sustaining success like the Patriots have since 2001 in the free agency and salary cap era of the NFL is probably the hardest feat to do out of all 4 major pro sports.I
I agree they are great franchises now but ... I dont know about G.O.A.T. I thought that stood for Greatest Of All Time. Am I the only one who remembers when the Patriots were sorry as fukk and the laughing stock of the AFC East?
Granted im not too well versed in football historyI didnt know of the sport until i was 15 or 16, really. Football to me had always been soccer so i could be wrong and correct me if i am but until they got Parcells as their coach everyone used to look at Patriots like
I understand the Spurs had some decent success before David Robinson and Duncan came to town. But G.O.A.T. worthy, tho?
Well maybe... but who set the bar for GOAT comparisons?
ESPN ranks GOAT Franchise, Spurs, as #1 in Ultimate Fan Standings
- Thread starter Da King
- Start date
ALonelyDad
Veteran
Taking ESPN rankings seriously in 2015
and being the GOAT franchise in all pro sports in a small market like SA isn't the hardest feat?
fixedTaking ESPN seriously in 2015
DonKnock
KPJ Gonna Save Us
Bandwagoners have no shameand being the GOAT franchise in all pro sports in a small market like SA isn't the hardest feat?
Bandwagoners have no shame
besides LMA, SA has never been able to sign an All Star FA in their prime and still have remained the most dominant franchise
All I'm saying before i crown a franchise as the G.O.A.T. FRANCHISE (emphasis on franchise) I have to see said franchise do it over and over under various regimes.
Patriots have been GREAT under one regime: Belichick with Tom Brady. So is the Franchise the G.O.A.T.? Or is it the coach/GM regime that G.O.A.T regime?
- Lakers for example have won under various regimes. As much as i despise Lakers and their fans if one franchise in the NBA should be called GOAT it has to be them because they have done it various eras with different people in charge with the common denominator being the FRANCHISE itself
- Maybe the same thing can be said about the Packers in the NFL.
DonKnock
KPJ Gonna Save Us
As far as having the broadest fan base tho, San Antonio is relatively small. So for their fanbase to be that large, a majority of the fans have to be from outside the San Antonio area
invincible1914
G.O.M.A.B.
Tanked one time...got one player and turned themselves into the most consistent sports team of the modern era...
If you were born in the last 18 years you have NEVER not seen the Spurs make the playoffs
.... they tanked twice.... They understand that tanking is about timing.
The God Poster
LWO representa
You know you 
when relying on ESPN for approval
when relying on ESPN for approval 
duckbutta
eienaar van mans
There is no salary cap in the NBA?
There is no free agency in the NBA?
What the patriots have done is impressive no doubt, but I think it is harder to build around one guy for 18 years.
Patriots have been playing in a bad division for awhile now while the Spurs are playing the toughest division in sports for awhile now...3 out of 8 playoff teams routinely come out of the southwest division...2 years ago 4 out of 8 teams...and last year ALL 5 teams in the division made the playoffs...
I would think the competition you face on a yearly basis would play a factor in how hard it is to be successful and I can't think of a sports team that faces tougher competition year in and year out than the Spurs do
duckbutta
eienaar van mans
can you be a goat franchise without ever winning back to back?
When you got 5 titles in 18 years and made the playoffs every year...yep...
While you know when the Spurs win the chip, they won't win it next year...you also know every 3 or 4 years they going to win one...
LMA is here for 4 years...is there anybody who actually thinks that the Spurs are not going to get at Least 1 chip out of that?
Truth Hurts
Banned
Why the Yankess are not #1 despite 27 chips in 8 different decades makes this list just 