Which Fan Base Has it the Worst?

[NoHoJoe]

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

And also how they have to share a stadium in New Jersey with the Giants for ETERNITY!!!!

It is high time for the Jets to have a stadium of their own!!!!!

[NJTank]

Its the Braves taht have the worst fans with all their Division Title they can not sell out a playoff game. There chant always seems to be based off the scoreboard, and they never trully get loud.

The whole city of Atlanta has patethic fans the Hawks and Thrashers are playing in empty arenas, and until the arrival of Vick the Falcons had trouble avoiding blackouts every week.

Maybe these teams are bad, but you dont hear complaiing about them being bad its as if their fans dont really care which is why I trully think they are the worst fans.

Jets fans whine and moan all the time Cubs fans are behind the Cubs 100% and the Saints fans are just troutuired reight now and should be given a break.

[Breakwood]

I agree with Zer0, Leaf fans have it pretty bad, they've gone since 1967, and they allways have high expectations. I like to call it the Curse of Expansion.

[rockchalk]

Alright...What city has had all four leagues in town for only a three year period? Has lost an NBA team, NHL team, and MLB team? Has had two seperate 10 year periods as one of the best drawing most competitive teams in football? Was the home of THE model for building an expansion baseball franchise, only to see the original stars grow old and the team fall into a national joke? Kansas City has two World Titles to it's credit, one for the Chiefs, one for the Royals. The most recent was the Royals 20 years ago, and after that, there was a 10 year slide into mediocrity, followed by a 10 (well, 9) year period of complete and total suckitude. The Chiefs were terrible for most of the 70's and 80's, but since Carl Peterson came in in 1989, the team has been consistent...just not good enough. Almost from the minute he brought in Marty Schottenheimer, the team had possibly the best defense in football for the next 5-10 years, but just could not score points. Vermeil came in in 2001, and almost immediately the whole situation was flipped on its head, the offense couldn't be stopped and the defense may as well haven't even been on the field for much of the last 5 seasons. Now if they don't get the improvements (and to the lesser extent, the new roof) there's a good chance that the Royals will leave town and as soon as Lamar goes, the Chiefs will be right with them. I've got more, but I can't handle it rationally right now without adding another 5 pages of stuff.......*sobs uncontrollably @ cards of Marcus Allen and George Brett*

[Intimidator85]

No one mentioned them yet, but I think the Colts are suffering the most out of any pro sports fan base right now. It seems as if something is always stopping them from winning the Super Bowl. People both from inside and outside the fan base are questioning the Colts' toughness, and that criticism is hard to take. The Eagles could have been in this spot, but beating the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game and getting rid of TO took away a large bit of the suffering.

A distant second would be the Atlanta Braves. You know the story. 14 divisions, but one world championship. Fans of the team have chosen to deal with the problem one of three ways. Some have quit on the team and some are feel content and fortunate to win the division every year, but the majority of fans carry a "World Series or bust" attitude every October. Since the fan base is fractured about how to deal with the Braves' postseason results, I can't say they have it the worst.

I don't think the Cubs have a lot of suffering fans. A large portion of Cubs are so in love with the team and Wrigley Field, the losing and bad luck does not stick with them that long. You really have to question some (definitely not all) Cubs fans about their desire to see their team win.

I may open can of worms, but there are fan bases of a few college teams that are suffering right now as well. However, I think this thread is designed for pro sports so I won't mention those college teams here.

[logodawg]

Two words: Matt Millen

Say that within earshot of any Lions fan, and watch out. The worst team of the last 5 years! The Texans have been better! What other teams have had its fans organize a march demanding the firing of the GM?

And it's not like the years before the terror of Millen, either. They even went nowhere with Barry.

[cubfan1985]

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.

All true. "Dollar" Bill Wirtz could really care less about putting out a good product because he cleans up in what he makes from alchohol sales, the beer and wine from his own orchard that goes for like $6 a pop.

Also, a huge reason for why the Wolves draw so well with the younger fans, they show ALL games locally and gives young kids the opportunity to watch, get them interested and ask their parents to see Wolves' games. Wirtz' time tested and proven wrong theory of not showing home games just shows how out of touch with the game he is.

