http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=keating_peter&id=5338902 This piece appears in the July 12, 2010 issue of ESPN The Magazine. Five years ago, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Saints ranked last in our Ultimate Standings. Today they're No. 1. How'd that happen? Commitment to community, championship play and cheap prices. We chatted with Saints Nation. November 2005 What would you say to fans who think the Saints are leaving town for good? Eighty percent of companies in New Orleans have not been able to reopen, but we are keeping this company in business. We relocated to San Antonio so we can stay afloat. We remain a Louisiana corporation, and we're paying $25 million into the state income tax fund this year. All anybody wants to do is criticize [owner] Mr. [Tom] Benson, but they're barking up the wrong tree. -- Greg Bensel, team spokesman June 2010 The Method to our Madness Want to know how we came up with the Ultimate Standings? Take a deeper look insider the numbers here. For detailed write ups of all 122 teams in our Ultimate Standings, go here. How close did the team come to moving? The rest of the world thought we were down and weren't coming back. We had to relocate in 2005. Our practice facility was occupied by the military during that time. Publicly, everybody was talking about that. But we -- ourselves and our staff -- wanted to come back. We just had to find a way. And that's what we did. -- Tom Benson, owner Our standings rank all MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL teams by how they repay fans for the time, money and emotion they invest in them. The results show that fans feel a strong connection to the Saints. What accounts for that? The bond we have with our fans, and the support we get from them, were created post-Katrina, with the struggles and hardships we all went through helping to rebuild this city. We really leaned on each other in that time, and I think it culminated in the reopening of the Superdome on Sept. 25, 2006. That symbolized the fact that New Orleans was not only going to come back, but come back stronger than ever. When we thought about winning the Super Bowl, we wanted to win it for our fans. -- Drew Brees, quarterback You always see the players in our community, especially Drew Brees. You can drive by his house and honk, and if he's working on the yard or something, he'll wave back. -- Jeff Larsen, fan We have a good website, but not a big social media presence. When players leave practice or games, they're visible, and news spreads person to person and by word of mouth. The Saints are what people talk about with their neighbors. It's neat to see. -- Doug Miller, director of new media We explicitly look for people with a certain energy level. That's one reason we hired Sean Payton. We look for tough-mindedness and intelligence, and people who see a glass as half full. We have to have players and staff who do more than football, who relish the chance to make a difference in New Orleans. -- Mickey Loomis, GM Fans love Sean Payton. Does the Saints' aggressive play help keep the team close to fans? I think so. On offense we attack, and on defense [defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams is blitzing every other down. I think it brings more excitement to the game. -- Pete Carmichael, offensive coordinator The Superdome has some wear and tear on it, but does it have a different vibe from other venues? There's energy in the building; even when you come out for warmups in the early part of the day, you can feel the electricity. Then you come back out for the start of the game and you can really feel something in the air. -- Carmichael You go to some other stadiums and you hear fans kind of going up and down, but here it's loud the entire game. Maybe that has something to do with the hard alcohol they serve at the stadium. Or all the crazy costumes you see. Like Whistle Monster -- he has a huge whistle on his head. -- Ryan Pace, director of pro scouting So coaches on the field, no matter what they say, notice what goes on in the stands. There's a guy who dresses like a Saints robot, and he dances during timeouts. He's phenomenal. You can't help but notice. You're still taking care of business, but there are always those five or 10 seconds when there's a little lull, and you're like, "Wow, did you see that?" -- Scottie Patton, head athletic trainer How did the "Who Dat?" chant start? I think it was something that came out of the court system in the 1800s. I'm not exactly sure. But we didn't steal it from Cincinnati, that's for sure. They're "Who Dey?" We're "Who Dat?" -- Michael Prestenback, fan [Ed.'s note to Mr. Prestenback: "Who Dat?" originated in a song written by poet Paul Laurence Dunbar in 1898 that was part of a minstrel show.] And we're allowed to drink walking down the street. They can't tailgate like we can down here. -- Scott VanderMeer, fan Following all those years of the Aints, of Black Mondays nearly every week, what was it like when the Saints won the Super Bowl? It was families, friends, the older generation who had been waiting their whole lives for this, and it was nuts. We hit the [French] Quarter, Bourbon Street, and tore it up. It was Mardi Gras times 1,000. It was just love, everybody embracing each other. I think it might have stopped. I'm not really sure. -- Larsen After the Super Bowl I had so much stuff left in front of my house: wine bottles, beer, signs, cards, flowers, you name it. Just people showing their appreciation. You could tell how much it meant to them. -- Brees We estimate it costs fans an average of $90.55 to go to a Saints game, the eighth-cheapest game day in the NFL. Is that by design? We understand our market and what makes our market work. If you invest in fans, the proof is in the pudding. Our prices are affordable, and we have sellouts. Mr. Benson gets that. -- Bensel Everyone has a story about how close this team is to its fans. What's yours? They had a TV commercial for a furniture store that said, "You have to see the Special Man!" I played a lot of special teams. There's one guy named Shaq who would say things to me like, "Special Man! Special Man! I see you let him have it that time!" There aren't but two Fred McAfee jerseys on the planet, and he has one of them. He made me a plaque. To this day, he'll sit in the stands and call me the Special Man. -- Fred McAfee, director of player development and former player In this city, playing for this team, it's an experience week in and week out. I've had some pretty good conversations going through the grocery store. -- Marques Colston, wide receiver Coach Payton took the team on a two-hour trip to Plaquemines Parish on the coast, just to have a team rally, to let the shrimpers know we support them. And it can get to 110 degrees, so the buses have to have tinted windows to keep the heat out and the air conditioning in. You can't see through the bus windows from the outside, but fans lined up anyway, at every traffic stop along the way. -- Miller Peter Keating is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine; he's been compiling these Ultimate Standings/Franchise Rankings since 2003 for ESPN. He also has a blog on Insider, which you can find here. His complete online archives are here. I'm sorry, but ESPN should be held accountable for making ridiculous statements like this.
