Hat Tip: Mile High Report.
ESPN measured Fan Satisfaction through an 80,000 person poll. Details:
We know what really matters to fans -- because you told us. We surveyed more than 80,000 fans in SportsNation, and you told us what you want from your favorite team. And then you told us how well your favorite franchise repays you for all the love and money you devote to it.
And the Categories:
BNG (Bang for the Buck): Revenues directly from fans divided by wins in the past three years
Check out ESPN's methodological justification. I don't know which is more hermeneutic; our NFL ranking or overall ranking. So I'll go ahead and list the Redskins overall ranking out of 122 teams (mostly because I'm too lazy to organize it by NFL for each category):
FRL (Fan Relations): Ease of access to players, coaches & management
OWN (Ownership): Honesty; loyalty to players and city
AFF (Affordability): Price of tickets, parking and concessions
STD (Stadium Experience): Friendliness of environment; quality of game-day promotions
PLA (Players): Effort on the field; likability off it
CCH (Coach/Manager): Strong on-field leadership
TTR (Title Track): Titles already won or expected -- soon
Overall: 108th
The Skins franchise is worth an estimated $1.4 billion ($400 million more than the Yankees), so you can understand why die-hard hogs are peeved about having to ante up for the fifth priciest tickets in the league, $25 parking and the most expensive brews ($7), soda ($5) and dogs ($5) the NFL has to offer. With offense (ranked 13th) and defense (31st) nowhere near the top of the league, even Lord Gibbs is starting to lose his luster. The Redskins were the only NFC East team that missed the playoff boat, so fans have plenty to turn their plastic snouts up at.
Bang For Buck: 100thFan Relations: 103rd
Ownership: 89th
Affordability: 120th
Stadium Experience: 95th
Players: 98th
Coach/Manager: 32nd
Title Track: 42nd
We were 28th out of the 32 teams in the NFL overall. A few observations:
- No surprise on the Overall, given our poor ranking elsewhere.
- Fan Experience is a bit surprising as I think the Redskins are as easy to access as any other NFL team. Many regional events are hosted to introduce the team to fans. We might lose some points given Dan Snyder's reputation as an Ogre as well as Joe Gibbs vanilla press conferences.
- Ownership: I can't help but feel like Dan Snyder is pulling this ranking one way and Joe Gibbs is pulling it another.
- Third to last in affordability isn't surprising. Ben has that covered.
- Stadium Experience is better than our average but I'm sure the fans are still upset about moving out of RFK.
- I am a bit surprised about this, though a few bad eggs... Redskins fans love and hate their players. We love to love guys like Santana Moss and CP. Hate to hate (on) quality individuals though likely overpaid players such as Renaldo Wynn and perhaps David Patten. Hate (admitting) to love Sean Taylor because of his past transgressions. And love to hate on Mark Brunell as a scapegoat and Brandon Lloyd for tantrums. Overall I would've thought we'd rank better regardless, since I really do love to love virtually all the Redskins, even while I'm criticizing them -- and they're delivering just 5 wins.
- Fascinating how much we're willing to suffer through Gibbs v2.0, though wasn't 2005 really super awesome great? I refuse to turn on Coach Gibbs no matter what happens, given what he's delivered this franchise. I doubt that any other current Coach or team can deliver so little to fans in terms of winning success and still remain largely revered by the fan base. I am not being glib; that truly is a testament to how amazing Joe Gibbs v1.0 really was, both objectively in terms of his accomplishment and sentimentally for what he did for Redskins fans.
- We're still trading off the success of the 80s and early 90s, though that ship is sailing.