{"id":80745,"date":"2023-01-03T21:50:35","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T21:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscroll.com\/?p=80745"},"modified":"2023-12-12T07:42:16","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T07:42:16","slug":"these-franchises-are-an-embarrassment-to-their-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.sportscroll.com\/these-franchises-are-an-embarrassment-to-their-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"These Franchises Are An Embarrassment To Their Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"
Every sports fanatic loves their favorite teams, but sometimes our franchises are an outright embarrassment to their sports. It can be tough to be a fan when their team never wins anything special. Meanwhile, there are moments when franchises make decisions that even make it very difficult<\/a> to support them.<\/p>\n So today we’ll look at some of the reasons why the following franchises are an embarrassment. We feel awful for the people who adore them because they’re living<\/a> in a kind of sports limbo. Sometimes it feels like nothing will ever change and that they’ll be garbage forever. But it simply can’t be denied that these franchises are an embarrassment, so check them out right here.<\/p>\n Let’s kick this off<\/a> with one of the worst NFL teams of the past 50 years. Detroit has never played in a Super Bowl<\/a>, never mind won one. They have an appalling record<\/a> over the years and fire coaches at the same rate as a surgeon changes masks. Motor City deserves better than this embarrassment of a team (via The Athletic<\/a>).<\/p>\n The only solace is that they showed strong<\/a> signs of improvement under Dan Campbell in 2022. But history<\/a> isn’t kind to them and they’ve wasted some elite players over the years. The likes of Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, and Matt Stafford couldn’t bring anything close to glory to Detroit and that’s a shame.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Phillies made the World Series in 2022, so it may seem strange to include them on this list. But they’ve had a horrendous few years and made it very difficult for their fans<\/a>. They were one of the first two MLB franchises to lose 10,000 games. That’s a major embarrassment for the city’s passionate supporters.<\/p>\n Then, when they made it to the World Series, they suffered one of the worst losses on record. Game Four against the Astros saw them reach their lowest depths. They posted a no-hitter against Houston as they capitulated on the biggest stage. It was the most Phillies moment in history (via USA Today Sports<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Has anybody ever stopped and asked what’s the point of the Cardinals? The franchise is one of the least successful in the NFL<\/a>. First, let’s be petty and talk about their dumb logo. Ask a neutral fan and they’ll say that it looks like something straight out of ‘Angry Birds’ (via N.Y. Post<\/a>).<\/p>\n Then there is their on-field contribution or lack thereof. Arizona made a single Super Bowl appearance in 2009 but failed to win<\/a> the game, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But nobody sane would put money<\/a> on them coming back soon. They threw a massive contract<\/a> at the overrated Kyler Murray and they’re paying the price.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Coyotes are one of the most depressing franchises<\/a> in professional sports today. In the ’90s, the NHL decided that the Southern U.S. was the place to be. They ripped the beloved Winnipeg Jets out of Canada and put them in Phoenix, Arizona. Attendance wasn’t too bad in the early days but then they moved again, this time to Glendale.<\/p>\n That’s because they desperately needed a bigger stadium<\/a>. But then numbers dropped and made this an embarrassment to the league. Meanwhile, the Coyotes are a disaster<\/a> on the ice and never compete. They’re a shambles of an organization and fans don’t care about them (via The Hockey News<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Milwaukee Bucks proved that a small market franchise can compete with the biggest names in the NBA<\/a>. New Orleans also showed how a tiny team can lose its best player and build an exciting roster. But it’s Groundhog Day for the Minnesota Timberwolves because they’re always garbage.<\/p>\n It’s fair to say that Minnesota is an embarrassment to basketball. They entered the 2021-22 season as the losingest franchise in American sports<\/a> history. That’s a record that nobody wants but they’ve earned<\/a> it through their appalling performance. Nothing changes in the Gopher State (via The Guardian<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 2022, the Pirates suffered a loss so bad that their own social media team turned on them. This came after the Cardinals smashed Pittsburgh 18-4 in a humiliating<\/a> performance. But this wasn’t a major surprise to their fanbase because the front office destroyed the franchise (via Fansided<\/a>).<\/p>\n They assembled one of the weakest rosters in baseball history. Opposition teams enjoyed exposing their horrific pitching. Furthermore, they refuse to compete with same-tier teams like the Padres. In 2022, San Diego spent over $300 million while the frugal Pirates spent only $18 million.