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The Sports Franchise Relevance Rankings

By Akiva Wienerkur   March 28, 2023    Reading time:

The Sports Franchise Relevance Rankings

The New York Yankees are the most popular team in Major League Baseball. The Los Angeles Lakers are the most popular basketball team in the world. No NFL team has more fans than the Dallas Cowboys. All those are indisputably true, but what the team at Sidelines.io will try to figure out today is:

Which team is the most relevant sports franchise in the United States?

We will define relevance as a combination of five factors:

  • Size of a team’s fanbase
  • How good the team is currently
  • How much do fans of other teams care about that team
  • Do they have at least one star player?
  • Is there anything else interesting about that team?

Relevance Rankings, from 1 to 92

  1. Dallas Cowboys: Six of the seven most watched regular season NFL games in 2022 were Dallas Cowboys, including their Thanksgiving game, which had more viewers than most playoff games.
  1. Kansas City Chiefs: Every game Patrick Mahomes plays for the rest of his career will be must-watch.
  1. New York Yankees: Baseball matters more when the Yankees are good. You can’t really say that about any other team in U.S. sports.
  1. Golden State Warriors: Won four of the last eight titles.
  1. Los Angeles Lakers: They’re bad, but people still care.
  1. Buffalo Bills: Have become the team in American sports that is chasing a title.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks for an open receiver while teammate Spencer Brown looks to block Bengals Sam Hubbard during first half action in their playoff game at Orchard Park on Jan. 22.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks for an open receiver while teammate Spencer Brown looks to block Bengals Sam Hubbard during first half action in their playoff game at Orchard Park on Jan. 22.
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  1. Philadelphia Eagles: Currently weirdly likable for a Philly sports team.
  1. San Francisco 49ers: They used to be the QB team. Now they are basically QB proof.
  1. Boston Celtics: Not sure what Tatum needs to do to take the jump from star to national superstar.
Mar 21, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) talks with a teammate before a free throw attempt against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) talks with a teammate before a free throw attempt against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Boston Red Sox: Every Red Sox fan would have sold their soul for one World Series, they won four, and they’re ready for new ownership anyway.
  1. Cincinnati Bengals: What an unlikely rise to legitimate relevance.
  1. Baltimore Ravens: Star player, team is always good. If they lose Lamar, they could plummet.
  1. New England Patriots: Currently stuck in no man’s land.
  1. Milwaukee Bucks: And Giannis hasn’t peaked yet.
  1. New York Mets: Steve Cohen would rank first if we ranked ownership.
The greatest living American? Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets owner Steve Cohen talks to press during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
The greatest living American? Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets owner Steve Cohen talks to press during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
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  1. Green Bay Packers: This drops the second they trade Aaron Rodgers.
  1. Los Angeles Clippers: If they start winning, people will care.
  1. Philadelphia 76ers: It’s the 40th anniversary of their last title. Can they become the fourth straight Philly team to make a final and lose?
  1. Los Angeles Dodgers: Have won their division in nine of the last ten years.
  1. Phoenix Suns: These days, Kevin Durant is there for a good time, not for a long time.
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Denver Nuggets: They have the best player in the sport. Do the people care?
  1. Miami Heat: Somehow less than the sum of their parts, from an entertainment perspective.
  1. Chicago Bears: 38 years removed from their last title.
  1. Miami Dolphins: At full strength, they are arguably the most exciting team in the NFL.
  1. Chicago Bulls: How did they get bad again this quickly?
  1. Chicago Cubs: When they’re good, it’s good for baseball. But they’re bad.
  1. Denver Broncos: All eyes will be on the Payton-Russ duo at the start of next season.
  1. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenny Pickett might become an extremely watchable mediocre quarterback.
Jan 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) greets fans following a 28-14 win over the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) greets fans following a 28-14 win over the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
  1. New York Knicks: All we ask of the Knicks as a society is to make the playoffs and lose in five entertaining games and they rarely can even handle that.
