This is part 2 of a two part series. Yesterday I graded the AFC, today I'm grading the NFC. Let me recap what and how I'm grading.
Based on 5 things, I'm going to grade each franchise. If they are strong in one area, they will get a point. If they are so-so, they will get a half point, and if they are weak, they get no points. The categories are:
1) History
2) Winning % last 10 years
3) Championships (includes division, conference, and Super Bowl)
4) Stadium/Deal with stadium/Ownership
5) Attendance/Fan Base
Here is my grading scale:
F 0-1 points
D 1.5-2 points
C 2.5-3 points
B 3.5-4 points
A 4.5-5 points
Here we go:
NFC EAST
Dallas-A. One of the model franchises in the NFL. The only negative they have going for them is not winning a playoff game in 12 years.
Philadelphia-A. This franchise is on solid ground. Their biggest negative is lack of a Super Bowl win.
Washington-A. Another model franchise with a solid fan base and an owner willing to throw money around to win.
N.Y. Giants-A. Another of the model franchises. The NFC East is a division full of history and with these 4 teams, the future is bright.
NFC NORTH
Green Bay-B. Lambeau Field is a great place to visit-but the fact is that the stadium is old and it puts the Packers behind the rest of the league in that category. With the retirement of Favre, it will be interesting to see if the Pack will remain competitive for years to come.
Minnesota-C. I'm going to start off by saying that if they are getting a new stadium and I just don't know about it, then change this grade to a B. The Metrodome is awful-I went there for a week a few years ago and saw a Twins and a Vikings game. That building is falling apart and the lighting for games is terrible.
Chicago-A. The Bears didn't need to get a new stadium-they renovated old Soldier Field and it's now one of the best venues to watch a game. They are solid in every category on this list. Now if they could just find a quarterback....
Detroit-C. They get killed in the last ten years and the championships category. I just hope Detroit fans hang in there with this underachieving team.
NFC SOUTH
Tampa Bay-B. The history is more of a losing history than of winning. Also, Tampa fans can be fickle.
Carolina-B. They haven't developed a great history yet, but this franchise is solid.
New Orleans-D. I know people in The Big Easy don't want to hear this, but you were about 30 seconds away from being the San Antonio Saints. Now L.A. is on the horizon, scoping out to see if they can come in and pull the team out to the west coast. This story is to be continued....
Atlanta-D. Atlanta never has been a football hotbed. When I think of the history of the Falcons, I think of Steve Bartkowski and Deion Sanders-yet when I think of Deion, I think of the Cowboys. The whole Michael Vick thing has brought this franchise down to this level-but they are headed in the right direction.
NFC WEST
Seattle-B. Their history isn't as glorious as many teams, but this franchise is one of the premier franchises in the NFL today. They have been winning and made an appearance in the Super Bowl. Their fans are the loudest in the league and that strange looking stadium is a hit in the Pacific Northwest.
San Francisco-C. This is another team that needs a stadium-if one is coming and I just don't know about it, than change this grade to a B. This once proud franchise has been hurting for the last decade and the ownership hasn't exactly won over the fans. It will be interesting to see how the next 10 years go in the bay area.
St. Louis-B. This grade was hard to make. They went from awful to great to awful in about 10 years. Their history is mostly in L.A., but they have won a Super Bowl in St. Louis. They sell out every game, and their stadium seems adequate. I'll be interested to see what people say about this one.
Arizona-C. Before the Cards got their new stadium, they would have gotten an F. However, they have a shiny palace that the world got to see last year during the Super Bowl and they sold out every game last year-I think that's the first time in Arizona. If they could only start winning, this franchise would be in great shape.
I would want to put Detroit at the same level or lower than New Orleans and Atlanta since only their stadium is a positive. Attendance has waned and they don't win.
I've heard St. Louis crying the blues that their stadium is obsolete and they need a new stadium. I've been hearing that the new owners want to sell the team to someone that wants to move it back to L.A. and become the Los Angeles Rams again.
You're right, I didn't like what you said about the Saints. Not because it is negative, but because it is misleading. Get your story straight. Tom Benson would have loved to move the Saints to San Antonio, but the move was far from 30 seconds away for 2 major reasons: (1) the stadium in San Antonio was not up to NFL standards; and (2) The viewing market was not big enough. S.A. is already included in Houston and Dallas viewing markets and it would have tapped into those existing markets and not made much sesnse in terms of picking up new markets or covering needed markets. Now, we know that N.O. is a small market, but a move would have taken the Saints out of the Gulf Coast region viewing market (LA, MS, AL) who all cheer for the Saints. That would not have been smart for the NFL and that is why then commishioner P.T. would have nothing of it. As for L.A., they do have a need for an NFL team, but Mr. Benson is NOT interested in a move in that area, because most of his business dealings are here in the midsouth region (LA, TX) and a move to L.A. puts him too far away from his other business. Most recently Mr. Benson purchased the FOX tv station here in N.O. and has stated that he intends to buy more stations in LA. That move alone makes it less likely that Mr. Benson would be moving half-way across the country away from his other business venues. Now, I don't really care about your grade, as it is just a stupid meaningless score; but I do care that you make comments that are accurate and are based on a thorough understanding of the situation you decide to comment on.
