How Valuable are the Detroit Lions?

Forbes released a report of the National Football Leagues most valuable franchises and the list won't surprise you.

Reading through this list I learned that winning doesn't always equate to franchise value. For example, the Dallas Cowboys earned the top spot with an approximate value of $4.2 billion and they haven't won a Super Bowl since the Bill Clinton administration. With the exception of the New England Patriots, the top five is made up of teams that were good 20+ years ago. It also doesn't hurt to be a major media market

Surprisingly enough, Cleveland finished 27th overall with a value $1.85 billion, which is one of the first times they haven't weren't last at something. Not surprising is that the the bottom five are made up team that are historically bad, can't win a playoff game and/or can't win a Super Bowl in four straight attempts.

Detroit finished 31st on the list which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I bet all of the fans could pool their money together and purchase the team. My guess is that collective group could run the team just as well or better than the current staff.

Top 5 Most Valuable Franchises

1. Dallas Cowboys - $4.2 billion

2. New England Patriots - $3.4 billion

3. New York Giants - $3.1 billion

4. San Francisco 49ers - $3 billion

5. Washington Redskins - $2.95 billion

Top 5 Least Valuable Franchises

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - $1.85 billion

2. New Orleans Saints - $1.75 billion

3. Cincinnati Bengals - $1.65 billion

4. Detroit Lions - $1.65 billion

5. Buffalo Bills - $1.5 billion