jordo212000;669129 wrote:Except that the Steelers, Patriots, and Colts perennially battle for the top spot in the AFC.

Colts have contended since Manning was there.
Patriots because they caught lightening in a bottle and got lucky that Brady panned out and Belicheck became a genius (he was a bum in Cleveland) and PIttsburgh has been doing it with solid drafting and bringing in solid depth in free agency. Steelers do not typically overpay to bring in FA's. They will pay their core players big money to stick around when they deem its needed.


Those franchises arent their because they buy their success. They cannot spend any more on salary than the worst team in the NFL.

Green bay is probably the smalleset market in the NFL


Found this on another site from fairly recent. The numbers next to the team is the market size....so basically population I guess.
1. New York Giants/New York Jets
3. Chicago Bears
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Dallas Cowboys
6. San Francisco 49ers/Oakland Raiders
7. New England Patriots
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Washington Redskins
10. Houston Texans
11. Detroit Lions
12. Arizona Cardinals
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Seattle Seahawks
15. Minnesota Vikings
16. Miami Dolphins
17. Cleveland Browns
18. Denver Broncos
21. St. Louis Rams
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Indianapolis Colts
26. Baltimore Ravens
28. San Diego Chargers
29. Tennessee Titans
31. Kansas City Chiefs
34. Cincinnati Bengals
47. Jacksonville Jaguars
51. Buffalo Bills
53. New Orleans Saints
70. Green Bay Packers
NFL DMA rankings by division

AFC East

1. New York Jets
7. New England Patriots
16. Miami Dolphins
51. Buffalo Bills

AFC North

17. Cleveland Browns
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
26. Baltimore Ravens
34. Cincinnati Bengals

AFC South

10. Houston Texans
25. Indianapolis Colts
29. Tennessee Titans
47. Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC West

6. Oakland Raiders
18. Denver Broncos
28. San Diego Chargers
31. Kansas City Chiefs

NFC East

1. New York Giants
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Dallas Cowboys
9. Washington Redskins

NFC North

3. Chicago Bears
11. Detroit Lions
15. Minnesota Vikings
70. Green Bay Packers

NFC South

8. Atlanta Falcons
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24. Carolina Panthers
53. New Orleans Saints

NFC West

6. San Francisco 49ers
12. Arizona Cardinals
14. Seattle Seahawks
21. St. Louis Rams
Average DMA size/ranking by division

1. NFC East (4.75)
2. NFC West (13.25)
3. AFC East (18.75)
4. AFC West (20.75)
5. NFC South (24.50)
6. NFC North (24.75)
7. AFC North (25.00)
8. AFC South (27.75


Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/football/1187003-nfl-standings-designated-market-area-dma.html#ixzz1DOzg1IPL

QUOTE=queencitybuckeye;669672]Yes, but the point is that unlike other sports, success has little or nothing to do with the amount of revenue taken in. Teams that win consistently do so because they run their organization smarter than the others.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. It comes down to:
1. scouting. getting guys who fit your schemes and filtering out those guys who are great workout and film guys. Steelers, for example, have a few times taken an undersized DE who is a beast rushing the passer and make him a OLB.
2. developing your drafted talent. For the most part the guys you draft do not make tons of money. You get them young, mold them to your scheme and they either sink, or swim.
3. Smart in FA. Do not put contracts out there like haynesworth, or when Randel El signed with wash for stupid dollars.
4. Making tough, but smart, choices in keeping your core players. Steelers have lost tons of good players over the years because they couldnt keep them under contract. They made some bad moves like Washing and Scott at DB's but for the most part they keep their core talent under wraps and take care of them. This also goes toward draft and develope. There are times a guy will be able to be a FA< but because the team drafted and developed someone they can let him walk.

There is SOME luck in it I guess...but shallow men believe in luck, true men believe in cause and effect.