ESPN the Magazine releases an issue called “The Franchise Issue”, and the 11th annual issue hits newsstands on September 20th. Surprisingly, The Memphis Grizzlies were named the top franchise in all of sports this year. They pick the franchise based on 8 categories:
- Fan relations (25.2%)
- Affordability (17.4%)
- “Bang for the buck” (16.8%)
- Stadium experience (12.4%)
- Players (11.30)
- Ownership (10.2%)
- Title track (3.6%)
- Coaching (3.1%)
The Grizzlies ranked second overall in “players (effort and likability),” “affordability” and “bang for your buck,” seventh in “stadium experience” and eighth in “fan relations.” If you know the fan base in Memphis, they love their team. The passion is high down south, and their saying “Grit n Grind” fits their style on the court. They made the Western Conference Finals last season, so things are looking up in Memphis, and this is just another thing for the franchise to be proud of. They announced it on twitter this morning:
.@memgrizz tops @ESPN the Magazine's Ultimate Standings as Best Pro Sports Franchise: http://t.co/Qe0EB3TOIY http://t.co/KpudwGiSnR
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) September 18, 2013
The Spurs came in 2nd, followed by the Pacers and Thunder. There wasn’t another NBA team until the 25th, where the Heat came in, and the Celtics were 45th, Lakers were 77th(Clippers were 55th), Knicks were 102nd, and the Kings came in last at 122.