Forbes puts Pack at the top By Tom Murphy News-Chronicle When it comes to the Green Bay Packers, especially here in Titletown (copyright, 1963), there's very little in between. Love 'em, as we all did from 1993 until the turn of the century; or hate 'em as most of us did after last week's debacle in the desert. The stark black-and-white tableau was demonstrated vividly in the prelude to the sales tax vote held in September 2000. The quiet majority prevailed. There were more Larry Lunchbuckets than Henrietta Heartsenflowers. This lineup prevailed even though Henrietta and her naysayers were joined by a group of erstwhile civic leaders who relished their johnny-come-lately role. And there was a group that wanted to see a new stadium near the Brown-Outagamie county line. (After Sunday's loss to Arizona , maybe that 12-mile move would not have been far enough - though it would have been next door to, and rivaled, those famous Kaukauna odors. (The natives and paperworkers call it the smell of money.) In any event, a renovated and expanded Lambeau Field (attendance at the Packers-Lions game, 70,244, was third highest in the NFL two weeks ago. Only Miami at the Jets (77,465) and Pittsburgh at Kansas City (78,416) outdrew Green Bay) set a record and likely brought a record number of dollars to the community. All of this has Forbes magazine ranking Green Bay 16th among the 32 NFL teams in terms of franchise value. At $609 million, Forbes says the franchise value has increased 28 percent since last year. That's the sixth greatest gain among the 32 franchises and just under the National Football League average of $628 million. Washington, with its new playground, owner, coach and win streak, leads the 32 NFL teams with a value of $952 million. The Redskins operating income is nearly $88 million on revenues of $227 million. Danny Snyder's debt is 70 percent of value (high stadium cost). Arizona brings up the rear with a worth of $505 million, operating income of $12.8 million and revenues of $126 million. Debt is 11 percent of worth. The middle-of-the-road Packers can boast the least debt (6 percent on $609 million thanks to shared financing of the $295 million it cost to renovate and expand Lambeau Field. Only Cleveland, Kansas City, Oakland and Tennessee also have debt in single figures. Michael K. Ozanian, the Forbes reporter who parlayed his way to the magazine's staff by initiating the NFL and other pro sports finance studies for another publication, cites Green Bay often in the text accompanying his numbers. His first mention is rudimentary to Packers fans but required for a publication like Forbes: (because television revenues are split evenly and "gate receipts are split 60-40 in favor of the home team (franchises) like the Green Bay Packers will get as much from national television rights this season - $80 million - as the Giants. "In the past that system allowed small-market teams like the Packers to attract top players and dominate the league (where was Ozanian from 1968 to 1994?). But in these days of hyperinflated team values, and correspondingly high debt loads for new owners, there's intense pressure for all teams to make money above and beyond the share-the-wealth revenue flow in order to remain competitive." Thus Larry and Henrietta, we have gates named for the Oneida Indian Nation, Miller Beer, Verizon and Associated Bank - and $3 hot dogs and $4 beers. Above and beyond all of Forbes' and Ozanian's numbers remains one fact that keeps the NFL No. 1 among professional sports: owners. As long as the league has the respected Mara, Wilson, Ford, Hunt, Halas/McCaskey and Rooney families running the Giants, Bills, Lions, Bears, Chiefs and Steelers, we think the NFL will retain that position. Most importantly to Green Bay and Wisconsin, the Packers will be solvent. Whether or not they keep their football head above .500 is another matter - and one of considerable conjecture. Curbside: It's out there somewhere but we haven't come across it until now: Denmark State Bank wants to build in Wrightstown. The address in Denmark's application to the FDIC is 400 High Street...The Green Bay-De Pere Business and Professional Women organization seeks nominations for the annual Employer/Business of the Year award. More information is available from Doris Yelk-Wilberg at 869-4515...And the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce seeks nominees for its annual Athena Award. Nominees must have shown their commitment to the advancement of women, commitment to their profession and service to the community. More information is available from Vikki Perkins at the Chamber, 437-8704...Terry Tantrow has been named retail sales manager for this region of Johnson Bank. She had been with US Bank. Tantrow is president of the Brown County Heart Association and has degrees from St. Norbert College and UW-Oshkosh. Murphy, a longtime area business writer, writes a weekly column for This Week. Contact him by calling 920-432-2941, sending mail to P.O. Box 2467, Green Bay, WI 54306-2467 or by sending e-mail to [email protected].