Forgettable sports teams

[chuckymack]

The most irrelevant team in American pro sports is the Charlotte Bobcats. Nobody cares, and I doubt they ever will.

[infrared41]

As a fan, it pains me to say it, but...

Notre Dame football, the last 40 years or so.

As a member of this community, it pains me to read your absurd posts but I just can't stop myself from constantly pointing out how insane you are. Notre Dame is irrelevant? Based on what? Especially for the past 40 years.

[Sport]

As a fan, it pains me to say it, but...

Notre Dame football, the last 40 years or so.

As a member of this community, it pains me to read your absurd posts but I just can't stop myself from constantly pointing out how insane you are. Notre Dame is irrelevant? Based on what? Especially for the past 40 years.

and why would that statement pain you after all the other ridiculous nasty things you've said about Notre Dame. They aren't irrelevant at all. Just look at the coverage every time they get a new coach.

[The_Admiral]

They aren't an interesting team.

On the contrary, their front office machinations over this decade have been absolutely fascinating. Have you read Moneyball? Great stuff.

Point is, if you're looking at this as a big-picture thing, the A's are more than just relevant, even though they've been mired in some weird state of perpetual rebuilding for the last three years. I think the Rangers are the most irrelevant baseball team, having done little more in their history than lose a few ALDSs, have Nolan Ryan for a while, and pull off the biggest stadium heist in sports history. They also have the unique misfortune of being a Dallas sports team that isn't the Cowboys. They're not even the best-known team called the Rangers and the other Rangers are a hockey team. Eep. The Exponats have never won anything, but the 1994 Imaginary Champions, the relocation fiasco, and their bumbling capers as the Nationals at least give them a degree of infamy.

Odd little coincidence that the two teams that seem to be taking the lead here, the Florida Panthers and Texas Rangers, both use state names while their next-door neighbors freely identify as Miami and Dallas, respectively. Is this a part of the problem? Well, no, but it certainly builds my case against using state names when you're anywhere but the TCs.

[BBTV]

The Texas Rangers were relevant for a minute when they signed A-Rod to that stupid contract. IIRC it was mostly negative publicity, but it doesn't matter - they were in the public eye for a little bit. Had they capitalized on this opportunity and actually built a team, they had a chance to really gain some national attention, and at least be a "known" team. As it stands, not many people outside of the Metroplex (sounds like a shopping center) and fans of their division rivals even know that the team exists. They have no identity - their brand is dull, their history is dull, their stadium is dull, every single thing about them is dull.

They should really just start over. Rebrand as a Dallas team, figure out new ways to bring in more revenue, and make a splash some how. Or at least establish some kind of identity. Some teams are known as "dirty teams". That could be their gimmick. Every game, just have someone throw at batters until a fight breaks out. That would certainly get them some attention.

Or maybe they could just sign Michael Vick for next season. That seems to get people's attention.

[BaltimoreFan]

As a fan, it pains me to say it, but...

Notre Dame football, the last 40 years or so.

As a member of this community, it pains me to read your absurd posts but I just can't stop myself from constantly pointing out how insane you are. Notre Dame is irrelevant? Based on what? Especially for the past 40 years.

Yea, exactly. They may have sucked for a while, but they are always in the news. They had the first 10 minutes of SportsCenter this morning for hiring a new coach.

Given the criteria, its pretty hard to pick a team. I don't watch the NBA or NHL enough to know. NFL is pretty tough to pick since there has been so much parity and coverage of the league.

For MLB, I'd have to agree with some earlier posters that said the Texas Rangers. They've basically been middle of the pack lately, so you never hear about them winning or losing. Also they don't really seem to have any superstars. I mean Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, and Josh Hamilton are all great players but no one really talks much about them. I know they've got alot of young talent, so maybe that will change in the next couple of years.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

3 pages and no mention of the islanders?

They aren't even relevant on long island. If this team would have moved, i seriously doubt anyone would notice. Not that anyone notices that hockey exists anyway here. i know they have the dynasty years but since 95 this team has been irrelevant.they only attention they got was for the fisherman overhaul. that alone probably turned off half the city from recognizing them as a pro team for life.

[Lee.]

Oh, how quickly we forget about the Florida Marlins.

[BrySmalls]

MLB: Washington Nationals

MLS: Kansas City Wizards

NBA: Memphis Grizzlies

NFL: Carolina Panthers

NHL: Florida Panthers

[The_Admiral]

I give the Marlins credit for two world titsle nad becoming this cold soulless baseball machine that cranks out players for everybody else to take.

[illwauk]

The NBA is the hardest. I would say the Milwaukee Bucks, but I think they're on their way to relevance with the arrival of Brandon Jennings.