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For decades, the Bengals have been an embarrassment to the NFL. That’s because it’s rare that they do anything exciting. They’ve played in three Super Bowls in their history<\/a> but failed to win one. They drastically improved in 2022 but that’s no thanks to their owner, Mike Brown (via Fansided<\/a>).<\/p>\n Brown refuses to spend money and that has been a major issue for the team. They were lucky to draft Joe Burrow because he brought them to another level. But the team’s resurgence is despite Brown, not because of him. Then there are their horrible tiger-stripe helmets that look straight out of the 1980s.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There’s one big reason why the Mariners are an embarrassment to MLB. They haven’t made it to the postseason since 2001. That’s when they had a rookie named Ichiro Suzuki on their roster. Since then, it’s been a miserable two-decade tale of anguish for their fanbase.<\/p>\n They became historically<\/a> bad around 2011 and showed few signs of improvement. Amazingly, their last foray into the playoffs saw them fall short in the American League<\/a> against the Yankees. Hopefully one day they’ll turn it around but only time will tell (via Bleacher Report<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On paper, the Kings share a lot of similarities with the Jaguars. They play in a city where nobody cares about them because of their bigger state rivals. In Sacramento’s case, that’s the Lakers and the Warriors. For those who weren’t paying attention, we’re talking about the NBA’s most successful teams of the past decade.<\/p>\n It doesn’t help that the Kings don’t do anything to excite their small fanbase. Some franchises like the Pelicans or the Grizzlies attract hipster supporters. But the Kings have demotivated players and never threaten a postseason run. Sometimes we wonder why they still exist (via Kings Herald<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sir Alex Ferguson turned United into one of the world’s strongest teams over 20 years. But these days, they’re an embarrassment. That’s because the owners didn’t know what to do after their legendary manager retired. They threw money at the problem but it didn’t solve it.<\/p>\n The Glazers ran through six managers before settling on Erik Van Tag in 2022. Meanwhile, they spent hundreds of millions on ineffective players including a nostalgic reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo. But this turned bitter after a scandalous interview and they released him (via Sports Brief<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Sabres have endured a dynasty of disappointment as they annually break their fans’ hearts. This makes them one of the most difficult franchises to support because they don’t do anything positive. In the 2000s they made the Eastern Conference Finals twice.<\/p>\n But the reality is that they’ve done nothing since. The Sabres tanked<\/a> multiple times with a false dawn in 2018-19. That’s when they enjoyed a 10-game hot streak but they quickly regressed. Buffalo is a badly-run franchise and there isn’t much hope on the horizon (via The Hockey Writers<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It’s been a long road for the Colts since Peyton Manning left for Denver. Yes, they replaced him with a generational talent in Andrew Luck, but the battered quarterback retired before he could fulfill his destiny in Indiana. These days the team is an embarrassment to the NFL (via CBS Sports<\/a>).<\/p>\n They’ve tried to fill the gaps with Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz but it didn’t work. Then they brought in Matt Ryan, who had clearly fallen off a cliff in terms of talent and was benched twice. In 2022, the team suffered the worst comeback in NFL history<\/a> when they gave up a 33-0 lead against the Minnesota Vikings. They also appointed ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday as head coach despite his complete lack of coaching experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Panthers have had moderate success in recent years but they’re a historically bad franchise. One problem is that hockey isn’t a popular sport in Florida. Meanwhile, the Rays have been the best team in the AL East. They’ve been everything that the Panthers haven’t.<\/p>\n Eventually, the NHL must intervene and accept that the Panthers will never be a success. There isn’t room for two teams in the Sunshine State. Sadly, they exist and the likes of the Hartford Whalers don’t. Sports should be for fans but sadly, that’s not always the case (via Stadium Talk<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Football is a religion in Georgia. The University of Georgia Bulldogs is one of the best college programs in the nation. However, their NFL franchise isn’t enjoying the same success. Yes, it hasn’t been that long since they played in the Super Bowl but that’s when they had the worst meltdown ever (via Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/a>).<\/p>\n Historically, the Falcons have been an embarrassment to the NFL. Michael Vick’s dogfighting scandal<\/a> was one of the most ridiculous and tasteless stories ever. After Matt Ryan’s departure, they became a team in transition and no longer compete with the best in the NFC.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n England has the most lucrative soccer league on the planet. It receives billions in television revenue every year and this means the weakest teams sign elite<\/a> players. Massive clubs in other nations struggle to compete because they don’t have the same financial resources (via Liberty Line<\/a>).