Great sports franchises in bad shape?

I was just watching the New York Knicks and recalled some great Knicks teams over the years but they have been in bad shape for a number of years. The Boston Celtics is the other great franchise that has been miserable for a good 15 years.

In football, I'd say the Raiders are the worst of the once great franchise. In baseball the Tigers held that distinction until last year and in hockey take your pick between Toronto, Montreal, or Boston. In soccer, I believe all the teams in the EPL that are supposed to be good (Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool) are good and the same could be said of the Scotish League (Celtics, Rangers).

Any add, edits, or deletes?

 

The Celtics easily belong on this list.

You could say the Yankees since it's been what seven years? since they won it all. They hold themselves to a higher standard and just haven't been able to reach it for a while.

 

The Yankees came to mind for me as well. It's pretty bad that this happens since they are always a major contender, and seven years isn't that long. But then again, for how much they spend, it is unacceptable not to win a World Series every four-five years.

 

Sometimes when I am watching ESPN or listening to ESPN Radio, I think there are only two baseball teams - Red Sox and Yankees. Baseball is a sport that there is a little more randomness than others so spending more money is not going to have a direct effect. There is some proportional effect but less predictable due to the fact that you rely on a round ball being hit by a round stick, there are bounces, winds, the sun, Steve Bartman, players colliding, a bad hop, subjective calls, etc.

I wonder how the Yankees would do under a salary cap.

 

The Braves; though being 'great', technically they never achieved.

That they only won 1 World Series during their 11 or 13 consecutive NL East titles still baffles me; makes me sick is what it does!

 

How bout the Browns? Indians? And Cavs?

They all never make it! Cleveland hasn't had a championship in over 70 years! Come on! Our best chance is the cavs but we keep getting beat by those damn Pistons! Indians do terrific in April but they suck every other month. The browns well, yea I'm not gonna even go into that.

 

Well, the OP was talking about once great and now on the downward spiral...were any of those teams ever great?
Indians had a respectable run...TY 1995

 

How about my philly Eagles..I mean they get talked about all the time, 4 years in a row to the NFC championship game, and only once did we move on too the superbowl, in which we lost..We go 12-4 every season, and some how always choke..Our prime is done, the team is no where near the talent they had a few years ago..Its going to be rebuild time soon, people are getting old..

 

Browns were great in the late 50's early 60's and some in the 80's
Cavs were great in the 80's
Indians have been mediocre the whole franchise time period.

But NONE brought any championships!

 

IC 50's and 60's is not the time period to which I have any knowledge of whatsoever

I wasn't sports conscious until like early 80's

 

Do the Cleveland Barons count as a recent champion from Cleveland?

 

NFC Championship, what;s that?

Signed,
Lions fan

 

not to mention that the East is stronger than it was 5 years ago when Philly was clearly the King...

 

Arsenal have shown pretty poor form in the recent games I have seen them play.

 

Arsenal is in third place. In the EPL, the traditional big 4 are the top 4. If there was a traditional power facing relegation, that would be what I call a great franchise in bad shape.

 

Yeah I guess. There's just not a team playing with much form atm, was what I was trying to get at...

 

Thanks for the recommendation, will certainly check your resources and advise.

 

cleveland browns. fan till I die