OT-10 Worst sports franchises in our generation
Someone at another sports blog put together a list of the 10 worst sports franchises in our generation based on win percentage. The details are here.
For the lazy:
10. Tampa Bay Rays (.439 win pct.)
9. Cincinatti Bengals (.422 win pct.)
8. Toronto Raptors (.411 win pct.)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (.407 win pct.)
6. Charlotte Bobcats (.384 win pct.)
5. Houston Texans (.382 win pct.)
4. Arizona Cardinals (.380 win pct.)
3. Detroit Lions (.380 win pct.)
2. Los Angeles Clippers (.346 win pct.)
1. Memphis Grizzlies (.342 win pct.)
They are all pretty poorly run organizations so no real suprises. Thoughts?
February 21st, 2011 at 6:31 PM ^
Pro sports fans in the state of Michigan have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. We watched Matt Millen take a mediocore franchise and turn it into a laughingstock. We watched the Pistons go from a major contender to somewhat of a joke. The Tigers have been nearly to the top and down at the very bottom as well. Yet, we've also watched the Red Wings play at a dominant level for nearly two decades.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:52 PM ^
At the beginning of the article's 30-yr generation, in the early and mid-80s, the Red Wings were still bad and known as the Dead Wings or Dead Things.
1983 was when Steve Yzerman was drafted, along with Bob Probert, Petr Klima and Joe Kocur.
In the 86-87 playoffs the Wings won a round for the first time in 9 yrs (and it was 12 yrs the time before that).
It's been a pretty amazing ride since.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:55 PM ^
Getting a handful of former Soviets sure didn't hurt either.
I was in eigth grade when Miracle came out and didn't grasp how many of those guys went on to play for the Wings until I heard their roster over and over throughout that movie.
But yea, between Howe and Yzerman and Co. they were the Dead Wings.
February 21st, 2011 at 8:55 PM ^
when these players were chosen:
Mike Sillinger, Nick Lidstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Dallas Drake, Vladimir Konstantinov.
Slava Kozlov was chosen in 1990.
Slava Fetisov was acquired by trade in April 95 and Igor Larionov early the following season.
February 21st, 2011 at 6:39 PM ^
This is a terrible way to make a list like this. Namely because it is almost impossible for a baseball team to finish with a season winning percentage lower than around .370...the equivalent of going 60-102. The nature of the game just doesn't lend itself to to losing all your games like the other 2 sports.
I don't care what anyone says...the Pirates are the worst franchise. They haven't had a single winning season in almost 20 years. That's just absurd.
February 21st, 2011 at 6:49 PM ^
If you notice, 5 teams are from the NBA, 4 from the NFL and only one baseball team (was hockey even counted?). Something tells me the list is skewed due to the nature of each of the sports.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:14 PM ^
That's my sentiment. Doing it solely based on winning pct. show the flaws in this ranking as the Pirates aren't even in the list.
I forget exactly how many years it's been without a winning season for the Pirates but sufficed to say that they should be head and shoulders on top of this list.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:40 PM ^
I think the Pirates are at 19 now. And surely headed for another year of suck and a solid 20 straight losing seasons. It's a shame because PNC Park is one of the best parks in baseball and it's never seen a good product.
February 21st, 2011 at 9:03 PM ^
PNC is a beautiful park and it is a shame what management trots out onto the field every year. They call me every year asking me to buy season tickets or X amount of games in advance. I kindly explain to the guy that until they start winning I can get seats where I want when I want because the demand is so low. The only games that sell out are when the Yankees or Red Sox are in town.
February 21st, 2011 at 6:42 PM ^
Kansas City Royals, Pittsburg Pirates and a couple others that fit the list......
February 21st, 2011 at 6:50 PM ^
This is a good choice, although, having lived in KC, I can tell you that the stadium was a truly first-class place to take a nap. There was something soothing about those fountains...
February 21st, 2011 at 8:54 PM ^
Ya I live an hr from Pittsburgh, and the Pirates are consistently horrible. I know it is a generation list, but they are top ten in my book of horrible franchises. Im not a fan of any Pittsburgh team, but it'd be nice if the Pirates were at least decent. They have a beautiful stadium and it's a shame they are so bad.
