NFC North
Chicago Bears - 9 NFL Championships, more NFL Hall of Famers than any other team, and one of the charter members of the NFL. The Monsters of the Midway were a powerhouse of the early NFL, winning 7 titles in the NFL's first 26 years. The Bears followed this with only moderate success over the next 40 years...then came the 80's...
While the Bears 9 NFL Championships is undeniably great, only one has come in the Super Bowl era. Still, that 1985 team carries historic weight matched by few teams.
16/20
Detroit Lions - The Lions history hasn't been ALL bad. They did win 3 NFL titles in the 1950's. They did have one of the most exciting players of all time in Barry Sanders. That counts for something, right?
Still, outside of the 50s, futile would be a nice way to describe the Lions. Sure they had a nice run of playoff teams in the 90s, but won only ONE playoff game (and that's all they've won since 1957). They're the only team to ever go 0-16 and their draft blunders are legendary.The best thing going for the Lions history, the Thanksgiving Day game. Still, it'd be nice if they weren't an underdog in that game from time to time. To be fair, 4 NFL titles are still more than a lot of teams can claim and the Lions history is a little better than its reputation, but these last 50 years have hurt.
6/20
Green Bay Packers - The Packers have the most NFL Championships (12), probably the greatest coach in NFL history, and by far the best ownership in the NFL history, so forgive me if I don't do their history justice in 2 or 3 paragraphs. Let's start with ownership. In an effort to keep the financially-strapped franchise in the small town of Green Bay, the team was literally sold to the fans. Currently 112,120 Packers fans share ownership of the team, with no one possessing a majority share. Talk about a vested interest...
While the 70s and 80s show that no teams' history is perfect, its tough to argue with 12 NFL Championships
19/20
Minnesota Vikings - A relatively young NFL franchise with their start in 1960, the Vikings captured their first NFL championship just 9 years later. The 1970s Vikings featured one of the greatest nicknames of all time (The Purple People Eaters) and Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton. During the decade they won 8 division championships and appeared in 4 Super Bowls, but came up short each time. It looked like the Vikings were headed for greatness in the late 90s behind Randy Moss's freakish talent and a young, promising Dante Culpepper but things took a turn for the worse with Culpepper plagued by injuries, the Randy Ratio, and the infamous Love Boat scandal.
The Vikings organization got off to a fast start in the 60s with their first and only NFL championship. Since then, they've been consistently competitive, but haven't gotten back to that championship level.
10/20
Enjoy your NFL Sunday and we'll continue with the History/Tradition breakdowns early next week as we move to the AFC South.
(I know this isn't NFC North material, but it is your most recent post!)
ReplyDeleteSingle White Fan,
There is a big reason why the Buffalo Bills answered you first and why the Bills are leading in your poll. We are a tremendously loyal and strong fan base that makes the NFL what it is. The Packers, Steelers, and Cowboys may get more press thanks to their large market, but Bills fans are to be found everywhere and in large numbers.
Have you been to the Hall of Fame in Canton? Odds are that by your travel history you probably have. Despite having no Super Bowl championships (albeit 2 AFL championships just before the first Super Bowl), our team has NINE Hall of Famers represented (Billy Shaw, O.J. Simpson, Joe Delamielleure, Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, James Lofton, Marv Levy, and Ralph Wilson). Why would a team who has no titles be rewarded by this many honors, being 40 years younger than many other NFL franchises? Look no further than the quality of the organization and the heart of players, coaches, and an owner that cares about success.
Want to feel like you belong? Head on over to our huge fan site at www.twobillsdrive.com where in fact your quest has been talked about! You can find the sheer number of "Bills Backers" locations we have throughout the country and the world, where we congregate and cheer out Buffalo Bills on. Feel like a part of a family and not just a crowd! We're playing New Orleans today, and you will see the crowd first hand! The media picks the Saints because of their offensive production against poorer defenses like the Eagles or the Lions, but they have a big test today against our D. Want the real experience? Check it out!!!!
-BMoreBills on Two Bills Drive
You haven't mentioned anything about Tampa Bay yet but I wanted to go ahead and make my case. I really think you will enjoy being a fan of the bucs. They are a team that is on the rise and a team that you can grow and love and become close with. You won't ever be accused of being a bandwagon fan, but there is a history to love and learn about. I don't really know what else I could say to convince you to like the bucs, but I wish you the best and hope this statement made a good case for my favorite team.you have always been a fan of. Since you are looking for a new NFL team you should look for a team that has some history but a team that right now is trying to forge a new identity. The Bucs don't necessarily have the long storied history like the Steelers or Packers, but they have been around long enough that they have experience both the good and the bad in the NFL. You need to have the best of both worlds. You need to have a history to hold onto but you need to have a team that you can grow with. Look at where the team is right now. They may be bad right now but they are trying to start over. They have a new young head coach in Raheem Morris. They have a new young franchise quarterback in Freeman. Ownership has been stable for many years and is very invested in the team and willing to do whatever it takes to win. Plus with the history that the bucs do have, there is something there for you to learn about and hold on to while also looking to the future. Learn about the creamsicle uniform days. All those losing seasons. Learn about the Tony Dungy years and how he turned the franchise around. The magical Superbowl year with Jon Gruden. There is some good history in there for you to learn about but there is a lot of positive things to look forward to and be a part of in the future. I went through something similar as you 12 years ago when the Tampa Bay Rays became a new MLB team. I had previously not really had a favorite baseball team. I was sort of a fan of the Dodgers. I loved their history (Sandy Koufax is one of the most interesting players of all time). But I had never really invested much interest in the team so I decided that I would be a Rays fan and would follow them religously. Over the years I have tried to go to as many games as possible every year. It was hard for a long time being a fan of a losing franchise but the payoff of that magical season last year made it all the more worthwhile. Enjoying the run to World Series was my favorite moment as a fan. Knowing that I had been a fan for all that time and suffered through all the bad terrible seasons made having a successful season that much more euphoric. I think picking the bucs will allow you to enjoy really investing time with a team and allowing you to have a better payoff in the long run. They are obviously not very good right now but they have a good plan in place. They have very likable players. Ownership is very invested in the team and are looking to make the team better. cont...
