NFL Teams Don't Need to Win to Get Rich

Say what you want about Danny Snyder the NFL team owner, you can't take anything away from Danny Snyder the businessman. The guy started his own company after dropping out of college, and at 32, became the youngest CEO of a New York Stock Exchange-listed company.

Despite the Redskins' not doing much of anything since Snyder bought the team in 1999, it is still one of the most profitable franchises in the NFL. Upping the stadium capacity to roughly 90,000 seats didn't hurt. But anybody can add seats. It's finding the bodies to occupy those seats that can prove tricky. Especially if the team stinks.

Well, the guy who kicks it with Tom Cruise and now owns Six Flags knows a little something about marketing:

According to 2005 statistics, the Washington Redskins have 175,000 names on their list and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have 115,000 names.

That's the largest waiting list in the NFL ... by 60,000 ... which is roughly the size of Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. That is phenomenal. It also points to the dichotomy some NFL owners face: yeah, winning is great and all, but the bottom line is ... well, the bottom line. Teams can make money without winning a bunch of football games and the Redskins are an example of that. That's not to say they're not trying to win, just that winning doesn't preclude them from getting filthy rich. Which explains why the 'Skins keep Vinny Cerrato around -- he's harmless and always available to play racquetball with the boss.

Thanks to Hogs Haven for the pointer.