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Cleveland Browns
Overall: 109
Title track: 119
Ownership: 112
Coaching: 84
Players: 110
Fan relations: 113
Affordability: 78
Stadium experience: 104
Bang for the buck: 76
Change from last year: +1
The good news? The Browns took a jump in these standings this year! The bad? By ... one spot. These rankings show what Cleveland fans have long known: This is still -- sigh -- the same forlorn, frustrating team that has won more than five games just once since 2007 (and hasn't finished outside the triple-digits here since 2011). Always looking for a quarterback -- and a championship -- yet seemingly never getting any closer to either (they're worst in the NFL this year in title track). There's always next year ... ?
What's good
The Browns spent $125 million over the past two seasons upgrading the stadium and facilities. New scoreboards, better wireless access, fan-friendlier concourses and reconfigured seating reduced overall capacity but improved the intimacy and noise inside FirstEnergy Stadium. Plus, 2014 marked the first season since 2007 with more than five wins (and four of them at home!). Add to that the cheapest tickets in the league ($54 a head, on average) and you see why Cleveland climbed 19 spots overall in our bang for the buck category, its best showing this year.
What's bad
The Browns remain stagnant in the overall franchise rankings (109), and near the bottom among NFL teams (28th in the league). Cleveland's endless struggle to put a championship squad together has paralleled its endless struggle to find a quarterback (ranked just 110th in the players category). One year ago, drafting Johnny Manziel excited everyone, but after his poor rookie season, the Browns seem to be a long way from finding their franchise leader. This also means they are a long way from winning their first title since 1964. The team received the fifth-lowest score in all of sports when fans were asked if their team "consistently wins more games than they lose," and they got an NFL-worst score in "demonstrates a commitment to winning" as well.
What's new
The Browns' double-digit increase in bang for the buck and a 16-point jump for head coach Mike Pettine and his staff in their second year show that fans haven't given up yet. But their frustration with constant losing and unending turnover might eventually take a toll. The best way to sum up the Browns' ineptitude is to look at the numbers. Since 1999: 23 starting quarterbacks, eight head coaches, 14 offensive coordinators and 10 defensive coordinators. And the most glaring: 32.9, as in the Browns have won 32.9 percent of their 255 games since 1999 -- an overall record of 84-171. When the product on the field is this bad, the mood in the stands won't be much better.
Next: Chicago Bears | Full rankings