This story is part of ESPN The Magazine's Oct. 12 Owners Issue. Subscribe today!
Kansas City Chiefs
Overall: 38
Title track: 79
Ownership: 23
Coaching: 23
Players: 42
Fan relations: 43
Affordability: 52
Stadium experience: 32
Bang for the buck: 60
Change from last year: +18
Even though quarterback Alex Smith hasn't shown he's of championship caliber, things look bright for the Chiefs this season. They may not win a Super Bowl any time soon, but the rankings show that the players have heart (ranked 42 overall, with high scores from their fans in "shows a commitment to winning" and "players give their best effort"), and head coach Andy Reid continues to settle in and produce winning results.
What's good
The fortunes of the Chiefs turned dramatically on a January day in 2013 when the team hired Reid as its new head coach -- this year, coaching came in at No. 23, up one spot from last season. Working with new GM John Dorsey, Reid set the Chiefs on a course for immediate and long-term success. Kansas City, which won a league-worst two games in 2012, won 11 and reached the playoffs in Reid's first season, followed by a relatively successful 9-7 record last year. The Chiefs look set to be contenders for the AFC West championship for years to come, so it's not difficult to see Reid and the owners who hired him (23rd) coming in with KC's best scores this year.
What's bad
Fans are still pessimistic about the Chiefs in their hopes for a Super Bowl championship -- the team comes in at 79th in title track (though that's up seven places since 2014). And they've come by that pessimism honestly -- the Chiefs haven't been to a Super Bowl since the 1969 season and haven't won a playoff game since 1993. Most recently, the memory of a 28-point lead blown against the Colts in the playoffs two years ago is still fresh in fans' minds.
What's new
Related to the lack of playoff success, Chiefs fans don't feel like the team gets much bang for the buck (ranked No. 60, down 30 spots from last year). A 7 percent increase in ticket prices (though they're still well below the league average) combined with a playoff-less season helps explain that drop. Moreover, fans haven't had many chances at playoff games in recent years, and the team has lost the ones that were played in Kansas City. The Chiefs relinquished a 2015 home game for the NFL's London project, which angered a lot of their fan base. Taxpayers put up $250 million for Arrowhead's recent renovation (stadium experience is ranked 32nd, up 17 spots), but that vote might have gone a different way if fans knew the Chiefs would give up a regular-season home game. If the Chiefs lose to the Lions in London and miss the playoffs by a game, the franchise might never hear the end of it.
Next: Buffalo Bills | Full rankings