Top 5 Most Forgettable NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL Teams

When you take all four of the "big" pro sports in America, there are 122 teams in total. Yet only four of these teams can be a champion in any given year, and only 52 can make the playoffs. For those of you who know subtraction, that's 70 teams that watch the playoffs where all of us non-pro athletes do... from the couch. Some of the teams are going to get lost in the shuffle. The national media can't hype up all of them. While any good sports fan can probably recognize if a team name is correct or not, naming all of them off the top of your head is tougher than you might think. In order to see what teams are the most "forgettable", I tried to name all of the teams in each league and then looked at either the ones I named last or the ones I outright forgot. Here are some rules for how I picked through the teams:

1) Going division by division is a no-no. Yes, this would be a good way to be thorough, but I'm trying to pick through my own mind here and see which teams fall through the cracks, not make a complete list.

2) There are some biases that are unavoidable. Having not lived or attended games in the Midwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US, I'm more prone to forget certain teams. That's just the way it is...

3) Pairs come naturally. If a city or a region or a state has two or more teams, I was a lot more likely to name all of them together. An unfortunate geographic reality...

4) This is not scientific at all... At ALL!

After my top 5 for each league I'm also going to give my best guess as to the teams I would've predicted would be the most easily forgettable.


National Football League (NFL)
MY LIST
5) New Orleans Saints - This was a weird one. I still don't know why this team eluded me. I pull for them every week and Reggie Bush (USC Heisman Trophy winner) is their tailback. It could be because they had such a mediocre season last year.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I grew up an hour from Tampa Bay and I still forgot that this team is here. They're not particularly interesting these days... a borderline playoff team in a pretty weak division. This team is overshadowed by the Miami Dolphins and college football in the state of Florida despite a Super Bowl championship this century.

3) Baltimore Ravens - This is sort of a forgettable city in and of itself, plus the team was 5-11 last season.

2) St. Louis Rams - The "Greatest Show on Turf" days are long gone. This is a terrible team in the middle of the country. Forgetting the Rams didn't really surprise me.

1) Washington Redskins - Lets see.... low-scoring offense, not a lot of big-name players, uninteresting team, racist team name, 3 rings but no Super Bowl trip since 1991. Plus they're easily

PREDICTED LIST
5) Carolina Panthers - Besides Steve Smith, is there really a big-name player on this team?

4) Houston Texans - This team doesn't have a winning history, many celebrity-type NFL players, and is the red-headed stepchild to the Dallas Cowboys in the state.

3) Cleveland Browns - Great fans, but this team flat-out stinks and isn't nearly as interesting as the train-wreck/jail-bound Cincinnati Bengals that they share the state with. Not helping their case is a total lack of a team logo/memorable helmet.

2) Washington Redskins - Yeah, they deserve to be about here.

1) Jacksonville Jaguars - Jacksonville just plain isn't a major-league city. This team is really the 2nd or 3rd most prominent NFL team in the state of Florida.


National Basketball Association (NBA)
MY LIST
5) Denver Nuggets - I must be really tired to forget this one. I've been to two home games, plus they have two star players in Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.

4) Golden State Warriors - If this team were the Oakland Warriors or the San Francisco Warriors, I think I'd have remembered them more easily.

3) Utah Jazz - These are some of the most vicious fans in the NBA, but a good team that plays as a team doesn't make the Jazz a memorable team. The small market doesn't help either.

2) Washington Wizards - Forgetting about Washington D.C./Baltimore area teams is a running theme in this Top 5. I think if this team were still the Bullets I'd have forgotten about them too.

1) Charlotte Bobcats - Not even Michael Jordan makes me remember that this team exists. That's really really sad. God does their logo suck.


PREDICTED LIST
5) Indiana Pacers - Name 3 players on this team. If you're not a fan of the NBA or this team, then you probably can't. And no, Reggie Miller doesn't count.

4) Memphis Grizzlies - The University of Memphis basketball team is way more relevant than these hibernating grizzlies.

3) Atlanta Hawks - This may be one of the most poorly run organizations in professional sports.