I don't pay attention to ESPN when it comes to sports anymore. Its like turning to MTV for life lessons.
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ESPN needs to apologize to the really great sports franchises like Green Bay Packers, LA Lakers, NY Yankees, Boston Celtics, Pittsburgh Steelers , etc ... These teams have been consistent for a long time. If you want to compare this to MTV, the Saints are just a one hit wonder.
The best franchise? They have got to be kidding. That team was a joke throughout their entire history before a few years ago.
You mean when they had an easy out of NO and came back anyway? If there is another team more committed to their community I'd be shocked. Of course when they tear down the Terrordome and build a new facility, those fan friendly ticket prices will be out the window.
When things like this happen in the NFL it's hard not to think the fix is in. A shitty franchise becomes top team in a rather quick fashion.
Oh, I see. It would have been very strange for them to pick the Saints. The Yankees are unquestionably the greatest franchise in sports. Saints don't even make the top 10.
Yeah, it's not a list of The Greatest Franchises In Sports History. As far as I can tell, it's the franchise that is closest knit to the community, and gives its fans their biggest "bang for their buck". For 2009, it makes some sense to give that phoney baloney title to the Saints. Who gives a shit. What the hell does the Mickey Mouse Sports Network have to "be accountable for"?
Well deserved award for them in my opinion. They have done a great job turning that team around the last few years... and on top of that everything the organization has done for the New Orleans area and by sticking with it when it would have been easier to leave. I can't see how anyone can bitch about them really. It's a great story.
Really?? I find it pretty hard to hate the Saints, they're so much a part of their fanbase. Hard not to like.
Sorry. The Greatest Franchise in sports is probably Manchester United. In football, it would be the Steelers or the Cowboys.
As of now, I'd still say the Yankees are greater, as they are the current champions of their respective league. I will acknowledge that Manchester United might be worth the same or a bit more, I don't know. Both teams are obviously money juggernauts. Historically though, the Yankees are far and away the greatest team in their sport, while Man. U. is not (Real Madrid).
I think some people are taking this the wrong way, I hate how ESPN calls it "Best Franchise" because that is a misnomer and purely bullshit. Here's how they come up with the rankings. Bang for your buck (Wins over past 2 seasons per dollar contributed directly by fans): 22.5% - The Saints have did great last year, obviously, and were mediocre in '08, but going to a game is very affordable, even for some of the fans in lower economic stations. Fan Relations (Openness and consideration towards fans on the part of players, staff and owners): 18.5% - The Saints organization is amazing towards the fans in the city, especially the players - trust me. Players (Effort on the field; likability off it): 17.4% - The Saints on the field speak for themselves. In the wake of Katrina and now this fucking Oil Spill, they have been active in the community both financially and with volunteering their time. I can't think of one Saints who I think is an asshole. Affordability (Price of tickets, parking and concessions): 12.6% - A Saints game can be pretty cheap. ESPN estimates the average cost per Saints game, per person is $90.55. Not too bad. Ownership (Honesty; loyalty to core players and community): 10.3% - Of late, the Bensons, mostly Rita Benson, the woman in charge, have been great. The team easily could have left after Katrina, but they stayed in NO. Stadium Experience: 9.6% - There are many better sports venues than the Superdome, I admit. But, the Dome still has one of the best atmospheres in sports, provided the Saints are winning. Plus, being in New Orleans, you party before, during and after the game. It's fun. Title Track: 5.7% - Saints just won a title, and look to be able to contend the next few years in my biased opinion. Coaching: 3.4% - The Saints coaching staff is top notch, especially at the top. Sean Payton and Gregg Williams are strong leaders on their respective sides of the ball. It's pretty much a yearly vote on which team gave back the most to it's fans, won, was good in the community, etc. Of course if it were "The greatest American sports franchises in history" the Saints would be laughably far down the list, and the Yankees and Steelers would be at the top. But from 2009-2010, I would have to say they were the best, considering what ESPN took into account. But I'm biased. BTW you have to be an ESPN Insider to see all the reasoning. Dick move on their part.
