America’s Top 10 Coolest Franchises To Own

With the sale of the Chicago Cubs close to being finalized, it made us think about what franchise we’d like to own if we had a few billion dollars in the couch cushions. Our list isn’t necessarily in order of the most valuable franchises. We take location, sport, upside, player development and public popularity into consideration.

Listen, teams like the Houston Texans ($1.17 Billion!) are worth more than the Boston Red Sox and are a few players away from being a hot franchise, you just have to take the blinders off to see it. There are so many reasons to value a franchise like that. Houston is a great city but the tradition isn’t quite there yet and they aren’t the first choice big time free agents. But if we got a hold of them, we’re arrogant enough to think we could make a splash, so we’ll put them at the end of our list. We also like that whole tax-free thing that Texas has going on too.

Here’s our list of America’s 10 Coolest Sports Franchises To Own:

1. Dallas Cowboys - Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have a great thing going on in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They play in a state that is football crazy, where bigger is better and where stars are absolutely adored. Combine that with the tax free state of Texas and you’ve got the best place to lure stars in the most popular sport in America and you’ve got the coolest franchise to own in sports.

2. New York Yankees - Not only do you have a beautiful new stadium to show off, but you also have a city that stars can live in without being hounded in their neighborhood. Sure the New York media is brutal but A-Rod can live in a part of Manhattan where he is one of the lowest paid professionals on his block. The people are diverse so you can draw any free agent you want and the food, entertainment and facilities are second to none.

3. Los Angeles Lakers - The weather and the women are just part of the reason owning the Lakers would be cool. Los Angeles gives you access to the biggest stars and the wealthiest companies. If you can’t draw superstars to play for you and people to buy your merchandise you are….well, the Clippers. Your season becomes a nine month action film complete with all the drama and production you need.

4. Chicago Cubs - If you’ve ever been to Wrigley Field, you’ll know exactly why being the owner would put a smile on your face every day. The baby dolls are out at full force at the same time as your season is. The location of the stadium couldn’t be any better, with bars located all around Wrigley. Past ownership has also built up the feeling around Chicago that it is acceptable to lose, which would make winning that much more appreciated. There’s a reason why Mark Cuban wanted to buy the Cubs. While they will never be a global franchise, the Cubs fan base is spread out across America which makes for endless marketing possibilities.

5. San Diego Chargers - The fan base needs a little help when it comes to passion but when you live in California, there aren’t too many reasons to come to a game angry, looking to get some frustration out by hammering on the other teams kicker. You would live in an area with prime real estate and gorgeous weather. Players want to go there, but it is just a matter of making them feel like you are committed to winning, something that the Chargers have done better over the last 5 years.

6. New York Giants/Jets - Because they would essentially be the same franchise to own, we’ll combine them. With a new stadium being built and New York City millionaires to sell to, the Giants and Jets have some bright days ahead of them. There are enough fans in New York for two teams and they prove it every day. You can tap into so many different successful businesses that you wouldn’t have any difficulty expanding into other areas. The women in NYC aren’t bad either.

7. New England Patriots - Some people don’t understand how close the Patriots are to Boston and it might give them the perception that the Patriots are a middle market franchise. They are everything but that. They’re worth $1.32 billion but owning a football team right outside of Boston, the most sports crazed city in America, would have endless perks. While the diversity isn’t that great in the city, you are the only show from New York upwards and have access to an entire region of fans that adore you.

8. Miami Heat - Location, location, location. When you give Heat fans a reason to cheer they are some of the best fans in the NBA. A guy like Dwyane Wade is perfect for Miami. He’s young and energetic, which kind of personifies the city. If you want to be a playa, Miami is the place to be. With such a diverse population, you will never run out of people to market to. All you need to do is have your team reflect the community and you will be the man in Miami. I wanna be the man in Miami.

9. Arizona Cardinals - I know what you’re thinking, “The (bleeping) Cardinals!?” We realize that past ownership has made a mockery of their responsibilities over the last four decades but if you brought someone in who was sharp and vibrant, you would have one of the best free agent destinations in the NFL. They would come cheaper than other teams and Scottsdale is one of the underrated areas in the country. They are close to Vegas and L.A. and when you have “owner money” you can become a fixture in those cities. I’d rather be an owner of a team in a growing city that I can mold than in a tradition-rich, middle American city that is conservative and stuck in their ways.

10. Houston Texans - They might be a newer team but they are already worth over a billion dollars. And it’s not by mistake. Houston is a beautiful city, with great weather in the heart of football’s greatest state. You can sign free agents to tax-free deals, which means everything to pro athletes. They haven’t been able to capitalize on it quite yet but the Texans are two offensive stars away from being a sexy team in the NFL. I would love to get my hands on a franchise with this much upside and a loyal fan base. They’ll never let an NFL team slip away from them again.