[OPINION] Why the New York Yankees are the best sports franchise

There have been many successful teams in the past when looking at the four main North American sports. Yet, there are no teams that resemble that of the New York Yankees. Here is why the Yankees are the best sports franchise.

27 Championships

This should just stop all arguments right in their tracks. If someone asks why the Yankees are considered the best ever, the answer should be “27 Championships.” Enough said.

The fact that the Yankees have 27 World Series championships, is a reason why the Yankees are the best and also one of the most hated teams in sports. Many people look at this and just want them to lose all the time because of how much they win. People are tired of seeing the same old team taking the top spot. These people are everyone, except Yankee fans, especially Boston Red Sox fans, but this is another story for another day.

The reason why the amount of championships is so important is because the second best team in baseball are the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won the World Series 11 times. That is a big enough disparity in championship wins to consider the race “not close.”

Other great sports franchises

One can arguably say that championships make a team. This is why the Montreal Canadiens must be mentioned. The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times, with the Toronto Maple Leafs coming in second with 13. Another big gap between first and second place.

It is remarkable what the Canadiens did by winning 24 times. Several of these championships were back-to-back and there were periods when they won five consecutive Stanley Cups. This occurred between 1956 and 1960. They are in a drought they because the last time they won was in the 1992-1993 season. The Canadiens did make it to the 2020-2021 Stanley Cup Final, but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As a comparison, the Yankees did the same thing, winning five consecutive World Series between 1949-1953.

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are considered two of the best NBA franchises ever. Both teams have won 17 Championship Finals. The Lakers have been in 32 NBA Championships which is the most by any team in the NBA.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots have the most Super Bowl wins at six a piece. The Patriots have the most appearances at 11. When comparing the Yankees to these teams, it is easy to put the Yankees number one.

The players and the payroll

Every year, the Yankees seem to have at least one superstar on their team. The Yankees were always filled with MLB greats. Ask any person, even if they don’t follow sports, and they will know who Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle or Derek Jeter are.

How did the Yankees acquire such talent? The simple answer is that Yankees have historically had very high payrolls. Players are going to go where the money is. Since the Yankees had the money, they were able to make the best offers to players.

Why the Yankees are the best sports franchise

To sum it up, the Yankees are the best because of who they are, historically, as a team. Their players, coaches, owners, staff and fans are what make the team. Yankees fans can be rough, but if the team wins, the fans love them. If the product is subpar, the fans will let them know by booing loudly.

For some people, the 27 championships may not be enough to say the Yankees are the best sports franchise of all time. They should at least be in the conversation, personal biases aside.

A team can’t win without good players and the team can’t acquire these players without great offers. Would the Yankees be where they are at without their huge payroll? Probably not. Winning made the Yankees rich, which allowed them to keep buying good players, which leads to more winning, which leads to more money, etc.

Featured Image Courtesy of USA TODAY

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