And at No. 116, your Oakland Raiders
Only six sports franchises in North America give their fans less than the Raiders — or at least that’s what ESPN the Magazine says.
The magazine annually rates every NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL team on eight measures: affordability, coaching, fan relations, ownership, players (effort + likability), stadium experience, on-field/court/ice success and wins over the past three years.
The Raiders ranked 116th, ahead of only the Sacramento Kings, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Knicks and (of course) Los Angeles Clippers. The best franchise, by the way, was the L.A. Angels, followed by the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Red Wings.
The press release announcing the rankings didn’t break down scoring in the various categories, but it wouldn’t be hard to guess where the Raiders failed. You’d have to figure they scored well on fan relations — they really take that relationship seriously. But their stadium is old and stinky, they have lost three-quarters of their games since 2002, they change head coaches approximately every 28 days and their owner is, well, different.
Raiders fans have legitimate reasons to pooh-pooh the rankings. The team got into a public spitting contest with ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen after Lane Kiffin’s firing last year, and many in the organization suspect an anti-Raiders bias at the network. And hey, you could argue that ESPN the Magazine doesn’t give its readers a whole lot for the price.
But the rankings are generated in part through fan feedback, so you can’t simply blame the media on this one.
Anyway, whether you agree with No. 116 or not, it’s another sad indication of how far this franchise has sunk in the popular perception. People used to love the Raiders or hate them for their arrogant power. Now they are mostly ridiculed or dismissed entirely.
One note of optimism: These rankings aren’t set in stone. Two years ago, the Boston Celtics came in at No. 112. This year they’re holding steady at No. 20. Win some games, hang onto the coach, offer some free Johnnie Lee Higgins bobble-heads and even the decrepit Coliseum won’t hold the Raiders back.
Phil Barber covers the Raiders for The Press Democrat, uncovering news and features despite the team’s best efforts to keep everything a secret. He’ll keep our online audience up-to-date and informed with his blog “Instant Raiders.”
I was on Yahoo and found your blog. Read a few of your other posts. Good work. I am looking forward to reading more from you in the future.
Tom Stanley
by Tom Stanley
Raider nation don’t forget the first regular season game is a Monday night game against the Chargers on national TV on ESPN. We will be able to show our DISTASTE for ESPN and its opinion of the Raiders. We have not forgot how they treated our young draft picks. Be sure to bring plenty of signs with words to tell Keshawn, Jackson, Carter, Big Hair, and the other yahoo’s what we think about them and their lack of talent. It will be the only opportunity we have on ESPN during the season and what better time then a Monday night when the nation is watching. Now its our turn to show our opinion with signs directed at ESPN and the Bozo’s that mouth words about the Raiders. We will show Bey, and Mitchell we have their back and ESPN and the country will have an opportunity to read our placards about ESPN and their announcers treatment of our young Raiders. It should be an interesting night for reading placards in the stands. ESPN has no idea what talent Raider fans have in creative writing. Its pay back time. Signs in the black hole and north endzone will be on display the most so after every t/d, it will be time for “SIGNS UP”…Bring a sign on Monday night. Lets SUPPORT OUR PLAYERS by telling every Raider fan they must bring a sign to the game. “SIGNS UP”
by jake
I can’t believe I just wasted my time reading this crap
by booger32
I don’t care how sick a fan you are..Isn’t it true? from the media busting a nut up their a**,to no home sell outs,coaching changes every year,same sack of sh’t defensive philosophy that sucks.more talk about the past(I’m talking 30 years ago) than anything going on in the last 25..If i didn’t know any better I would say Al wants them to lose on purpose for some freaky insane illogical reason I could never figure out…Gut feeling but,I think Al wants to lose until the Coliseum contract runs out in 2010,which means two more years or more of getting bent over.
by Kelly
The ratings coming from fan poll shows nothing. 3/4 of America are idiots as proven time and time again, and with the mediots sliming the Raiders daily it is no wonder that dumb America plays along and believes. I cannot wait for the crow eating that seems to be about ready to happen.
by JSpicoli
On a positive note about the media, yeaterday on Rome is Burning, Keyshawn broke from the Raider bashing script and amidst reports that JRuss took a day off of OTA’s, he said bascially BFD, lots of players do that and it doesn’t get reported. He went on to say he will judge JRuss on the field in September. What a concept. I was stunned by the sensibility.
by JSpicoli
Uh first of all ESPN doesn’t like the Raiders so anything they say about them is their opinion. Second Raiders fans love the Raiders and haters still hate them. If you google Raiders news you’ll find loyal fans who write about them and Haters who just talk trash about them. You have journalist who write negative things about the Raiders by what they claim to be fact but is simply their opinion. One writer even predicted the Raiders to go 2- 14 this season. Really the Raiders won the two last games of the season last year, one being against the would be playoff bound Bucs. They have the best special teams in the league and do not be confused this is not opinion, look up the stats if you don’t believe me. They have improved their offensive line and yet they are going to go backwards from 5 wins to 2. People can say what they want to say it’s a free country but the Raiders fans will always be loyal to their team and haters will always hate.
by Daniel
The Pittsburgh Pirates have not had a winning season since 1992. They trade away all the talent they ever get every year, and they are not near the bottom?
by JSpicoli
I am and have been a Raider fan for over 40 years ….116 sounds about right
by Rader Grode
espn is a zit on the backside of a donkey
by oc
I being a die hard Raider fan have always said that BSPN is bais towrads the Raiders. Just check the staff all ex Broncos. But I still watched because of the highlights during football season. But after what they did to Heyward-Bey I will not watch it again. That was a classless act by all who were present. And just down right rude. He showed what class he had by continuing to do the interview. I would have been offened no matter who they did that to.
New Mexico Raider
by Anthony Atencio
I did not even know ESPN had a magazine, bet it is a top seller LOL. Who really cares where these clowns rate the Raiders? I can see Al Davis now, sitting up all night wondering how he can get his rating up at ESPN.
Since the NFL Network I do not even watch ESPN except for the night game. To many other places to get my sports fix with much more accurate reporting, plus I do not have to watch all the hacks they hire.
by Sonny
Does anyone really care what ESPN thinks anyway? Except for Ron Jaworski, they are all lame.
I watched Bob Ley try and “corner” Brandon Marshall is an interview a few months back, and I decided never to watch that crap again. For the record, I hate the Broncos, and don’t much like Marshall. ESPN is the worst kind of fiction made up as news.
What they really need is one more third rate ex player to spout more nonsensical opinions. I will be getting my “news” elsewhere.
by ThePirate