Yeeeeaaaah boyeee.......Go Spurts go!!!! Fans rank Spurs as top franchise For the second time in three years, the Spurs have been named the top U.S. sports franchise in ESPN The Magazine's annual Ultimate Standings fan poll. The Spurs, who also won the honor two years ago, ranked ahead of every NBA, NFL and MLB team. The NHL was not included in this year's poll because of its recent lockout. More than 30,000 fans participated in the online poll, which grades franchises on fan relations, ownership, players, affordability, stadium experience, coaching and championships. In an eighth category, "Bang For the Buck," researchers at the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center measured how efficiently teams converted fan dollars into victories. The Spurs finished first in fan relations, ownership and players. Coach Gregg Popovich ranked third among the 92 coaches. "I think the standings are a great reflection on the character that our players espouse in their every-day lives," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "I think it's a great reflection on the relationships they have with their fans, and I think it's an affirmation of the culture that David Robinson, Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson and Pop brought to San Antonio and Tim (Duncan), Manu (Ginobili) and Tony (Parker) and the rest of the guys have continued." In the poll's four years, the Spurs have never finished worse than third overall. The Detroit Pistons, who ranked first overall in last year's survey, finished second this year. The NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers were third. The New Orleans Saints finished last. Elliott praises Mourning: Count former Spurs forward Sean Elliott among those least surprised at the high level at which fellow kidney transplant recipient Alonzo Mourning has been playing this season. Mourning, who received a transplanted kidney two years ago this month, went into Wednesday leading the NBA in blocked shots, at 4.0 per game. Since Shaquille O'Neal sprained his ankle in the second game of the season, Mourning has started, averaging nearly 30 minutes a game. "I'm not surprised at all," said Elliott, the first athlete ever to play with a transplanted organ, in 1999. "He's a big, strong guy. I figured if I could do it, he could play for a long time." Mourning has struggled some in the second game of back-to-back sets, particularly when the Heat played at Denver the night after beating the Kings in Sacramento. For the most part, though, he has had no difficulty with the heavy workload. "You feel so much better (after the transplant)," Elliott said. "If I hadn't had the knee injuries nagging at me late in my career, I could have played lots of minutes. You're just as healthy and normal as anybody else. The biggest thing I had to worry about was staying hydrated. But (Mourning) could go out there and play a double-overtime game if he needed to." The two players speak on a regular basis and share the goal of making others aware that transplant recipients need not be limited. "He's playing with a lot of energy," Elliott said, "and that speaks well about what people can do with the techniques that are available now for transplantation. Heck, if my knees felt good, I could still go out there and play."
Maybe, but the Spurs are not about hype. They deserve respect due to hard work and great team work. They didn't build an overnight team and recruit the NBA's elite. They make elite players.
congrats.....EVERYONE loves winners. the question is, how many fans will be there when they are down again???? i bet half of austin, jumps off the bandwagon they jumped on a couple of years ago... screw the spurs. yeah you are doing it the right way, but i still hate you.
Absolutely this is the best franchise in sports right now. They're young winners, pretty and in the public eye (Eva Longoria, anyone?). The franchise is a class act, too. But like Hakeem06 said, if they were losing, they definately wouldn't be #1.
I hate the Spurs and everything about them (except Longoria), but don't forget that they are the only thing SA has to watch. People from San Antonio put everything they have on the Spurs, no football, no baseball, no nothing.
this isnt racial. taco cabana is founded in san antonio and they (and HEB) are the big supporters of the spurs. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2003/12/15/daily45.html?t=printable December 19, 2003 Ginobili teams up with Taco Cabana for scholarship fund W. Scott Bailey San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili will introduce the newly designed commemorative cups for the "Taco Cabana Hometown Achievers Scholarship Fund presented by the Spurs Foundation" on Dec. 22. Ginobili serves as the honorary spokesman for the fund, which was spearheaded by Taco Cabana to provide financial support to Bexar County high school seniors who plan on attending a Bexar County university or community college. The two cups will be available at all San Antonio Taco Cabana restaurants. A percentage of the proceeds from the cup sales will be donated to the scholarship fund. The 32 oz. and 44 oz. cups feature Ginobili's on-court action shots and a player profile. The Taco Cabana Hometown Achievers Scholarship will provide 25 $1,000 scholarships to Bexar County high school seniors based on financial need, grade-point average, school/community involvement, letters of recommendation and a personal narrative. Scholarship applications are available at all San Antonio Taco Cabana restaurants through Jan. 31, 2004. All winners will be notified by the end of March.
Taco Cabana, and Manu? It couldnt be Nazr Mohamad and Taco Cabana? What about Brent Barry and Taco Cabana?
have you been to san antonio? do you know anything about marketing? how about this.. if you are in the hood and wanted to sell bootleg cds, would you sell bootleg cds of: Jay Z or John Tesh?
The Spurs only have 4 or 5 seasons they havent made the playoffs since 1976. San antonio fans are not used to losing (not making the playoffs). They have missed the playoffs once since 1989. The time they missed the playoffs sealed the Spurs making the playoffs for another 5 years from today.
oh yeah, when the spurs delibertly tanked their season so they can get tim duncan. they KRIS BROWNed the league.