<\/p>\n But the English national team is a joke at international tournaments. They haven’t won a competition since the World Cup<\/a> in 1966 but their fans still sing “it’s coming home.” Perhaps they should change it to ‘we’re going home,” because their team never beats the best.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Nets thought that they could buy a Larry Brown Trophy but they made a big mistake<\/a>. Instead of looking for a replica on Amazon, they spent millions on megastars like Kevin Durant and James Harden. They also had Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, and LaMarcus Aldridge. On paper, it was the stuff of dreams.<\/p>\n But it turned into a nightmare<\/a> because they had zero chemistry. The team fell apart after two seasons because Harden went to Philly. Then Irving became one of the most polarizing figures in basketball because of his controversial<\/a> opinions. This was a massive embarrassment for the franchise (via The Sportster<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Vikings became the first NFL franchise to play in four Super Bowls. This makes it almost more impressive that they never won a single one. Minnesota knows all about embarrassing moments. There was the ridiculous ‘Loveboat’ scandal and many false dawns.<\/p>\n It’s not as if the Vikings didn’t deserve it. But they keep finding new and exciting ways to lose. Daunte Culpepper had a career<\/a> season before destroying himself. They’ve also made rotten draft decisions. It’s easy to like the Vikings but they can be unintentionally hilarious (via Bleacher Report<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Yankees have more money than anybody else but this doesn’t stop them from disappointing their fans. They indeed have a record 27 World Series titles, but the last one came in 2009. Since then, they’ve endured a drought that is an embarrassment to the franchise.<\/p>\n They’ve continuously slumped in the postseason and allowed great opportunities to pass by. Meanwhile, the upstart Mets are threatening the Yankees’ traditional dominance in the city. Their fans have a sense of entitlement but they should take nothing for granted (via The Athletic<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One thing is certain: it’s never boring to be a Blackhawks fan. Bill Wirtz turned them into the laughingstock of the 2000s because he refused to pay their best players. He also blocked TV crews from filming live home games because he thought it was unfair to season ticket holders (via The Hockey Writers<\/a>).<\/p>\n This was ludicrous behavior but eventually, old Bill aged out of significance. His son turned things around and the team won a Stanley Cup in 2015. But then they went back to their roots and showed that some things stay the same in this world. The Blackhawks are a bad team again and an embarrassment to hockey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let’s caveat this by saying that the Jags are improving. They have one of the hottest quarterback prospects ever in Trevor Lawrence and the future is bright. But this doesn’t eradicate years of embarrassing history. The franchise is one of the worst in the entire NFL (via Jacksonville.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n Most people in Florida follow the Dolphins or the Buccaneers because of their historical success. Nobody cares about the Jaguars and they won’t unless they win something. But the problem is that they’ve barely come close. Furthermore, recent mistakes like the Urban Meyer<\/a> saga didn’t help their image.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n David Beckham is an iconic<\/a> MLS figure because he helped bring international attention to the league. The L.A. Galaxy legend<\/a> loves the U.S. and promised to create another expansion franchise. He’s one of Miami’s primary owners and the reason why they wear pink.<\/p>\n However, they are one of the worst teams in the league and arguably Beckham’s biggest failure<\/a>. One of his dumbest moves was appointing former teammate<\/a> Phil Neville as head coach. Neville had a shocking record with England’s women and failed to inspire Miami (via TalkSport<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Angels of Anaheim are an embarrassment to baseball for one big reason. Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout are indeed two of MLB’s best players right now. But there’s more chance of the L.A. Chargers making the World Series than the Angels these days (via Bleacher Report<\/a>).<\/p>\n It’s incredible<\/a> that Trout, arguably the best of his generation, has only played in a single playoff series. The Angels failed<\/a> to build a roster to his strengths. Yes, it’s a lot of fun to watch Ohtani and Trout work their magic every week, but fans want to see this franchise in the postseason.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Norwich is one of the strangest<\/a> soccer teams on the planet. The English team bounces like a tennis ball between the Premier League<\/a> and Championship. Typically, they are too good for the latter and blow their rivals away. But they’re never competitive after a promotion (via TalkSport<\/a>).<\/p>\n It’s a strange situation for the Canaries because they frustrate their fans. A strong contingent would prefer that they didn’t go up after winning the league. That’s because they know they’ll barely see their team win again the following season. This is the opposite of what most fanbases want.