Reaction: ESPN The Magazine 2011 Ultimate Team Rankings

This week ESPN The Magazine released their annual ultimate team rankings for 2011. The list, featuring 122 franchises from the four major professional sports -- NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL -- takes into consideration the following attributes:

• Bang for the buck: How many wins the franchise has accumulated during the past three years, including the postseason.
• Fan relations: How the franchise -- players, coaches, management -- treats their fans.
• Ownership: The loyalty and honestly displayed towards the players and area.
• Affordability: The costs associated with game attendance (ticket prices, parking fees and concessions).
• Stadium experience: The environment of the stadium, including game-day promotions and general atmosphere.
• Players: How the franchise players perform both on and off the field.
• Coaches: How well the coach leads the team.
• Title track: The number of championships won or expected to win in the future.

Without further ado, here's analysis of the franchise rankings by the tiers they were broken down into. 


Tier 1: Top 15

Of course the Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers, the champions of America's most popular sport, boast the top overall spot. In 2010 Titletown held the No. 9 overall spot, so clearly the Lombardi Trophy was the difference-maker.

The Packers are renowned for their first-class organization, so it is really not a shock to see them earn the top spot. However, a hockey franchise No. 2 overall?

The Tampa Bay Lightning made a strong playoff run this postseason, but let me be perfectly redundant -- it's an NHL team -- in where? Tampa.

The fans in Tampa Bay -- actually, Florida, in general -- really fail to demonstrate their affection for their teams. Think about it ... the Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Marlins rank last in their respective leagues; the Rays are less than three years removed from a World Series appearance, while the Marlins won a championship in the past decade. 

The Heat have arguably two of the top three stars in all of The Association and fell just two games shy of bringing home the Larry O'Brien Trophy last week. With LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and perennial super power in the NBA in the coming years, fans continue to leave games early.

Florida has had their fair share of successful franchises, but in no way does that mean they earn the No. 2 spot, especially for their hockey team. This could be different tune if Barry Melrose and his impeccable mullet was still the head coach, though.

Tier 2: 16-30

I really like the respect the Orlando Magic get, earning the No. 16 spot. Although they're a small-market team with a one-man team, GM Otis Smith is constantly trying to make trades to bring in talent to put a competitive product on the court. While they are not always the most logical trades -- bringing in Vince Carter after a trip to the NBA Finals, trading back for Hedu Turkgulu after a pathetic season up north with the Toronto Raptors -- he gets an "A" for effort.

I'm also glad the Detroit Red Wings are recognized in the second tier, although I believe they probably deserve to get the top ranking for NHL teams, or at least should be in that discussion along with the Washington Capitals (No. 27). 

My biggest beef here is the Philadelphia Phillies at No. 24. Four other MLB teams, including the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds, are ranked above the Phils -- the same team that won it all in 2008 and made an appearance a year later.

The Phillies, year-in and year-out, are a playoff team. They are a National League All-Star team and have made the right trades and free agent signings each year to compete. Come on -- Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt compromise four spots in the starting rotation -- that's two of the elite pitchers in all of baseball and four of the best starters in the past five years.

Tier 3: 31-45

Just to show you where baseball falls in these rankings, the World Series champions don't make an appearance until No. 32. 

The most shocking part of the third tier is the New England Patriots at No. 38.

The Patriots have three Super Bowl championships in the last decade and were one game short of the first undefeated season since Mercury Morris and his Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately for fans everywhere, the Pats got onto Morris' block but were unable to pull into his driveway.

But if the Patriots are to get ranked No. 38, the Minnesota Twins right behind them is quite deserving. Though a small-market team, the Twins are a threat to crack the postseason each year with their fundamental style of play on the field and their always-successful farm team.

Consider the homegrown stars on the team: Joe Mauer Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, Denard Span, Francisco Liriano. They can't afford to go out and sign Cliff Lee or CC Sabathia; they usually don't even have the ability to always hang on to their homegrown talents like Johan Santana. They are quite deserving to be recognized in the third tier.

Tier 4: 46-60

The Los Angeles Lakers at No. 56, really? Just four spots above the Kansas City Royals, and a spot below their neighboring Kings?

This is the upset of the rankings thus far, as the Lakers are the first NBA team to nearly three-peat since ... the Lakers. 

With All-Star and the best player over the past decade Kobe Bryant on the roster, and a competitive group of players each season, it is shocking to see that the Indiana Pacers and San Diego Padres are considered better franchises than the Lakers.

Like my argument with Floridians, fans in L.A. often attend games in a nonchalant manner, showing up and wearing shades. But come playoff time -- every year -- they are always their to cheer on their teams, evident by the five NBA Championships they have since in the past decade.

