What are the cornerstone franchsies in the various professional (US) sports leagues. By cornerstone I mean they have that certain something, history, success, quality, importance to the league that they are the pillars. For example, the Patriots are not an NFL Pillar, although they have had a ton of recent success, they wouldn’t really qualify. On the other hand, a team like the Cubs, who are not very good almost always, but seem to me to be one of the Pillars (OK, you can disagree of course).
NFL
Green Bay Packers
Dallas Cowboys
Oakland Raiders
San Francisco 49ers
Chicago Bears
MLB
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Los Angeles Dodgers
Cincinnati Reds
NBA
Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers
New York Knicks
Chicago Bulls
Philadelphia 76ers
NHL
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Oilers (?)
Boston Bruins
New York Rangers (?)
College Football
Oklahoma
Notre Dame
USC
Michigan
Alabama
College Basketball
UCLA
Kentucky
Duke
North Carolina
Kansas
I’d drop the Oilers and add the Red Wings to that list so that it would include five of the original six. Chicago’s in a such a sorry state, they don’t belong on the list.
I’d drop the Dodgers (relocation is grounds for automatic disqualification) and replace them with the Cardinals. Runners up include Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox. The Athletics, Giants, and Dodgers would have made the list if it weren’t for their itchy feet.
Considering the Cowboys and Raiders have only existed since 1960 and the Niners since 1950, I’m thinking the New York Football Giants (est. 1925) might have a bit more historical significance.
Add into the mix all that Wellington Mara did to establish the NFL, and I think you’ve got quite a stong case to ditch one of the others (being a Giants fan, I vote for wiping out all record of the Cowboys existence).
NFL - I’m not sure about the Niners. They have had plenty of success, but that has been sandwiched by the doormat era and the post-Eddy D era - neither of which is (was) particularly pleasant. Maybe the Colts instead?
MLB - I’m not sure how you can have the Dodgers without the Giants. And what about the Cardinals?
NBA - I’m not sold on the Bulls but I’m not sure who else to add.
NCAAF - Agree, but don’t see how you can limit it to five. Lieu makes two excellent suggestions. What about the service Academy’s? Particularly Army and Navy.
NFL
Green Bay Packers
[del]Dallas Cowboys[/del] New York Giants
[del]Oakland Raiders[/del] Cleveland Browns
San Francisco 49ers
Chicago Bears
If we could go to six, I’d add the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns haven’t had fantastic success, but they’ve been a staple of the league forever. And back in the Otto Graham days they were The Team To Beat.
I don’t know about taking out the Oilers. I think they belong there not so much for what the current team is, but because the Oilers pretty much defined the history of the modern, expansion-era NHL. The league just wouldn’t be the same without the Oilers in it.
NFL
Green Bay Packers
Washington Redskins
New York Giants
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
College Football
Agree with the 5 in the OP, would add Ohio State next
MLB
This is tough. If you disqualify the relocators (not sure I would; Philadelphia Athletics and Oakland Athletics are both pillars but for different reasons; likewise Brooklyn/LA Dodgers), and disqualify the teams that have had superlong periods of underachievement (Cubs, Braves), the Yankees may be all that’s left, and who wants that? We need a longer list: Yankees, Dodgers, A’s, Braves, Red Sox, White Sox, Reds, Giants, Cardinals, Cubs.
I don’t really think any of the major leagues has FIVE pillar franchises.
Baseball’s only pillar franchise is the New York Yankees. Nobody except for their own fans would miss the Red Sox, Cubs or Reds, despite the historical importance of the Reds. You could make an argument for the Dodgers.
Hockey’s pillar franchises are Toronto, Montreal, and the Rangers. I agree with Sam that the Oilers would be missed, but people would get over it, except in Edmonton. Not really a “pillar” franchise.
Basketball’s pillar franchises are the Lakers and the Celtics.
The NFL doesn’t really have any pillar franchises, IMHO. The league could play in cities like Little Rock and still make money. Shit, they DO play in little towns - Green Bay, Jacksonville. But if you had to pick any teams, you’d want Dallas, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh.
I would say you need to add the Washington Redskins to the NFL list (despite my Location, they’re not actually my team, so I don’t have much of a dog in this hunt). They have a huge waiting list for season tix, win or lose, and if I’m not mistaken, they are probably just about the biggest money-making franchise in all of sports; they’re definitely (by about $100M over the Cowsluts) the most profitable NFL franchise.
Very interesting topic. I agree with some but not all. Not sure why each league should have exactly five pillars, but for the sake of argument I’ll play along.
MLB
New York Yankees
Los Angeles Dodgers
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
St Louis Cardinals
I think the Cards are more deserving than the Reds and have a richer tradition. The Cubs are the most marginal of the five.
