Which Fan Base Has it the Worst?

[CS85]

I was reading some other threads and this argument came up. State your cases.

[IceCap]

Raiders fans, Flyers fans.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Jets Fans, all they do is bitch about how bad their team is.

[Cujo]

Which Fan Base Has it the Worst?, Cubs, Jets

Double whammy! Ouch.

[Gamingboy]

It depends on how you define "worst".

I mean it can mean many things.

Are we talking about "Most Suffering"? If that's it, then it's probably the fan base of the Arizona Cardinals, or the Detroit Lions, or the Saints, teams that haven't had much success since, uhhh, well, they never have had much success.

Then, there is the "Most Torturous" category. This occurs to fans that have seen their team be good on occasion, maybe even regularly, and come close to winning it all or getting to the championship but their team always blows it. Cubs fans, Bills fans and fans of just about every team in Cleveland are all good canidates for this category.

[zer0dotcom]

The Toronto Maple Leafs. Everyone always has such high expectations of them, and they haven't made it to the Stanley Cup finals, let alone win since before I can remember.

[-kj]

Raiders fans, Flyers fans.

Not "who is the worst," but rather, "who has it the worst." There's a difference.

[clyon81]

If we are talking about a fan base, in reguards to geographic location, I dont think I would have to think beyond New Orleans. Its bad enough when you have a tragedy, but unlike in most places, these people dont have sports events to fall back on as a passtime through what has been a horrific experience. Only the consolation prize of watching them play in another city. To be without sports, even when people have lost so much more, I think we all had a small taste of that after 9/11 when sports decided to take a break.

It seems to be a regular occurance to have fan bases threatened with losing a franchise, but to go through a tragedy like this, and have it affect people to the point where they may lose things like sports francises, something people use as a flagship or a symbol of who they are, because of something uncontrollable, is probably the worst sports related senario I can imagine.

A bad team is better then no team at all. Imagine being in a situation where you face losing multiple franchises?

[CS85]

Ok, I'm editing the topic accordingly.

Which Fan Base is currently suffering the most, not just concerning titles, but from bad management, poor ownership, relocation, etc?

[Cujo]

Now that you put it that way . . . the Arizona Cardinals. No doubt.

If anyone has ever been to a game in Tempe or even seen a rare Cardinals home game on tv, it's plain to see their fan base sucks. I went down to a 49ers/Cards game about 3 years ago and I would say abuot 80% of the fans were there to cheer on the Niners, and it gets worse when Oakland or Dallas comes to town. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. That and the fact that they've moved at least twice that I know of, have the absolute worst owner in the NFL, and have won 1 playoff game over the past 60 years or so makes them my pick as the worst fanbase and on top of that, the overall worst team in all of sports.

[slapshot]

Boston Bruins.

The team has not won a Stanley Cup since 1972. The team does not have a good history of signing exceptional free agents, it goes after mediocre ones long past their prime. The team will not reinvest in players once they become some of the league's elite, lowballing their worth through arbitration and sending them to other teams. When the Bruins do get the occasional steal, management does nothing to build a strong line around that player, thus making him unhappy and eventually forcing his escape to greener pastures.

For years Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of the team, kept his distance in Buffalo. He was never around to read the disgust that fans had with a go-nowhere team. He is only interested in making a profit, and his company owns the concession rights to all events at the TD Banknorth Garden, so he will make a profit regardless of the product on the ice.

Harry Sinden, President, has publicly ripped a player when said player complains that the team does nothing to encourage better players to come to Boston. Any time a player has spoken up, they've been shipped out within a week.

Mike O'Connell, GM, has also sat back and done nothing to sign good players. He and Sinden absolutely screwed up the off-season signing plans once the NHL lockout was over. Instead of actively and continuously going after big-name free agents, they looked into two (Forsberg and Modano), and sat back to wait for everyone's worth to fall below market value. Nothing happened, and the Bruins were forced to sign leftovers who haven't helped much.

O'Connel and Sinden are also the reason Joe Thornton is now a San Jose Shark.

34 years of mediocrity and counting. Sure, there have been a few Stanley Cup appearances during that time, all for naught, but management doesn't try to bring in other better players to make this team a Stanley Cup calibre team.

[scooter13]

There are some good cases out there. The Detroit Lions, the Boston Bruins, or the city of Philadelphia (being without a major 4 team sport champ since 1983). But I don't see how any of them can compare with the Chicago Cubs. They haven't been to the World Series since 1945 and haven't won it since 1908. No matter how you look at it, that is just sad.

[BJ Sands]

Ok, I'm editing the topic accordingly.

Which Fan Base is currently suffering the most, not just concerning titles, but from bad management, poor ownership, relocation, etc?

The Chicago Blackhawks. Bill Wirtz has singlehandedly turned one of the proudest franchises in the NHL into a laughingstock. On Chicago news their games are frequently reported after Loyola and Northwestern basketball. My dad is always telling me that they owned Chicago in the 60's. Now, I don't even know if they are more popular in Chicago than the Wings, Blues or maybe the AHL Wolves.

Wirtz has always sucked, but at least his team once was competitive. Now, after years of dumping away stars such as JR, Belfour, Chelios and Amonte, they are one of the worst teams and may be for a prolonged period.

As many of you know, Hawks home games aren't televised. It has always been stupid and short-sighted. Wirtz thinks that attendance will suffer if games are available. Of course, their attendance is near the bottom of the league, so what is the difference? Now, however, all the teams on Comcast Chicago televise their home games in HD. Of course, no home games are televised, so the fans can't see the classic red sweater in HD.

So, take a crappy owner, add in some disastrous trades and throw in the most insensitive PR a team can have and you've got the Hawks.