Tier 5: 61-75

Considering that these ranking take into account the past three seasons, I understand that the Cleveland Cavaliers received the No. 65 ranking -- obviously they took the 2010-2011 NBA season into effect, though, as they ranked No. 10 last year.

Still, putting the Cavs, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Seahawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Florida Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates -- stop, I know they're above .500 for the first since like 1960 right now but give me a break -- above the New York Yankees ... unthinkable.

You can call me a homer, but since I currently reside in Maryland and have been to my share of Orioles games in the last three years, this is utter non-sense.

The O's practically beg fans to attend "Birdland" for most of their regular season contests, and really can only bank on a high volume of ticket sales when the Yankees and Red Sox come to town, and most of the time it's New Yorker and Bostonians travelling down to the Charm City for a weekend getaway.

Other franchises -- the Seahawks, Blue Jays, Bobcats, etc. -- are rarely competitive in their respective leagues. This past season the Hawks made the NFL playoffs by default, shear luck that they beat their division foe, the St. Louis Rams, to become one of the only teams to win the vision while boasting a record below .500.

The Blue Jays, although stuck in the AL East with the Yanks, Sox and Rays, are often an afterthought. The fact that the team gets excused because of their division should be proof alone that they cannot be a better franchise than the Yankees.

Although the Yankees spent money a few years ago to bring in Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, and they still own the highest payroll in MLB, it just goes to show you they have a pressing need to be competitive year in and year out. The fans expect it. The owners expect it. And a World Series title in 2009, the 27th in franchise history, should be enough to earn the Bronx Bombers a top 10 ranking.

Tier 6: 76-90

Title me with the homer label once again, but the New York Jets just a notch below the under-appreciated Yankees on the list is pathetic.

In the sixth tier, the Jets rank a few slots above the Washington Nationals -- a team that has failed to reach the playoffs in their existence, as well as consistent non-competitive teams like the Oakland Athletics, Denver Broncos, Houston Astros, Golden State Warriors and San Francisco 49ers.

The Jets share the sixth tier with their neighbors, the New York Giants. The G-Men shocked the world in 2007 when they beat the then-undefeated Patriots in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever to be played. And despite playing in arguably the toughest division in all of the sports, let alone the NFL, the Giants are usually postseason contenders.

Gang Green hasn't hoisted a Super Bowl trophy since 1969, but in the past three seasons have reshaped the franchise. In addition to most of the most devoted fan bases in all of sports, the team has drafted well (Mark Sanchez, David Harris, Darrelle Revis, Shonn Greene), made significant trades (Braylon Edwards, Kris Jenkins, Santonio Holmes) and free agent signings (LaDainian Tomlinson, Brett Favre). 

Their consecutive appearances in the AFC Championship Game under a quarterback in his rookie and sophomore seasons should speak for itself.

Tier 7: 76-90

Not too surprising to see the collection of franchises falling in the seventh tier. The Detroit Lions, although a team certainly on the rise under third-year head coach Jim Schwartz that has made significant improvements in terms of drafting and signing players, still is just a few seasons removed from a zero-win season and has not made the playoffs since Barry Sanders donned a No. 20 uniform.

Joining the list of teams you would expect to be ranked this low, the New Jersey Nets, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Clippers.

It is a little eye-opening, however, to see the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys falter this low. Under the Marty Schottenheimer and Norv Turner eras in San Diego, the Chargers are consistently playoff-caliber teams, although it is indisputable they are teams that succeed during the regular season and disappoint when the stakes increase.

In the most popular league, the most popular franchise is the Cowboys -- hello, America's team? Like the Chargers, the Boys have had their fair share of playoff failures. But the spotlight is always on Big D, so it is questionable to see how they fell this low.

One more note on the seventh tier -- the Atlanta Hawks at No. 103. You would think this is extremely low for a team that has been a playoff team the last couple of seasons, but aside from those postseason failures, it is simply a community that does not care enough about the team on the court, which is sad considering the talent they have.

Tier 8: The Bottom-Feeders

Perhaps my one real objection to the eighth tier -- the bottom of the pack -- is the Minnesota Vikings. 

Put 2011 aside, the Vikings were arguably the best team in the NFC under Brett Favre, and flaunted Pro Bowl talents Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin and Jared Allen. A few Favre-esque interceptions less in the NFC Championship Game and the Vikings may have faced the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl in 2010. 

I was close to ripping the list for putting the New York Knicks at No. 109. Aside from their first finish above .500 in years and their first playoff appearance since Isiah Thomas was head coach, the Knicks -- in all honesty (and it breaks my heart to admit it) -- deserve to be a bottom-feeder.