Unfortunately, when he goes, it doesn't look much better because his son will just take over the franchise anyways.

[Steel Certain]

To throw the NBA into the mix, I gotta throw the NY Knicks iout there. I lived in NYC for 9 years, and they always stink! They have a tremendously loyal fan base who are passionate about a team that seems to always stink these days. Despite a high payroll and constantly trying to find the right player/coach mix to be successful they always stink. They try elevate their fans expectations through trades and management changes and WHAMO they still stink. Isiah Thomas & Lenny Wilkins. Nada. Marbury aquired. Nada.

[Starchild]

To throw the NBA into the mix, I gotta throw the NY Knicks iout there. I lived in NYC for 9 years, and they always stink! They have a tremendously loyal fan base who are passionate about a team that seems to always stink these days. Despite a high payroll and constantly trying to find the right player/coach mix to be successful they always stink. They try elevate their fans expectations through trades and management changes and WHAMO they still stink. Isiah Thomas & Lenny Wilkins. Nada. Marbury aquired. Nada.

Amen.

While I was writing a feature story on Knicks fans for my Feature Writing class, one fan I interviewed gave 2 perfect response that sum it all up...

1. "You really learn the definition of what being a fan means by suffering through 82 games of a Knicks season."

2. "Being a Knicks fan is the worst form of pain anyone can inflict upon themselves."

[CS85]

You can't tell me any nba fanbase has had it worse than the clippers.

[NJTank]

You can't tell me any nba fanbase has had it worse than the clippers.

The Clippers hav a fan base?

[winters in buffalo]

Don't forget us Vikings fans. We've put up with four Super Bowl defeats,

I'll see your 4 SB losses and raise you two Stanley Cup losses.

Oh, wait, you've done that too, huh?

Well, at least you have the Twins!

[CS85]

It's tough to rival the pain that went through Bills fans heads on those consecutive super bowl losses. But I'd say the damn Browns have it the worst in the NFL.

[Starchild]

You can't tell me any nba fanbase has had it worse than the clippers.

Sure you can.

The Clippers haven't been committed to winning in G-d knows how long.

The Knicks have always been expected to compete, and at least make the playoffs... yet since 1973 have yet to win a championship. And the last few years have been nothing short of torturous.

The Clippers' fans generally know what to expect from their team. Knicks fans expect to win and are consistently disappointed.

[ClutchIsEverything]

This post reminds me of Bill Simmons' "Levels of Losing" column. There are different ways to lose which hurt on various levels, and there are different "suffering" franchises/fan bases.

A few that stick out to me....

Arizona Cardinals. Team has been consistently poor for decades, and the problem is there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of people who care. Sure they have some diehard fans, some on here, but when it seems most NFL teams can sellout a preseason game played on the moon, Arizona cannot.

Chicago Cubs. I would have said the White Sox over the Cubs before this past year, just for the Cardinals reasoning of not as many people caring. The Cubs aren't as suffering in my opinion though because of the national appeal. Sure they are the lovable losers, but thats just it you can tell someone you are a Cub fan in Arkansas and you instantly have a connection and people try to relate to you. "Hey Wrigley is great." "Oh man that has to be tough, but ya gotta stick with your team." etc. Tell someone you are an Arizona Cardinals fan and you just kinda get a strange stare and they go "Ohh, nice." So there are difernces. Also worth noting here is things change over time. The Cubs used to never open the upper deck, now they are redoing the bleachers.

New York Knicks. You know, I didn't want to put them here, but.... any business with Isiah Thomas at the helm is in trouble and in trouble for awhlie. With that said they do have that Cubs like connection.

Chicago Blackhawks. For all the reasons listed above. The NHL has bounced back pretty darn well if you ask me. Crowds are big.... just not in Chicago. BUT, this is something that can change. A new owner, a winning team, and I could see the Blackhawks and White Sox being the hottest ticket in town in the future. Contrast that to just a few years ago.

Detroit Lions. Yes, Matt Millen. And really, look at their total history, yikes. Ford Field is great though.

Cleveland. I agree with the point of the entire city. Each team has had different levels of losing, and even losing a team.

