Don’t ask me how, but somehow the Pittsburgh Pirates are only 0.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. The lowly Pirates (who ironically have the 7th most World Series titles) haven’t had an above-.500 season since 1992. That was also the last time the Pirates made the playoffs. Barry Bonds led that Pirates team in home runs. By any measure, the Pirates have been the laughing stock of the MLB for nearly the past 2 decades. It seems like there is one team like that in every league; a team that is so obsolete that the casual fan may have forgotten that they even exist. Here are those teams.
NBA – Charlotte Bobcats
Despite being owned by the greatest of all time, the Bobcats do not have much going for them.
- Kobe and Gerald Wallace, who was traded to Portland
They have the third lowest franchise winning percentage (.387) and their only playoff appearance resulted in a quick exit at the hands of the Orlando Magic. Oh and they just traded away their all-time leading scorer Gerald Wallace. The lockout certainly doesn’t help them either. If the major market owners get their way (and in my opinion they will), Charlotte will be left out to dry, trapped in a realm of obscurity. The only other team in the running for the NBA was the Clippers, but Blake Griffin will bring them back up whenever the NBA starts back up again.
NHL – New York Islanders
The New York Islanders might as well play in the AHL (the dragon mascot would fit). They haven’t made it out of the first round of the NHL playoffs since 1993, a Pittsburgh Pirates-esq streak. And since the NHL lockout, which canceled the 2004-05 season, they have had only 1 season above .500. They are also averaging the lowest attendance per game in the NHL with a meer 11,059. They do have one bright spot in John Tavares. Unfortunately, he shares the same name as his uncle, who is the all-time scoring leader in the National Lacrosse League. It’s unfortunate because many people (especially in upstate New York) associate Tavares with a lacrosse stick.
NFL – Buffalo Bills
Like the Pirates, the Bills have not made the playoffs since last century. But it’s more than just not making the playoffs. It’s a combination of bad coaching, bad management, and bad players.
Steve Johnson making a joke
Their last coach to be tenured more than 4 years was Marv Levy. He was fired after the 1997 season when the Bills went 6-10. Their only season above .500 since 1999 came in 2004. That year, the Bills were one game away from the playoffs when in week 17 they had to play the Steelers. However, the Steelers had already clinched a first-round bye and ended up playing their JV squad for the majority of the game… and the Bills couldn’t win. That effectively sums up the past decade in Buffalo, culminating with Steve Johnson’s infamous drop last season. But hey who know maybe Ryan Fitzpatrick is the guy that Ralph Wilson’s been looking for… or maybe not.
Unofficial Sports 