Independent poll by ESPN the Magazine as written in the Green Bay Press Gazette:
Packers franchise ranks tops in the nation
ESPN The Magazine study includes all sports
By Warren Gerds
[email protected] Top five
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. Sacramento Kings
5. Dallas Mavericks
Bottom five
114. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
115. Detroit Lions
116. Detroit Tigers
117. New York Knicks
118. Cincinnati Bengals
Source: ESPN The Magazine’s “The Ultimate Standings”
Packers’ rankings
Here is how the Green Bay Packers ranked in the individual categories on which ESPN The Magazine’s “The Ultimate Standings” are based. The categories are listed from most to least important among fans. The Packers were the only franchise to rank in the top 10 in all eight categories.
• Bang for the buck: How well a team performs on the field, measured against the money it receives directly from fans: 10
• Fan relations: How the teams and owners interact with the local fan base: 3
• Ownership: Overall commitment and effort owner makes to players, coaches and fans, as well as a willingness to spend money and commit to winning: 2
• Affordability: From tickets to apparel to parking to concessions — what it costs to be a fan of a franchise: 1
• Stadium experience: Cleanliness, parking, security and promotions at the home venue: 4
• Players: Effort given on the court, field or rink, and how likable they are off them: 10
• Coaching: Quality of on-field coaching/managing for the franchise: 9
• Championships: How successful and dedicated the team has been in pursuing and winning championships: 6
Wisconsin’s teams
• Green Bay Packers: first overall, first among NFL teams
• Milwaukee Bucks: 58th overall, 15th among NBA teams
• Milwaukee Brewers: 107th overall, 28th among MLB teams
In a ranking of every professional sports team in North America, the Green Bay Packers are No. 1.
“Wow, that’s amazing,” said Doug Mancheski, one of the team’s prime fans.
Mancheski and Packers President Bob Harlan were fascinated Monday on hearing the results of an ESPN The Magazine study involving 121 franchises.
“That’s quite an honor,” Harlan said of “The Ultimate Standings,” which will reach newsstands Wednesday.
In the analysis, the Packers were the only franchise to rank in the top 10 in all eight categories.
“I have always maintained that from top to bottom — I’m talking about being in a small town, owned by the fans, 12 world championships, 19 players in the Canton Pro Football Hall of Fame, historic stadium — everything about it makes it the most wonderful story in sports,” Harlan said. “I think this probably verifies it.”
The standings were determined from three sources.
One was 1,000 telephone surveys of sports fans in the United States and Canada. That was done by a Connecticut marketing firm.
Another was a poll in which 34,000 fans judged their favorite teams on ESPN.com.
Another drew on a financial review of each team for the past three seasons. That was done by a marketing center at the University of Oregon.
“What we came out with was fan-driven standings, with fans giving feedback and ranking which franchises reward them most for being a fan,” said Paul Melvin, publicist for ESPN The Magazine.