  1. Dallas Mavericks: Hard to root for with Kyrie, but also hard to look away.
  1. Memphis Grizzlies: This was our comment when we wrote these rankings a few weeks ago: With Ja Morant becoming the most popular player in the NBA amongst children, the Grizzlies have a chance to shoot up these rankings. Now, things have changed.
  1. Minnesota Vikings: They have a superstar player, they play exciting games, they’re rarely bad.
  1. New York Giants: When they are good, they are boring. When they are bad, they are boring.
  1. Houston Astros: Feels like the villain thing is wearing off and it doesn’t hurt that they keep punking the Yankees.
May 27, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners fans hold up signs referencing the Houston Astros sign-stealing controversy as Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) walks off the field after the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Lindsey Wasson-USA TODAY Sports
May 27, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners fans hold up signs referencing the Houston Astros sign-stealing controversy as Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) walks off the field after the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Lindsey Wasson-USA TODAY Sports
  1. L.A. Rams: The last team to go from Super Bowl champs to irrelevant this fast were the 1999 Denver Broncos after John Elway retired.
  1. New York Jets: Can move up about 15 spots if/when they trade for Aaron Rodgers.
  1. Cleveland Browns: One day the Browns will be good and they’ll be everyone’s second favorite team.
  1. Washington Commanders: The vibes of the post-Dan Snyder era will be very strong.
  1. Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders pulled the rare feat of moving while still keeping most of their old fans. The Raiders have +5000 futures odds to win the Super Bowl.
  1. LA Chargers: One of the only teams on this list that has a very bright future but no fans.
  1. Atlanta Braves: Set up for long term success more than any other team in baseball and maybe in all sports.
  1. Toronto Raptors: Stuck in NBA purgatory. It was fun when they were good, though.
  1. Seattle Seahawks: Would have been last in the NFL six months ago, but Geno Smith and a host of young rookies may have saved the franchise.
Who woulda thunk it? © Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Who woulda thunk it? © Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
  1. San Francisco Giants: Stuck in a brutal division and they don’t have any star power.
  1. Minnesota Timberwolves: The skies were open for the T-Wolves, now they seem to be waiting for Anthony Edwards to become a superstar.
  1. St. Louis Cardinals: The home fans love them. Everyone else seems to hate them.
  1. Cleveland Cavaliers: The last time a Cavs team was this high without LeBron, Mark Price and Brad Daugherty were in town.
Oct 26, 2019; Cleveland, OH, USA; Former Cleveland Cavaliers players (left to right) Austin Carr and Larry Nance and Brad Daugherty and Mark Price are introduced as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers 50th anniversary festivities before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 26, 2019; Cleveland, OH, USA; Former Cleveland Cavaliers players (left to right) Austin Carr and Larry Nance and Brad Daugherty and Mark Price are introduced as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers 50th anniversary festivities before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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  1. Philadelphia Phillies: A fun team to hate right now.
  1. Toronto Blue Jays: A fun team to like right now.
  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Is Trevor Lawrence more like Joe Burrow, Andrew Luck, or Derek Carr. We will soon find out.
  1. Detroit Lions: The Detroit Lions are somehow ninth in Super Bowl futures odds for next season.
  1. Sacramento Kings: Light the Beam!
  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The drop from Tom Brady to washed-up Baker Mayfield is precipitous.
  1. New Orleans Saints: Does Derek Carr move the needle?
Mar 11, 2023; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) speaks at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2023; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) speaks at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Tennessee Titans: The whole AFC South is a slog of irrelevance right now, with the Jaguars poised to climb out.
  1. Indianapolis Colts: Have been in a real rut since Andrew Luck retired.
  1. Portland Trail Blazers: They seem to have gone as far as they can with Damian Lillard.
  1. San Diego Padres: They’re the only team left in San Diego and they came out of nowhere to start spending like a big market club. The history’s not there yet, though.
  1. Atlanta Falcons: 28-3? Those were the good ole’ days compared to where they are now.