ReplyDeleteAnd if these reasons aren't enough to make you a fan I'll give you a quick rundown of some other cool aspects about the bucs
ReplyDelete1. Mascot - Buccaneers - Who wouldn't want to be a Spanish Pirate? Pirates are bad ass. Go to Gasparilla sometime in Tampa and experience a unholy union of Mardi Gras and Pirates. (If this doesn't sway you then I don't know what will)
2. Stadium - Awesome Pirate ship in the end zone. Need I say more?
3. The City - Tampa Bay is great. Its warm year round. Its on the gulf. The superbowl is regularly hosted here every 8 to 10 years. Its a days drive away from birmingham so you would be able to take in many games and make a nice little mini vacation while your at it.
4. Uniforms - I can't get enough of the pewter helmets and red jerseys. It is a very original and distinct combination and there aren't many teams with a similar color scheme.
5. Coverage - The St. Pete Times is one of the best mid market newspapers in the entire country and offers great coverage of local teams. Oh and the hometown paper, the Tampa Tribune, has outstanding coverage as well.
6. Fans - Tampa has a very loyal local and rabid fanbase. They aren't as popular on a national level so it wouldn't be like you are being a bandwagon fan. you would be starting something new. It would be a new, fresh and distinct choice that you could very easily own up to and be proud of.
I really think you will enjoy being a fan of the bucs. They are a team that is on the rise and a team that you can grow and love and become close with. You won't ever be accused of being a bandwagon fan, but there is a history to love and learn about. I don't really know what else I could say to convince you to like the bucs, but I wish you the best and hope this statement made a good case for my favorite team.
I would like The Rock to explain how the Packers have a "large market" when they are, in fact, the smallest market by a large margin to have a professional sports team.
ReplyDeleteWhen your argument for a team includes a list of HOFers headlined by a murderer and a thief, I think you have all you need to know about those Bills. Add to that the fact that they will soon be in Toronto, and I think you can close the case on the Bills.
Which leads me to one of the biggest reasons it is great to be a Packer fan. You mentioned the unique ownership situation the Packers have. Besides the Packers being the only team anyone short of a billionaire has a shot at being a part owner of, there is one other truly unique effect of their ownership structure. They are the only team you can be absolutely assured will never be relocated. The Packers literally are Green Bay, and Green Bay is the Packers. They're going nowhere.
The rest of my pro-Packers points will be quick hits...here we go...
1. Cheeseheads
2. 12 Championships
3. Lombardi Trophy
4. 3rd most players in HOF
5. They have their own HOF at Lambeau
6. Loyalty in fan base - fans shovel out stadium in winter, they voluntarily voted to raise their taxes and fans bought stock at $200/share when stadium needed to be renovated, kids bring their bikes to stadium and players ride them (with kids often on their backs) to the practice field, etc.
7. Every home game sold out since 1960
8. Season ticket waiting list of 70,000+
9. Lambeau Leap
10. If the NFL collapsed and the Packers assets were liquidated, proceeds would go to building a monument for fallen US soldiers.
I'll leave it at the Top 10 for now. If for some reason you need more than the above, just let me know.
Don't forget that the Vikings basically built the Cowboys of the 90's by trading away an obscene amount of pics for Herschel Walker and then failed to adapt their playbook to utilize Herschel's style of play or even give him the ball.
ReplyDeletePackers all the way.....you are an Alabama fan and well Bart Starr...a legend....and just fun loving people. It's a simple answer but you cant go wrong with simplicity.
ReplyDeletei wolud have to say go cheese for one we are the most winingest team in the nfl history we won the first two super bowls and went to the frist three we also have vince lombardi for pete sake there is a trophy named after him that has to say something
ReplyDeleteOK Vance, here is my rebuttal as you asked for!
ReplyDelete1. The whole state of Wisconsin is a much larger market than Western New York, and here are the cold hard facts:
Western New York: 2.5 million
Wisconsin: 5.63 million
Your market is double ours, and to call the city of Green Bay the only marker by which to define a team's market is dishonest.
2. Paul Hornung was banned from the NFL because he was gambling on NFL games, so the record of the Hall of Famers in Green Bay is not rosy by any means. This happened DURING his career, and not after.
3. Since the team is publicly owned, the economy could very well force the Packers to relocate or to cut salary, so the statement that they would "never relocate" is bogus- nothing is guaranteed.
4. That's precisely my point- the Packers have 12 championships, so loyalty to a franchise comes too easy. Come on now- how hard is it to be a fan of a team that has garnered that much success in 89 years? We are loyal every single year, win or lose, and we have no NFL championships, so if you really want to know who are dedicated NFL fans, you don't get much better than Buffalo Bills fans!
5. Do you REALLY want to wait years just to get season tickets? Good luck in Green Bay, because you'll probably be dead before you make it off the waiting list! What fun is that?? Wow.