The Mag: Ultimate Standings 2011

Welcome to ESPN The Magazine's ninth-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.

The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers jumped from No. 9 last year to the top spot in 2011, due in part to star quarterback Aaron Rodgers officially turning the page on the Brett Favre era at Lambeau Field. But below-average ticket prices and unmatched customer service were also a key point among fans as evidenced by the Packers finishing first in such categories as "fan friendly environment at games" and "provides an avenue for fan feedback."

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 2009-11 results. Insiders can 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 (Steve Acampa, Andrew Behl, Cally Deal, Michael DeMartini, Timothy Dobyns, Patrick Haas, Travis Hanson, Peter Raschio, Carolyne Wood and Bill Zachry). Fan surveys by Maddock Douglas and NetReflector.

Back to Overall Rankings

Click on table headings to sort by category.

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

You must be signed in to post a comment

You are fully responsible for the content you post. Content that includes profanity, personal attacks or antisocial behavior (such as "spamming" or "trolling"), or other inappropriate content or material will be removed. We reserve the right to block any user who violates our terms of use, including removing all content posted by that user.

ESPN

The Mag: Ultimate Standings 2011

You must be signed in to post a comment

SportsNation on Facebook

THIS WEEK'S CHATS

ESPN

The Mag: Ultimate Standings 2011

You must be signed in to post a comment

Need an account?

Already have an account?

SportsNation on Facebook

THIS WEEK'S CHATS