The NFL Value List: Surprises Abound in Forbes' Evaluation

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Money isn't everything, but it's at least in the top five as far as importance goes in any business.

Forbes has just released their list of the most profitable teams in the NFL. To nobody's surprise, the Dallas Cowboys are at the top of the list. They just built a new state-of-the-art, billion-dollar stadium that some people are even referring to as the eighth wonder of the world.

So what if the jumbotron hangs down a little low? It's still amazing.

Trailing the Cowboys are their biggest rivals, the Washington Redskins. Say what you want about Daniel Snyder, but the man knows how to make some money.

After that, there are teams that you expect to see at the top: the Patriots, Giants, and Jets. All either highly successful or in a great market.

I was a little surprised to see the Texans crack the top 10. Same with the Tamba Bay Bucs. I'm not really familiar with the inner workings of these teams, but I wouldn't have expected them to be up at the top, especially over the seemingly strong trifecta of the Steelers, Packers, and Dolphins, all of which are mired in the middle of the pack.

At the bottom of the pile are the Raiders, followed by the Vikings. Two of the most intense fan bases, from what I can tell, mired at the bottom. The Vikings especially were a surprise, since they just signed a guy who shot ticket sales up to an all-time high.

I would have expected the Lions to be the least profitable franchise. An 0-16 season, along with being directly in the middle of the failing auto industry...seems like they wouldn't be making any money at all. They're still the fifth least profitable team, but still, even that seems high.

Are there any other surprises that you see on the list, or does it sound about right to you?

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