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.