ESPN has surveyed its writers and compiled a list of NFL ownership “power rankings.” Numbers one and two on the list are the Rooney family (owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers) and the executive board of the Green Bay Packers, respectively. (My man Woody Johnson and his New York Jets sneak in at number ten).

Here’s what some of the writers had to say about the Rooneys:

“The Steelers selection is a no-brainer,” ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton said. “The Steelers under the Rooneys have been the model of franchise ownership in sports. They are successful, consistent and supportive.
“They don’t undergo the constant changes of other franchises. Plus, the family has been so instrumental in doing things that help advance the league, sometimes at the expense of their own franchise. It’s no secret that two Rooneys are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
Clayton, AFC North blogger James Walker, AFC West blogger Bill Williamson and NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas each had the Rooneys atop his ballot.
“The Rooney family is the perfect combination of tradition, consistency and success,” Walker said, echoing Clayton’s thoughts almost verbatim. “The easiest thing to point out is they’ve had the most Super Bowl wins and fewest head coaches since 1969. But they also set trends off the field with things like the Rooney Rule. They’re very well respected and there’s a special sense of pride about the Steelers from players and fans that you don’t see in many places. It starts at the top.”

And of the Packers’ unique ownership scheme:

The Packers are the only publicly owned franchise. Green Bay Packers Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 1922. About 112,000 stockholders own roughly 4.75 million shares of the team. A seven-member executive board oversees the team on behalf of the stockholders.
Packers fans never will have to worry about the team being sold or moving away. The Packers are the only franchise that must open its books.
Oh, yeah. They also just won their NFL-record 13th championship.
Seifert explained why the Packers are special.
“My criteria for this category was twofold,” Seifert said. “Do the owners fund the team’s operations well? And do they operate the team well? Rank ‘Em: Top NFL owners
“I think the Packers’ arrangement is currently doing both and has none of the baggage that goes along with single-family ownership. Shareholders don’t take dividends, so no one is driven by individual profit. All profits go back into the franchise. In my experience, no expenses are spared in operating the team. People might note that general manager Ted Thompson doesn’t sign many free agents, but that’s a football decision. He’s spent plenty on retaining the Packers’ own free agents.