Worst Pro Sports Franchise?
- Thread starter ScottyP
- Start date
I've always thought if an NFL player gets busted for something, punishment should be immediate trade to the Jets.
Your reminder that Minnesota has all four professional sports. The last time any of the four made it to the finals of their respective sport: 1991
Vikings: 65 seasons. 4 SB appearances, 0 SB
Twins: 65 seasons. 3 WS appearances, 2 WS
North Stars/Wild: 51 seasons. 2 SC finals appearances, 0 SC
Timberwolves: 37 seasons, 0 final appearances, 0 titles
Total: 218 seasons played. 9 Finals appearances. 2 titles
I’ll vote for MN sports as a whole
Vikings: 65 seasons. 4 SB appearances, 0 SB
Twins: 65 seasons. 3 WS appearances, 2 WS
North Stars/Wild: 51 seasons. 2 SC finals appearances, 0 SC
Timberwolves: 37 seasons, 0 final appearances, 0 titles
Total: 218 seasons played. 9 Finals appearances. 2 titles
I’ll vote for MN sports as a whole
I agree MLB teams have a huge disparity difference that that has to be factored. And while the teams have been largely winning over the past 25 years, the Twins ownership is absolute garbage. The other thing that they have been horrible at has been signing and trading for pitchers that somehow pass a physical but never or barely pitch for them because their arms are junk.
I remember 91, have a few spotty memories of 87. But otherwise as a MN and ISU sports fan, any championship is going to be so confusing.
I’ll add my personal criteria: location, fan support (attendance), ambition to win (players, smart trades), wins, ownership
Here’s one:
The Raiders have been perennially bad most of my football watching life, outside of Gruden and Rich Gannon in late 90s. They have a shiny new stadium, but they’re a revolving door of coaches and quarterbacks. Numerous head scratching draft picks. Alienated their longtime fans in Oakland.
Here’s one:
The Raiders have been perennially bad most of my football watching life, outside of Gruden and Rich Gannon in late 90s. They have a shiny new stadium, but they’re a revolving door of coaches and quarterbacks. Numerous head scratching draft picks. Alienated their longtime fans in Oakland.
The Raiders are definitely ones I considered. They have an owner/ownership that is a bit disfunctional (Mark Davis incompetence and Tom Brady meddling). Lack of recent success and they haven't done well since Rich Gannon was QB. They do have a strong fan following, even after relocations (strong LA presence, even after moving back to Oakland and then Las Vegas). They do have a nice stadium and the number one draft pick in this years draft, which could help things.
Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions are a couple of others that are under consideration. The Bidwells have owned the Cardinals for a while and Michael Bidwell is known for being a huge POS. Until the past few years, the Lions were historically bad for a number of years and no Super Bowl appearances.
There really are not small and large market NFL teams because of the way they have constructed their media money. Since they all share it equally, it doesn't matter where your franchise is located, unlike MLB where it's the deciding factor.
Teams like the Browns struggle because they make and continue to make very poor choices, remember this is the organization that had Bill B, as their head coach and fired him. Until they find a decent coach and decent GM on the same page and allow them to work, they are going to struggle. Much like the Raiders and a few other franchises. The Chiefs went through this song and dance for 30 years, until they hired Reid and got Veach that had the same vision. They had Smith at QB, and realized he was good enough to get them to the playoffs but that was it, traded up to get Mahomes, even though many thought it was another foolish pick and he sent the franchise into orbit. Teams are going to make mistakes in the draft, but the best ones hit on enough of their picks to keep it rolling. That is the key, the Pats, hit on Brady, and then surrounded him with quality people for years, getting rid of them when they got to expensive and bringing in new players that thrived in that environment, KC is now doing the same thing.
Montreal really had it rolling in the mid 90s, had the best team in baseball then the strike hit and wiped out the season. It just killed the franchise, Jeffery Leory purchased the team from local investors to get a new downtown stadium built, Olympic Stadium was horrible for baseball, and when they could not come to a new deal, he moved the franchise to Washington, and the switched his ownership to the Marlins in Miami. So the expos went to Washington and he owned the Marlins.
Baseball in Montreal was killed by the exchange rate, they had to pay the players in US dollars but were getting all their revenue with Canadian dollars and the exchange rate killed them, the strikes and a poor stadium.
We went to a couple of series in Montreal before they moved to see the Cardinals play, a great city to visit, and I would love to go again and watch an MLB game there.
A couple of orgs not mentioned so far.
Washington Wizards. Have a top five pick every year and waste it on some crap player. Rinse and repeat.
New Orleans Pelicans. Nobody remembers these guys exist. Were terrible in Charlotte and got even worse in the big easy.
Arizona cardinals. Had a little run with Warner/Fitzgerald but have historically
been one one of the worst organizations in the NFL. No Super Bowl wins and the worst winning percentage in league history.
Kansas City Royals. They randomly won a World Series a few years back, and then went right back to sucking.
Washington Wizards. Have a top five pick every year and waste it on some crap player. Rinse and repeat.
New Orleans Pelicans. Nobody remembers these guys exist. Were terrible in Charlotte and got even worse in the big easy.
Arizona cardinals. Had a little run with Warner/Fitzgerald but have historically
been one one of the worst organizations in the NFL. No Super Bowl wins and the worst winning percentage in league history.
Kansas City Royals. They randomly won a World Series a few years back, and then went right back to sucking.
