 |
| Photo by Rob Howarth- Getty Images |
Cursed Franchises:
Detroit Lions
An easy one to start with here, the Detroit Lions have been the template for poor NFL franchises. A model of success in the pre-Super Bowl era, the Lions won four championships in their first 22 seasons. Since the Super Bowl era began in 1957, they are the only original NFL team to never have even made it into the big game.
In recent years, the Lions have been terrible. Starting with a fifteen-year stretch of poor management by Matt Millen and Martin Mayhew, they kicked off the new millennium with a 78-162 record. The controversial firing of Jim Caldwell and the failure of his replacement Matt Patricia is yet another smudge on a the team's resume. In an amazing statistic, Caldwell was the only head coach with a winning record during his tenure with Detroit since Joe Schmidt, who coached from 1967-1972 (Wikipedia). Patricia was highly criticized during his time as the head coach, getting fired halfway through last season with an abysmal 13-28-1 record overall.
The snake-bitten franchise has made the NFL playoffs 15 times in the 65 seasons since 1957, only managing a singular 1991 playoff win during that span. Wasting generational players like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson along the way have also stung for the Lions loyal, watching the front office fail to surround them with the necessary talent to even compete regularly. Sanders never has had a positive thing to say about front office efforts to sustain team success. "The realization that management no longer cared about winning slammed me harder than any linebacker had ever hit me in my entire career," the running back wrote in his 2003 book Barry Sanders: Now You See Him...His Story in His Own Words (ESPN). When Barry had come to this realization, the team refused to release or trade him, which resulted in his retirement.
Despite the production and physical toll his body endured during his tenure, Calvin was forced by the team to repay a relatively meager $1.6 million dollar signing bonus the year of his retirement (Detroit Free Press). Compared to virtually every other organization in the NFL, the Lions seem to bungle relationships with their cornerstone players not only with regularity, but almost at every turn.
 |
| Photo by Quinn Harris- USA Today Sports |
Detroit has made some seemingly competent moves of late, flipping Matthew Stafford for two first-round picks in their latest attempt to rebuild. The fans that have persevered through the pain so far have to be optimistic about the team's draft approach to load up the trenches, selecting OT Penei Sewell, and edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Zach Paschal in the last two drafts. Perhaps another year under knee-biting coach Dan Campbell will bear fruit when a franchise quarterback can be found, possibly in next year's draft. But until then, especially with the Ford family still at the reins, it seems the Lions streak of futility is primed to continue.
Atlanta Falcons
28-3. In the 9th year of Matt Ryan's illustrious career, it seemed the stars had finally all aligned for the crowning achievement on his resume. Atlanta had been masterful through the first two and a half quarters, dominating the New England Patriots. Then it was over: James White diving for the goal line, scoring the game winning touchdown, securing their 34-28 overtime defeat. The dream had ended before it had even started.
Such is life as an Atlanta Falcon fan. Prior to this previous year, the same could've been said for the entire state of Georgia, but the Braves and Bulldogs took home championships to break out of their respective funks. I would not be optimistic for the same to be occurring anytime on the NFL side of the Peach state.
The franchise joined the NFL in 1966, failing to make the playoffs until their 13th season. Unlike Detroit, the Falcons have won ten playoff games. They've fallen short in their two Super Bowl appearances, the aforementioned matchup vs. the Patriots in 2016 and a 1996 showing vs. Denver- a 34-19 loss in a game that was never close, which provided a disappointing conclusion to a 14-2 season. Despite this success at a glance, their appearances in the postseason have been scattered- not qualifying in consecutive seasons until 2010-2011, the team's 44th and 45th seasons.
The 2010's was tough for Atlanta. With an offense that boasted several high-end talents such as Matty Ice, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons made the playoffs three straight years, securing the #1 seed in two of them. This regular season success did not translate to the playoffs however, as they only took home one victory from their three trips.