With that being said, the additions of Carmelo Anthony via trade and signing Amare Stoudemire to a max contract last summer to make the Knicks a playoff team actually might not improve their chances of rising in the coming years either, surprisingly. Those two players, which correspond to max contracts, subject the Knicks to salary cap restrictions which hinder their chances to put a capable roster around them. GM and President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh has been ousted by owner James Dolan, so unless the upper management can peruse the current salary cap difficulties the team is facing over the course of the next few seasons, signing a top-tier free agent in 2012 to form their own "big three" remains a long shot. 

To wrap up, let's just look to the No. 121 and 122-ranked teams on the list. The Washington Redskins, a team loved in the Washington, D.C. area like none other, takes the second-to-last spot. It is a fall from prominence for the Skins, who in the past decade have become notorious for the awful free agent signings on behalf of owner Daniel Snyder and the most recent fallout from the Donovan McNabb trade. The team has lacked true star power and the future does not appear too bright, even with Mike Shanahan (or should I say son Kyle) at the helm.

Last and most certainly least, is the Cincinnati Bengals. This is a team that had a chance to be a championship-winning team for a number of years if Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen did not destroy Carson Palmer's knee in the team's opening snap in the 2005 playoff game. Since then Palmer has failed to perform as he did that season, and the team has followed that same formula. 

Chad Johnson became Chad Ochocinco, T.J. Houshmanzadeh fled town and the team signed Terrell Owens. Although a glimmer of hope reappeared in 2009 when the team won the AFC North, it was more of a fluke considering they were blown out by the Jets in back-to-back weeks. 

Today even Palmer wants out of town, Ochocinco is more of a reality star than a wide receiver and Marvin Lewis seems to be a lame duck coach. More than any other NFL franchise, the Bengals organization is constantly being criticized for poor management and below-standard training facilities -- not to mention they are just a few years removed from a season in which half the roster seemed to have gotten in trouble with the law.

The Bengals may have locked up the bottom spot of franchise for 2011 and beyond, pending what management does following the current NFL lockout. No Palmer, no Ochocinco could be a positive move depending on the success of recently drafted A.J. Green and Andy Dalton. However, that remains moot considering the franchise's M.O.

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LeBron James: The Most Scrutinized Athlete ... Ever

Move over Dwayne Johnson, no longer are you the most electrifying man in sports entertainment.



Well, that has been the case for over a decade. But nonetheless, the most recent NBA Finals has helped to prove Miami Heat forward LeBron James is the center of attention. Despite how well or how poorly he is playing, it is obvious the camera and the pressure is on LeBron.

After all, we have seen nothing like this in sports before. LeBron is, without argument, the most scrutinized athlete ... ever.

As LeBron made the leap from high school directly to the Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA fans were in his pocket. Anointed The King at the ripe age of 18, the expectations were set for LeBron, as he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders to prove he could be the second-coming of the great Michael Jordan.

His first game he dropped 25 points. We were sold.

And you know the rest of the awards and accolades. LeBron earned Rookie of the Year honors his first season after averaging more than 20 points per game. Those numbers only escalated. LeBron surpassed superstar Kobe Bryant to become the league's leading scorer in 2009, then took home the MVP trophy in 2009 and 2010. Add in LeBron is a three-time member of the NBA All-Defensive team and a seven-time All-Star.

Like with every sport, though, great athletes distinguish themselves with not only exception statistics, but championship trophies. Jordan was the MVP of six NBA Finals, while Bryant added two more championship rings during LeBron's time in the league to bring his total to five.

But for LeBron, disappointment was a common theme during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron carried his Cavs to the playoffs every season from 2006 to 2010, his final year with the team. Averaging 29 points per game in his playoffs career, there was not much else LeBron could do with the cast of characters around him.

With the pressure to succeed, to surpass Jordan as the greatest of all time, blaming the poor makeup of the Cavaliers roster was a common excuse for LeBron's post-season failures. The best players to surround him include an unproven shooter in rookie Daniel "Booby" Gibson in 2006, and out-of-their-prime stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison.

Still LeBron willed his team to an NBA Finals appearance, although the Cavs were swept cleanly by the San Antonio Spurs. He experienced similar failures each year after, losing to the Boston Celtics (the eventual NBA champions) in the second round in 2007, the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008 and the Celtics in the semis in 2009, despite owning the best record in the league during the regular season.

LeBron regressed.

Standout regular seasons were meaningless without post-season success, especially with the bar set so high. What other athletes have had to deal with this pressure?

Unlike LeBron -- Mr. Basketball during his high school basketball days -- Jordan failed to make the cut for his high school team.

When the New York Yankees called up a skinny shortstop in 2005, no one singled him out and suggested he would be the captain and World Series hero a decade later.

Tom Brady was a fifth-round flier in the NFL Draft. If not for an injury to Drew Bledsoe the New England Patriots would likely be short of three Lombardi Trophies.