February 21st, 2011 at 6:43 PM ^
then saw this was only for the NBA, MLB and NFL.
February 21st, 2011 at 6:51 PM ^
The Bengals have far fewer scouts than most (all other?) teams and no GM...Well, okay, the GM is more-or-less Mike Brown, who got the job by virtue of being Paul Brown's son...This is a franchise that tries to do things on the cheap and, when it makes all of two playoff appearances in twenty years, just keeps on plugging away as if everything were working well...I sympathize with the citizens of Hamilton County (location of Cincy) that recently talked about suing the Bengals b/c Hamilton County built a new stadium but the Bengals did not, in the minds of said citizens, make a good faith effort to field a competitive team.
Even the Bengals' uniforms are ugly. The team looks like a bunch of kids on Halloween.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:08 PM ^
1. Lions
2. Clippers
Nobody else even comes close. Since WCF gained power in the front office a few years before buying the franchise and decided he would "make his mark" by trading Bobby Layne, the Lions have done absolutely nothing. It's been over fifty years.
The Clippers haven't been around quite that long, but they have wasted what must be a world record amount of high first round draft picks. Sometimes I think the lottery rule was created so that the Clippers wouldn't have a permanent lock on the first overall position. The main reason I don't is the everybody "knows" the lottery was created so that Patrick Ewing could play in New York.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:56 PM ^
The Lions did win one playoff game. So it's practically nothing, not absolutely.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:18 PM ^
Cavs
Indians
Browns
All three are the worst franchises in sports. Just imagine if one city had to cheer for all of those teams...oh wait
February 21st, 2011 at 7:23 PM ^
I possess season tickets to #1 & #3. So perhaps dumbest fans should also be included given my financial contribution to abject failure.
I grew up in the Detroit area and then moved to Cleveland. When people talk about following shitty sports teams I dont believe I have an equal.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:39 PM ^
From my blogging at MVPMods:
(note: I kid)
There's a good reason for Cleveland has won a total of ONE championship since 1928. And the reason for all of this blow-age atop suck-age atop Drew Carey-age? Well, ask the people of Cleveland (a url that is worth visiting).
Now, every major deity in every major deity-book comes across as fairly reasonable. Merciless when angered, yes, but not without cause. That cause:
Since putting that...that thing on their chests in 1928, the city has won a grand total of ONE championship.
Uno.
That championship: 1948, when Cleveland countered all of that karma by having Hank Greenberg buy the team, and then being the first squad in the AL to sign Negro League players. At this point, the deity or deities who control such things said "oh, hey, Cleveland's amending this lakeside mistake, let's reward them." But alas, the city kept wearing a big F.U. to their original fellow Americans, and then Drew Carey was born in 1958 and the big guy upstairs was like "Oh, that's how it's gonna be..." and then the Browns and the Cavaliers and the Indians...
So yes, G-d or whatever higher power 85 percent of Clevelanders (-ites? -inmates?) are talking to when they get to Steps 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of 12 of Cleveland sports fandom, most assuredly hates Cleveland. And now you too can see why.
Just remember: by downloading this uniform you absolve Misopogon of any and all damage to your person and property on account of smiting.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:53 PM ^
If that's true how do you account for this franchise winning three Super Bowls?
February 21st, 2011 at 8:44 PM ^
I'm not behind the whole "inherently offensive" thing, and activists telling tribes how the should feel (Florida State does it the right way). But the two in this day and age that maybe haven't stood the test of time is the name of this team, and the logo of the other. Cleveland's got it easy though. Logo's change left and right. (And let's be honest- that logo was never really cool). Washington? More problematic.
February 21st, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
These guys are my vote for the worst team name & logo ever. 1963-64 Western Hockey League.
February 21st, 2011 at 11:37 PM ^
Why would they be called the "Invaders"? Didn't they get invaded?
February 21st, 2011 at 8:46 PM ^
Joe Gibbs was there, and Dan Snyder wasn't?
February 21st, 2011 at 8:58 PM ^
Maybe 'cause the big guy upstairs can only stay mad at the capital of U.S.of A. for so long. Or he just takes it all out on the Caps and Nats and Wizards.
Somewhere on this blog is a really intelligent discussion on native american mascots from 2009 or some such. Wish I could find that. Suffice to say, please nobody turn serious here.