I have to reply because I am the one who is right in this circumstance. First of all, you are correct that Tagliabue did not want the Saints to move-the reason being was that it would have been a public relations nightmare. The Alamodome in San Antonio was built for the sole purpose of attracting an NFL team-expansion or one looking for a new home. It compares with some of the current dome stadiums in the NFL currently. Also, San Antonio is not part of Dallas or Houston markets. They do carry all of the Cowboys games because the city is loaded with Cowboy fans, but the Texans are not on San Antonio TV regularly. One more thing-if you believe anything that comes out of the mouth of Tom Benson, I feel sorry for you. This man has done nothing but lie to fans and the cities of New Orleans and San Antonio. If someone offered him the right deal, he wouldn't think twice.
All of this being said-I'm not against the Saints. I want them to stay in New Orleans where they belong. I just don't think the franchise is on solid ground right now with the ownership-not to mention the Superdome and issues with their current lease to play there.
I see you really didnt factor in Win % and Championships. You mostly talked about Satdiums and Ownership. Redskins dont deserve an A, u must be in that new england area cuz u gave all of them A's. U gave no love to the NFC north. I cant believe you gave an A to Chicago, the Pack has been dominating the confrence since its been a confrence. The rest I kind of agree with. Terrible use of variables in this equation.
I'm curious as to how Green Bay would get a "B" ranking based on the criteria:
1) History
2) Winning % last 10 years
3) Championships (includes division, conference, and Super Bowl)
4) Stadium/Deal with stadium/Ownership
5) Attendance/Fan Base
Green Bay has a storied history, has one of the best (if not the best) winning %'s in the last 10 years, have several division and championships, as well as Super Bowl wins, have an absolutely fantastic stadium that has been renovated to keep them competitive, and have the longest season ticket wait list in the NFL fueled by a passionate fan base.
I'm not sure how that adds up to a "B".......
Last edited by FastLane500 on June 5th at 1:55 PM.
How does Green Bay get a B and Chicago a A??? You said the Bears renovated old Solider Field. Umm dude are you blind? They renovated Lambeau Field and it is one of the best to watch the game. Not crappy Solider Field. You were either born yesterday, or just plain stupid and plus the Pack are better than them.
Wow... amazing! a cowboy fan saying that the cowboys are the best franchise??? that's never happened before! Model team? You have Pacman Jones and TO on your team. Model what? Model police line up?
Hawkman, you're a fool. T.O. has never been convicted of anything and Pacman is getting another chance from a team that has the best support system in the NFL. Throw millions of dollars at a young man and count your odds as to how many of them screw up. If you don't understand the train of thought here, why Jerry Jones signed one of the best corners in the league, and was willing to do so BECAUSE of the awesome support system the Cowboys have then you should just go shoot yourself.
To respond to your response on the Saints: The bottom line is, San Antonio has a team to root for. They are already included in a viewing market and to add a 3rd team to TX does not make since in terms of financial gains for the NFL. You are right, moving the Saints post Katrina would have been a PR nightmare b/c the city needed their team and it just doesn't "look right" to the rest of the world. I don't trust a word that Benson says and I am not basing my decisions on his word (believe me, I understand that he is a PR nightmare all by himself). I am saying that the Saints are not moving b/c it doesn't make sense for Benson to have his 2 major business ventures half-way across the country from each other. The Saints will NEVER move to L.A. They are more likely to move to San Antonio, where Benson has family and business, than L.A. But they aren't going anywhere soon b/c they are on the verge of extending their stay (for at least another 5 years) over the next month or so b/c they want to put in a bid to host another Super Bowl. By this time, L.A. will have found another team or given up on the search. If the Saints ever move to L.A., you can look me up and I will buy you a meal in the finest restaurant N.O. has to offer. Again, when you look at the whole picture rather than parts, it makes sense that the Saints will be marching in N.O.
The guy that wrote this blog is an assclown.how the hell can you say lambeau puts the packers behind every one else in the nfl,hello oakland,san francisco,minnesota,miami,chicago,t he meadowlands,buffalo,jacksonville,sa ndiego,all of these teams clearly have worse stadiums than lambeau field.
Are you kiidding me? Washington gets an A and Green Bay gets a B and Chicago gets an A. How many championships do Chicago or Washington have in the past ten years? How many times have they been to the playoffs in the past ten years compared to Green Bay and history...Green Bay is called Titletown for a reason. Oh and that spraying money money has really helped the Redskins hasn't it? How many playoff games have they won in the past ten years? Exactly. Give me a break.
Packers fans whining? Ha, thats laughable. This guy knows nothing about Lambeau or the MOST storied franchise in the history of football. What team was the first? THE PACKERS. Who has the most Championships/Superbowl wins in the NFC North? The PACKERS! A community owned team that has some of the most passionate fans in the league. One losing season in the Favre era, not to mention 13 10+ win seasons and a season ticket waiting list that is YEARS long. Based on your criteria, the Packers should be the best team in football. A RENOVATED Lambeau field combined with 10+ championships under their belt and the most storied franchise in football? Gimme a #### break. Get rid of your bias before you spew this #### out.
Last edited by meangreenpackermachine on June 6th at 11:24 AM.
Also, I'm a Vikings fan and obviously have animosity toward the Packers. But cmon you ####! The Packers have the most admirable and dedicated fan bases of all time! Lambeau field is the Yankee stadium of football! I'd love to walk through the home team tunnel! And Washington gets an 'A'???!!!!
