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Anaheim Ducks Are Pro Sports Fourth Best Franchise According To ESPN

By Griffin Foster |

Every year ESPN compiles rankings of all 122 major sports franchises. The teams included in the rankings are teams from the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB. This year the Anaheim Ducks are ranked fourth.

The rankings are based on the following:

Affordability, counting for 11.3%.

Coaching, counting for 3.2%.

Fan Relations, counting for 25%.

Ownership, counting for 13.1%

Players, counting for 14.6%.

Stadium Experience, counting for 9.8%

Title Track, counting for 4.6%

Bang For The Buck, counting for 18.3%

The San Antonio Spurs topped the rankings and the Tampa Bay Lightning were ranked third, the highest ranking amongst NHL franchises.

Right behind Tampa Bay was the Anaheim Ducks at number four, a great accomplishment for a California based hockey franchise.

The Toronto Maple Leafs ended the list at number 122.

Here’s the Ducks category rankings and some thought behind it.

Title Track– Tied for 18th

Back in 2007 the Ducks became the first west coast team to ever hoist the Stanley Cup. While it is odd to see the Ducks ranked 18th out of 122 based off of one championship, you have to remember one thing.

The Stanley Cup is the most difficult trophy to win in all of pro sports.

ESPN also takes into account expected championships won within the lifetime of current fans. The Ducks look to be cup favorites for years to come.

Ownership- 8th

When Henry and Susan Samueli purchased the Anaheim Ducks from the Walt Disney Co. back in 2005, they immediately instilled a dedication to the franchise.

A team that is by no means playing in a traditional hockey market has stayed competitive since day one of the Samueli era. That is shown through the team’s Stanley Cup season that occured almost immediatley after a change of ownership.

The Samueli’s are not making a profit off of the team either, recent reports have stated their debt with the franchise is hitting large numbers. Their separate business experiences have granted them the fortune of owning an NHL franchise knowing that it will not be entirely profitable.

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It would be easy to rank the most successful owners higher than others, but ESPN ranking the Samueli’s 8th is spot on as no owner or owners are more dedicated to transforming the culture of a franchise.

After purchasing the management contract for the Honda Center back in 2003, the Samueli’s have spent more than $100 million dollars in renovations making it a premiere destination to enjoy a hockey game. You may have also heard about that fancy new $10 million dollar scoreboard as well that debuted last night in the home opener.

Another huge reason behind the Samueli’s ranking is their dedication to helping the team from top to bottom. The Samueli’s purchased the Ducks AHL affiliate team and then moved them to San Diego, putting the Ducks top prospects just under two hours away from Anaheim.

This is a big deal as it allows Ducks general manager Bob Murray to have incredible access to his young rising stars.

The Samueli’s are incredibly loyal to their team and their community, making them some of the most dedicated people in all of sports.

Coaching- 53rd

The Ducks coaching ranking fell from last years ranking of 41st to now 53rd and that may be in part to another home game seven loss.

However, Bruce Boudreau has piled up a number of pacific division titles and he knows how to get his teams into the playoffs.

Players- 21st

The Ducks have one of the most talented rosters and prospect pools in all of the NHL. The combination of veterans and young players gives them a roster that has pinned them as cup favorites over the past few seasons and many are calling this the Ducks years due to such a deep and talented roster.

Fan Relations- 4th

The Ducks players are incredibly involved in the community. From charity events to simple post practice interaction, the entire team is consistently showing appreciation to fans.

The Ducks have also done a wonderful job in recent years using strong marketing and social media techniques to stay involved with fans.

Affordability– 8th

While you may think that the $15 dollar nachos at Honda Center are over priced, you won’t find more affordable ticket, parking and concession prices anywhere else.

Welcome to the world of sports, nothing is cheap and yet the Ducks franchise does a great job of offering affordable prices to it’s fan base.

Stadium Experience- 26th

While Honda Center is not your modern day arena, it is extremely fan friendly and the environment is really enjoyable.

Game day promotions are always a focus for the Ducks franchise and the actual game experience is great as well. From an outstanding PA announcer to constant fan involvement, Honda Center has become a great place to enjoy hockey, Wild Wing helps this cause as well.

Bang For The Buck- 1st

The basis of this ranking is off of “wins in the past two years per fan dollars”.

The Ducks have had two incredible regular seasons over the past two years and that along with fan dollars gives them the top ranking.

50 win seasons have become the norm for the Ducks and fans are absolutely getting the bang for their buck.

There you have it, the thinking behind all the madness that went into ESPN ranking the Anaheim Ducks as professional sports fourth best franchise.

Next: Anaheim Ducks Monday Mornin' On The Pond

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