Every year ESPN ranks all of the franchises in the “Big 4” sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL), from 1st to 122nd. Last year the Toronto Maple Leafs finished dead last for the second year in a row, their judgements:
Overall: 122
Title track: 120
Ownership: 115
Coaching: 38
Players: 122
Fan relations: 122
Affordability: 122
Stadium experience: 116
Bang for the buck: 122
Change from last year: 0
Those are a lot of low numbers. This year, however, things have changed. Yes the Toronto Maple Leafs have given up the crown of ‘Worst Sports Franchise”, and handed it off to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. The Maple Leafs jump 5 spots to 118th over all. The new judgements:
Overall: 118
Title track: 100
Ownership: 93
Coaching: 18
Players: 112
Fan relations: 113
Affordability: 122
Stadium experience: 107
Bang for the buck: 121
Change from last year: +4
Big jumps in coaching, Title Track and Players. Still last in affordability, but hey, when you’re the best most loved team in all of North American sports you gotta pay for it.
Sadly, The Leafs are last of the NHL franchises, but hey, at least we’re not last on the big list, right?
Click here to read the full outlook for the Maple Leafs, and here for the NHL review.