ESPN Ultimate Rankings Rank Pacers Number 4
September 11, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers are ranked fourth among the 122 total professional teams from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB according to ESPN The Magazine. Since 2003, the magazine has used "The Ultimate Standings" to evaluate and rank all professional teams.
The top five according to ESPN include: 1.) Oklahoma City Thunder; 2.) Green Bay Packers; 3.) San Antonio Spurs; 4.) Indiana Pacers; and 5.) Memphis Grizzlies.
ESPN The Magazine compiled "The Ultimate Standings" while rating professional sports teams based on numerous categories and a formula that includes Bank for the Buck, Fan Relations, Ownership, Affordability, Stadium Experience, Players, Coaches and Championship Title Track.
"The article in ESPN The Magazine listing the Pacers fourth in the Ultimate Standings is very much appreciated by the Pacers family," said Pacers owner Herb Simon. "This survey goes right to the heart and soul of what we do. It’s by the fans and for the fans."
Of the eight categories the Pacers scored highest in Bank for the Buck (wins during the past three years per revenues directly from fans) and Affordability (price of tickets, parking and concessions). The Pacers also scored well in Stadium Experience (quality of arena and game-day promotions), Players (effort on the field and likeability off it) and Ownership (honesty and loyalty to core players and local community).
The Pacers organization was credited by The Magazine for "precise draft picks, prudent trades and prescient free agent signings. That’s how the Pacers created the kind of chemistry that took them to the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers could be the Eastern Conference version of Oklahoma City." The Pacers were 48th last year.
"The Ultimate Standings" reveals the best and the worst franchises. It is the only comprehensive ranking of ALL 122 major North American professional sports franchises. It aims to quantify the unique relationship between fans and their favorite teams by determining which NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL franchises establish and maintain the most overall reward for their fans. Results were determined by using analysis of team financial data by The Magazine and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon; combined with fan feedback data gathered by Maddock Douglas, a Chicago-based consulting firm; Netflector, a Seattle-based opinion company and ESPN.com.
The Pacers are only 50 days away from Opening Night – Nov. 3 when Sacramento comes to town. All five starters from the 2012 Playoffs return along with some new faces, including D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green, Ian Mahinmi, and first-round pick Miles Plumlee.