A somewhat surprising one is the Seattle Mariners. They have made the playoffs 6 times in their 50 year history and have never made it past the ALCS. Because of their good run from '95 to '01 people don't think of them.
Ottawa Senators had a terrible decade or so under Eugene Melnyk. Threats of moving the team. Firing coaches. Trading top players. 8 year playoff drought. Cost cutting. Ego and alienating fans.
They’re an expansion team in same province as the arguably the most popular team in Canada, the Maple Leafs. They seem to be on the up with some young stars and new owner.
They’re an expansion team in same province as the arguably the most popular team in Canada, the Maple Leafs. They seem to be on the up with some young stars and new owner.
The San Diego Padres deserve a mention as well. Overall record of .468, no world series wins.
Despite having some amazing players play for them over the years, they have 21 seasons of +.500 ball in 56 seasons.
They've have had a decent run the past 4 years, so maybe they can keep it rolling. Being in the same division as the Dodgers makes it hard for them to get over the hump, though.
Despite having some amazing players play for them over the years, they have 21 seasons of +.500 ball in 56 seasons.
They've have had a decent run the past 4 years, so maybe they can keep it rolling. Being in the same division as the Dodgers makes it hard for them to get over the hump, though.
Last edited:
The Dodgers payroll this season is $413,500,000 dollars, the Yankees are 2nd at $337,000,000. The Dodgers luxury tax is estimated to be $161 million, just crazy numbers. Time for a salary cap and a salary floor, with all deferred money showing up on the cap. SD is spending $255 million this season.
It’s crazy how 2 ok years apparently knocked the Lions out of the conversation. They have sucked most of their existence.
I understand the cost of living difference in the country, but the disparity feels like it worsens yearly.
Here is what USA Today showed at the beginning of the season. It seems there are always conflicting reports regarding teams payrolls, depending on the source. It's weird, honestly.
MLB payrolls 2026: Why Dodgers don't have the highest in baseball
Haters say the Dodgers are ruining MLB. But the team with the highest payroll didn't even make the playoffs.
www.usatoday.com
- New York Mets — $357,626,125
- Los Angeles Dodgers — $322,385,057
- New York Yankees — $301,064,810
- Philadelphia Phillies — $283,686,918
- Toronto Blue Jays — $278,989,858
- Atlanta Braves — $252,141,372
- Houston Astros — $246,519,331
- San Diego Padres — $224,833,896
- Chicago Cubs — $220,693,350
- Detroit Tigers — $209,415,401
- San Francisco Giants — $200,800,003
- Boston Red Sox — $198,883,374
- Texas Rangers — $183,539,230
- Arizona Diamondbacks — $183,460,266
- Los Angeles Angels — $179,002,696
- Baltimore Orioles — $170,369,743
- Seattle Mariners — $160,726,794
- Kansas City Royals — $141,244,816
- Milwaukee Brewers — $125,467,605
- Cincinnati Reds — $124,308,099
- Colorado Rockies — $118,302,854
- Pittsburgh Pirates — $102,058,886
- St. Louis Cardinals — $98,115,902
- Minnesota Twins — $96,726,784
- Athletics — $91,849,688
- Tampa Bay Rays — $89,632,420
- Washington Nationals — $87,955,033
- Chicago White Sox — $83,892,150
- Miami Marlins — $79,429,030
- Cleveland Guardians — $69,984,029
Here is a better link and it's up to date.I understand the cost of living difference in the country, but the disparity feels like it worsens yearly.
Here is what USA Today showed at the beginning of the season. It seems there are always conflicting reports regarding teams payrolls, depending on the source. It's weird, honestly.
MLB payrolls 2026: Why Dodgers don't have the highest in baseball
Haters say the Dodgers are ruining MLB. But the team with the highest payroll didn't even make the playoffs.www.usatoday.com
- New York Mets — $357,626,125
- Los Angeles Dodgers — $322,385,057
- New York Yankees — $301,064,810
- Philadelphia Phillies — $283,686,918
- Toronto Blue Jays — $278,989,858
- Atlanta Braves — $252,141,372
- Houston Astros — $246,519,331
- San Diego Padres — $224,833,896
- Chicago Cubs — $220,693,350
- Detroit Tigers — $209,415,401
- San Francisco Giants — $200,800,003
- Boston Red Sox — $198,883,374
- Texas Rangers — $183,539,230
- Arizona Diamondbacks — $183,460,266
- Los Angeles Angels — $179,002,696
- Baltimore Orioles — $170,369,743
- Seattle Mariners — $160,726,794
- Kansas City Royals — $141,244,816
- Milwaukee Brewers — $125,467,605
- Cincinnati Reds — $124,308,099
- Colorado Rockies — $118,302,854
- Pittsburgh Pirates — $102,058,886
- St. Louis Cardinals — $98,115,902
- Minnesota Twins — $96,726,784
- Athletics — $91,849,688
- Tampa Bay Rays — $89,632,420
- Washington Nationals — $87,955,033
- Chicago White Sox — $83,892,150
- Miami Marlins — $79,429,030
- Cleveland Guardians — $69,984,029
2026 Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 Luxury Tax Payroll
The Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 tax salary table, including team tax space, and complete breakdowns of player tax salaries and bonuses.
www.spotrac.com
The level of incompetence at the ownership level for the Browns and Jets makes it a hard choice. Going Browns just based on pushing out Baker for the Watson contract.