That's pretty much what I was gonna say verbatim.

NFL - St. Louis Rams... play in probably the blandest stadium in the entire league and they don't even have the "underdog" factor on their side like the Lions or Browns.

MLB - Texas Rangers... The only thing thats made me even note their presence since Nolan Ryan's retirement was the Kenny Rogers incident. Even A-Rod's contract got lost in the shuffle of all the other players that were (are) getting absurdly high contracts at the time.

NHL - Columbus Blue Jackets

NBA - Last year (and pretty much every year since 2002), I'd have said the Bucks. But thanks to Brandon Jennings, I'll now have to go with the Memphis Grizzlies. The NBA in Memphis makes about as much sense as the NFL would in Columbus or Austin. I know the gravy train wasn't exactly rolling in Vancouver, but I have a very hard time believing that they're better off here.

Overall - Columbus Blue Jackets... so irrelevant I couldn't even come up with a snarky comment for them initially.

[Eye]

Oh, how quickly we forget about the Florida Marlins.

What was the date of this game and who were the Marlins playing? Nationals right?

[Gothamite]

MLB - Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers have been around for 40 years now, and they've won ONE division title. ONE. Plus, Milwaukee is just as much of a "Cubs town" as it is a "Brewers town".

Completely untrue.

Yes, there are always lots of Chicago fans in Miller Park when the Cubs come to town. But that's more about the relative proximity between Milwaukee and the South Side of Chicago.

I'd go with the Islanders - they're an odd bird, a New York City team that isn't. I was reluctant to bring them up, for fear that my Manhattan bias would show, but my impression certainly is that they've been largely forgotten, even by hockey fans in the area.

[tp49]

3 pages and no mention of the islanders?

They aren't even relevant on long island. If this team would have moved, i seriously doubt anyone would notice. Not that anyone notices that hockey exists anyway here. i know they have the dynasty years but since 95 this team has been irrelevant.they only attention they got was for the fisherman overhaul. that alone probably turned off half the city from recognizing them as a pro team for life.

Up until all of the bickering regarding The Lighthouse I'd be inclined to agree with you. However, the issues surrounding The Lighthouse project have made the Islanders relevant in Nassau again. Getting Tavares also gave the Isles relevance too.

To me the most irrelevant team ends in a tie between the Florida Panthers and the LA Clippers aka the red headed stepchild of the NBA.

[SenatorJake]

The most irrelevant team in pro sports is, of course, the London Silly Nannies. Quite frankly, I'm surprised no one has mentioned them yet.

[tBBP]

Overall - Columbus Blue Jackets... so irrelevant I couldn't even come up with a snarky comment for them initially.

Here's your winner.

[The_Admiral]

At least the Blue Jackets have a somewhat promising future with Steve Mason and Rick Nash, and seem to have a decent fanbase. Hardly anyone cares about the Panthers; I can't stress this enough.

[Brendan]

NHL: 1-Vancouver Canucks: They have three players which most MAY people know, the Sedin twins and Luongo.

Your seriously calling a Canadian hockey team irrelevant? The Canucks consistently make the playoffs and are one of the top grossing teams in the NHL and have more well known players than your giving them credit for.

[IceCap]

the admiral's right, it's the Panthers.

The Blue Jackets created a buzz earlier when they were atop their division, and people have been talking about how they have the foundations of a good team.

The A's are a MLB cornerstone. Perhaps they're less relevant then other cornerstones like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs, but they're still a team with a rich history.

The Marlins, well there's a good case to be made for them, but ultimately I don't think you can call a team with two league championships irrelevant.

The Islanders? See the championship thing. Plus their arena troubles and relocation rumours have gotten them some press.

You can't call ANY team in the NFL irrelevant. The media machine that is the National Football League pretty much means each team has its moment in the press, be the coverage negative or positive.

The only team mentioned here that comes to close to challenging the Panthers for complete irrelevance are the Charlotte Bobcats. Really, they're right up there. I only consider them slightly more relevant then the Panthers for two reasons; they brought pro basketball back to a city that had lost it, and that the NBA is more relevant then the NHL as a whole, in the United States anyway (and really, isn't that what matters? )

[Lee.]

NHL: 1-Vancouver Canucks: They have three players which most MAY people know, the Sedin twins and Luongo.

Your seriously calling a Canadian hockey team irrelevant? The Canucks consistently make the playoffs and are one of the top grossing teams in the NHL and have more well known players than your giving them credit for.

I applaud you for standing up for your hometown team and all, but Mason Raymond is hardly a household name. Really and truly, there really aren't a whole lot of Canucks fans outside of BC and Coastal Washington state.