NBA High-5: Trail Blazers rank No. 31 in magazine's ranking of pro sports franchises
We're No. 31! We're No. 31! All things considered, the Trail Blazers are doing OK in the world of professional sports.
At least that's the conclusion I would draw from the franchise's ranking in
ESPN The Magazine's annual "Ultimate Team Rankings," which rates 122 franchises in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball.
The Blazers are No. 31 in the list, which ranks the teams based on eight criteria -- "bang for buck," ownership, players, coaches, stadium experience, fan relations, affordability and "title track." The ranking puts the Blazers at No. 6 among NBA franchises.
The top NBA team is San Antonio, which ranks No. 4 overall. Also in the top 10 are the Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 6 overall) and Memphis Grizzlies (No. 9). The top team overall is the NFL's Green Bay Packers.
ESPN started compiling the list -- with help from the University of Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center -- in 2003, and three NBA teams have held the No. 1 spot -- the Spurs in 2004 and 2006, and the Detroit Pistons in 2005.
It's amazing how much franchises can change. The Pistons have fallen to No. 113th (No. 27 among NBA teams), and this year's bottom-feeding NBA team -- the Sacramento Kings, who are 119th -- were No. 4 overall in 2003.
The Blazers also present in interesting study in how franchises can change. Here's how Portland's rankings have climbed as they moved out of the "Jail Blazers" era. The rankings started in 2003, the last year Portland made the playoffs before a five-year postseason drought.
2003 -- No. 110 overall (No. 27 in NBA)
2004 -- No. 115 (27)
2005 -- No. 79 (26)
2006 -- No. 89 (29)
2007 -- No. 92 (19)
2008 -- No. 30 (8)
2009 -- No. 25 (7)
2010 -- No. 38 (8)
2011 -- No. 31 (6)
All of this proves that the adage that winning cures all in sports is absolutely true.