  1. Carolina Panthers: C.J. Stroud will probably need to win a few games before he moves the Panthers up this list.
  1. Houston Texans: Have never made a conference championship game and they feel further away than ever. They have twice the odds of any other AFC team, at +12500, just to win the conference title.
  1. New Orleans Pelicans: They have a superstar player, but even when he is healthy, they don’t move the needle nationally.
  1. Arizona Cardinals: Don’t be surprised if this team is picking first in the 2024 NFL draft.
  1. Washington Wizards: Few teams seem to embrace being first round of the playoffs cannon fodder like the Wizards do.
  1. Los Angeles Angels: They have the two biggest stars in Major League Baseball. Cue the Tungsten Arm O’Doyle tweet.
  1. Atlanta Hawks: They’re named the Hawks, but really they’re the Kings… of losing in the first round of the playoffs.
  1. Tampa Bay Rays: Looking for their sixth straight winning season, but mired in the bottom three in attendance every season.
  1. Chicago White Sox: I don’t think its possible for the White Sox to get above number 35 or 40 on this list. They might not have been in the top 40 the year they won the World Series.
  1. Oklahoma City Thunder: They’ve been surprisingly competitive this season, but are still last in the league in attendance.
  1. Texas Rangers: Can Jacob deGrom help make the Rangers relevant again?
  1. Baltimore Orioles: Stuck in a brutal division with two extremely high-profile teams but there’s some serious young talent on the way.
  1. Cleveland Guardians: Fell all the way from 42,000 fans per game in 2000 to 15,000 per game last season.
  1. Brooklyn Nets: Would have been 50 spots higher a few months ago.
Mar 21, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris (12) reacts after a three-point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris (12) reacts after a three-point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Milwaukee Brewers: Quietly have made four straight postseasons, after just making the playoffs four times in their first 48 seasons.
  1. Houston Rockets: In a season with many teams openly tanking, the Rockets have managed to be the worst team in the NBA.
  1. Indiana Pacers: Six of their eight best players are 24 or younger.
  1. Minnesota Twins: They have two legit stars in Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa, insomuch as there are any stars in Major League Baseball right now.
  1. Detroit Pistons: Could Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey be passing to Victor Wembanyama next year?
  1. Orlando Magic: Name this person.
Mar 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley reacts in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley reacts in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Seattle Mariners: Are you ready for Julio Rodriguez to become the biggest star in baseball?
  1. Utah Jazz: Tried to tank this season and failed.
  1. Detroit Tigers: I dare you to name a Detroit Tiger.
Look! It's Spencer Torkelson! Mar 10, 2023; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) catches the ball against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Look! It’s Spencer Torkelson! Mar 10, 2023; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) catches the ball against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Charlotte Hornets: True fact: The Charlotte Hornets have never won a best-of-seven series.
  1. Pittsburgh Pirates: At least the stadium’s awesome.
  1. Washington Nationals: Doing a great Marlins impersonation right now.
  1. Miami Marlins: The Marlins can’t draw fans. The Miami MLS team is last in attendance. The Panthers are near the bottom of the NHL in fans. Its not them, it’s the city.
  1. Cincinnati Reds: Age game: Guess how old Joey Votto is.

Answer in the photo description.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) watches between rounds of batting practice at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK Joey Votto is 39 years old.
Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) watches between rounds of batting practice at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Joey Votto is 39 years old.
  1. Arizona Diamondbacks: The D-backs have not won an NLCS game since winning the World Series in 2001.
  1. Colorado Rockies: Did you know the Rockies have never won the NL West?
  1. Kansas City Royals: True or False: Their projected cleanup hitter this year is named Vinnie Pasquantino.
  1. Oakland A’s: The A’s and Oakland are like a couple you know is going to get divorced but they’re waiting for their youngest kid to graduate high school.
  1. San Antonio Spurs: As a Spurs fan, this hurts me, but I have five rings to console myself with.

Have a take about this list? Argue with Akiva Wienerkur (keev26) about it on Twitter.

Updated on: March 28, 2023

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