Storied Franchises in Total Disarray

[JaMarcus Russell's #1 Caucasian Fan 0]

I thought this topic would be a fun one? Pick a Storied Franchise that is going through hard times and come up with ways to bring it back to promience.

 

Oakland Raiders-

 

This team really started its decline when it moved to Los Angeles in 1982. Yeah thy won Super Bowl 18 in 1983, but they have done jack since. The Raiders were one of the 3 dominant teams of the 1970s along with the Cowboys and Steelers. During the 1970s, I believe, no other team had as many wins, playoff apperances and division titles as the Raiders. Flash forward to 2006. Only 6 playoffs apperances,4 division titles, 1s been AFC Championship and 1 Super Bowl Apperance since 1990. Just win Baby it has not.

 

My Solution-

 

While I'm no GM or owner, the Raiders problems have come directly from the top. Al Davis needs to retire. I understand he was a visionary and an important cog in the NFL (you have to admit to at least this). Al needs to go as well as his outdated vertical passing game philosophy. The NFL has caught up. The Raiders need to start drafting well and not rely on the leagues outcasts. A new stadium would definetely help, since the Alameda Coliseum is a dump. Finally the Raiders need to hire a coach that will have to balls to stand up to Davis, not hire retreads like Art Shell.

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

Packers have a 1st time coach, 1st time DC, 1st time OC, and the head coach was hired off a losing team, and many of the assassiants come from mediocre back grounds.

 

Shining Example: Kurt Shottenhiemer (pardon the spelling) was the Packers Def Backs coach 2 years ago, he was fired for sucking, went to another team which ending up placing 30th or so in pass defense, then was rehired by the packers this year . Awesome!

 

Plus Ahman Green hasn't rushed for 100 yards in like 10-15 straight starts, our #1 reciever Walker is coming off a severe knee injury and is unsigned as of yet. Our best young linebacker (Brady Popinga) is out til week 8 or so for next year already.

 

 

Add the Favre drama and we have a mess.

[Guest Cactus]

It depends how you look at this...

 

I've been an Eagle fan for more than 15 years or so...they have never really been a HUGE historical franchise, but over the last 15 years, they have had plenty of 3-13, 6-10 seasons until they finally started winning once they got McNabb (I was one of the few happy people when they picked him). Now I know this past season maybe have just been an off year like the Panthers had last year, but with no WR core and their team is getting old, I wonder how much longer they can be Superbowl contenders.

 

Solution: Well other than totally rebuilding, they need to get back TEAm players. I'm not saying everything was TO's fault, but he did cause a riff in the team, and even before him it started a bit. They need to go back to when they were a full on team like the Patriots still are somewhat.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The Orioles - They've sucked for the last 7 years, only avoiding last place because of an expansion team.

 

Solution - Peter Angelos sells the team..thats pretty much it.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

The only good thing about the Packers is that they aren't very patient with coaches, so if the new guys blow (which seems likely) at least they won't be around long.

[Darthtiki 0]

While I'm no longer a fan, the San Francisco 49ers are another one who could be added to the list. There downturn began when Eddie DiBartolo was forced to stop running the team (i.e. criminal charges), Then president Carmen Policy went over to Cleveland, Young retired, then Terry Donahue took over the team which has been abysmal.

 

As for baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers are another, only one playoff victory since '88.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Raiders and Habs.

 

I've only got about 10 minutes left on my lunch break, so I can't really get into it.

[nl5xsk1 0]

While I'm not a huge fan of them, the Celtics would have to be considered for this. They were once the Yankees/Canadiens of the NBA, with more championships than the next two teams put together. And then they hit a 20 year drought without even a sniff at a title.

 

Lowpoints have to include the ML Carr "Let's tank the season and get Duncan" era & the Rick Pitino "Let's sign as many questionable FA's and trade as many players before seeing what they can do" era.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I like Chicago sports teams. The end

[Vern Gagne 0]

DePaul basketball.

Chicago Blackhawk hockey.

[Red Baron 0]

Toronto Maple Leafs:

 

The team hasn't been to the Cup Finals since they last won it (1967).

 

Solution:

 

They have to get rid of the philosophy that old people don't win you cups. Toronto can't just pull a quick fix and get players, they need to revamp the whole team and their system. Basically a clean slate here with a new GM, new Coach, and basically new everything. While they have a great young talent pool they need to keep them and developing them, not using them for trade bait (Jason Smith, Alyn McCalley, Steve Sullivan). They should be explosive with a different style instead of a half-ass trap team.

[Fuzzy Dunlop 0]

I like Chicago sports teams, except the White Sox, they and their fans can go fuck themselves. The end

[nl5xsk1 0]

I like Chicago sports teams, except the White Sox, they and their fans can go fuck themselves. The end

Oh, and the six championships that Jordan & the others won in the last 15 years.

[nogoodnick 0]

Portland Trailblazers. After 20 straight playoff seasons they now look like a lottery team for some time to come. Im sure everyone knows the problems theyve had. The franchise has no marquee player and no depth.

 

DRAFT: The last few drafts have been questionable: drafting Telfair, trading down for Martell Webster and NOT taking Chris Paul, drafting Jarret Jack when you just got Telfair. They also drafted Kryhapa and Monia who both play the same position and are behind D Miles and Rueben Patterson.

