The Jacksonville Jaguars ranked ninth out of 122 professional sports franchises in ESPN The Magazine's "The Ultimate Standings" which reveals the best and the worst franchises in its sixth annual franchise rankings. The full list, which was done with the help of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon, appears in ESPN The Magazine today.
The Jaguars finished as the third-best NFL franchise behind the Indianapolis Colts, the top overall pick, and the Green Bay Packers, who finished fourth overall. The Jaguars ranked 25th in last year's standings.
"The Ultimate Standings" consist of eight different breakdowns. The Jaguars rankings out of 122 teams included: Title Track: 47th Ownership: 34th, Coaching: 11th, Players: 22nd, Fan Relations: 80th, Affordability: 2nd, Stadium Experience: 51st, Bang for the Buck: 4th.
"The Jags' one-two punch of price and performance was second to none in the NFL in 2007, kind of like that lethal running back tandem of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor," said ESPN The Magazine's Jason Catania. "While the Colts edged the Jags in Bang for the Buck (No. 3 vs. No. 4), scoring tickets for Jacksonville Municipal costs just $49.38 (the league¹s third cheapest), a cool $21 less than average stubs went for in Indy.
"Now tack on the NFL's second cheapest lids ($9.95) and the fifth cheapest beer/soda/dog combo ($11, tied with the Saints and Rams). So yeah, Jags fans dig not having to dig too deep into their wallets. The club is deeply invested in the men on the field, too. David Garrard, who put to rest a potentially toxic QB controversy (remember Byron Leftwich?) with his 102.2 passer rating and two gutsy wins in Pittsburgh, was recently signed to a seven-year, $60 million deal, the richest in franchise history. What else could a fan want? Oh yeah - a ring."
Here are the top 10 sports franchises:
Franchise League Ranking
Indianapolis Colts NFL 1
San Antonio Spurs NBA 2
New Orleans Hornets NBA 3
Green Bay Packers NFL 4
Anaheim Ducks NHL 5
Los Angeles Angels MLB 6
Detroit Tigers MLB 7
Detroit Pistons NBA 8
Jacksonville Jaguars NFL 9
Arizona Diamondbacks MLB 10