2) Oklahoma City Thunder - OKC is here because the team name is brand new as is the location.

1) Charlotte Bobcats - I'm still not sure this isn't an ABA or D League team.


Major League Baseball (MLB)

MY LIST
5) Oakland Athletics - Billy Beane must do the most with the least out of any GM in baseball. Too bad that means the team is totally forgettable when they aren't any good (like right now)

4) Toronto Blue Jays - They're unique as the only Canadian team in the league and totally overshadowed by the rest of its division.

3) Minnesota Twins - I'm sorry I forgot this team because they're one of the classiest organizations in all of sports.

2) Detroit Tigers - Maybe I was prone to forget this team after I picked them to make it to win the AL Central before the season began.

1) Milwaukee Brewers - Yeah, I haven't really been to the Midwest much if you couldn't tell.


PREDICTED LIST
5) Pittsburgh Pirates - They haven't had a winning season in 16 years. It's a small market team as well.

4) Cincinnati Reds - Generic team name, haven't really been a factor in the World Series since 1990.

3) Seattle Mariners - This team holds the record for most wins in a regular season in major league history. Sadly, they choked that year, and they were pretty damn terrible this year too.

2) Florida Marlins - Judging by the fact that this team had fewer than 600 fans at one game, I think a lot of fans in Miami forget they're there too. This is in spite of winning 2 World Series during my lifetime.

1) Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos - A new stadium and a new home don't make up for how bad the Nationals are.

National Hockey League (NHL) - Abridged version
MY LIST
5) Tampa Bay Lightning

4) Washington Capitals

3) Buffalo Sabres

2) St. Louis Blues

1) Carolina Hurricanes


PREDICTED LIST
5) Phoenix Coyotes

4) Atlanta Thrashers

3) New York Islanders

2) Florida Panthers

1) Carolina Hurricanes

Hope you enjoyed it.... non-sports related one should be coming next week if I remember.
-Alex

Top 5 Prime Sports Relocation/Expansion Locations

With this summer's move of the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, the ever-present threat of a team moving away from it's fanbase has been reignited. While there aren't too many teams in as imminent of danger as the Sonics were, it is interesting to look at some possibilities of future locations for new pro sports teams or new homes for established ones. To keep things from getting too complex, I've excluded intercontinental destinations for expansion. I'm also only including the three big leagues likely to expand, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. Not too many rules for this list, just one man's opinion.

5) Milwaukee, WI

Metropolitan Area Population: 1.97 million

League That Should Move Here: NHL

Reasons Why: Milwaukee is a larger city than you might think. It ranks 34th out of US media markets, higher than other sports markets such as Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Salt Lake City. However, the size is not the reason this move would make sense. Cold weather markets tend to support hockey teams far better than teams in Southern markets. One of the newer additions to the NHL, the Minnesota Wild, ranked tenth in attendance in the league. Hockey fans in the northern Midwest, bitterly cold areas of the US, have a better hockey tradition and a better tie to the game. The Wisconsin Badgers, located less than 90 minutes away, have a hockey tradition that rivals most schools. The biggest reason this move would make sense though is the quality of the fans in Wisconsin. The Green Bay Packers fanbase is downright rabid. The Milwaukee Brewers, despite being located in a much smaller market than most teams, are 9th in MLB attendance.

Reasons Why Not: Can Milwaukee support a basketball team, a baseball team, a pro football team, and a hockey team in the region? While baseball attendance is good, basketball attendance is bad (the Bucks were 22nd in the league last season). This can be disregarded a bit as hockey makes more sense in this market than basketball anyway. What cannot be disregarded is that Milwaukee has a minor league hockey team, the Milwaukee Admirals, who barely drew in the top half of the league for fans this past season. Is the interest for hockey here strong enough?

Teams That Could Be Moved Here: Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers

4) San Diego, CA

Metropolitan Area Population: 2.94 million

League That Should Come Here: NBA

Reasons Why: Yes, I know the Clippers were here back in the late 70's and 80's, but things have changed. The city is one of the ten largest in the United States and like there is regional passion for baseball in the Northeast and football in the South, there is plenty of love for basketball out West. The rivalries would be fierce, especially with the nearby Lakers. While the Clippers could/should move here, I would hope that San Diego could get a less dysfunctional/cursed/poorly-run franchise. There is enough money and enough people here to easily support three pro franchises. On paper, this looks like a pretty easy decision for the NBA.

