franchises in sports. In 1995 Mike Shanahan was hired as head coach and has been at or near the top in his profession ever since. John Elway went to three Super Bowls under Dan Reeves but never really had a legit chance to win until Shanahan arrived. Elway had his best statistical and most successful years with Shanny including back-to-back Super Bowls in ’97 & ’98. This team has sold out every home game since 1971 and boasts maybe the most passionate fans in all of sports. In Denver football is a religion and the deities are clad in blue and orange.
7. Detroit Red Wings
If you’re a hockey fan it is impossible to argue with the fact that the Wings have been the best team in the NHL for over a decade. Winners of the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998, and 2002 the Red Wings have been dominant since the early 90’s. Coach Scotty Bowman directed the team to five division titles before his retirement in ‘02. All tolled since ’90 the Wings have won eight division crowns, four President’s Trophies (awarded for best record), and three Stanley Cups. The list of Red Wings alumni is staggering: Gordie Howe, Terry Sawchuk, Marcel Dione, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Federov, Chris Chelios, Domanik Hasek, and Niklas Lidstrom. As a Colorado Avalanche fan I’ve grown to hate the Dead Wings but I will not deny their achievements. What a segue…
8. Colorado Avalanche
The former Quebec Nordiques came to Denver in ’95 and the love affair began immediately. The key to their success has been Pierre Lacroix. The master of the trade deadline acquisition and free agency Lacroix has brought in superstars Patrick Roy, Ray Bourque, Rob Blake, Paul Kariya, and Teemu Salanne to join team stalwarts Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Adam Foote. Lacroix's retirement will hurt but Stan Kroenke is a solid decision maker. The Avs hold the record for most consecutive division titles in the history of the NHL, and are second only to the Atlanta Braves for the record of consecutive division titles in all North American sports. Add to that two President’s Trophies and two Stanley Cups and you’ve got one of the most successful sports teams of the last decade. Owner Stan Kroenke bought the Avs, Denver Nuggets, and the Pepsi Center in 2000 and has directed his investments in virtual silence but with a deft touch. Known affectionately as “Silent Stanley”, Kroenke has been one of the most unobtrusive owners in sports, the direct antithesis of Steinbrenner, Jerry Jones, and Al Davis. He’s brought in good people and let them do as they wish. More so than any executive in sports Kroenke knows that he’s not part of the game.
Tie 9. Philadelphia Eagles
They played in the NFC Championship four years in a row and just narrowly lost to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX. The Eagles have been a perennial playoff contender for nearly fifteen years and have finished first or second in the NFC East ten times since 1988. They also have some of the most boisterous fans around. Since Jeffrey Lurie bought the team in ’95 the Eagles have been in the playoffs eight times and have over 100 wins. Only the Green Bay Packers have more post season appearances in that time and only four other teams have as many wins.
Tie 9. Green Bay Packers
Speaking of the Packers no NFL franchise is as beloved by its fans as the Pack. The only publicly owned team in the four major sports the Packers play in the smallest media market of any other team yet they sell out every game in sun, rain, sleet, hail, snow, ice, etc. Without a doubt the Pack some of the most loyal fans in the world. With nine playoff appearances in eleven years, a Super Bowl title, and a stadium that sells out like clockwork the Packers are a model of competitive and financial success. There are season ticket holders in every state and four foreign countries. The estimated wait for season tickets is 30 years. Packers’ fans aren’t going anywhere and if football is a religion in Denver in Wisconsin it’s a birth right.
Honorable mention
Dallas Mavericks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Boston Red Sox, Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Atlanta Falcons
In my continuing quest to disseminate vast amounts of sports knowledge I bring to you the definitive list of the ten worst franchises in American sports. The losers are…
Worst Franchices
10. Detroit Lions
These guys have been so bad for so long it almost defies logic. Matt Millen has made some decent moves, drafting Roy Williams and Charles Rogers, but the organization as a whole has been mired in mediocrity since the day I was born. But with young players like Teddy Lehman, Boss Baily, and Kevin Jones they potentially have a bright future. The hiring of Steve Mariuci was a good move but then they fired Mooch after two seasons and hired former Tampa Bay assistant Rod Marinelli. The presence of Wayne Fontes in the coaching carousel that is the Lions taints the rest, unfortunately. Fonts had arguably the best running back in the history of football, Barry Sanders, and put him behind a bad offensive line in a run-and-shoot offense. Other luminaries like Bobby Ross, Darryl Rogers, Monte Clark, and Marty Mornhinwig have prowled the sidelines for what was once one of the most storied teams in the NFL. They’ve won one playoff game in forty years.
9. Atlanta Hawks
Attending a home game for this team is like going to a fourth grade band recital. The crowd there is so quiet you can hear the popcorn popping in the concourses. They average fewer than 12,000 per home game and rarely sell out even home playoff games. Atlanta has one of the most apathetic fan bases in sports. Even when they had Dominik Wilkins and were competing for playoff spots their fans were still non-supportive to say the least. Far from the most historically inept franchises ever their absentee fans alone are reason enough for inclusion on this list. That and they’ve stunk up the NBA hardwood for the better part of the last ten years. Maybe the number five pick in this year’s draft will change their fortune. But then that begs the question…would anyone in Atlanta even care.
8. Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks now own the dubious honor of having the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL. Team owner Bill Wirtz has been roundly criticized by ‘Hawks fans, the media, and NHL observers for his penny-pinching ways. Jeremy Roenick, Ed Belfour, and Chris Chelios are just a few of the gifted players that have been traded or jumped ship. The Hawks situation is so bad that their flagship radio station recently dropped their contract. Other than that they’re just fine. *Snicker*
7. Milwaukee Brewers
But for the presence of Bud Selig and his daughter the Brew Crew might have been headed for oblivion. When the league flirted with contraction a couple years ago Tampa Bay, Montreal, Minnesota, and Kansas City were all rumored to be headed for the hatchet. Lost in all this was the fact that the Brewers have been every bit as unsuccessful as any of the teams mentioned but escaped contraction talk for one reason only…Bud Selig. Imagine the size of the egg on Bud’s face if his own team had been scrapped. I’m smiling just thinking about it. The new ownership seems a skosh more competent, has a brand-spanking-new stadium, and a bit of recent success. But they've only got one playoff appearence since moving to Wisconsin in 1974, the '82 AL pennant.
6. New York Rangers
How much money has this team spent on big name busts? Answer: a bundle. The Rangers have been in the top three in NHL payroll for ten years but have made the playoffs only once since ’96. Players like Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure, Bobby Holik, and Darius Kasperitis have been relied on to turn around this floundering squad but they’ve only succeeded in underachieving and crippling the bank. General Manager Glen Sather has alienated nearly everyone in hockey and let the best leader the sport has ever seen, Mark Messier, go to Vancouver. What’s the most reliable sign a player’s career is going to hit the skids? They’ll play for the Rangers. Don’t let this year’s version fool you. Jaromir Jagr carried these guys to a first round drubbing at the hands of the Devils. ‘Nuff said.
5. Los Angeles Clippers
The only reason this team isn’t number one with a bullet is that they’ve actually shown a flicker of life the last few years, and soundly beat the dysfunctional Denver Nuggets in their first round series in five games. The perpetual anchor dragging down this team is and always will be owner Donald Sterling. The pariah of the NBA, Sterling has admitted he’s not as much about winning as he is about profit. This team refuses to resign young talent, Elgin Baylor is possibly the worst GM in sports (his GM of the Year Award aside), their drafts have been awful, they have no fan base, and they rarely sell out even in the second largest city in America. The Clippers have been so bad for so long it is almost incomprehensible.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
The laughable Bungles more closely resemble a pack of constipated wildebeest than an actual NFL franchise. Owners of the overall number one pick three times in the last twelve years the Bengals have next to nothing to show for such lofty first rounders. The jury is still out on Carson Palmer but Dan Wilkinson and Ki-Jana Carter are amongst the biggest draft busts of all time. Bengals’ owner Mike Brown, much like the aforementioned Sterling, apparently has an aversion to re-signing his own talent. Not to mention the squandering of one high draft pick after another. Their record since 1990 is 80-166. They win barely a third of their games. There history in a microcosm was seen as Palmer completed a 66 yard pass to wide out Chris Henry only to have Kimo von Oelhoffen roll up on and blow out the ACL in Palmer’s left knee. And their first playoff appearance since 1990 went up in flames in bit of poetic irony.
3. Colorado Rockies
They burst onto the scene when Eric Young clubbed a homerun in the team’s first ever at bat. Three years later they pushed the vaunted Atlanta Braves to six games before losing in the playoffs. It’s been down hill ever since. With only one bona fide star, Todd Helton, the Rockies have been mired in last place since the millennium switch. Gone are the days of 2 to 3 million in yearly attendance, the most widely sold merchandise in baseball, and any semblance of competitiveness. To show you how bad the fortune of this team has turned sure fire Rookie of the Year candidate in 2005 2B Clint Barmes, who was hitting .325 with 34 RBI’s and eight home runs, was walking up a flight of stairs with groceries in tow when he fell and broke his collar bone; turned out that the alleged groceries were in fact bundles of deer meat. Too bad Coors Field houses such a putrid team. But hey, the micro brews are yummy.
2. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The only reason they’re not firmly in the top spot is the fact that they’ve only been stinking it up for eight years. The Rays play in the worst venue in sports. Should you ever get the impulse to visit Tropicana Field just lock yourself in a hermetically sealed Tupperware bowl and breathe your own air for three hours. Then for your added enjoyment watch bad baseball on artificial turf. You’ll beg for death inside of thirty minutes.
1. Arizona Cardinals
Speaking of living hell I truly feel for Cardinals’ fans, all seven of them. This team is the gold standard of futility in all of sports. Owner Bill Bidwell may be the most hated owner in sports and without a doubt the most inept. The last time they won a championship was 1947. Since 1980 the Cards have had four seasons of .500 or better with one playoff victory and they have AVERAGED 5.5 WINS A YEAR in that span. When they moved to the desert in 1988 little did they know their new address would be 666 Purgatory Lane. Good luck Edgerin James and Matt Lienert, you'll need it.
Honorary mention-Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, New Jersey Nets, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Islanders, Denver Nuggets, San Francisco 49ers, New York Knicks
Date
Thu 06/08/06, 6:22 pm EST
