Economy affects some NFL teams' worth

Here's how nasty this recession is: NFL teams now are worth only as much as they were a year ago.

So says Forbes in its annual ranking of NFL team values at Forbes.com, which concludes teams are still worth last year's average - a cool $1.04 billion.

That might not seem like much of a setback these days. But consider that most of the league's revenue comes from national TV money - split evenly between teams - that's guaranteed via long-term deals. So while those TV deals this year boosted team revenue by 7%, Forbes says, eight teams' values - the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders- are down this year.

Which means this is the first time in a decade that any NFL team's value dropped from the previous year. The question for the rest of us: What can we do to help?

Sorry, not much. Unless you want to buy luxury suites. Or beg your local politicians to use taxpayer money to build lavish new digs for your NFL team.

NFL teams are largely in the commercial real estate business. Beyond their TV deals, teams also split national radio and merchandising money, then have the less-than-Herculean task of selling out eight regular-season home games.

Meaning the big variable is whether teams have an edifice complex and milk every nickel out of their stadiums. This year's seven most-valuable teams - led by the Dallas Cowboys at $1.65 billion and followed by the Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, the New York Giants, New York Jets, Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles- were ranked in the same order last year.

Breathe easy: It will take more than this recession for any NFL owner's private jet to go wheels-up without enough Grey Poupon onboard.