Reasons Why Not: California fans are notoriously fair-weather fans. If a team's good, they're there. If they're bad, the team can't give tickets away fast enough. Speaking of fair weather, could the team convince city's residents that they should come inside to see a game on a beautiful day in San Diego. An outdoor arena could be an interesting idea for this market. Plus the team most likely to move here, the Clippers, would draw a far more lukewarm reaction. Also, after recently funding Petco Park, would the city be willing to fund a major arena?

Teams That Could Move Here: Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings

3) San Antonio, TX/Austin, TX

Metropolitan Area Population: 1.94 million/1.59 million

League That Should Expand Here: NFL

Reasons Why: Texas loves football. It doesn't matter if it's high school, college, or pro football, if it's a pigskin and a 100 yard field, they're on it. The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable franchise in US pro sports. With a competitive team last season, the Houston Texans have come into their own, ranking 11th in attendance last season. Football fans in Texas are passionate and many of them have money behind them to make big things happen. San Antonio and Austin are located far enough away from both of these markets (3 hours from Houston, 4 hours from Dallas) that they can easily support a pro franchise. Austin is currently the largest city in the United States without a pro franchise in any league. The San Antonio Spurs have already found plenty of success even being in a smaller market. Helping all of this is the fact that San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Either of these cities would be a great candidate for an NFL expansion team, but not both at the same time. I think there would be a huge public reception in both cases. This region of Texas is prime territory for more pro sports teams.

Reasons Why Not: Could the team survive being in the shadow of two more established teams, especially during the likely lean first few years post-expansion? Does the more artistic nature of Austin dampen the non-college fans in the area and make the team less of a fit? Other than that, this seems like a pretty good fit to me.

2) Los Angeles, CA

Metropolitan Area Population: 17.76 million

League That Should Come Here: NFL

Reasons Why: The Los Angeles area (including Anaheim) has: two NHL teams, two NBA teams, two MLB teams.... and zero NFL teams. As the second largest market in the country, it only seems to make sense that the largest league would at least have some presence here. It's too big of a market for the NFL not to take advantage of it. As long as the stadium is located somewhere close to money-rich areas of town or even downtown. There is plenty of love for football in Los Angeles. USC's football team is one of the most popular teams in the city. Both the city and the NFL would benefit from having pro football return to the City of Angels.

Reasons Why Not: The third time may not be the charm. LA/Anaheim used to have two football teams, the Rams and Raiders. They both moved for various reasons including sinking attendance and old facilities. If you thought San Diego has a problem with fair weather fans, Los Angeles is twice as bad. There are almost too many choices for LA residents and unless the football team is any good, fans won't be there. Frustratingly slow local politics also don't make this as appealing of a location as you might think. Not to mention that LA already has a pro football team in the mighty USC Trojans.

1) Las Vegas, NV

Metropolitan Area Population: 1.78 million

Leagues That Should Expand Here: NBA, MLB, NFL (in that order)

Reasons Why: I think this is almost inevitable, especially for the NBA, and if one of the major leagues enters the market the rest may follow. Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, with plenty of money in the area. There are plenty of wealthy young sports fans who have shown that they don't mind dropping a few hundred or thousand dollars. Tourism is a huge part of the economy and visiting fans may be inclined to check out the team's games. Season ticket sales would be strong, especially amongst casino owners looking to impress big spenders. The city itself would attract star free agents to come and play in the city itself. A move here appears imminent for the NBA. The 2007 All Star Game, Summer League, and 2008 US Olympic Basketball Training Grounds were all hosted here. It flat out makes sense, and whichever team owner ends up with a team here will be very lucky indeed. This would be a smart move for the MLB and the NFL for many of the reasons listed above, but each has their own unique problems that I'll get into in....

