The Football Fan Spot

NBA/NHL records start with the 2000-2001 season 
MLB/NFL record start with the 2000 season 
MLB records are as games completed on 6/16/09 

10. Columbus Blue Jackets 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 1 
Win-loss: 247-325 (.432) 

The good: 2 winning seasons in the last 3 years capped off with a playoff appearance in 2009, led by captain Rick Nash, a former 1st round pick of the team. 

The bad: The worst record of any NHL team in the decade, zero playoff wins in the decade, which is the entire history of the young franchise, 0 30 win seasons in the 4 years prior to the lockout 

The ugly: A brutal 22-47 season in 2001-2002, in which they earned only 57 points and only scored 164 goals, while giving up 255. 

9. Arizona Cardinals 
Playoff games won: 3 
Playoff appearances: 1 
Win-loss: 52-92 (.361) 

The good: An improbable Super Bowl run in 2008 in which they went 9-7 in the regular season, before winning 3 straight games in which they were the underdog to make the Super Bowl, where they were less than a minute away from defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 

The Bad: A 36% winning percentage for the decade, only one playoff appearance despite playing in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, 0 double digit win seasons, the bust of Matt Leinart, who was supposed to save the franchise 

The Ugly: 5 seasons in 9 years in which they lost 11+ games 

8. Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 0 
Win-loss: 668-851 (.440) 

The good: 2 winning seasons from 2002-2003, when the team was the Expos, a promising start to the franchise’s stay in Washington as the team went 81-81 in 2005, a young, talented face of the franchise, Ryan Zimmerman 

The bad: A 73-89 season in 2007, in which they failed to sign their first round choice Aaron Crow, an 102 loss season in 2008, and an awful start to the 2009 season, in which they are 16-46, 20 games out of first place in the division and 17 games out of the playoffs, despite the fact that it is mid June, a trade in which they gave up future all-star Grady Sizemore, future 30-30 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips, and future Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee for an overweight Bartolo Colon 

The ugly: A messy divorce with the city of Montreal, in which they spent parts of seasons in San Juan Puerto Rico, and ended with the team renaming and relocating to Washington, where they now play in Nationals Park, a brand new, but almost completely empty ballpark, even when the Giants’ Randy Johnson won his historic 300th game 

 
Congrats Randy Johnson on winning #300, too bad no one was there watching 

7. Los Angeles Clippers 
Playoff games won: 7 
Playoff appearances: 1 
Win-loss: 291-447 (.394) 

The good: 2 straight seasons, from 2004-2005 to 2005-2006, in which they finished with better records than the Lakers, a conference semifinals appearance in 2005 

The bad: 1 winning season in the decade, a bunch of bad contracts, a very vacant and starless house in Staples Center when they play, despite the fact that they play in Los Angeles, having to watch their cross town rivals win 4 NBA Championships in the decade 

The ugly: Overall poor management by Elgin Baylor and poor ownership by careless Donald Sterling which eventually ended in a messy divorce with former face of the franchise Elton Brand, leading to a 19-63 2008-2009 season 

6. Atlanta Hawks 
Playoff games won: 7 
Playoff appearances: 2 
Win-loss 274-464 (.371) 

The good: 2 playoff appearances in the last 2 years, including a conference semifinals appearance in 2009 

The bad: Josh Childress choosing to play in Greece rather than return to Atlanta, a stretch of time from 2000-2007 in which their season high of wins was 35, 1 winning season in the last decade, a very empty arena for a large chunk of the decade, the NBA’s worst record for the decade 

The ugly: A 13-69 season in 2004-2005, which was made worse by the team drafting Marvin Williams over Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the draft, despite their need for a point guard, Chris Paul went on to be a perennial all-star with the New Orleans Hornets, and Deron Williams a very, very solid player for the Utah Jazz 