[Fusebazell]

2 words Cleveland Area... 'nuff said

[HatManTC]

2 words Cleveland Area... 'nuff said

agreed.

its not too fun being a Cavs fan and watching MICHEAL "FLIPPING" JORDAN* rip out your heart year after year.

or being a young browns fan watching them fumble their way our of a superbowl. or have JOHN "GOSH DARN" ElWAY* go the length of the feild and take away another superbowl away from you. then almost ten years latter have ART "i really wish he would die" Moddel take away the Browns from one of the most historic football cities in the country.

or what those indians. giving away two world series. one to the fish the other to Turner's boys. and man did that one to the fish sting being we had that game all but won..

so in summary...it sucks to be a cleveland area fan. but atleast we dont have to get our hopes up too high.

thank god for the BUCKEYES...

* - names changed for the eyes of youth.

[amfleisch]

Ok, I'm editing the topic accordingly.

Which Fan Base is currently suffering the most, not just concerning titles, but from bad management, poor ownership, relocation, etc?

The Chicago Blackhawks. Bill Wirtz has singlehandedly turned one of the proudest franchises in the NHL into a laughingstock. On Chicago news their games are frequently reported after Loyola and Northwestern basketball. My dad is always telling me that they owned Chicago in the 60's. Now, I don't even know if they are more popular in Chicago than the Wings, Blues or maybe the AHL Wolves.

Wirtz has always sucked, but at least his team once was competitive. Now, after years of dumping away stars such as JR, Belfour, Chelios and Amonte, they are one of the worst teams and may be for a prolonged period.

As many of you know, Hawks home games aren't televised. It has always been stupid and short-sighted. Wirtz thinks that attendance will suffer if games are available. Of course, their attendance is near the bottom of the league, so what is the difference? Now, however, all the teams on Comcast Chicago televise their home games in HD. Of course, no home games are televised, so the fans can't see the classic red sweater in HD.

So, take a crappy owner, add in some disastrous trades and throw in the most insensitive PR a team can have and you've got the Hawks.

very true... an entire generation in the chicago area is growing up not knowing who the blackhawks are. the used to have the longest streak of playoff runs, that ended when the didnt make it in 1998, and they have only made it once since. the UC was built to hold nearly over 21,000 for hockey games, the blackhawks are lucky to draw half that now.

its pretty bad when an ahl franchise makes fun of a nhl team. a couple years ago the chicago wolves had ads up all around chicago saying "we play hockey the old fashinoned way, we win."

its pathetic to see in such a great sports city like chicago, a team to turn its fan base away.

[CS85]

Ok, I'm editing the topic accordingly.

Which Fan Base is currently suffering the most, not just concerning titles, but from bad management, poor ownership, relocation, etc?

The Chicago Blackhawks. Bill Wirtz has singlehandedly turned one of the proudest franchises in the NHL into a laughingstock. On Chicago news their games are frequently reported after Loyola and Northwestern basketball. My dad is always telling me that they owned Chicago in the 60's. Now, I don't even know if they are more popular in Chicago than the Wings, Blues or maybe the AHL Wolves.

Wirtz has always sucked, but at least his team once was competitive. Now, after years of dumping away stars such as JR, Belfour, Chelios and Amonte, they are one of the worst teams and may be for a prolonged period.

As many of you know, Hawks home games aren't televised. It has always been stupid and short-sighted. Wirtz thinks that attendance will suffer if games are available. Of course, their attendance is near the bottom of the league, so what is the difference? Now, however, all the teams on Comcast Chicago televise their home games in HD. Of course, no home games are televised, so the fans can't see the classic red sweater in HD.

So, take a crappy owner, add in some disastrous trades and throw in the most insensitive PR a team can have and you've got the Hawks.

very true... an entire generation in the chicago area is growing up not knowing who the blackhawks are. the used to have the longest streak of playoff runs, that ended when the didnt make it in 1998, and they have only made it once since. the UC was built to hold nearly over 21,000 for hockey games, the blackhawks are lucky to draw half that now.

its pretty bad when an ahl franchise makes fun of a nhl team. a couple years ago the chicago wolves had ads up all around chicago saying "we play hockey the old fashinoned way, we win."

its pathetic to see in such a great sports city like chicago, a team to turn its fan base away.

Wirtz is a piece of :censored:. He's the worst owner in all of sports, and doesn't care about hockey or winning or the fans. He wants money in his pocket, and that's it. It'll take his demise before the Blackhawks will ever put a quality product on the ice again. It's a damn shame to see one of the original six fade out of contention for decades and their ownership not giving a damn if they do or not.

[winghaz]

Don't forget us Vikings fans. We've put up with four Super Bowl defeats, Roger Staubach's Hail Mary to Drew Pearson, Les Steckel as head coach, the Herschel Walker trade, the missed field goal against the Falcons, etc., etc., etc.

[Dnice]

Atlanta has had some bad management. The Smiths couldn't get consistant winning seasons from the Falcons. The Hawks didn't get good until the Nique era, and traded him for f'n Danny Manning. The Braves turned around after 1991 but should have 6-7 world championships.

[bhambruiser]

I move to take my beloved Cubs off this list.

Sure we haven't won it all in a while. Is it painful to lose? Sure...

But I am proud to be a Cubs fan and I refuse to be called "long-suffering" any longer.

I don't have it bad being a Cubs fan- one day when we do take home the series- I will be just as proud that day as I was in '89, '98, '03...or heck- every year for that matter. win or lose....(cue inspirational music)...because dang it I am a Cubs fan and I'd say we have it BEST....

*climbs off of odd-soapbox*

Go Cubs! Next Year is Here!!