Buffalo Sabres No. 1 Franchise

 

NHL PR

 

According to the findings of the fifth annual ESPN The Magazine Ultimate Standings, the Buffalo Sabres are the best franchise in major professional sports when it comes to paying fans back for their investment of time, money and passion, and the Detroit Lions are the worst. The results also show that the Sabres give fans the most "Bang For The Buck" – an exclusive and original analysis by ESPN The Magazine and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center (WSMC) at the University of Oregon that assesses how teams turn fan money into success on the field.

 

Available in the current issue of ESPN The Magazine (on newsstands tomorrow) and on ESPN.com, Ultimate Standings is the only comprehensive ranking of all 122 major North American professional sports franchises. It aims to quantify the unique relationship between fans and their favorite teams by determining which MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises establish and maintain the most overall reward for their fans.

Driven by research and fan feedback, the Ultimate Standings debuted in 2003 with Green Bay Packers as the top franchise (ranked 23rd this year). Results are determined using analysis of team financial data by The Magazine and the WSMC, combined with fan feedback data gathered by the Norwalk, Conn.-based research and marketing firm Markitecture and ESPN.com. To generate the Ultimate Standings, ESPN The Magazine and the independent marketers score each franchise according to criteria in eight categories; the combined scores resulted in an overall ranking (as well as separate rankings in each individual category).

 

 

 

 

 

THE 2007 ULTIMATE STANDINGS: THE TOP AND BOTTOM
The top five overall franchises: -----------------------------------The bottom five overall franchises:

1. Buffalo Sabres -----------------------------------------------------118. Chicago Blackhawks
2. San Antonio Spurs------------------------------------------------ 119. Minnesota Vikings
3. Dallas Mavericks-------------------------------------------------- 120. New York Knicks
4. Indianapolis Colts ------------------------------------------------121. Oakland Raiders
5. Detroit Pistons--------------------------------------------------- 122. Detroit Lions

 

METHODOLOGY

In October 2006, Markitecture initiated a phone survey of sports fans in the U.S. and Canada, asking what fans cared most about getting in return for their investment for their favorite teams. Second, through ESPN.com, MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL fans were asked to rate their clubs in 21 categories. More than 80,000 responses were gathered. The data was analyzed, weighted and combined to arrive at a score and ranking of all the franchises in the following categories.
Fan Relations – how the teams and owners interact with the local fan base;
Bang for The Buck – how well a team performs on the field, measured against the money it receives directly from fans ;
Ownership – overall commitment and effort owner makes to players, coaches and fans, as well as a willingness to spend money and commit to winning;
Players – effort given on the court, field or ice, in addition to how likable they are off them;
Stadium Experience – the cleanliness, parking, security and promotions at the home venue;
Affordability – from tickets to apparel to parking to concessions – what it costs to be a fan of a franchise;
Coaching – quality of on-field coaching/managing for the franchise;
Title Track (winning)– how successful and dedicated the team has been in pursuing and winning championships.

2007 ULTIMATE STANDINGS HIGHLIGHTS

NHL Leads With Eight Franchises in Top 25
Eight NHL franchises finished in the Top 25, a first ever in the rankings: the NFL and MLB came in with six, and the NBA has five teams.
Biggest Jumps/Drops Since Last Year
The Detroit Tigers jumped the most in the rankings since 2006 – up 64 spots to number 12 overall. The dubious distinction of "farthest fall" in the rankings belongs to the Indiana Pacers, who fell 102 spots to 114th. Other significant changes include:
New Orleans Saints - up 49 spots to 42nd
Toronto Raptors - up 39 spots to 45th
Minnesota Twins - up 24 spots to 14th
Baltimore Ravens - up 22 spots to 32nd
Atlanta Falcons - down 100 spots to 106th
Cincinnati Bengals - down 83 spots to 102nd
Washington Redskins - down 71 spots to 108th
Sacramento Kings - down 70 spots to 110th
Tough-luck Towns
New York: Of the nine NYC-area franchises, only the Yankees (48) ranked higher than number 50.
Boston: Three of the four Boston-area franchises finished in the bottom of the rankings - Red Sox (88), Celtics (112) and the Bruins (117). The Patriots finished at 31.

 

 

© Richard Wolowocz (HV)