After failing to make the playoffs in the subsequent three seasons, the dirty birds had their infamous Super Bowl LI debacle. Losing the big game is hard enough, but the 25 point collapse has to forever rip the hearts out of Atlanta fans. The largest blown lead in Super Bowl history- a record that will likely not be touched any time soon. The Falcons have gone 35-46 since then, firing head coach Dan Quinn and trading the best quarterback in their franchise's history to the Indianapolis Colts.
 |
| Photo by Tom Pennington- Getty Images |
These magnificent missed opportunities at the Lombardi trophy and lack of sustained success with some very talented core players are why, as of now, Arthur Blank's Atlanta Falcons are a cursed franchise in the NFL.
Sacramento Kings
The organization known as the Sacramento Kings have a long history, but have only officially been in the National Basketball Association since 1985. They made the playoffs in their inaugural season, lost in the first round and were not back again for another decade. A 286-534 record during their first ten years of existence.
Beginning in 1998, the Kings began their longest stretch of competence. Under head coach Rick Adelman, Sacramento made the postseason in eight consecutive seasons, including earning two #1 seeds in the west. Equipped with the likes of Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby and Peja Stojaković, the capital of California was consistently producing high level basketball for the first time ever. Unfortunately, they only made it to the Western Conference Finals once, falling in a controversial series to the eventual champion Lakers in the 2001-2002 season.
Sacramento made the playoffs in the four seasons following their outing vs. LA, winning just two series. They have yet to be back, failing to finish in the top eight in the West since 2006. An abhorrent run by any standard, the team has amassed a 467-809 record (.365 winning percentage) in sixteen years since their last postseason run (Wikipedia). Eleven coaches have come and gone during this time, with none managing to last more than three seasons at the helm. The lack of stability has deterred big free agents from considering signing there and also raises the question on how set up for success multiple high draft picks but the team were. Did the unstable coaching staff fail to facilitate their growth or did the front office and scouts just suck?
Tyreke Evans, Demarcus Cousins, Thomas Robinson, Ben McLemore, Willie Cauley-Stein, De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley were all top-7 picks for the franchise. Between the seven players, only Cousins made an All-Star game with the Kings, doing so twice. To give Sacramento credit, they also drafted two-time all-star Isaiah Thomas, although he earned the honors in Boston. 2020 first-rounder Tyrese Haliburton looked to be a bright, foundational spot for the team, but he was traded to Indiana this season for a package featuring Domantas Sabonis.
Sacramento's inability to build through the draft paired with them essentially being a free agent repellent has doomed any attempt at rostering a competent team. With no end to this in sight, they are currently the most cursed franchise in the NBA.
Washington Wizards
Growing up in the DMV, the Wizards were my go-to NBA team to adopt as a "favorite". Through my life thus far, this has not been a rewarding fandom. For the sake of this article, we'll be starting the Wizards history in 1973 when they officially relocated to Washington D.C.
After the D.C. move, the rest of the 70's was as strong as a fan could ask for. Making the postseason in their first six seasons, including three finals and one title in 1978, the then Washington Bullets boisterously announced their arrival to the big show. Led by present-day head coach Wes Unseld, the team was a force into the 1980's.
Once the 80's came around, the Washington franchise's success began to taper quickly. From there, the team won just one playoff series over their next 24 years. They only made the playoffs once during the 1990's (Wikipedia). An organization that came into the league so strong had completely fallen off. To make matters worse, the team tried to do their part to curtail gun violence by, unfortunately, changing their name from the Bullets to the Wizards before the beginning of the 1997-1998 season.
The team missed the postseason in their first seven seasons known as the Wizards, only eclipsing 40 wins once. The were able to secure the #1 pick in 2001, which they used to select Kwame Brown. Arguably the biggest draft bust in NBA history, Brown only played four terrible seasons in the city that drafted him before being shipped to LA. He averaged double-digit points only once in his career.