February 22nd, 2011 at 2:46 PM ^
Speaking as a graduate of a university that used to have a Native American mascot, I think think the mascots themselves are less offensive than the attitude that some people seem to have of, "Well, they must be offended because we are". In our case, the remaining Huron tribes had no problem with the mascot (although technically we should have been the Wyandottes). Their problem seemed to be more with some of the portrayal of Native Americans. I just wish our administration would have taken the attitude of Florida State and Central Michigan. Instead we have a mascot that's a pretty cool bird but boring mascot since every other team in the country is called the "Eagles".
February 21st, 2011 at 10:22 PM ^
Yeah, what the hell are you thinking? Sorry for your pain, no one deserves to suffer that much. I just can't help but laugh though because it's Ohio. Again, I feel bad for you just not anyone else in Ohio.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:09 PM ^
Sure, the Indians suck too, but with Indian season tickets this year (even bleacher seats) you get the use of a suite for 1 game, club seats for 1 game and membership in the Terrace Club. If ticket sales continue to tank, you may even get to pitch an inning this year.
February 21st, 2011 at 7:49 PM ^
February 21st, 2011 at 7:51 PM ^
Thank god the Lions are ahead of the Clippers.
February 21st, 2011 at 8:22 PM ^
How the hell aren't the Pittsburgh Pirates on there? They haven't been over .500 in years and their owner trades away players that have talent.. yikes!
February 22nd, 2011 at 1:32 AM ^
It's a 30-year timeframe, so the good Pirate teams of the late '80s/early '90s are enough to keep them off the list. If they'd restrict it to 20 years, they'd be on it.
The city of Pittsburgh may be Exhibit A as to the importance of salary caps in pro sports. The Pittsburgh franchises in the NFL and NHL, two capped leagues, are powerhouses. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh franchise in uncapped MLB looks practically hopeless. (I know, there are other factors, like ownership and such, but still.)
February 21st, 2011 at 8:32 PM ^
I'm surprised lions aren't #1.
February 21st, 2011 at 8:49 PM ^
Bengals, Cards (how are they not co-three with the same percentage?), Lions and Clippers. Because the rest are all expansion teams. And in the Lions and Cardinals case, they're some of the oldest franchises out there.
<br>
<br>Really, if the last 3 years hadn't happened, the Cardinals have probably been more pathetic than the Lions in our lifetimes. Lions at least had the alternating Fontes playoff years. But the Lions set the worst record of all time, and Arizona makes a Super Bowl.
February 21st, 2011 at 9:25 PM ^
The Lions were ROBBED of that number 1 spot!
February 21st, 2011 at 9:38 PM ^
How are the Florida Panthers not on this list?
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:14 AM ^
They didn't count NHL, only the NBA, NFL, and MLB
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:00 AM ^
This list sucks then.
February 21st, 2011 at 10:14 PM ^
Looking at the list...
10. Tampa Bay Rays (.439 win pct.)
9. Cincinatti Bengals (.422 win pct.)
8. Toronto Raptors (.411 win pct.)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (.407 win pct.)
6. Charlotte Bobcats (.384 win pct.)
5. Houston Texans (.382 win pct.)
4. Arizona Cardinals (.380 win pct.)
3. Detroit Lions (.380 win pct.)
2. Los Angeles Clippers (.346 win pct.)
1. Memphis Grizzlies (.342 win pct.)
...I have to delete #s 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, and 1 as not being of my generation...and I'm just a few years past 40. I'm letting #4 go b/c they existed in my youth, though not in Arizona.
Go #3!!!
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:22 AM ^
2 out of the 10 there has made it to the championship game in whatever sport and almost half is looking like or has made the playoffs.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^
The Rays, Bengals (actually made it 2x) and Cardinals.
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:50 AM ^
The list should start and end with the LA Clippers. Memphis hasn't been around long enough to dethrone the most pathetic sports franchise in the history of organized sports. Donald Sterling makes WCFord look like Red Auerbach
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
If this list is compiled over the last 30 years, they should only include the teams that have been around 30 yrs (or at least very close to 30 yrs). 6 of the ten teams are expansion teams. While some of those expansion teams seem to be bad organizations, most expansion teams post really poor records their first few years.