Those of us in Seattle who follow the Mariners are currently mired in misery. After several years of nothing less than contention and a few of outright dominance, management’s money-minded style and overreliance on aging veterans have blown up in the team’s face. The team has broken several club records for poor performance, including, recently, straight road losses (tying a major-league mark, apparently). And supposedly, the M’s are about to become the third team in history to lose 100 games in a season following a 90-win year (and the first to do it without selling off the talent that won the games). Guillen goes to the Tigers and performs. Olerud goes to the Yankees and performs. (At least dumping Cirillo was the right move.) And here’s the worst part: When the Mariners sucked before, we had nothing to compare to. When they suck now, it stings worse because of the fresh glory of recent history.
The bottom line, I think, is this: For Mariners fans, this is without question the Worst Year Ever. (Or, fates forbid, So Far. —shudder—)
And because misery loves nothing so much as company, I’d like to open the floor to gripes and groans from other sports fans for nominations for their most painful years of fandom. Grouse away, please. Distract me from the pain…
I spent part of 1998 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Watching the dismantled Florida Marlins play in South Florida weather in that lousy football field stadium was about as miserable as it got. 1998 was a good year to follow baseball, so I ended up catching more Marlins games than I ever thought I would
The team had some young talent, but the rebuilding that year was painful. Plus, going to that horrible stadium in the middle of nowhere and paying major league ticket prices just sucked.
Being a fan of the Denver Broncos and the Utah Jazz, I have so, so many to choose from. Sometimes I wonder why I can’t pick a consistently winning team, or at least a team that doesn’t crush my hopes and dreams on a regular basis.
And then I remember it could be worse. I could be a Raiders’ fan.
I’ve been a UNC basketball fan since before I can remember. Almost 35 years. Season tickets. Never miss a game.
Of course that was a pretty easy gig for the first 30 years or so. But then 2001 rolled around and the wheels came off. I still didn’t miss a game, but it sure was painful at times.
I’m sure few people feel sorry for all us spoiled Carolina fans, but you asked. If it never happens again, it will be too soon.
Cry me a river, Mariners fan. I’m a Royals fan, and this season, which is bad enough on its own dubious merits, but even more so after our hopes were raised last season, definitely qualifies as my most miserable.
Last year’s Illinois football season was pretty terrible. 1-11 (with our only win coming against Illinois State - a D1AA school.) We lost to both Northwestern (who ran the ball literally every play in the second half) and Indiana. Completely embarrassing.
Then again, I’m a White Sox and Bears fan who’s too young to remember 84-85. Don’t even get me started on the Blackhawks.
Only a few more months until Illinois basketball…Gotta keep it together until then.
'98 Vikings. Such a dominating year. Moss was unbelievable, Culpepper sharp as knife, and everything just clicking right. The loss at tampa was a downer, but 15-1 going into the play offs, looked like it was finally our year. THEN, the only field goal that Gary Anderson misses ALL FRIGGIN year costs us the game. The travesty of it was that it wasn’t even a long field goal, something like 30ish yards IIRC.
I can’t complain too terribly. For the past 20 years, we’ve always had something going on, which is better than a lot of cities have it.
Still, never had a year when all three major teams have all been clicking. Either the Cards are hot, and the Blues and Rams are rebuilding (like this year, I’m afraid) or any combination you can name.
Nevertheless, except for the hapless Blues, the Lou has seen three World Series visits, two trips to the Super Bowl, and (ahem) a Western Conference Championship since 1982. And that’s not too shabby.
I’m feeling good about the Cardinals this year. Can’t you tell?
The 1969 Chicago Cubs. Not only did they blow a lead in the NL East, they ended up losing the division to the NY Mets. The same Mets that, until 1969, were the laughing stock of professional baseball.
And lets not forget the 1983 Whitesox. They won the AL West by 20 games over KC, then lost to Baltimore in the ALCS.
The season that ended in the NFC Championship game with the Giants (was it Jim Burt, who went on to join the 'niners?) mauling Joe Montana (clean hit, but brutal) at the end of the fourth quarter to stifle any chance of a comeback. Just seeing our leader laid out like that and clearly hospital bound at a pivotal point in the game ripped my heart out.
Basically now - while the dynasty of the '80’s is long gone, there have been moments of hope and the sense that the down time between empires (Foundation, anyone?) could be minimized. Then we got rid of the coach, brought in a guy with no success in pro ball and watched as ownership of the team got lost deeper into a morass (Eddie DeBartolo and Carmen Policy - where are you?!). We won’t be surfacing from this deep place for years.
Culpepper was sharp as a nice at Central Florida, yup - we drafted him in 99 and he rode the pine until 2000. I think you mean Randall Cunningham, who replaced an injured Brad Johnson early in the season. The field goal was a short chip shot, though; only 38 yards.
Easy! I’ve been an Atlanta Falcons fan since the franchise came to town in 1966.
Is there another team in the history of football that’s never had two consecutive winning seasons?
And as far as suckitude is concerned, there have been so many miserable seasons, trying to decide which was the most miserable would just put me into a funk for the rest of the week!
While our hockey and basketball are good teams, with many championships between them, the Lions have won only one playoff game during the modern era of football. At least that happened during my lifetime. The Tigers? I was three when they won the World Series. I was 22 when they lost their 119th game last year. Which do you think I remember more?
Also, I got to hear a football “coach” (Marty Moron-wig) say, “I’ll take the wind!” during overtime. My blood is boiling just thinking about it.