Reasons Why Not: Associating sports with gambling is a messy issue in American sports culture. Any team located here will have to be extra careful not to get in bed with the local casinos. The mere juxtaposition of the two will cause endless conspiracy theories. Baseball and football each have major problems potentially moving to Sin City. Baseball sells itself on tradition more than any other sport and its fans have a long history of turning away from the game at the slightest suspicion of games being fixed. Not helping this are stodgy baseball owners unwilling to break the status quo or think in unique ways. Baseball is stuck in the past, while Vegas is a younger city of the future. The NFL has a similar, albeit smaller problem associating itself with gambling. The main issue the NFL would face is one of image. The league has had a major image problem in the last few years and reputation-minded commissioner Roger Gooddell may be unwilling to put players in a situation where they're likely to get into trouble.

Teams That Could Move Here: Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, Oakland A's

HONORABLE MENTIONS (and why they didn't make the cut):

Anaheim, CA - NBA, NFL (fair-weather fans, attendance issues, congested sports area)
Brooklyn, NY - NBA, MLB (NBA is already moving here in 2010, no baseball team could ever replace the Dodgers)
Providence, RI - MLB (it's already a little too cramped here, is the population large/interested enough?)
Seattle, WA - NBA, NHL (not enough interest in either sport, team might have a cheapened feel in replacing the old Sonics)

See you next week with a random list of my choosing.
-Alex

The Top 5 MLB Teams That Had the Most Impact on Modern Baseball

Hey again.
Of all of the major sports in the USA, baseball has one of the longest and most interesting histories. Teams shuffle all of the time, the game has changed significantly in the years it's been around. The game has had to be saved several times, yet has endured. For this list, I look at the 5 teams that had the biggest impact on the history of modern baseball as we know it. There are a few conditions I've laid out for this list.
1) Records do not count. They don't impact the evolution of the game.
2) Players do. If a player makes history that changes the game, that team gets credit. I don't care if "it was going to happen at some point soon anyway". It didn't.
3) Being old or really really bad (or good) doesn't make you historically relevant. Just because a team has been around a long time doesn't mean it's made a big impact on the history and evolution of the game. Case in point, the Cubs aren't on this list because being terrible for 100 years doesn't mean you made an impact. Also, if the franchise doesn't exist today, it is ineligible.
4) Causation only gets you so far. The Red Sox are not more historically relevant because they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The Yankees, however, are relevant for having Babe Ruth.
5) Not every impact has to be a positive one. There's one team in particular this applies to.

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS LONG! Glad we got all of that clear. Here's the list.

5) Pittsburgh Pirates

I'll tell you this much... the Pirates couldn't make this list for being good even if they wanted to. 15 straight losing seasons (and counting) has thrown that out the window. Admittedly, this list gets pretty shaky after the top 4, so there are probably a couple of team you could make a case for. Here's why the Pirates are my #5.

a) Had the first really smart general manager... and helped end a competing league.

Ever wonder why the Pirates are called the Pirates? They used to be called the Pittsburgh Allegheny's until in 1894, their GM started making some... aggressive moves. Here's a little bit of background. In 1890, second baseman Lou Bierbauer of the Philadelphia A's and a whole boatload of players jumped ship from the National League and American Association to join the Player's League. When that league folded, a lot of players returned to their NL and AA teams. Bierbauer did not however, he was instead signed by the Allegheny's. A cross league fight ensued with the Allegheny's winning and the A's manager calling the Alleghenys' actions "piratical". Hence the name. This fight ultimately led to the downfall of the American Association, one of the NL's earlier competitors. In another move in 1899, Pittsburgh plundered every star player of the soon-to-be-contracted Louisville Colonels for 4 unknown players. Yarrrrrrrr!

b) Broke baseball's humanitarian barrier.

This is a relatively small item, but having the great Roberto Clemente play for you is a big deal. Clemente, while by no means the first Hispanic or black Hispanic player, faced a certain degree of racism from his teammates over the years. His work off the field, however, posthumously earned him the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 and has an award named after him. He's considered one of the great humanitarian athletes ever to play any sport.