The Wizards have managed two good cores of players to underachieve with over the last twenty seasons, first with the trio of Gilbert Arenas/Caron Butler/Antwan Jamison. Despite some all-NBA statistical performances by Arenas, Washington fell short in the playoffs four straight times, three of which in round one at the hands of a young LeBron James. Stress from years of unmet expectations led to a fractured culture, culminating with an incident between Gilbert and Javaris Crittendon in which a gun was drawn in the locker room. This incident effectively ended the Agent Zero era in Washington.
 |
| Photo by Jonathan Newton- Washington Post |
D.C's second strong core of underachievers featured guards John Wall, the franchise's second #1 overall pick, and Bradley Beal. Despite excellent individual performances and growth by these two players, they were never able to manage to get past the second round of the playoffs. Attempts to add a third star to this core failed with top-six draft picks Jan Vesely and Otto Porter never reaching their potential for Washington. In eight seasons as a tandem, Wall and Beal were only able to lead the WizKids to three postseason series wins.
Fresh off a 35-47 season, the Wizards find themselves again in the middle of a rebuild. With unenviable decisions ahead regarding the future of Bradley Beal, and a roster devoid of talent otherwise, the Wizards are rightfully among the most cursed NBA franchises.
Texas Rangers
Originally established in D.C. as the Washington Senators, the franchise spent it's first 11 seasons in the nation's capital, managing only one winning season and no playoff appearances. After moving to Arlington, Texas in 1972, the team changed it's name to the more regionally appropriate Texas Rangers. The mediocrity that the organization displayed in Washington also relocated with them.
The Rangers impression on the Lone Star State was an ugly one: failing to make the playoffs in their first 24 seasons after the relocation. A generally uncompetitive team and oppressive Texas heat made it hard for fans to connect with new franchise for years after the move. A few surprisingly competitive seasons and the signing of pitcher Nolan Ryan in the late 80's helped to spark some excitement that the franchise carried into the 90's, but still failed to produce major results on the field (Wiki).
The late 90's saw the team experience it's first major accomplishments. In 1996, they made their first playoff appearance after a 90-72 regular season, led by league MVP Juan Gonzalez and Manager of the Year Johnny Oates (Wikipedia). It was a short postseason run, ending in a 3-1 series defeat to the eventual World Series champion Yankees. They returned to the playoffs two more times in the next three years, also producing two more MVP's in Ivan Rodriguez and a repeat campaign by Gonzalez. Unfortunately, these two runs both ended in sweeps to the Bronx Bombers.
The Rangers would not return to the playoffs for another ten years, even with generational talent Alex Rodriguez hitting his prime as a member of the team. Skipper Buck Showalter managed to win Manager of the Year in 2004, despite the team coming third in the division. Buck would be fired just two seasons after his award and replaced by Ron Washington- who would go on to be the winningest coach in Rangers' history.
 |
| Photo by Rick Yeatts- Getty Images |
In 2010, the Lone Star team went 90-72, reaching it's first ever World Series. They were unable to top the San Francisco Giants, losing the series 3-1. After 96 wins the next year, the Rangers were back in Fall classic, this time being defeated at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals in seven.
Since this 2011 World Series defeat, Texas has gone 0-3 in playoff series in their three trips back. They are in the midst of a rebuild after watching the most successful era in their history pass. Currently possessing the #9 ranked farm system, with top prospects Jack Leiter and Josh Jung (MLB.com), the Rangers' faithful hope that the turnaround will be sooner then later. However, the decades of disappointment and failure up until this point, especially given some of the elite talent they've had, easily make the Texas Rangers one of the most cursed franchises in Major League Baseball.
Milwaukee Brewers
Hard to find a franchise with a better name then the Milwaukee Brewers. Much easier to find an MLB squad with a more successful history. The organization, which came into existence in 1970, has failed to make their mark thus far in the annals of baseball.