Other superstars did not beg the attention that LeBron did, therefore they did not inherit the pressure he did. And while some may argue that this is unfair, a national television appearance to announce his new team may have changed their minds.

This past summer, "The Decision" took place live on ESPN, where LeBron announced he would take his talents to South Beach, joining fellow superstar Dwyane Wade and perennial All-Star Chris Bosh on the Heat.

But pairing up with other star players -- for LeBron that was unprecedented. After all, he was supposed to deliver the Cavs a championship, a quest he began the moment he put on his No. 23 jersey.

"The Decision" was golden material for LeBron critics, like Skip Bayless, because it put LeBron in a different light. Instead of the league's most popular player, he became the most hated.

Surrounded by other All-Stars, LeBron essentially asked for help to win a title. Forget that Shaq and Kobe were a dynamic tandem, or Jordan and Scottie Pippen, or Kareem and Magic. 

If that was not enough to enrage NBA enthusiasts who hoped LeBron would help Cleveland to earn their first-ever championship and salvage a city who is accustomed to post-season disappointment, an ensuing after-party did.

Along with his new teammates, LeBron promised not one, not two, not three, not four ... you get the deal ... championships for the Heat.



Not only were Cavs fans pissed off; the entire country was.

More antagonizing, though, was seeing LeBron succeed on his new team. LeBron and Co. -- The Big Three -- cruised through the first round of the NBA playoffs past the Philadelphia 76ers, easily put away the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics and defeated the No. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls.

And did I mention LeBron was outstanding during those three rounds?

During the series against the Celtics and Bulls, LeBron looked like a different species than we had seen in years past. Clutch shot after clutch shot, LeBron appeared unguardable. And on the defensive side of the ball, he became the go-to stopper against the opposing team's best player.

This was absolute chaos for the critics. And following a strong start to the NBA Finals, LeBron claimed he was "unguardable."

Perhaps that comment incited the Dallas Mavericks, as now the series has moved to 3-2 in favor of the underdog, and the most-hated team in the history of NBA -- and perhaps professional sports -- is on the brink of elimination.

And LeBron, who used to have NBA fans across the globe in his corner, rooting for him to succeed and capture a championship ring, has become the reason for his team's failures.

Most notable is the lack of "clutchness" LeBron has displayed in the fourth quarter of these NBA Finals. It has been the knock on LeBron for most of his career. Just like his regular season success, the first three quarters of the game are often meaningless unless he can come through when it means the most -- the fourth quarter.

Jordan and Kobe made their reputations on late-game heroics. On their championship teams it was not a question of who was going to handle the ball with the game in the balance. That is clearly not the case with the Heat.

When you are paired with other superstars, or stars for that matter, there must be that closer -- the alpha male -- to close out games. Pippen was a Hall of Famer and one of the best to play the game, but it was Jordan who was going to have the last shot.

With the Heat, there is plenty of question marks surrounding whether LeBron or Wade should handle those responsibilities. During the regular season this was the knock on this team, and more often than not they made the wrong decision at the end of the games and they paid for it.

But with all of the scrutiny, all of the pressure mounted on LeBron these Finals to be the MVP, it is without question Wade has been the Heat's best player. And in the fourth quarter LeBron is trying to be that closer -- like Jordan, like Kobe -- and he cannot seem to do it.

LeBron has totaled just 11 fourth quarter points through five Finals games. And let's be honest, the easy layup in Game 5 -- his "biggest game ever" -- came when the Mavericks had a lead and chose not to foul him.

In the fourth quarter, according to SB Nation, LeBron has taken 16 shots on average, seven less than he averaged in first and third quarters during the series.

LeBron is averaging just 2.2 points in the final quarter versus the Mavericks, according to ESPN Stats & Info, compared to the 7.6 points in the three prior series. The cherry on top? He is scoreless in the final five minutes of games when the score is within five points, shooting a porous 0-7.

Even after a sub-par eight-point effort in Game 4 was followed up with a triple-double, perhaps the most meaningless trouble-double of all time.

As the series shifts back to Miami, the focus remains on LeBron.

Will he bounce back? Will his fourth quarter numbers improve? Is he going to be a Jordan or Kobe, or ring-less like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone?

usatoday.com

The anticipation is building up for Game 6 and how LeBron will respond to the enormous attention on him. His legacy depends on it, because since he was 18 he was burdened with this challenge.

How many other athletes have garnered this much attention? What other teams have a specific beat on ESPN to examine their every move? Which other players have their legacy debated on a near-daily basis?

So much depends on Game 6, and possibly Game 7 of the NBA Finals, including LeBron's future in Miami.

Will he respond to his critics or crack under pressure? Our answer comes Sunday night.