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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MLB Pre-Season Thoughts: AL East

Who doesn't love pre-season predictions? Let's take a look at each division and see what teams are expected to be contenders and what teams are going to trade away all their players at the trading deadline.

AL East (Yanks, Sawks, Rays, Jays and O's)

Without a doubt, any route to the World Series must once again go through the Bronx. You must always give respect to the World Series Champions, especially when they can add an all-star center fielder, Curtis Granderson, to the top of their lineup.

In addition, both CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett will start their second years in the new stadium, likely being more accustomed to the dimensions and propensity for home runs in right field.

My main doubts come from replacing Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera with Nick Johnson and the decision to start Brett Gardener. Damon and Matsui are sure veterans and you know what to expect from them every season. Cabrera is a chemistry-building player who is great in the clubhouse and brought a spark to the team when they needed it the most.

Nick Johnson, who puts up stellar numbers while healthy, is a huge question because he hasn't been able to stay healthy wherever he goes. Brett Gardner is a great weapon on any team because of his quickness and speed, but his hitting is a serious downgrade compared to Melky or Damon. The Yanks are going to look like a National League team with Gardner at the bottom of the lineup bunting -- in no way will they be able to produce offensively like they did last season.

The final question mark is the back end of the rotation. Despite an impressive season last year, Andy Pettitte is another year older, and there's no way to expect him to be as consistent as he was last year. Javier Vazquez, in his second stint with the Bombers, excelled in the National League, but has a tendency to get lit up when in the American League for both the Yanks and the White Sox. And Phil Hughes, who was such a key role player in the eighth inning during the second half of the season in 2009, is moving back to a starting role, where he has been pretty much so-so.

On the opposite side of the empire sits the Bah-stan Red Sawks who have transformed their team from a power-hitting club into one that preaches pitching and defense -- a strategy they saw work for their arch nemesis last season all the way to a championship. It started with their signings of John Lackey, Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro, and the departure of Jason Bay.

The Sox are depending on the old, wily veteran Mike Cameron to replace Bay's offense. Yeah, that is not going to happen. Bay has been one of the top RBI producers in the league over the past few years, and Cameron is clearly on the decline.

The strength of the Sox is their ridiculously deep pitching staff, most notably their starting rotation given that they all stay healthy. Having potentially three aces in Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Lackey is such a tremendously intimidating match up for any opposing club who faces them in a three-game series. They will also have Dice-K, who is coming off an injury, Clay Buchholz, a pitcher desired all throughout the league for his mile-high potential and Tim Wakefield, the old knuckleballer who put together a terrific season in 2009 to fill out the rest of the rotation.

ESPN has recently cited the Tampa Bay Rays as the sleeper teams to win the division this year. Sleeper? They made it to the World Series two years ago. Please Aaron Boone.

What Tampa does have is an immense collection of talent up and down their lineup: Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria.

But they also have question marks: What happened to B.J. Upton and Dionner Navarro? What can they expect from Rafael Soriano? How will Jeff Niemann do in his second season? What can young David Price and Wade Davis contribute? Not to mention, the year they went to the Series they had an all-but-perfect bullpen, but not so much last year.

Maybe because I always have a collection of Orioles on my fantasy team each year, but I always find myself fearing the O's as a team on the rise. With youthful insurgents like Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters, along with savvy vets like Brian Roberts and Luke Scott -- it's hard to consider the O's a threat.

But what to consider with O's, as well as the Rays, is their pitching staff. Both the Sawks and Yanks have veteran pitchers throughout their staff who have already proven they are dynamic in the major league level -- the O's are depending on a lot of youth to lead them. Listen, if you have offense, great -- but so does most of the AL East -- for every Nick Markakis, there is a Carl Crawford or a Kevin Youkilis or an Alex Rodriguez.

This brings us to my sure pick for the sure bottom-feeders of the divisions: your Toronto Blue Jays.

The Jays fell out of contention as soon as they sent Roy Halladay packing for a package of prospects that no one knows how will they pan out. What we do know, is that we can eliminate 20 or so wins from their season total leaving them . . . yeah.

There are always bring spots: Adam Lind and Aaron Hill -- both put up monstrous numbers last year on a dreadful club. But they lost Marco Scutaro, who fled for Sawks. They are expected to start a bunch of kids in their starting staff, including Shaun Marcum who is coming off a season-long injury; Brandon Morrow who is already on the DL.

There's just no way that the Jay's contend this year or the next, but their young pool of talent, including Ricky Romero, Lind and Hill, as well as the youth they've recently acquired for their farm system, maybe...