4) Chicago White Sox

This team may surprise someone who has a more modern knowledge of the history of baseball. After all, the White Sox are the second most important team in their own city. They don't have a lot of World Series banners to their name. Their title drought was longer (albeit less painful) than the Red Sox's cursed 86-year one. However, Chicago's second team has had the most impact on the game. Here's why they're #4:

a) They nearly ended baseball as we know it.

For those of you who don't know what I'm referring to, Google or Wikipedia the 1919 World Series or the Black Sox Scandal. Or read "Eight Men Out" or see the movie of the same name. To sum it up quickly, the White Sox threw a World Series after being paid off by gamblers, the public found out, baseball looked really bad and attendance suffered. Baseball nearly folded. As I said before, not every impact on the game has to be a positive one. You don't get any more negative than nearly destroying a league and certainly crippling it.

b) They created the commissioner's office.

To save face for the Black Sox scandal, Major League Baseball appointed Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis it's first commissioner of baseball. Pretty big change, wouldn't you say? Slight extra negative credit for the White Sox that Landis was a jerk, upheld the color barrier, and protected baseball from competition. I'm not sure if any team has had as much of a negative impact as these guys did.

3) New York Yankees

You may be surprised seeing the Yankees this low on the list. After all, they're one of the most successful professional sports franchises to ever exist. Unfortunately for the Yankees, winning over 20% of all of the World Series doesn't really qualify you for this list. Neither does the sheer amount of money they've spent, the amount of managers they've hired and fired, nor just generally being assholes. That doesn't mean there aren't several reasons why the Yankees make this list.

a) The Bambino.

Babe Ruth is arguably the most legendary player to ever play the game. He's larger than life, mythic, and just plain important. Ruth isn't on here for hitting a lot of home runs. The Sultan of Swat did much more than that... He saved baseball. The White Sox nearly destroyed it and the small-ball tactics of the day didn't help. Babe and his mighty bat came along and picked the game back up. He and he alone drove crowds back to the parks. He also became the first baseball player to really be a major national celebrity.

b) The House That Ruth (and the Yankees) Built.

Baseball stadiums are not generally very permanent. Those that have stood the test of the time generally must have done something right. For the Yankees, that something that was done right was capacity. Building a stadium of that magnitude set up baseball to grow over the decades to come. The fact it lasted as long as it did is a testament to it's impact on baseball and the parks where it's played. It doesn't have to be the best stadium to have the biggest impact.

c) Bringing America back... sort of.

After 9/11/2001, America was reeling. After a short hiatus, baseball and football resumed play and helped rally America in the face of recovering from a major catastrophe. Both sports still fight over which one had more to do with helping Americans get back to normal life. I personally remember baseball having a greater impact at the time, mainly because of the 2001 World Series. The 7-game showdown in 2001 between the Yankees and Diamondbacks was for my money the greatest World Series ever to be played. There are so many unforgettable moments and faces you can pick out from that series. Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush, Byung Hyung Kim, Mr. November, Mariano Rivera, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Luis Gonzalez. Yeah, the Yankees didn't win, but their mere presence was enough to make an impact on the city's psyche. This didn't have as much of an impact on the game itself... but I felt like including it anyway so take that and shove it.

2) St. Louis Cardinals

Ahh yes, the Cardinals. Gems of the Midwest. The Cardinals aren't here for winning the most World Series in the NL. They aren't here for having one of the worst WS winners ever (2007 Cardinals). They aren't here for driving the hapless St. Louis Browns and Bill Veeck out of town. Here's why they are sitting pretty at #2:

a) No Cardinals, no free agency.

Without getting into too much detail, baseball operated essentially as slavery for years. The Reserve Clause, in place until 1975, kept players from moving unless the team let them. The clause allowed teams to automatically re-sign players to a new contract every season. There were no 6 year deals, only a string of one year deals with the same salary. In 1969, Curt Flood realized that this was a pile of crap. He took baseball to court (eventually the Supreme Court) fighting the reserve clause and his potential trade. Although he lost the case, he inspired players to rally and keep pressing the issue. Eventually, in 1975, the reserve clause was abolished and free agency was established. This has had a wide-ranging effect on the game and salaries. It has made off-season baseball interesting, gives hope to every fan (except maybe Cubs fans), but also makes rooting for your team often a bit too much like rooting for laundry. You gotta take the good with the bad.

b) Went along for the ride in 1998 - baseball's Summer of Love.

