For a change of pace…
/Andrew's Dallas Stars Page
The Stars forwarded this little tidbit to me. It comes from ESPN The Magazine and it’s a ranking of professional sports franchises “when it comes to paying fans back for their investment of time, money and passion.” The Stars come in at No. 22 on the list, and eighth among NHL teams. Details are below.
Five NHL teams are among the Top 10 professional sports franchises when it comes to paying fans back for their investment of time, money and passion, according to ESPN the Magazine’s Ultimate Standings report. The Carolina Hurricanes are the top ranked NHL franchise and second overall among all professional sports teams, followed by the Detroit Red Wings (#4), Washington Capitals (#6), Pittsburgh Penguins (#8) and St. Louis Blues (#10). This marks the most NHL teams ever represented among the Top 10 in the report’s seven-year history. The full report is available in the current issue of ESPN the Magazine on newsstands Friday.
The report was the result of exclusive and original analysis by ESPN The Magazine and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, combined with fan feedback data gathered by the consulting firm Maddock Douglas, ESPN.com and GMI NetReflector. More than 50,000 responses were collected. The analysis is used to determine how franchises establish and maintain the greatest overall reward for their fans.
The 2009 Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings topped or tied all professional sports franchises in three categories, including fan relations, ownership and title track. The Capitals ranked #1 in responsiveness to fan feedback.
ESPN THE MAGAZINE 2009 ULTIMATE STANDINGS: THE TOP 25
1 Los Angeles Angels MLB
2 Carolina Hurricanes NHL
3 Pittsburgh Steelers NFL
4 Detroit Red Wings NHL
5 Cleveland Cavaliers NBA
6 Washington Capitals NHL
7 Milwaukee Brewers MLB
8 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL
9 San Antonio Spurs NBA
10 St. Louis Blues NHL
11 Anaheim Ducks NHL
12 New Orleans Hornets NBA
13 Green Bay Packers NFL
14 Indianapolis Colts NFL
15 Tennessee Titans NFL
16 Tampa Bay Rays MLB
17 Houston Rockets NBA
18 Orlando Magic NBA
19 New England Patriots NFL
20 Boston Celtics NBA
21 Chicago Blackhawks NHL
22 Dallas Stars NHL
23 Minnesota Twins MLB
24 Philadelphia Phillies MLB
25 Portland Trail Blazers NBA
I can’t believe that the L.A. Lakers didnt even make it on the list. They have won the most championships in NBA history and ESPN says thats not payback for their fans?