Jeff George and Michael Westbrook are no Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, but like The Producers, the hit Broadway play that is sold out through spring 2002, the Washington Redskins remain the most expensive and among the toughest tickets to get in the NFL.

With an average ticket price of $81.89, the Redskins top the list of Team Marketing Report's 2001 NFL Fan Cost Index, released Wednesday. A family of four, according to the report, can expect to pay $442.54 to attend a Redskins home game for the upcoming season.

A Denver Broncos home game would cost the same family $426.64, second highest in the NFL.

	2001 NFL Fan Cost Index
	For the first time, the average price for an NFL ticket has broken the $50 mark and taking a family of four to a game costs more than $300, according to Team Marketing Report.
	Team	Avg. Ticket	FCI	Change
	Redskins	$81.89	$442.54	0.9%
	Broncos	77.41	426.64	64.7%
	Buccaneers	70.61	355.94	4.4%
	Jaguars	62.85	337.40	2.6%
	Steelers	62.03	334.52	47.3%
	Titans	60.94	332.76	3.2%
	Panthers	60.30	331.20	9.8%
	Jets	57.15	327.58	8.3%
	Giants	55.88	322.70	15.2%
	Dolphins	56.34	316.86	25.0%
	Chargers	58.55	304.70	-2.2%
	NFL Average	53.64	303.33	8.4%
	Packers	53.51	299.44	6.9%
	Cowboys	50.00	298.98	7.5%
	Raiders	51.74	298.94	2.7%
	Bengals	56.21	298.34	0.0%
	Colts	54.55	298.20	12.6%
	Vikings	52.65	296.58	8.2%
	49ers	50.00	293.50	0.2%
	Ravens	50.14	292.56	21.6%
	Saints	49.88	291.49	8.7%
	Chiefs	52.18	285.72	9.6%
	Patriots	47.77	284.98	7.5%
	Rams	49.59	280.36	8.9%
	Browns	45.00	280.00	5.6%
	Bears	42.70	273.30	0.0%
	Eagles	46.19	271.76	3.9%
	Bills	46.06	267.74	1.5%
	Seahawks	44.97	251.88	-0.8%
	Lions	39.05	248.20	0.0%
	Cardinals	37.60	230.40	-3.4%
	Falcons	39.14	228.06	-3.0%
	Average ticket price represents a weighted average of season ticket prices for general and club-level seats. Luxury seats are excluded from the survey.

Overall, the cost of attending an NFL game has risen 8.4 percent from a year ago, to $303.33 for the family, the report found. And teams that will open their seasons in new stadiums have hit their fans in the pockets the hardest. The Broncos will call Invesco Field at Mile High home this season, and fans in Denver will pay the price with a 64.7 percent rise in the Fan Cost Index. And Steelers fans will help foot the bill for the team's new home, Heinz Field, with a 47.3 percent jolt from the Steelers' league-low FCI from a year ago.

"You could probably buy a nice 19-inch TV and a couple DVDs for the price of bringing your family to the game," said Kurt Hunzeker, editor of Team Marketing Report.

Or perhaps make a car payment, purchase round-trip airfare for one in the continental United States, or apply the money to a month's supply of groceries. Maybe two, depending on which stadium you might visit.

"If teams move into new stadiums, they feel more justified in raising ticket prices, since the amenities have been upgraded and fans will pay for a better experience at the game," Hunzeker said.

Just what does the family get for their $303.33, the average FCI for the 31 NFL teams? Four average-priced tickets, two small beers, four small soft drinks, four regular-size hot dogs, two game programs, two adult-size caps and parking.

If there's one exception of a team with a relatively new stadium and low ticket costs, it's the Cleveland Browns, who are entering their third year in Cleveland Browns Stadium. Despite the new surroundings, the Browns' average ticket price, the most important factor in the FCI, is $45, including 24,000 seats that sell for $32 each.

"We've made a very conscious effort to keep our ticket prices low," said Bruce Popko, the Browns' vice president of marketing. "It's the result of our fairly exhaustive studies that we've done with teams in the area, like the Indians and the Cavaliers, that reveal to us where we should be."

The Atlanta Falcons are the cheapest family outing at $228.06. Each ticket costs, on average, $39.14.

Despite the many myths about ticket prices, the FCI confirms that there is no direct correlation between ticket prices and market size or winning percentage. Atlanta and Chicago have some of the lowest ticket prices, and the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens and the St. Louis Rams' average ticket price is below the league average. Meanwhile, the San Diego Chargers are above the league average, with an FCI of $304.70.

Teams with high payrolls are among the most expensive dates. The Broncos and Titans are the highest spenders. They have the second ($77.41) and sixth ($60.94) most expensive ticket, respectively.

The Broncos and the Redskins join the New York Knicks at $469.60 and the Los Angeles Lakers (about $23 cheaper) as the most expensive buys in all of sports.

The most expensive Fan Cost Index among Major League Baseball belongs to the Boston Red Sox. Boosted by a MLB high $25 for parking, the average family of four will pay about $214.33 per game, according to Team Marketing Report. The most expensive NHL team is the New York Rangers with an FCI of $373.28.

The average ticket price and FCI for the 2001 MLB season is $18.86 and $145.83, respectively; the NHL's 2000-2001 season, $47.70 and $264.81; and the NBAšs 2000-2001 season, $51.34 and $282.00.

Has the makeup of the fan changed with the rising price of sporting events?

"Seventy percent of our season tickets are held by individuals, not by companies," the Browns' Popko said. "That hasn't changed dramatically at all."

Darren Rovell covers sports business for ESPN.com. He can be reached at darren.rovell@espn.com.