This entire section revolves around one Cardinal and his resurrection of baseball in 1998. Mark "I don't want to talk about the past" McGwire (with supporting actor Sammy Sosa) starred in the hit summer movie of 1998, "Chasing Roger Maris". The movie was a big box office success, with McGwire and Sosa helping fans forget all about the World Series being canceled in 1994 and reviving the game. McGwire smashed Maris' single season home run record of 61 with 70 bombs of his own. Forget about the fact that both McGwire and Sosa were on 'roids at the time and soon after disgrace the game. This was a big shot in the arm for baseball, and it helped bring fans back to the ballpark big time. It's not just chicks who dig the long ball.

c) Created the Farm system.

Branch Rickey had a huge impact on the game of baseball. He was behind Jackie Robinson's barrier breaking feat and drafted Roberto Clemente. This was no different. While working with the St. Louis Cardinals, Rickey established an extensive minor league "farm" system that allowed the Cardinals to develop younger players while maintaining their rights. This allowed the Cardinals to form the infamous Gashouse Gang and create a winning club, but, more importantly, changed the way baseball integrated younger players. The commissioner of baseball tried to stop Rickey and failed. This laid the groundwork for the system we have today.

1) Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers

Before I get into why the Dodgers clearly have had the most impact on the game of baseball, let me preface this with a few things. I'm not a Dodgers fan. I go to school in LA, but I'm from Santa Fe and a D'backs guy all of the way. I think the Dodgers have one of the worst fan experiences at Dodger Stadium I've ever had in the majors (and I've been to Tropicana Field). Dodgers Stadium is one of the most overrated stadiums ever. The "I'm going to show up for 5 innings" fans suck. The whole place feels like it's on lockdown. But as far as impact on the game of baseball goes, they have absolutely no equal. Here's the Dodgers impressive resume.

a) Responsible for the Existence/Relocation of Nine Current Major League Teams

When the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, they didn't just break a lot of hearts; they opened the Southwest and the West Coast to the major leagues. In doing so, they paved the way for the placement nine of baseball's current 30 teams. Let's count (going sort of counterclockwise)... Seattle Mariners, Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and the New York Mets (someone had to replace the Dodgers and Giants). For those nitpickers who say that the Giants and Dodgers moved together, you're right, but the deal was really engineered by Walter O'Malley. The Giants just tagged along. As far as I know, no other single team has had this type of impact.

b) Integrated Baseball
The impact this move has had on the game is immeasurable. The color barrier and baseball's segregation was an ugly part of the game's past. The Dodgers and Jackie Robinson shattered this when Robinson took the field April 15 of 1947. His courage, determination, perseverance, and remarkable dignity in the face of ignorance and racism helped baseball advance. Jackie paved the way for all of the great African American players that would follow in his footsteps. The game would not have been the same without his contribution.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Texas Rangers (A-Rod's contract)

Boston Red Sox (Winning the First Modern World Series)

Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (Inspiring O'Malley to Relocate, Sort of Setting Relocation in Motion)

TEAMS YOU THINK SHOULD BE ON THE LIST BUT SHOULDN'T (AND WHY)

Chicago Cubs (Being arguably the worst professional sports franchise ever to exist doesn't mean you impacted history in a meaningful way, neither does having arguably the best ballpark in Major League Baseball)

Boston Red Sox (Being cursed and almost there year after year doesn't make you historically impactful, neither does having the best ballpark I've ever been to, nor does being stupid by trading away Babe Ruth)

Philadelphia Phillies (Having the most losses of any team ever doesn't cut it, neither does throwing the most things at players, nor does booing everyone, and having the most obvious name doesn't help your case either)

Hope you enjoyed the article. Look for a much shorter one on a totally different topic next weekend.
Til then...
Alex