The Brew Crew, who switched from the American League to the National League in 1997, have earned postseason berths in just three of their first forty seasons. In those same forty seasons, they have only managed records above .500 fourteen times. Milwaukee did earn one trip World Series in 1982, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
To the delight of Brewers fans worldwide, Milwaukee has fielded some consistently competent groups since 2010. Talents like Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Rickie Weeks gave the team a scrappy personality and kept them out of the NL Central basement for the early part of the 10's. Acquiring Christian Yelich in a 2018 trade from Miami for prospects Lewis Brinson and Jordan Yamamoto (among others) put them over the top as a contender (MiLB.com).
Since the Yelich acquisition, the Brewers have gone to the playoffs in all four seasons, winning the NL Central twice. Despite the turnaround on the field, the losing results for Wisconsin's team have been the same. In their four playoff appearances from 2018-2021, the franchise has only won a single series. For whatever it's worth, the team that has eliminated Milwaukee the last three seasons was the eventual World Series champion. But there are no moral victories in pro sports.
Toronto Maple Leafs
As our only NHL team in part one of this list, we have the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unlike the previously discussed teams on this list, the Maple Leafs have won thirteen Stanley Cup Championships. However, the most recent of these titles was in 1967, meaning a 55 year hiatus from being top of the league.
While many franchises would happily accept a history with thirteen championships, the Bay Street Bullies have a much higher bar on what defines a successful season. Since their last Cup, the Leafs have missed the playoffs 21 times and have not made it back to the finals. They did not qualify for the postseason in ten out of eleven seasons after the 2004 lockout. The one year that they did, the Ontario team blew a 3-1 series lead to the Boston Bruins, made worse by the fact that the boys in blue led 3-1 in game seven with less then two minutes remaining. Toronto was eliminated in overtime of this game, severely dampening the aura around one of the all-time NHL franchises.
 |
| Photo by Steve Russell- Getty Images/Toronto Star |
The last six seasons have seen Toronto rising up to expectations more, returning to playoff hockey. This return has been bittersweet though, with team has being eliminated in the first round each of their trips. Given the expectations and pride associated with hockey in Canada, these shortcomings have not been well-received. If the organization is planning to do justice by the country's symbol of which they're named, then the generational Auston Matthews and the Leafs need to ascend back to championship form sooner or later. Until they're able to do so, they're among my most cursed franchises in the NHL.
Cursed Cities/States:
Unlike the cursed franchises above, the state and cities below are infamous for the lot of their sports teams underperforming.
Minnesota
The Land of 10,000 Lakes is a beautiful state to explore for the outdoorsman. For the sports fan, it's a cesspool of what if's and missed opportunities. With four professional sports franchises, one would expect some regular degree of success for the city to celebrate. In reality, Minnesota sports fans are left regularly in angst at the shortcomings of their favorite teams.
As a whole, these four organizations have mustered three championships in their respective leagues, combined. All three of these were by the Twins, and one was all the way back in 1924. There have only been 34 divisional titles won by the group in a cumulative 237 regular seasons, indicating that there hasn't even been much regular season success. Needless to say, there haven't been a ton of fond sports memories for Minnesota fans to look back on.
The Twins, as mentioned above, have achieved far and away the most out of the franchises in the gopher state. After relocating from D.C. in 1961, the team went to the World Series in their 5th season, losing in seven games to the Dodgers. They did not win another playoff game until 1987, defeating the Tigers and Cardinals on the way to their first world championship. The Twinkies won their second World Series four years later over the Braves, but have only won a single postseason series since. Not too shabby of a history as a standalone, but due to the pitiful performances of their state counterparts, they're grouped on this list.
