The worst organization in professional sports

[JeffH]

Does anyone still doubt?

[Tedward]

Does anyone still doubt?

 

As long as Isiah Thomas keeps running the Knicks...

[NorthsideAvenger]

Does anyone still doubt?

 

As long as Isiah Thomas keeps running the Knicks...

 

The fact that the Cubs are mention in the same sentence with the current Knicks.....is a testament to how bad the Cubs really are.

[JeffH]

In terms of gross incompetence and wholesale failure, no other professional sports organization can hold a candle to the Cubs' body of work.

 

Contracting the Chicago National League Ball Club is the only humane thing to do.

[Irrelevant Dude]

I'm not a hockey fan by any means, but the Blackhawks are in a completely different league in terms of incompetence and actually make the Cubs look good in comparison.

[NewUserName]

Sadly in my 40 years of following the Cubs this may be the day that I just give up. I know they are going to contend next year with a marginal team. Not contend for the WS crown but finish above .500 and maybe make the playoffs. They will then be bogged down by bad contracts and lack of minor league talent to make any progress on that and go down hill for the next 3 years. This is the cycle that is the Chicago Cubs. Never do enough to win it all. Way overpay to get mediocre and struggle after that. Worse of all never consider the fact that they are the worst organization in Pro Sports may be tied to the fact that they do not produce enough talent through their own organization.

[shnsajax]

Sadly in my 40 years of following the Cubs this may be the day that I just give up. I know they are going to contend next year with a marginal team. Not contend for the WS crown but finish above .500 and maybe make the playoffs. They will then be bogged down by bad contracts and lack of minor league talent to make any progress on that and go down hill for the next 3 years. This is the cycle that is the Chicago Cubs. Never do enough to win it all. Way overpay to get mediocre and struggle after that. Worse of all never consider the fact that they are the worst organization in Pro Sports may be tied to the fact that they do not produce enough talent through their own organization.

 

Can't say I really agree with this. What bad contracts are they really bogged down by?

[David]

Sadly in my 40 years of following the Cubs this may be the day that I just give up. I know they are going to contend next year with a marginal team. Not contend for the WS crown but finish above .500 and maybe make the playoffs. They will then be bogged down by bad contracts and lack of minor league talent to make any progress on that and go down hill for the next 3 years. This is the cycle that is the Chicago Cubs. Never do enough to win it all. Way overpay to get mediocre and struggle after that. Worse of all never consider the fact that they are the worst organization in Pro Sports may be tied to the fact that they do not produce enough talent through their own organization.

 

Can't say I really agree with this. What bad contracts are they really bogged down by?

 

Izturis? Neifi? Rusch? (I believe these two are signed for 07, I could be wrong, though) Jones?

 

Not terrible, but still a lot of money tied up in bad players.

[DiamondMind]

Come on. This organization tries to win, even if their battle plan isn't the greatest. Wrigley sells out every game. The even notion that this franchise is bottom of the barrell is ridiculous and insulting. Question their results, but not their effort. This franchise wants to win. I could give you a multiple page list of teams that don't give a s***. The Cubs are not one of them. You're having a knee-jerk reaction to a subpar year.

[Warpticon]

Come on. This organization tries to win, even if their battle plan isn't the greatest. Wrigley sells out every game. The even notion that this franchise is bottom of the barrell is ridiculous and insulting. Question their results, but not their effort. This franchise wants to win. I could give you a multiple page list of teams that don't give a s***. The Cubs are not one of them. You're having a knee-jerk reaction to a subpar year.

 

Calling it a bad organization isn't saying they aren't trying. That's a false argument.

[DiamondMind]

Come on. This organization tries to win, even if their battle plan isn't the greatest. Wrigley sells out every game. The even notion that this franchise is bottom of the barrell is ridiculous and insulting. Question their results, but not their effort. This franchise wants to win. I could give you a multiple page list of teams that don't give a s***. The Cubs are not one of them. You're having a knee-jerk reaction to a subpar year.

 

Calling it a bad organization isn't saying they aren't trying. That's a false argument.

 

He didn't call it a bad organization, he called it the worst franchise in professional sports.

[Laura]

What's the Knick's W-L record historically? I honestly have no idea, I don't follow the NBA.

 

 

I'd take the Cubs. Good argument for them being the worst performing NL team since the Trib took ownership (the Pirates had a good run in the early 80s and the Expos were blocked by the Maddux-fueled Braves for a long time).

 

The Cubs have been a very poorly run franchise for a very very long time.

[Marco4]

Wikipedia to the rescue.

[FergieJ31]

I'm not a hockey fan by any means, but the Blackhawks are in a completely different league in terms of incompetence and actually make the Cubs look good in comparison.

 

I am a hockey fan and you speak the truth my friend. Amazing as it seems, the Blackhawks do make the Cubs look good by comparison.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

I'm not a hockey fan by any means, but the Blackhawks are in a completely different league in terms of incompetence and actually make the Cubs look good in comparison.

 

I am a hockey fan and you speak the truth my friend. Amazing as it seems, the Blackhawks do make the Cubs look good by comparison.

 

The Hawks have appeared in the finals and won the Cup since the Cubs sniffed the World Series. Hawks have stunk the last decade, but the Cubs comfortably beat them in the futility department.

[TB_11]

The Arizona Cardinals? Until recently, the Clippers? The Golden State Warriors?

[Jazz]

The Arizona Cardinals? Until recently, the Clippers? The Golden State Warriors?

 

Nope, none of those organizations have seen the futility we have seen with the cubs for over 90 years.

