what is the WORST franchise in all of pro sports?

[axl blaze]

the goal in professional sports is to win. however, some teams are perennial losers. in your opinion what franchise can be classified as perpetual losers, to the disdain of us fans who love our teams.

poll added - I can add some any more teams you like if they make sense.

such horrible teams like the San Diego Padres, the New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Arizona Cardinals (including St. Louis) are exempt after recently making the playoffs, showing good years, or winning the championship IMO

 

[34-dihydroxyphen]

As much as I would love to vote for the Raiders, they have a decent history. They will be ok once Al Davis is no longer undead.


As far as all time, just being a shitty all-around hopeless franchise, it has to be The Clippers.

 

[China Rider]

Yeah, based on history it has to be the Clippers...although I don't know a whole lot about hockey.

I am a Pirates fan...and although its been a longgg time, there is great history with the team. 1979 WS, late 80's/early 90's success.

Besides Barry Sanders, not exactly sure if anything good came outta Detroit. I remember the last time they were pretty good was 2000...being a St. Louis fan I remember needing the pathetic Bears to go into Detroit in week 17(last game at the Silver Dome, I think) and win in order for a Rams playoff birth. Can't remember the kickers name(the guy with the unorthodox style) but he kicked a 50+ yard feild goal to end the Lion's season.... Detroit was never the same.

Raiders have an AFC championship over the past 10 years, filled with tradition.

The Royals are pretty bad and it's been awile...but I am pretty sure they won a World Series in the 80's at least.

The Knicks - eventually they will figure it out, it's New York.

Grizzles life has been pretty rough, but considering they came to the league only 15 years ago or so, they need more pain to surpass the Clippers.

Expos/Nationals...I feel sorry for this franchise, considering the year of the strike the Expos were by far the best team in the league.

 

[AmorRoark]

The Royals won a WS in 1985 against the St. Louis Cards so it was a pretty cool thing. You know, the I-70 Showdown kinda thing. Too bad I was like 1 month old. 8( Since then its been pretty pathetic. I still go to the games but I've been to better attended Junior hockey games. So yeah, I voted for The Royals.

I might have gone for the Expos/Nationals had they not had such great exposure this year with Strasburg. WTF is wrong with Washington? They sold out the ballpark with Strasburg but had the lowest attendance in history as well late in the season.

Baseball is dying a slow death.

 

[LapDawg]

Where are the cubs?

 

[smotpoker]

Where are the cubs?

Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe they don't have a horrible record every year, but they easily have to be one of the worst RUN franchises of all time. They payroll is around 150 million, and they stink.

 

[AmorRoark]

^ True but at least their franchise is sustainable what with being a Chicago landmark & notorious site for young people who want to get really drunk and try to hook up with easy girls pretending to watch the game.

 

[calmAnimal]

^lol

i voted the knicks cuz im young enough where i dont rememeber them being good (ewing, etc) and they're close haha.

i guess its just this area but we expect our teams to be great. and the current knicks are so far from great its laughable.

 

[Kenickie]

i don't think the Knicks should be on this list

 

[Pander Bear]

i chose the clippers but its the cubs.

 

[axl blaze]

I left out the Cubs, because although historically bad, they usually don't file losing seasons year after year. sure, with their payroll they should have a team that should at least make the playoffs; but it's not like they are getting decimated ever year. of course this has to make them more frustrating if you're a fan.

I can see why the LA Clippers are winning this thing, but I really feel like the Pirates should be up and away the favorites for the worst franchise in all of sports.

just like China Rider, I am a die hard Pirates fan. sure they have some WS Championships and they claim my all-time favorite baseball figure Roberto Clemente as their own, they are perpetually very bad. usually the worst team in the MLB. what makes it worst is that the Pirates persuaded the city of Pittsburgh to pay for their new stadium saying that they couldn't compete with the other ball teams until they had a brand new stadium.

well, now they have the best stadium in MLB history. they are simply running out of excuses.

the Pirates are far more despicable of a franchise than the Chicago Cubbies. ya'll trippin

 

[Busty St Clare]

I'll choose to ignore the US centric thread title by assuming a few people have their head stuck up their arse.

Currently in World soccer I would say Liverpool would have to be the worst of the "Big 14". Sitting at the bottom of the table they are good odds this year to replace Newcastle as the biggest club to be relegated in EPL history. If I look back a little further I would say the Real Madrid side in 2003/4 where one of the most disappointing teams I have ever seen a billion Euro's assemble. Beckham, Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo should at least make you competitive.... Los Galacticos my arse. Worst performing team at a world Cup would be a tie between the 1974 Ziare, 2002 US and the 2010 French sides.

Scottish rugby has a proud and long history, and although they have claimed the scalp of the Wallabies in the past year, they are by far the most embarrassing of the IRB's top 10. You know you suck when Italy think they have your number.

