Worst Seasons in Sports History

SI Staff | Dec 28, 2008

Worst Seasons in Sports History /

Worst Seasons in Sports History

Detroit Lions

It's been more than 30 years since the Buccaneers went 0-14 in 1976 -- but they had the excuse of being an expansion team. The Lions' journey to the first 0-16 season in NFL history completed a 10-year freefall, where they were undone by one bad personnel move after another. (After all, who drafts a wide receiver in the first round three years in a row?) The Lions have now lost 23 of their last 24 games, a lasting testimony to the Matt Millen era.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The expansion Buccaneers' offense was non-existent and their defense was porous. The Bucs, who did not win a game all season, were shut out five times and averaged fewer than nine points per game, while losing by an average of 20 points. Quarterback Steve Spurrier led the attack, throwing seven touchdown passes for the season.

Philadelphia Athletics

Connie Mack's 1916 A's weren't just bad as a team (they finished the season 36-117, never won more than two games in a row, and posted a 20-game losing streak), they also posted some of the worst individual seasons of all-time. At third base, Charlie Pick set a record with 42 errors; Jack Nabors lost a major league-record 19 consecutive games; and Tom Sheehan went 1-16, with 94 walks and 54 strikeouts.

Prairie View

Once a powerhouse among historically black colleges, Prairie View fell off the face of the earth from 1989 until 1998. During those years, the Panthers posted a record that may never be touched, losing 80 consecutive games, nearly doubling the second-longest streak in Division 1-AA history. The low point may have been the '91 season, during which they scored 48 points while surrendering an average of 56 points per game.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers cut large swaths of losses across the '72-73 season, notching losing streaks of 15, 20, 14, and 13 games. On the plus side, team MVP Fred Carter and his club also won two in a row and four of six during one remarkable February patch, en route to a 9-73 finish, which placed them 59 games behind the Eastern Division champion Celtics.

Washington Capitals

Washington owner Abe Pollin brought in Milt Schmidt to help guide his expansion Capitals during their inaugural season, but not even his steady hand could help this group. The team lost 39 of its 40 road games and finished with a record of 8-67-5, a mark of futility that still stands today.

New York Mets

Casey Stengel's first Mets club posted a 40-120 record, and finished its expansion season 60.5 games out of first place. Things were bad from the start; the first run allowed in Mets history was scored on a balk, opening the door to a nine-game losing streak to begin the season. The '62 Mets also featured catcher Harry Chiti, who was acquired for a player to be named later. After Chiti posted a .195 average in 15 games, the Mets sent him back to the Indians, making him the first player traded for himself.

Northwestern

Dennis Green's Northwestern Wildcats endured the longest losing streak in Division 1-A history -- a 34-game skid from 1979 to '82. Like all bad teams, Green's combined horrible defense with anemic offense, both of which were at their "best" during the 1981 season -- a year in which they were outscored 505-82, an average of 40 points per game.

New England Patriots

The 1990 Patriots not only suffered a 1-15 record, but also endured an embarrassing sexual harassment scandal when Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson was verbally abused by several Patriots players in the team's locker room. The scandal and abysmal season led to fines, firings and a general shakeup of the organization.

Dallas Mavericks

The extremely belated signing of their No. 1 pick, Jim Jackson, is all that saves this Mavs team from being the worst team in NBA history. Dallas not only posted a 19-game losing streak (one off the record), but also was outscored by 15 points per game for the season. The Mavs finished with an 11-71 record.

Boston Braves

In Babe Ruth's final major league season, his Braves finished 38-115, 26 games out of seventh place, and with the second-lowest winning percentage in modern history. To make matters worse, even the fans stayed away, leaving the Braves to play one July home game in front of just 95 people. The kicker: the team went bankrupt, was taken over by the NL after the season and was renamed the Boston Bees.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets set an NHL and modern major pro sports record by going 30 games without a win during the 1980-81 season. In fact, fans across hockey took to calling them "Lose-ipeg," an appropriate term for a team that finished with a 9-57-14 record. Morris Lukowich was one of the very few bright spots for the club, notching 33 goals and 34 assists for the season.

Carolina Panthers

After releasing two quarterbacks before the season started (veteran Steve Beuerlein and Jeff Lewis), the Panthers turned to Heisman Trophy-winner Chris Weinke. Carolina got off to a quick start with a Week 1 victory over the Vikings, before dropping its next 15 games, setting a record for most consecutive losses in a season.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The '52 Pirates actually had some solid players (Ralph Kiner led the league with 37 home runs), but over a 154-game season, they never won more than two games in a row. Never. The squad finished 42-112. Pittsburgh GM Branch Rickey summed up the team best: "They finished last -- on merit."

Ottawa Senators

Almost 60 years after the original Senators moved to St. Louis, the NHL granted Ottawa a new franchise. The new Senators got off to a big start, winning their first game, 5-3, over eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal, but quickly bottomed out, en route to a 10-win season. Still, the season was a success to owner Bruce Firestone, who'd said his goal for the season was not setting an NHL record for fewest points in a season -- a distinction his club avoided by three points.<br><br>Who would you add to the list? Send comments to siwriters@simail.com.

Published Dec 28, 2008

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