This story is part of ESPN The Magazine's Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!
Seattle Seahawks
Overall: 12
Title track: T6
Ownership: 7
Coaching: T4
Players: 9
Fan relations: 15
Affordability: 101
Stadium experience: 17
Bang for the buck: 8
Change from last year: -7
The Seahawks are no strangers to the top of these standings, and this year is no different: Top-10 finishes in title track, ownership, coaching, players and bang for the buck mark some of the categories most important to fans. All those pieces have been put together to impressive effect on the field: The Seahawks have gone to at least the divisional round in four straight seasons, have made the Super Bowl twice and brought home the Lombardi trophy once.
What's good
The Seahawks have made the playoffs in five of six years under Pete Carroll, whom fans voted the fourth-best coach in sports (tied with Bruce Arians, behind only Bill Belichick in the NFL). At 65, Carroll is the oldest coach in the NFL, but he has created a culture in which players are encouraged to let their personalities show. He signed a three-year contract extension through 2019 and is focused on getting at least one more Super Bowl ring while in Seattle. The roster (ranked ninth overall in the Ultimate Standings) assembled by GM John Schneider isn't too shabby, either: Russell Wilson is only 27, and the defense has led the NFL in fewest points allowed for four consecutive seasons.
What's bad
The Seahawks' average ticket price -- just under $85 a seat -- is actually lower than the league average. So what's with the low ranking in affordability? Well, it's not easy to get a ticket to a game at CenturyLink Field, and fans really have to open their wallets if they are trying the secondary market. According to TicketIQ, Seahawks tickets carry an average price of $466 on the secondary market, the highest number in the NFL. And while Seattle's $3 hot dog is the cheapest in sports, the team also gets dinged here when it comes to affordable parking ($50) and other concessions.
What's new
There's not much room for the Seahawks to grow before they top these rankings, but the team did manage a five-spot improvement in fan relations, based on engaging fans through social media and connecting them to information they want online. The team account does a good job of taking fans behind the scenes. For example, last season after a win over the Baltimore Ravens, Pete Carroll climbed atop the lockers to deliver his postgame speech, and the Seahawks posted a photo. Carroll uses his own Twitter account to interact with fans and get their opinion on important issues like whether he should move on from his old-school sneakers. And players like wide receiver Doug Baldwin use their personal accounts to engage fans on social issues.
Next: New England Patriots | Full rankings