5. Vancouver/Memphis Grizzles 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 3 
Win-loss: 286-452 (.391) 

The good: 3 straight playoff appearances from 2004-2006, a 50 win season in 2003-2004, and perennial all-star Pau Gasol who appeared to give the team to a bright future 

The bad: 6 seasons of less than 30 wins, an 0-12 playoff record which stretched across 3 seasons, being forced to move from Vancouver to Memphis due to lack of attendance 

The ugly: A trade in which the Grizzles handed face of the franchise Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kwame Brown and a sack of potatoes, a trade so bad that several NBA teams accused the Grizzles of dumping, a practice normally used in fantasy sports in which one team gives their star player to another team for very cheap, in order to rig the league 

 
This championship moment made possible by the Grizzlies' inept management 

4. Cleveland Browns 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 1 
Win-loss: 52-92 (.361) 

The good: A playoff appearance in 2002 and a 10 win season in 2007 which almost resulted in a playoff appearance 

The bad: 7 losing seasons in 9 years, an overall 36% winning percentage, 4 years of Romeo Crennel, 0 playoff wins, a consistently depressed fan base due to the team’s lack of on the field success 

The ugly: A stretch in 2008 in which they did not score an offensive touchdown for 24 quarters, despite having 4 different quarterbacks take snaps in that time period 

3. Kansas City Royals 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 0 
Win-loss: 636-884 (.418 ) 

The good: A 16-3 start to the 2003 season, a season in which they went 83-79 and has Angel Berroa win the rookie of the year, giving the franchise hope for the future 

The bad: Face of the franchise Mike Sweeney’s consistent injuries, Angel Berroa’s sophomore slump that lasted the rest of his career, 4 100 loss seasons in 5 years, 1 winning season in the decade, 0 playoff appearances in the decade, the majors’ worst record in the decade 

The ugly: A poor fan base and an ownership that pretty much refused to spend any money, only giving out any money when they signed Gil Meche to an outrageous 55 million dollar deal and when they signed Jose Guillen, a former juicer in his mid 30s, to a 33 million dollar deal 

2. Pittsburgh Pirates 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 0 
Win-loss: 649-871 (.427) 

The good: An amazing all-star game in PNC park in 2006, in which the Pirates had 2 players, including Jason Bay who started, the Pirates finished that season with a winning record for the 2nd half, Freddy Sanchez won the Gold Glove and the future finally looked bright 

The bad: 0 winning seasons, 0 playoff berths in the decade, wasting the #1 selection in 2002 on Bryan Bullington, who would pitch a whole 18 1/3 innings for the team before being cut in 2008, wasting a beautiful ballpark with no one in it 

The ugly: The ownership and front office wanting so badly not to spend money that they perennially trade away the team’s best players for cheaper young prospects who never pan out, this has gotten so bad that fans have threatened to boycott and not show up for games, which has happened in small scales, including one game in which hundreds of fans left mid game in order to make a statement 

1. Detroit Lions 
Playoff games won: 0 
Playoff appearances: 0 
Win-loss: 40-104 (.278 ) 

The good: A 9-7 season in 2000, a 6-2 start to the 2007 season in which journeyman Jon Kitna, who predicted the team would win 10 games that season, was the starting quarterback 

The bad: The worst record of any pro sports team in the decade, 0 playoff berths, 6 straight double digit loss seasons, 0 road victories from 2001-2003, VP of football operations Matt Millen drafting Joey Harrington with the 3rd pick, Charles Rogers with the 2nd pick, and Mike Williams with the 10th pick, all three of whom are no longer in the league, Matt Millen’s successors being seemingly just as inept drafting Matt Stafford #1 overall, giving him a bigger contract than Tom Brady, but drafting 0 offensive lineman for him despite the fact that their offensive line had the most sacks allowed in the league the year before 

The ugly: 0 wins in the entire 2008 season, in season in which Dan Orlovsky started a good chunk of games and ran out the back of the end zone, giving the other team free points 

Oops...