# What are the least successful franchises in each sport? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 4, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870 "2013-04-04T22:25:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/21 "2013-04-05T04:58:01Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Schools that I do not think will do very well are Wake Forest, Northwestern, Iowa St, Oregon St and Washington St. Northwestern has had pretty long stretches of futility: In football, they’ve only ever been ranked #1 twice (the last time in 1962), and their win in the Gator Bowl this year was their first win in a bowl game since 1949. They set the Division 1-A record for consecutive losses (34, between 1979 and 1982). Up until last season, they had more “lifetime” losses than any other D1-A team (they were surpassed by Indiana). In basketball, Northwestern has **never** been to the NCAA tournament, and last won the Big Ten in 1933. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/22 "2013-04-05T06:07:23Z")
**Colibri** -The Angels almost certainly will go 87-75. **kenobi** -Northwestern is the only BCS school to _never_ “dance”. I’m sure you knew these things, just thought others might not have. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/23 "2013-04-05T20:37:17Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > The Wizards are contenders for the NBA. One championship more than 30 years ago, followed almost uninterruptedly by amazing, self-destructive futility. But they did have an extended period of success. They were one of the best teams in the league throughout the 70s, making the playoffs each year and advancing to The Finals 4 times. By contrast, The Clippers have only qualified for the playoffs 8 times in their entire 40+ year existence and have never advanced past the 2nd round. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/24 "2013-04-05T20:46:54Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > In baseball I think you have to give it up to the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, who in 44 years of play have not made the World Series, ever, and have made the playoffs only twice and won just one playoff series. And in one of the years they made the playoffs, it was only because of the strike. To be fair, they also got jobbed out of a near-certain playoff appearance due to another strike. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/25 "2013-04-05T21:02:18Z")
> [@Winnowill](#): > > Them there are the Browns, who last won a championship in 1964. They have never been to the Super Bowl, and their playoff appearances have been pathetically few. This is true of both versions of the Browns. While some of their early teams were good, nothing really good has happened for them since 1970. But the team that was the Browns won the Superbowl a couple months ago and in 2000. If we count the Nationals as the Expos then the Ravens count as the Browns mark1. ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/26 "2013-04-05T21:04:58Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > But the team that was the Browns won the Superbowl a couple months ago and in 2000. If we count the Nationals as the Expos then the Ravens count as the Browns mark1. Those aren’t the Browns, and nothing you say will convince me that they are. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/27 "2013-04-05T22:26:29Z")
> [@Winnowill](#): > > Those aren’t the Browns, and nothing you say will convince me that they are. 😛 Actually there is a specific negotiated settlement between Cleveland and the Ravens franchise that the Ravens are not the Browns, the can’t use the Browns’ colors and they can’t claim the Browns’ franchise records. The latter both belong to the new (and admittedly sucky) Browns franchise. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/28 "2013-04-05T23:34:48Z")
The Browns are pretty bad, but lets understand what kind of futility the Lions bring to the table. They have exactly **one** playoff win in 55 years. In that time the Browns have 7. In that time the Lions have had three periods of not making the playoffs for ten or more years. The Browns are currently in their only one, last making the playoffs in 2002. Since the 16 game season was instituted the Lions have 1 zero win season, 3 two win seasons and 2 three win season. The Browns have had one 1 win season and 1 three win season. Yes, the Browns are futile. The Lions are FUTILE. ---
**Author:** ![Srsly\_Dad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Srsly\_Dad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Srsly_Dad)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/29 "2013-04-05T23:55:49Z")
Gangster is dead on. I am from SE Michigan. NEVER in my entire life have he Lions ever been a good team. They wasted talented running backs like Berry Sanders and Billy Sims. They get Calvin Johnson and have crap for a offensive line and a defensive backfield full of rejects and castoffs. The only thing the Lions are good for is starting debates on how they are going to crash a burn this season. I suppose the 0-16 season was mildly entertaining. Being the Lions, I figured that they would ever screw that up and somehow manage to win their last game. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/30 "2013-04-06T00:38:15Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > The Browns are pretty bad, but lets understand what kind of futility the Lions bring to the table. They have exactly **one** playoff win in 55 years. In that time the Browns have 7. In that time the Lions have had three periods of not making the playoffs for ten or more years. The Browns are currently in their only one, last making the playoffs in 2002. Since the 16 game season was instituted the Lions have 1 zero win season, 3 two win seasons and 2 three win season. The Browns have had one 1 win season and 1 three win season. > > Yes, the Browns are futile. The Lions are FUTILE. Wait, are you combining the efforts of two completely different teams called the Browns? Irrespective os some artificial claim to the old team’s “history,” they are not the same franchise. One franchise was the Cleveland Browns and became the Baltimore Ravens. The other is an expansion franchise. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870/31 "2013-04-06T01:34:42Z")
The St. Louis Blues have been around since 1967 and have never won a Stanley Cup. The NY Rangers have been around a lot longer but only have one more Stanley Cup than the Blues in the past 60 years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-least-successful-franchises-in-each-sport/654870.md?page=1)