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The Mag: Ultimate Standings 2009

Welcome to ESPN The Magazine's seventh annual Ultimate Standings, in which we measure how much MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises give back to the fans in exchange for all the time, money and emotion the fans invest in them.

Perennial Top-10 finisher the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim grabbed the top spot this year for the first time, thanks to their array of affordable tickets, strong coaching and likable players. Curiously, their neighbors just up the road on I-5, the Los Angeles Clippers, are on the opposite end of the rankings, coming in dead last at No. 122.

The eight major categories that make up the Ultimate Standings were created based on feedback from fans about what they want most from their favorite teams (click here for a more detailed account of the method to our madness.) The categories:

Bang For The Buck (BNG): Wins during the past three years (regular season plus postseason) per revenues directly from fans, adjusted for league schedules.

Fan Relations (FRL): Openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management.

Ownership (OWN): Honesty and loyalty to core players and local community.

Affordability (AFF): Price of tickets, parking and concessions.

Stadium Experience (STX): Quality of arena and game-day promotions as well as friendliness of environment.

Players (PLA): Effort on the field and likability off it.

Coaching (CCH): Strength of on-field leadership.

Title Track (TTR): Championships already won or expected in the lifetime of current fans.

Below you will find a sortable table of this year's Ultimate Standings as well as previous results going back to 2003. Subcategories that make up the overall ranking for that category are available for the 2009 results. Click on team names for a more detailed breakdown of the rankings.

Financial analysis by the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. Fan surveys by Maddock Douglas and GMI NetReflector.

Back to Overall Rankings

Click on table headings to sort by category.