New Zealand truly suck on the World cricket stage. It took 50 years to win their first official Test series and although they have moments of brilliance in the past 30 years they just don't cut it when the pressure is on. Losing to Bangladesh this week just hammers home the point.


I can't separate the Detroit Lions who could offer free beer at the game and I'd still wouldn't go and the LA Clippers who are as likely to win the NBA title as my grandmother is of getting an erection.

 

[axl blaze]

sorry about the US centric based thread, Busty. you know I appreciate and respect sports around the globe, it's just that for whatever reasons sports fans in Australia and Europe don't post much here in Sports and Gaming I have been trying to promote S&G globally, but it seems that non-North American BLers would rather post sports threads in their foreign social forums

 

[Pander Bear]

Besides, if you aren't American, you're already a winner in the esteemed opinions of most people from the commonwealth. 8(

 

[rowland2110]

The pirates havent had a winning season in 15 years and will surely break the record of most consecutive losing seasons in a row.

They are certainly the worst sports franchise at the moment.

 

[axl blaze]

yeah, the Pirates should really be the winner (loser) here.

I can't believe that some people think that the Cubs are far worst off than the Pittsburgh Pirates. and to think, it's such a waste. PNC Park is leaps and bounds the nicest of the newer ballparks. I just hope that the team doesn't up and leave. I gotta give you props, China Rider, for being a true Pirates fan (like me) through all this bullshit we've been through

 

[China Rider]

I started liking the Pirates back in like 2002...went to go see my first game at PNC Park vs. the Cardinals( I was a Cards fan before the game)...I went home a Pirates fan. The Pirates didn't win or anything, just something about being there drew me in and i've always had a thing for underdogs.

I went to college close to Pittsburgh and it really pissed me off how much the city hates the Pirates, just because they aren't winners...but I guess that's how all cities are.

I wonder who the next coach is going to be, I say bring back McClendon!! Lloyd is the man

 

[undead]

Can I say as a baseball fan and as a fan who has been to PNC park... yes it was a beautiful park, but it was far from the best experience I've had in a 'foreign' park. I've been to 7 different ballparks... PNC (Pittsburgh, PA), Jacobs Field (fuck calling it Progressive Field... Cleveland, OH), Citi Field (New York, NY), Citizen Bank Park (Philadelphia, PA), Target Field (Minneapolis, MN), Camden Yards (Baltimore, MD), and The Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati, OH) and to this point... the most aesthetically pleasing ballpark in my opinion, of the ones I'VE been to has been the Great American Ballpark and the best experience has been... HANDS DOWN... Citizen Bank Park in Philly. The atmosphere was incredible... the park was gorgeous... not a single complaint.

That said. The LA Kings shouldn't be on this poll. They're starting to build a really good team. They've got some incredible young talent and are starting to compile a conglomerate of fine offensive AND defensive players... not to mention their history with The Great One.

I can vouch for Busty's Liverpool vote. I'm sure he's more well versed than I am in that regard, but MAAAAAN is that a struggling franchise. They're something like 200+ million in debt and are severely underperforming. Then again... clearly they've BEEN a contender in the near past, but their recent problems seem more globally known. It's just a fucking MESS!

I'm having a troubling time really thinking of the WORST franchise at the moment, but I suppose... simply because I forget OFTEN that they even exist... I would have to throw in a tally for the Sacramento Kings. Now, granted they've been decent as recently as ten years ago... but let's be honest... how many people even remembered that they exist?

 

[axl blaze]

I would say the city of Pittsburgh is a little bit spoiled in that they have two franchises (Penguins and Steelers) that are constantly good and competing for championships. the owners of both of the aforementioned franchises also make really, really good decisions. most specifically the Rooney family who have long owned the Pittsburgh Steelers. they win in ways that most NFL clubs don't... they draft really well, hardly ever trade for players, and constantly have long tenured and quality coaches.

while the Pirates on the other hand, make probably the worst executive decisions in the entirety of sports history. as soon as they acquire or mold a promising athlete, he is gone ASAP and traded. I think 80 percent of PNC Park was paid for by the taxpayers (again, demanded), and the team has done nothing to return the favor.

so I can't get too angry when Pittsburgh fans shun the Pirates. in all seriousness, they should. for some reason, be it the love I had for them when I was a spritely and noobile young axl blaze, I just can't get rid of them

 

[axl blaze]

Can I say as a baseball fan and as a fan who has been to PNC park... yes it was a beautiful park, but it was far from the best experience I've had in a 'foreign' park.

well of course the atmosphere at PNC Park sucked, because the team sucks. I wasn't really counting atmosphere here. you can't factor in atmosphere when the team is a cellar dwellar. I was just saying how visually appealing the ballpark was.

SIDEBAR: best foreign baseball park I've attended is hands down Fenway Park in Boston. tons of fun. I like how the Great American Ballpark in Cinci just pops right up from the interstate (71) when you drive by. intimidating