The honors just keep coming for the Green Bay Packers. As the team prepares to celebrate its victory in Super Bowl XLV with a long-awaited ring ceremony on Thursday, "ESPN The Magazine" has named the Packers the "No. 1 Franchise In Sports."
Ranked ninth by the magazine a year ago, the Packers ascended to the top spot in the eight-category rankings. The Packers ranked:
First in "stadium experience"—quality of arena, fan-friendliness of environment, frequency of game-day promotions.
Fourth in "bang for buck"—wins over the past two seasons per dollar contributed directly by fans.
Tied for first with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins in "Title Track," which is championships won or expected within the lifetime of current fans.
Tenth in "fan relations"—openness and consideration by players, coaches and management toward fans.
Fifth in "ownership"—honesty and loyalty to core players and to community.
Twenty-sixth in "coaching"—strength of on-field leadership.
Fifth in "players"—effort on the field, likeability off it.
Seventeenth in "affordability"—price of tickets, parking and concessions.
The Packers were ahead of: 2.) Tampa Bay Lightning, 3.) New Orleans Saints, 4.) Los Angeles Angels, 5.) San Antonio Spurs, 6.) Oklahoma City Thunder, 7.) Pittsburgh Steelers, 8.) Colorado Rockies, 9.) Memphis Grizzlies and 10.) Pittsburgh Penguins.
