Ultimate Team Rankings - NFL - SportsNation

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.

Click on table headings to sort by category.

TEAM		RNK	BNG	FRL	OWN	AFF	STX	PLA	CCH	TTR
1.	Pittsburgh Steelers	3	9	14	2	36	26	2	4	4
2.	Green Bay Packers	13	20	18	29	22	1	25	56	21
3.	Indianapolis Colts	14	17	16	16	61	19	6	61	10
4.	Tennessee Titans	15	5	51	46	44	61	27	3	46
5.	New England Patriots	19	41	20	28	96	33	7	1	6
6.	Carolina Panthers	28	19	59	12	63	58	48	51	45
7.	Baltimore Ravens	29	51	43	18	66	27	18	25	18
8.	Arizona Cardinals	33	14	65	82	60	24	41	11	56
9.	Houston Texans	39	48	25	37	67	20	39	54	67
10.	Seattle Seahawks	40	65	40	23	71	8	31	63	54
11.	Atlanta Falcons	43	57	49	40	52	90	28	18	59
12.	Philadelphia Eagles	44	39	45	69	80	74	32	53	68
13.	New York Giants	45	26	90	21	108	97	34	22	9
14.	New Orleans Saints	52	50	53	75	53	80	50	39	74
15.	Miami Dolphins	61	92	57	52	68	87	40	30	61
TEAM		RNK	BNG	FRL	OWN	AFF	STX	PLA	CCH	TTR
16.	Jacksonville Jaguars	62	22	111	74	18	91	83	45	69
17.	San Diego Chargers	65	42	75	77	78	107	35	90	62
18.	Chicago Bears	69	87	79	45	93	78	59	64	44
19.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	73	76	71	89	100	35	72	88	16
20.	Denver Broncos	75	78	92	70	81	47	67	106	28
21.	Dallas Cowboys	76	31	110	67	107	43	87	113	31
22.	San Francisco 49ers	87	96	83	97	84	115	74	17	38
23.	Minnesota Vikings	89	46	97	87	82	117	54	111	83
24.	Buffalo Bills	91	44	117	103	7	102	82	115	101
25.	Washington Redskins	92	74	82	94	118	99	70	76	57
26.	New York Jets	103	107	81	78	115	113	68	45	91
27.	Kansas City Chiefs	106	121	109	68	88	53	95	79	82
28.	St. Louis Rams	112	122	108	104	90	111	110	69	34
29.	Cleveland Browns	114	53	119	110	95	98	120	98	115
30.	Oakland Raiders	116	112	116	114	89	118	111	96	71
TEAM		RNK	BNG	FRL	OWN	AFF	STX	PLA	CCH	TTR
31.	Cincinnati Bengals	118	106	122	113	99	100	118	84	107
32.	Detroit Lions	119	118	118	107	106	94	119	88	121