How would you rank NFL franchises in terms of their all-time significance?
Cold Hard Football Facts took on that challenge recently. I think it's hard to argue with their conclusion that the Green Bay Packers are the best NFL franchise of all time.
The Giants are No. 3 all time in CHFF's rankings, behind only the Packers and the hated Dallas Cowboys.
Here's part of what CHFF had to say about the Giants.
New York’s historic victory over the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII earlier this year certainly didn’t hurt the organization’s ranking, either. But, amazingly, it was not the first time the Giants knocked off a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut. The 1934 Bears went 13-0 and outscored their opponents 286-86. Yet they were pounded, 30-13, by the humble 8-5 Giants in the NFL championship game.The consistency with which the Giants have been NFL contenders is evident by their 18 championship game appearances. Basically, the Giants play for the NFL title two to three times each decade. That rate of success will certainly keep fans interested and will help explain why Giants season tickets are family heirlooms and the stadium-mate Jets are about as popular as herpes in the eyes of the average New York-area football fan. The Giants never produced a so-called “dynasty,” but they’ve won at least one championship in a record six different decades, failing only in the 1940s and 1960s. But even in those empty years, the Giants remained one of the league’s marquee franchises, playing in a combined five NFL title games over those two decades.
This is certainly a subjective ranking, but considering the lack of a prolonged dynasty at any time and the down period we have come to call "The Wilderness Years," I was a little surprised to see the Giants ranked quite that high.
Oh, the worst franchise of all time? Is anybody surprised CHFF chose the Arizona Cardinals?