The New England Patriots are one of the most — if not the most — dominant United States sports teams of the last two decades. And their incredible run unquestionably has increased the value and notoriety of the franchise’s brand.
But are the Pats one of the most American sports brands? Colin Cowherd certainly believes so, although he expects New England’s nationwide relevance to drop off precipitously in the coming years.
During the July 4 episode of “The Herd With Colin Cowherd,” the ever-opinionated host compiled a list of the “greatest American sports brands.” Cowherd never specified his criteria, but some of the factors tossed around were TV ratings, aura, popularity, merchandise and, of course, success.
Here’s the top 10:
Which sports team has the greatest American brand? pic.twitter.com/u6n7G4I9RL
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 5, 2018
So, what was Cowherd’s reasoning for placing the Patriots at No. 10?
“I don’t think they’re gonna be on this list long … let’s be honest, Tom Brady retires — buh-bye,” he said. “We didn’t care about the Patriots before (Bill) Belichick and Brady, and we’re not gonna care an iota about them when they retire — nobody cared about the Patriots when Steve Grogan was the quarterback.
” … This is overwhelmingly driven by Belichick and Brady. But since they’re all there, and because they’re currently the most well-run organization in the most popular sport, I would put them at No. 10.”
Honestly, he’s not wrong.
Watch him explain each pick in the video below:
1. Cowboys
2. Lakers
3. Yankees
4. Packers
5. Steelers@ColinCowherd ranks his Top 10 American sports brands pic.twitter.com/XTd1JhKCGe— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 4, 2018
Hard to argue with much of Cowherd’s logic, although we’re not so sure the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Chicago Cubs really are more relevant than, say, the Golden State Warriors.
Let the debating begin.
