Sports World's Most Valuable Losers
SANTA CLARA (CBS-SF) – Economics and sports are often strange bedfellows.
Take the value of a franchise.
The average fan generally believes that the more valuable a franchise becomes, the more successful it has to be on the playing field.
That simply is not the case.
Using the valuation of a team from Forbes Magazine, let's take a look at the five most valuable losers in professional sports.
- 1.) The Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers as of Dec. 4th were 3-15 in the NBA standings and have tumbled to such a low point that the only win by the Philadelphia 76ers at this point of the season has come at their expense. The only box office high point so far has been that Kobe Bryant has announced that this is his last season. According to Forbes, the Lakers are the NBA's most valuable franchise at $2.6 billion.
- 2.) San Francisco 49ers. All you need to do is listen to sports talk radio in the San Francisco Bay Area and it becomes apparent how far he 49ers have tumbled. Among the NFL's elite just two years ago, the 49ers are battling now for the dubious honor of possibly earning the top draft pick in the 2016 draft. Parking passes are more valuable to scalpers than game tickets. As of Dec. 4th the team was 3-8. According to Forbes, the 49ers are among the most valuable NFL teams at $2.7 billion.
- 3.) Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have also been underwhelming this season, sporting a 3-8 record as of Dec. 4th. With the health and durability of star quarterback Tony Romo in question going forward, Dallas fans may be in for several seasons of disappointment. Forbes places the valuation of the Cowboys at a league-high $4 billion.
- 4.) Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs found themselves in the midst of another losing streak, suffering from woes in the goal and were just 8-13-5 on Dec. 4th. But on the Forbes most current rankings, the Maple Leafs were the most valuable NHL franchise at $1.3 billion.
- 5.) Boston Red Sox. The off-season signings of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez did not pay dividends for the Red Sox in 2015 as they became cellar dwellers in the American League East with a record of 78-84. According to Forbes, the Red Sox as the third most valuable baseball franchise at $2.1 billion.
Honorable mention – Philadelphia as a city. The poor Philly fans are enduring a miserable year no matter if it's the NFL Eagles (4-7 record, Forbes value of $2.4 billion), NBA 76ers (1-19, $810 million), MLB's Phillies (63-99, $1.25 billion) or the NHL Flyers (10-10-5, $660 million)
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