NFL
Washington Redskins
Dallas Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers
New York Giants
Green Bay Packers
I think these five are solid. The Bears definitely do not belong, one could make a case for the Raiders but they don’t have quite the tradition of the others.
NBA
Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers
New York Knicks
Detroit Pistons
Philadelphia 76ers
Detroit’s recent success gives them the nod over the Bulls. Subract the Michael Jordan era and the Bulls are quite a dismal franchise.
NHL
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Rangers
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Montreal and Toronto are no-brainers. Detroit has become Hockeytown and has earned a spot in the elite. New York in a close nod over Boston, Edmonton was the epitome of success in the Gretzky era and by far the most successful of the WHA transplants.
NCAA FB
Michigan
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Southern Cal
Penn State
Yes, it’s heavy on Big Ten teams but so be it, I don’t claim impartiality. I was tempted to bump Southern Cal for Michigan State but even I am not that much of a homer.
NCAA BB
UCLA
Duke
Kentucky
North Carolina
Michigan State
The Spartans make my list because of the Earvin Johnson era and the recent Izzo success. Before Johnson came along, the NBA finals were seen on tape delay. With all the great Magic-Bird series, the NBA came of age. I also think the Michigan State-Indiana State final was the beginning of the NCAA tournament soaring into the stratosphere.
MLB
New York Yankees I would strongly argue the most famous franchise in America and maybe the world
Boston Red Sox Massive national appeal, part of the biggest rivalry in America, Sold Ruth. 86 year drought, all the drama and then the greatest comeback in baseball history
Chicago Cubs *Lovable losers, 1908, Earnie Banks, Famous Rivalry with St Louis. *
[del]Los Angeles[/del] Dodgers Take the franchise as a whole, Da Bums where the lovable losers and then they faced off against the Giants and Yanks for a 20 year run in 2 cities. Massive national appeal, much international appeal, the team of Jackie
[del]Cincinnati Reds[/del] St. Louis Cardinals
*The Reds are the oldest and the smallest market. These are both in their favor, but The Cards are a storied Franchise, involved in one of the Major Rivalries in Sports and have the second most Championships. They innovated the farm system and are just a legendary Franchise. Like the Yankees they have really never been out of contention for a long period of time. They deserve a listing. *
NFL
Green Bay Packers - *The Team of Lombardi is permently enshrined in history. *
Dallas Cowboys - *Incredible Successful and huge National following, I might hate them, but I acknowledge their importance over the last 35 years. *
Oakland Raiders - *Sure, why not. *
[del]San Francisco 49ers[/del] NY Giants *49’ers had a run, but a small national following overall. Giants and Mara family helped found the NFL and then allowed the NFL to be the incredible force it is today. BTW: Landry and Lombardi were both assisstant coaches on the 50s Giants squads. Involved in the two most fabled games of the NFL. The Ice Game way back in pre-history and the Giants-Colts game at Yankee Stadium that “Made the NFL”. *
Chicago Bears - *Da Bears, 'nuff said. *
If relocation is grounds for automatic disqualification the lists would be pretty short for anything but college football and basketball.
I don’t think you can talk about the NFL without mentioning the Cleveland Browns, but the Browns started out in a rival league and wound up moving to Baltimore. The Browns that play today are an expansion franchise. The Oakland Raiders may be a pillar, but what about the years they played in Los Angeles?
In the NBA, the Lakers, Pistons and 'Sixers all started somewhere else (Minneapolis, Fort Wayne, IN and Syracuse, NY, respectively.)
In MLB, the historic Washington Senators wound up in Minnesota. The Washington Senators v2.0 ended up as the Texas Rangers. The team that now plays in Washington started in Montreal.
College basketball is a good list, but for football I’d replace Michigan with Ohio State. Nebraska and Texas probably belong on the list, but not to the point where I’d bump one of the teams already listed.
Don’t Forget that the Yanks were originally the Baltimore Orioles in the American Association from 1882 to 1891, National League from 1892 to 1899 and the AL in 1901 & 1902. They were led by John McGraw who took half the team with him to the NY Giants when he jumped leagues.
I’ll defer to you on that. My in-laws are from Ohio, so my source of information is biased.
But the discussion raises an interesting point. Can you really have a “pillar” without an archrival? Sure, the Yankees are a superstar franchise, but even the most devoted Yankee fan’s attention will wander when the team is playing, say, Tampa Bay.
Nope. One of the things that makes the Yankees a pillar is a hated foe. The Red Sox.
And so it goes. The Chicago Bears are one of the legendary NFL franchises. But not a pillar. However, a Bears-Packers game is an event.
Cardinals-Cubs. Knicks-Celtics. Even the Canadiens and Leafs.
And of course, Michigan-Ohio State.
Let’s factor in the famous rivalry factor when deciding which is a pillar and which is just another franchise.