by Tim Delamatter

Created on: September 09, 2009   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

Football has gone from a sport considered only for thugs and delinquents, into one of the most galvanizing for communities, goldmines for Cities, and businesses, as well as fun pastimes for people in the United States.

Football isn't like baseball where you get bored to death until September when the games mean something (I know, I'm a throw-back fan who understands all the nuances of a 162 game season and how it separates the great teams from the good ones, but let's face it, it's not a modern fast-paced game). Soccer (or the real Football), just hasn't gotten as solid a footing as it has in Europe.

Basketball is close to football, in excitement and money-making, but not in fan base. It waxes and wanes too much.

To single out the top franchises is a difficult task. Sure you can go with the ones, which are stacked today, or have been decent for the last ten years or so, but if you do this then you miss football mystique, thus not enjoying what it means to every die-hard fan.

Growing up I couldn't wait to watch my Bears (Walter Payton first and foremost), knock the other team silly. They never won much but they hit you, hurt you, and made you say ouch. There was one stat bandied about by fans of Chicago in the late 70's early 80's about how many wins a team got after the week they played the Bears. It was supposedly something like 75% losses. Whether this is true or not is debatable, but it kept me cheering on my team.

I will try to be honest in my assessment of my top ten franchises, Green Bay in my view, does not deserve a slot simply because they are from Green Bay. Calling yourself a Cheese-head, and actually enjoying it, speaks for itself. They are out, not touchy-feely crap about how a small town made it with the big boys. I dislike them, and cannot even draft their players for my fantasy league, the hatred runs deep.

These franchises are in no particular order.

1. Chicago Bears

Around from 1920 until today, have always fielded a hard-nosed, defensive minded team, who could run, hit, and make you bleed. Without Chicago there would be something missing in the NFL. Without the Monsters of the Midway, Sunday would be missing something.

Made it to the playoffs 24 times

Division Champion 17 times

Conference Champions 4 Times

NFL Champions 8 Times

Superbowl Champion 1 time

2. Pittsburg Steelers

They have been around since 1933. From 1933 to 1972 they made the playoffs once (1944). The Steel Curtain went up in the seventies and made this franchise a household

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