Sports Archives - The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Mar182016 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

All-Time MLB Franchise Rankings, 2016 Edition

Sports

I've upped my game with franchise rankings and introduced some new technology to the process -- namely, Tableau. To see some other examples of me putting Tableau to good use, check out the Infographics section of my SportsPaper.info site. Other than making things look snazzy, however, the methodology behind how I'm ranking all MLB franchises remains pretty much intact. So for those who don't know the rules, here they are again: The Criteria The categories and point values are as follows: 20 points for a World Series title. Pre-1903 titles are not counted. 15 points for a league pennant. 6 points for a playoff series win (e.g. Division Series or Wild Card Game). 4 points for a division title. 3 points for a regular season winning percentage of .556 or higher, -3 points for ...

Oct212015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

All-Time NFL Franchise Rankings, 2015 Edition

Sports

My NFL franchise ranking is now in its third year, despite the tardiness this season. So if you've read the 2013 or 2014 editions, you know what to expect here. Also, be sure to check out all my other great sports lists as well! The Criteria The categories and point values are as follows: 25 points for a championship game/Super Bowl win, 15 points for a championship game/Super Bowl loss (starting in 1932). 5 points for a season with a playoff appearance (starting in 1967), and 8 points for a season with a playoff win. 1 point for a winning regular-season record, -1 point for a losing regular-season record. 3 points for any year with a regular-season winning percentage of at least .750, -3 points for a regular-season winning percentage of .250 or less. Consecutive winning r...

Oct182015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

All-Time NHL Franchise Rankings, 2015-16 Edition

Sports

I like to get these franchise ranking lists out before the start of the season but that didn't happen this year. But no matter, all the tabulations are complete and I'm ready to go with my updated rankings of all 30 active NHL franchises, from best to worst. Last year's list is here, and you can see all my great sports-related rankings and lists here. The Criteria The categories and point values are as follows: 25 points for a Stanley Cup championship (or an NHL title prior to 1927), and 15 points for a Stanley Cup Finals loss. 2 points for a playoff berth, counted only from the 1967-68 season forward. 3 points for each playoff round win, counted only from the 1967-68 season forward. 3 points for finishing the regular season with the most points. 1 point for a winning seas...

Oct182015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

All-Time NBA Franchise Rankings, 2015-16 Edition

Sports

The 2015-16 NBA season is upon us, so it's time to take a look at the updated rankings for all 30 active franchises. To see last year's list click here, and to see all my fantastic sports rankings and lists, go here. The Criteria The categories and point values are as follows: 30 points for a league championship, and 15 points for a Finals loss. 2 points for a playoff berth. 5 points for each playoff round win (does not include a win in the Finals). 4 points for a division title (starting in 1970-71). 1 point for a winning season, -1 point for a losing season. 3 points for a regular-season winning percentage better than .730 (60 wins with the current schedule), -3 points for a regular-season winning percentage worse than .270 (20 wins with the current schedule). Consecuti...

Jul162015 by Chris Holmes1 Comment

What City and State Has Lost the Most Sports Teams?

Sports

When we talk about "cursed" sports towns, it's almost always in the context of things like postseason or championship droughts, heartbreaking losses, or just general futility. In other words, Cleveland. I kid, I kid. But to my way of thinking there's something even worse than falling just short of ultimate glory over and over again, and that's losing a pro franchise entirely. Whether it's the result of a greedy owner or a lack of fan interest, the death of a sports team is always at least a little sad. And so I set out to document just with cities and states have lost the most professional teams from the four major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL). I could expand it to other leagues as well, but I'm not sure that cities mourn the loss of indoor soccer teams quite like they do basebal...

Jun92015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Fantastic 1969 CBS NFL Today Opening Bumper

Sports

The 2015 NFL season is still about three months away, so pigskin junkies have to do all we can to keep the fires stoked. To that end, here's a little gem from the pre-merger days that I hope you'll all enjoy. This is the opening theme/bumper to The NFL Today on CBS, as used during at least the 1969 NFL season. This particular version aired during the NFL Championship between the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings, played on January 4, 1970. Let's all soak this in: This has just about everything a fan of old-school NFL could want. Those tasty late-'60s era team logos, the crude (by our modern standards) TV graphics, and that unmistakable martial music that made you want to strap a helmet on and go hit someone. And all narrated by Don Criqui. Simply glorious. And if you want...

Apr232015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

All-Time MLB Franchise Rankings, 2015 Edition

Listcruft, Sports

I wanted to get the latest list of Major League Baseball franchise rankings done before the start of the 2015 season, but obviously that didn't happen. But that's OK, right? Last year I split the list into two posts ranking the best and worst teams in MLB history, but in keeping with the other sports lists I maintain I'm putting all 30 active franchises in one place. So with that out of the way, here are how the rankings are compiled: The Criteria The categories and point values are as follows: 20 points for a World Series title. Pre-1903 titles are not counted. 15 points for a league pennant. 6 points for a playoff series win (e.g. Division Series or Wild Card Game). 4 points for a division title. 3 points for a regular season winning percentage of .556 or higher, -3 poi...

Feb272015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

All-Time MLS Franchise Rankings, 2015 Edition

Sports

The opening kickoff of the 2015 Major League Soccer season is nearly upon us, and now that MLS is celebrating its 20th anniversary I think they've earned the honor of having their franchises ranked by yours truly. For those unfamiliar with my other franchise rankings, the idea is simple. I come up with a point system for various categories for each team and do some simple math. Teams are then ranked according to average points earned per year, not total points. The idea is to introduce some objectivity to the exercise, and also to allow teams that perform well but may not have a bunch of titles to be rewarded for that. Likewise, teams that win it all once or twice but otherwise stink are not unfairly rewarded. And this also allows for older franchises to not be able to just pile up p...

Feb252015 by Chris HolmesNo Comments

Vintage MLB Spring Training Programs

Ephemera, Sports

Spring Training for the 2015 Major League Baseball season is upon us! So even if you're still sitting under a blanket of snow, you know that relief is on the way. To help you get warmed up and to take an excuse to look at some great vintage sports ephemera, here's a hand-picked gallery slideshow of some of my favorite Spring Training program and scorecard art from teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Angels, and Pirates. All of these and more are available for perusal at The Press Room, and clicking on any image will take you to its own page.