[UMFan83]

I don't think they are trying to win. I think they are trying to keep butts in the seats, and if they win thats gravy. They spend, but only to pacify their fans. They spend because if they dismantled their team and played prospects, they think fans won't come anymore. They spend because a team of aging overrated veterans that they build EVERY year, is more important to them then building up their farm and having long term goals.

[gus_dog]

Nope.., not really. The worst franchise? Uhhh, no.

 

Hyperbole.

 

If a World Series title is the only measure of non-futility, then all the other teams are futile every year, since there can be only one champion.

 

IMO, it is silly to say such things.

 

Futility is not ever having a chance, and that's just not the case with the Cubs.

[Soul]

No one can top the Blackhawks for incompetence.

 

 

Cubs put butts in seats. As long as they do, they stay off the bottom of the list.

[UMFan83]

Nope.., not really. The worst franchise? Uhhh, no.

 

Hyperbole.

 

If a World Series title is the only measure of non-futility, then all the other teams are futile every year, since there can be only one champion.

 

IMO, it is silly to say such things.

 

Futility is not ever having a chance, and that's just not the case with the Cubs.

 

OK lets talk about winning

 

No Championships in 97 years

No Championship round appearences in 61 years

4 playoff appearences in 61 years

0 90 win seasons (in 162 games) in 17 seasons

1 playoff series win in 97 years

 

How have we had much of a chance?

[gus_dog]

Nope.., not really. The worst franchise? Uhhh, no.

 

Hyperbole.

 

If a World Series title is the only measure of non-futility, then all the other teams are futile every year, since there can be only one champion.

 

IMO, it is silly to say such things.

 

Futility is not ever having a chance, and that's just not the case with the Cubs.

 

OK lets talk about winning

 

No Championships in 97 years

No Championship round appearences in 61 years

4 playoff appearences in 61 years

0 90 win seasons (in 162 games) in 17 seasons

1 playoff series win in 97 years

 

How have we had much of a chance?

 

Recently?

 

1984 NL East Champions

1989 NL East Champions

1998 NL Wild Card

2003 NL Central Champions

 

That's how much, recently anyway - about a 18% chance over the past 22 years. Still better than zero, which is what futile is: zero chance.

 

I'm not saying that the management hasn't been bad, and by extension, the team - 1946-1984 - almost 40 years without a post-seaon appearance.

 

All I'm saying is that futile is not the proper term to describe the franchise.

 

futile-adj 1: producing no result or effect; "a futile effort"; "the therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an unavailing attempt" [syn: ineffectual, otiose, unavailing] 2: unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt" [syn: bootless, fruitless, sleeveless, vain]

 

JMO

[soccer10k]

As a whole, the Cubs are the worst organization in the history of sports because of 97 years of futility.

 

Recently the New York Knicks take the crown because Isiah Thomas has completely run the team into the ground. He has bogged the team down with horrible trades that forced the team to take on ungodly bad contracts that nobody else wanted. Because of this they have the highest payroll in the league which managed to get them the second worst record in the league. They didn't have their #2 pick in the draft this year and the Bulls will have the option of switching picks with them next year (which they will do because the Knicks suck and the Bulls don't) which means they don't have much of a chance of drafting a great player that can help them right away. They are likely going to owe Larry Brown a ton of money because they fired him (he had 4/$40 left on his deal). Right now the Knicks are a complete embarassment and there isn't much hope for the next couple years.

 

At least the Cubs have the chance to make some good FA signings and trades to make the team competative next year. The Knicks will be lucky to win 30 games in 2006-07.

[dalgreen]

As a whole, the Cubs are the worst organization in the history of sports because of 97 years of futility.Recently the New York Knicks take the crown because Isiah Thomas has completely run the team into the ground. He has bogged the team down with horrible trades that forced the team to take on ungodly bad contracts that nobody else wanted. Because of this they have the highest payroll in the league which managed to get them the second worst record in the league. They didn't have their #2 pick in the draft this year and the Bulls will have the option of switching picks with them next year (which they will do because the Knicks suck and the Bulls don't) which means they don't have much of a chance of drafting a great player that can help them right away. They are likely going to owe Larry Brown a ton of money because they fired him (he had 4/$40 left on his deal). Right now the Knicks are a complete embarassment and there isn't much hope for the next couple years.

 

At least the Cubs have the chance to make some good FA signings and trades to make the team competative next year. The Knicks will be lucky to win 30 games in 2006-07.

 

I have to sell that. Is not winning a world championship the only criteria?

 

My criteria is this: would you rather be a Detroit Lions fan or a Cub fan? Would you rather be a Cleveland Browns fan or a Cub fan? Would you rather be a Tampa Bay Devil Ray fan or a Cub fan? A Pittsburgh Pirate fan of a Cub fan? A Toronto Raptor fan or a Cub fan? I think one is blowing it way out of proportion to call the Cubs the worst organization in sports history. Or either they've forgotten about the Cub history from 1906-1945. History means existence forever, not just the last three decades. You can't really compare playoff appearances with baseball teams as you can hockey or basketball teams since half of their teams make the playoffs. If baseball invited eight teams from each league to the playoffs, we'd have at least two more playoff appearances just since 2001 (2001 and 2004). By the way, none of us here have been Cub fans for 97 years, so I can only count since 1977 when I became a Cub fan. That's almost thirty years. Many, many professional teams have gone 30+ years without a World Championship.

[jjgman21]

the term "worst organization in sports" needs to be defined before this conversation has any meaning.

 

shear incompetence in the acquisitions of players? bottom line monetarily? bottom line championship wise? consistency of reaching the post season/competetiveness? furthermore, there is a chrnological element as well. worst right now? worst in our lifetime? worst since the inception of professional sports?

 

there's tons of meanings to the term. the Cubs are the worst by one narrowly tailored definition with a narrowly tailored view of history.