TEAM		AFFORDABILITY
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
1.	Tampa Bay Rays	1	2	1	5
2.	Kansas City Royals	2	1	11	8
3.	Milwaukee Brewers	3	3	4	4
4.	Minnesota Twins	4	4	15	9
5.	Los Angeles Angels	5	7	8	1
6.	St. Louis Blues	6	5	12	23
7.	Buffalo Bills	7	6	29	12
8.	Oklahoma City Thunder	8	8	2	35
9.	Memphis Grizzlies	9	9	22	27
10.	Carolina Hurricanes	10	12	17	14
11.	New Orleans Hornets	11	14	10	16
12.	Buffalo Sabres	12	15	8	6
13.	San Antonio Spurs	13	16	13	3
14.	Cincinnati Reds	14	10	38	50
15.	Pittsburgh Pirates	15	11	60	35
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
16.	Nashville Predators	16	16	7	32
17.	Oakland Athletics	17	12	86	41
18.	Jacksonville Jaguars	18	22	31	21
19.	Arizona Diamondbacks	19	23	34	19
20.	Detroit Tigers	20	19	52	47
21.	Atlanta Braves	21	20	40	63
22.	Green Bay Packers	22	44	6	2
23.	Orlando Magic	23	26	47	17
24.	Florida Marlins	24	21	56	70
25.	Detroit Pistons	25	30	26	24
26.	Toronto Blue Jays	26	16	93	84
27.	Philadelphia Phillies	27	25	57	34
28.	Phoenix Coyotes	28	26	3	89
29.	Columbus Blue Jackets	29	28	19	59
30.	Cleveland Cavaliers	30	37	21	15
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
31.	Washington Capitals	31	29	55	21
32.	Pittsburgh Penguins	32	44	13	11
33.	Anaheim Ducks	33	31	53	18
34.	Texas Rangers	34	24	72	68
35.	Miami Heat	35	46	36	9
36.	Pittsburgh Steelers	36	49	28	7
37.	Chicago Blackhawks	37	35	41	24
38.	Denver Nuggets	38	35	43	27
39.	St. Louis Cardinals	39	39	25	41
40.	Chicago White Sox	40	33	62	20
41.	Houston Astros	41	37	36	63
42.	Cleveland Indians	42	39	45	67
43.	Dallas Mavericks	43	49	39	35
44.	Tennessee Titans	44	53	30	30
45.	Charlotte Bobcats	45	48	44	44
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
46.	Atlanta Hawks	46	46	33	78
47.	Florida Panthers	47	41	4	114
48.	Colorado Rockies	48	32	71	90
49.	Baltimore Orioles	49	42	61	75
50.	Tampa Bay Lightning	50	42	32	102
51.	Washington Nationals	51	33	96	73
52.	Atlanta Falcons	52	56	49	31
53.	New Orleans Saints	53	55	47	38
54.	Portland Trail Blazers	54	51	51	53
55.	Dallas Stars	55	54	54	54
56.	Utah Jazz	56	59	23	46
57.	Detroit Red Wings	57	64	17	13
58.	Indiana Pacers	58	51	20	99
59.	Houston Rockets	59	61	42	33
60.	Arizona Cardinals	60	63	16	43
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
61.	Indianapolis Colts	61	65	24	26
62.	Los Angeles Dodgers	62	57	104	54
63.	Carolina Panthers	63	66	34	29
64.	Minnesota Timberwolves	64	58	90	80
65.	New Jersey Nets	65	62	76	93
66.	Baltimore Ravens	66	69	50	38
67.	Houston Texans	67	71	46	61
68.	Miami Dolphins	68	72	64	50
69.	Ottawa Senators	69	69	58	91
70.	Philadelphia 76ers	70	68	87	88
71.	Seattle Seahawks	71	73	77	58
72.	Los Angeles Clippers	72	60	92	118
73.	Seattle Mariners	73	67	102	96
74.	San Jose Sharks	74	74	67	54
75.	Boston Celtics	75	75	80	47
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
76.	Milwaukee Bucks	76	76	72	86
77.	Minnesota Wild	77	84	26	38
78.	San Diego Chargers	78	77	82	60
79.	New Jersey Devils	79	78	85	45
80.	Philadelphia Eagles	80	83	59	47
81.	Denver Broncos	81	84	68	57
82.	Minnesota Vikings	82	82	81	72
83.	Chicago Bulls	83	87	64	61
84.	San Francisco 49ers	84	80	101	80
85.	New York Islanders	85	79	93	92
86.	Phoenix Suns	86	92	70	74
87.	Philadelphia Flyers	87	95	68	65
88.	Kansas City Chiefs	88	88	99	83
89.	Oakland Raiders	89	91	91	79
90.	St. Louis Rams	90	96	79	70
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
91.	Atlanta Thrashers	91	90	62	99
92.	San Diego Padres	92	86	108	107
93.	Chicago Bears	93	97	83	65
94.	San Francisco Giants	94	81	116	110
95.	Cleveland Browns	95	94	88	104
96.	New England Patriots	96	101	84	52
97.	Boston Bruins	97	92	105	97
98.	Washington Wizards	98	88	107	109
99.	Cincinnati Bengals	99	98	77	93
100.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	100	102	64	75
101.	Calgary Flames	101	104	72	75
102.	Edmonton Oilers	102	103	75	95
103.	Golden State Warriors	103	100	106	106
104.	Chicago Cubs	104	105	112	69
105.	Los Angeles Kings	105	99	114	119
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
106.	Detroit Lions	106	106	98	108
107.	Dallas Cowboys	107	107	96	84
108.	New York Giants	108	107	102	86
109.	Montreal Canadiens	109	111	95	99
110.	Sacramento Kings	110	110	110	111
111.	Toronto Raptors	111	109	113	115
112.	New York Mets	112	112	111	97
113.	Los Angeles Lakers	113	116	100	82
114.	Colorado Avalanche	114	115	89	103
115.	New York Jets	115	113	109	112
116.	Boston Red Sox	116	114	117	105
117.	New York Rangers	117	117	120	113
118.	Washington Redskins	118	118	115	117
119.	Vancouver Canucks	119	120	119	116
120.	New York Knicks	120	119	121	120
			TKTS	PRK	CONC
121.	New York Yankees	121	121	118	121
122.	Toronto Maple Leafs	122	122	122	122