LA Clippers. The Clippers are like the ultimate test of a fan really. Esp over the last few years. Because you have seen the talent there, and you've seen Sterling let much of it just go away, or let Elgin Baylor make bad personal moves. But the thing is, Sterling is making money. Ya know. As a fan you want your team to win, but if you think about it logically for a second you think man if I had a business, that made money every year, would I go out of my way to spend more money. With the Lakers in town, heck the same building, their popularity really has a ceiling to it. The Lakers do win, so even if the Clippers win they can't provide anything different product really.

Anyway, thats just a few thoughts.

[VitaminD]

My vote's with Cleveland. And this is coming from a Philadelphian who last saw a championship parade when I was in 2nd grade.

Cubs fans, cheer up. You had the NBA's title winners for 6 years in a decade. You had the '85 Super Bowl. You've had more titles than most cities get in a fan's lifetime. It's almost like listening to Red Sox bemoan their drought, even as the Celtics and Patriots have been their league's dynastic franchise at one time or another in the past 20 years. And Braves fans - maybe we'd be sympathetic if your team stopped crapping the bed in the playoffs for a decade and a half. And who cares - it's not like you go support your team in the playoffs anyway...

Cleveland sports have lost hockey and football at one time or another, and the football team they got back is a team in name only, far less competitive than what the previous incarnation was; they've seen their baseball team lampooned in movies (Major League), and saw their best hope in a half-century for a title blown by Jose F***in' Mesa; and they get to relive the punch in the gut MJ delivered over Ehlo over and over again.

Individual teams (Cardinals, Clippers) are poorly managed, and individual teams are more inept (Phillies: 124 seasons, 1 title), but Cleveland's suffering is worse on the whole.

[DrBear]

If I may, a brief word for the Milwaukee Bucks fans.

Sure, they had it good at the beginning - an NBA title in their third year; another trip to the Finals in 1974. But nothing since then:

-Hall of Famer Abdul-Jabbar forces a trade.

-The replacement players, while having talent, never get it together enough to get to the finals with Don Nelson coaching.

-After Nellie wore out his welcome and the team got old, the Dunleavy-Harris-Karl era followed with no improvement and some bad teams.

-There is some hope this year - but I'm not optimistic

-Before the Bradley Center was built and Herb Kohl took over, it was very close to Milwaukee losing the team.

-And the Bradley Center is being called obsolete, with a feud over remodeling it to bring it up to current NBA standards. Are the Bucks possibly going to move?

Even the Brewers have been to a World Series once in that time; Marquette's won an NCAA title and been back in the Final Four.

[MadmanLA]

You can't tell me any nba fanbase has had it worse than the clippers.

The Clippers hav a fan base?

I'm a Clips fan...

I've stated my case once before to you all (that cared), especially a lot of you who were really misinformed about the situation. Rather than re-hash the whole point once again, I'll summarize it here...

If you look at the standings currently, and look at the attendance, things are looking up for the Clips. I'm trying not to be a homer, because I still think that Donald Sterling is a moron and a bigger weirdo and Elgin Baylor should have been fired years ago, and I'm even starting to have my doubts about Mike Dunleavy, Sr. With that being said, we Clipper fans (they're a lot more than you think) had to sit through uninispired, soft basketball teams (much like what's happening at 33rd Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan, for example), and a 9-year playoff drought. I was really hoping for Ron Artest coming here, because he would give the Clippers that kind of impact player that they're missing. I would have glady given Corey Maggette (whose style of play I'm not a fan of) to Indiana, if not for his foot injury.

[LetsGoRangers.]

Worst Fan Base:

Raiders, Eagles, Patriots, Cowboys.

Suffering:

Niners, Browns, Lions, Saints, Cardinals, and (this may be edited on 2/6) Seahawks.

MLB:

Worst Fan Base:

Red Sox

Suffering:

Devil Rays (Tarpins?), The entire NL West.

[maz]

Definately the pens.

Lemieux is gone, 2nd to last in the NHL {by one game, but at least someone out there sucks more} and theres a 50-90% chance the pens are going to kansas.

Man, it sucks to be a pens fan.

I wpuld also say the Pirates but even they arent as bad as the pens, and at least theyre staying.