MONEY commissioned a survey of fans by ICR Research Group to
see how teams in the NBA, NFL and MLB delivered on fan
preferences. (The survey did not find enough interest in the NHL
to warrant inclusion). The scoring was weighted to take into
account "the relative importance" of each factor. In addition,
74 sports writers and columnists were polled on various arenas'
"comfort, cleanliness and crowd control." They also ranked the
teams by their "star power." NFL teams received bonus points
since football was chosen most popular by 44% of fans, with bonus
points also going to the World Champions. When teams are tied,
those with lower average ticket prices are ranked higher (MONEY,
10/95 issue).
THE TOP 25 (SCORE ARE OUT OF A POSSIBLE 100)
1. Indians 76.5 14. Dodgers 66.5
2. Cubs 73.5 15. Mariners 66.0
3. Colts 72.0 16. Rockets 65.5
4. Royals 70.5 17. Broncos 65.5
5. S.F. Giants 70.5 18. Rockies 65.0
6. Padres 70.0 19. Saints 65.0
7. Braves 70.0 20. Marlins 64.5
8. Packers 70.0 21. Tigers 64.5
9. Cowboys 70.0 22. Phillies 63.5
10. Dolphins 69.0 23. Mets 63.5
11. Pirates 68.5 24. Bucks 63.5
12. Spurs 68.0 25. Magic 63.5
13. Texas Rangers 67.0
TIDBITS: Of the Top 25, only Seattle's facilities were
considered "below average." The Indians, Colts, Royals, Padres,
Braves, Packers, Cowboys, Spurs, Rangers, Dodgers, Rockies and
Saints all received "superior" ranking for their facilities.
From the MONEY survey: As many as 20% more respondents than last
year say comfort and ambience in arenas and stadiums is
important. In terms of what fans value, parking under $8 and
ticket prices under $25 were the top requirements (MONEY, 10/95
issue).