Like the Twins, the Vikings also came about in 1961. Donning purple and gold, they won the NFL Championship in 1969, but were upset by the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl IV. This would be the beginning of a negative trend for the team, who were defeated in three more bids at the Lombardi Trophy between the years of 1973-1976. They have not been back since, despite fielding competitive teams regularly. Over this drought, highlights like the Minneapolis Miracle have been fun to follow along with, but a 13-21 postseason record has been discouraging overall.
 |
| Photo by NBAE- Getty Images |
The Wild and Timberwolves have come up wholly short of their expectations since joining their respective leagues. The franchises have won a total of two division titles in a combined 55 years. With four playoff series wins, the Wild have double the amount of Minnesota's NBA representative, who have only advanced beyond the first round in one season ever. Many Wolves fans still have a hard time forgiving the organization for wasting the prime years of Kevin Garnett, completely failing to surround him with a competent supporting cast. With all the above on the table, it's hard to argue there's a sadder sports situation then the one in Minnesota.
Buffalo
While the Bills recent success could lead one to believe they don't belong on this list, one doesn't have to look far through their history to realize why they're here. The obvious headliner here is the four consecutive Super Bowl losses between 1990-1993. Led by quarterback Jim Kelly and head coach Marv Levy, the team amassed 49 wins in those four seasons, but infamously could not get over the hump by winning the big one. Sandwiching this successful era was a period that saw the team only reach the playoffs three times in their first sixteen years in the NFL and a sixteen year playoff drought to start out the new millennium. Circle the wagons and soak up this contending window Josh Allen has helped open for you Bills fans.
The Sabres have been far less opportunistic with their elite level talents, squandering efforts from the likes of goaltenders Dominick Hasek and Ryan Miller, and more recently center Jack Eichel. The franchise, which came into existence in 1970, made the postseason in 29 times between their inaugural season and 2010. None of this success carried over however, with the Sabres never winning a Stanley Cup, going 0-2 in their 1975 and 1999 appearances. The consistent playoff shortcomings had been difficult for their fans to watch for their first forty seasons, but now this failure has become a part of their regular seasons.
 |
| Photo by Phillip MacCallum- Getty Images |
Buffalo is currently on a streak of eleven straight seasons without a postseason trip, far and away the longest drought of any NHL teams. During this time, they've mustered just a .424 winning percentage overall, a far cry from the .562% the previous 40 seasons produced. With the draft coming up in two weeks, they'll be picking in the top ten again in hopes of finding a top talent they don't botch this time.
San Diego
Translated to "a whale's vagina" in German, per Ron Burgundy, the beautiful southern California city only has one team left in present day. The now-Los Angeles Chargers spent over fifty seasons in town before beloved owner Dean Spanos decided to move the team north 120 miles. The time the Chargers spent in San Diego could be mostly defined as disappointing:
-Only making the playoffs four of their first twenty seasons of the Super Bowl era
-Getting crushed 49-26 by San Francisco their only appearance in the big game
-The Ryan Leaf saga
-Wasting LaDainian Tomlinson's career
-Philip Rivers' catalog of chokes (5-6 postseason in San Diego, 14:10 TD:INT)
-Leaving for a city that already has an NFL team
The San Diego Chargers never made it easy for their fans on the field, but what an insulting reparation off of the field for their struggles.
Photo from Bears Wire.com
Much like Philip Rivers, the Padres have also made the playoffs six times in San Diego. However, they've had 53 years to manage such few appearances. To their team's credit, they have turned two of these six postseason showings into World Series berths, but have lost both, only winning one total game in the two series. Multiple decade-plus playoff droughts have plagued fans from 1969-1983 and 2007-2019. All in all though, consistently uncompetitive teams have wasted what could be a prime location for Major League Baseball.
Per their time in the MLB, the Padres have the second lowest franchise winning percentage of any team at .462 (Wikipedia). There's hope that this year's strong pitching rotation and MVP-caliber season by Manny Machado this year will be the beginning of a turnaround for the team, but with the Dodgers juggernaut in their division, it's going to be a grueling second half of the season as they push to change their luck in October.
So those are my picks for cursed/unfortunate/bad sports franchises. I definitely missed a few viable candidates for this list, but I tried to include a few names you don't normally see in these types of stories. Let me know if you think there are more deserving parties out there or any more cringy stats on the teams above that I missed. Thanks for reading as always!
------
@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
Comments
Post a Comment