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Boomer Esiason said that Chicago is where quarterbacks<\/a> “go to die.” This perfectly summed up the situation for the franchise because they haven’t had a great one since Jim Harbaugh. The franchise is an embarrassment because it enjoys a huge market in one of the nation’s biggest cities.<\/p>\n They won the Super Bowl in 1986 but struggled for the next couple of decades. Now they have a brilliant young QB in Justin Fields but he can’t win games by himself. Time will tell if their front office bucks up their ideas and builds a stronger roster around him (via NBC Sports<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jerry Jones is one of the biggest reasons why ‘America’s Team’ is an embarrassment to the NFL. We know their fans will indignantly say that it’s the most lucrative franchise in the U.S. But surely they should care more about winning games than Jones lining his pockets with cash.<\/p>\n Their most consistent period came in the early 1990s when they won three Super Bowls<\/a>. But these days they struggle to compete with the best teams and burn out quickly. Meanwhile, off the field, they made horrible mistakes with women beaters like Greg Hardy and Ezekiel Elliot (via USA Today Sports<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Luckily, the Browns have one of the most loyal fanbases in North America. We’re not sure why though because their team doesn’t give them a lot to love. The Browns were decent before they flickered in and out of existence. Then they returned in 1999 as one of the weakest franchises in the NFL (<\/span>via The Spun<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n They won a single game across two seasons from 2015 to 2016. This was one of the most difficult times for their fans because they had nothing to cheer for. In recent years they improved but they became an embarrassment again. That’s because they brought DeShaun Watson in despite his sexual assault<\/a> allegations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Spare a thought for Clippers fans because they are fighting against the tide. It’s not easy to support them in a town dominated by a serial winner like the Lakers. Historically, the Clippers have a garbage record but they’re trying to improve. Nowadays they’re an underachieving title contender.<\/p>\n That’s because the Clippers always fall short and fail to meet expectations. In recent years, they added Kahwi Leonard and Paul George to their roster. Fans expected that they’d be very competitive in the postseason but instead they proved to be an embarrassment (via Sportsnaut<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yes, we know that nobody in the U.S. cares about soccer. But that doesn’t change the fact that Cincinnati is an embarrassment to their sport. The team entered the MLS in 2019 as an expansion team. They enjoyed a lot of success in the USL but the last couple of years were a nightmare.<\/p>\n They managed a win ratio of 0.71 in their debut season. This was terrible<\/a> but fans gave them the benefit of the doubt. After all, they were an expansion team and it’s not easy to make the step up. But then they regressed to 0.69 in 2020 as they proved that they were out of their depth (via Gambling Sites<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Imagine if Dan Snyder was Russian and owned a hockey team<\/a>. That’s effectively the situation the Senators have found themselves in with Eugene Melnyk. He’s one of the shadiest people in the sport and the main reason why they’re the NHL’s main embarrassment (via SBNation<\/a>).<\/p>\n It doesn’t help that they’re not a very good team. If they enjoyed a lot of success then people would overlook Melynk’s dubious business practices. Meanwhile, they have one of the dumbest nicknames and logos in the sport. Why are they called Senators when they have a picture of a Roman centurion?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Denver fans were a nightmare during the 2022 off-season because they thought that they were getting Aaron Rodgers<\/a>. Finally, the franchise traded for Russell Wilson<\/a>, and their fans talked about being Super Bowl contenders. Instead, Wilson received a baptism of fire and played horribly for the team.<\/p>\n Furthermore, rapidly exposed their rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett. It seemed that he learned his trade playing Madden instead of forging a respectable NFL career. The team went into meltdown and didn’t have any hope<\/a> of making the playoffs. It was a major embarrassment after all of their trash talks (via ESPN<\/a>).<\/p>\nDetroit Lions<\/h3>\n
Philadelphia Phillies<\/h3>\n
Arizona Cardinals<\/h3>\n
Arizona Coyotes<\/h3>\n
Minnesota Timberwolves<\/h3>\n
Pittsburgh Pirates<\/h3>\n
Cincinnati Bengals<\/h3>\n
Seattle Mariners<\/h3>\n
Sacramento Kings<\/h3>\n
Manchester United<\/h3>\n
Buffalo Sabres<\/h3>\n
Indianapolis Colts<\/h3>\n
Florida Panthers<\/h3>\n
Atlanta Falcons<\/h3>\n
England<\/h3>\n
Brooklyn Nets<\/h3>\n
Minnesota Vikings<\/h3>\n
New York Yankees<\/h3>\n
Chicago Blackhawks<\/h3>\n
Jacksonville Jaguars<\/h3>\n
Inter Miami<\/h3>\n
L.A. Angels<\/h3>\n
Norwich F.C.<\/h3>\n
Chicago Bears<\/h3>\n
Dallas Cowboys<\/h3>\n
Cleveland Browns<\/h3>\n
L.A. Clippers<\/h3>\n
FC Cincinnati<\/h3>\n
Ottawa Senators<\/h3>\n
Denver Broncos<\/h3>\n