 

FREE AGENCY/TRADES: Giving Zach Randolph near max money looks like a mistake. He isn't going to be much better than he is now. Darius Miles also got a fat contract while having achieved nothing but suspended a few times. Im sorry if I'm not wowed by Steve Blake, Juan Dixon, and Charles Smith. They traded Rasheed who was a fan favorite and ended up with broken Theo Ratliff. They got nothing for Shareef when they let him go for free. Same with Damon. Going back a little farther they traded Jermaine O'neal and swapped Brian Grant for Shawn Kemp. There were also numerous trades they were afraid to pull the trigger on: VC, Kidd, Pierce.

 

The Positives: Nate McMillan is a good coach. Thank god they fired Mo Cheeks who was in over his head from the beginning. They are young and have tons of potential. Miles has looked pretty solid this year when he's healthy. The key to the future is developing the last few draft classes.

[Gert T 0]

Do you Chicagoans think that a reason DePaul has declined is that they play approximately three hours away from campus?

 

I always think that with facilities and the metropolitan area they should be a great program.

[dh86 0]

im a fan of the worst franchise in pro sports last 18 years

 

Detroit Tigers...0 winning seasons in 13 years...no playoffs in 19 years...lost 90 games last year and lost 119 games a couple years ago..biggest free agent signing was Kenny Rogers a guy prolly 5 years older than Lebron James mom

[2GOLD 0]

I wouldn't call the Raiders in disarray. It's not like they weren't in the playoffs and Super Bowl less than five years ago. They've have a bad few seasons but that doesn't mean they are in total disarray. Hell, I'm not sure they even qualify for disarray yet.

 

Tigers, yeah no argument, that's a franchise in total disarray. The Orioles are in disarray but I don't know if I'd say total, but they are getting there fast.

 

The Niners are in disarray and maybe one year from total disarray. It's not like they are completely talentless. Same goes for the Titans. The Ravens are starting to head down the trouble road, if they aren't already into disarray.

[tominator89 0]

Philadelphia Phillies

 

Solution: Pay people who are actually good.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Philadelphia Phillies

 

Solution: Pay people who are actually good.

And get fans who won't bitch when the team wins "only" 88 games, and assembles a young nucleus of talent that includes Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Ryan Madson and Brett Myers.

[tominator89 0]

Oh I agree. I love their crop of young talents, and I think overall Gillick has been a great addition as GM.

 

What the organization needs is the feeling that players actually want to come and play for Philly. A part of that is having a winning mentality from the top down and, unfortunately it's a reality, but you have to pay them competitive salaries.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I like Chicago sports teams, except the White Sox, they and their fans can go fuck themselves. The end

Oh, and the six championships that Jordan & the others won in the last 15 years.

Yeah I shouldn't be able to talk, I mean, I was really livin' it up when the Bulls won in my first year of pre-school. What do you call the six years after the last win? Fucking trainwreck, and it looks like 2005 was just an aberration; we're back to the same old shit. The Blackhawks are an unmitigated disaster that gets outdrawn and rightfully mocked by the AHL team over in Rosemont. The Bears got first-round byes in '01 and '05 which they proceeded to squander, and other than one good season and one lucky season, it's been all shit. Who's to say they won't go 4-12 next year? It's the NFL, thing's a fucking crapshoot unless you're a certain team in suburban Boston. The Cubs are getting worse and worse every year, because Baker is an idiot, Hendry has been figured out as a GM, Kerry Wood is made of toothpicks, and God conspires against Mark Prior. Guy gets a freak arm injury while JON GARLAND pitches respectably, and now I've gotta fucking hear about it all summer long from every Johnny-come-lately Sox fan and any low-class mouth-breathing members of the real fanbase. Northwestern isn't good at sports, but nobody really loses sleep over that. I'd be worried if they were any good.

 

Do you Chicagoans think that a reason DePaul has declined is that they play approximately three hours away from campus?

 

I always think that with facilities and the metropolitan area they should be a great program.

I don't believe it's three hours from Lincoln Park to Rosemont, but I wouldn't rule it out

[geniusMoment 0]

Cincy Reds. I'm not really sure if their storied. But, they were the 1st pro team and the big red machine and all. Still, no one really cares about them today.

 

So, I guess I'm a fan of a used-to-be storied team in disarray.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I wouldn't call the Raiders in disarray. It's not like they weren't in the playoffs and Super Bowl less than five years ago. They've have a bad few seasons but that doesn't mean they are in total disarray. Hell, I'm not sure they even qualify for disarray yet.

 

Tigers, yeah no argument, that's a franchise in total disarray. The Orioles are in disarray but I don't know if I'd say total, but they are getting there fast.

 

The Niners are in disarray and maybe one year from total disarray. It's not like they are completely talentless. Same goes for the Titans. The Ravens are starting to head down the trouble road, if they aren't already into disarray.

 

The Raiders are in total disarray. They've won 13 games in the three years since that Superbowl appearance. They are on their third coach. They are in cap hell. They scout and draft terribly. They have no QB, an overpaid RB, no defense and a headcase WR.

[Gert T 0]

Yes, I think the Reds count as being in disarray. I believe 3 of their 4 minor leagues team finished in last place. Their Single A team here in Dayton is notorious for moving their players up too soon.

 

It was reported right after he was hired that previous GM John O'Brien was hired because he presented Carl Lindner with ways he could save the organization money. New ownership though, so they may turn the corner.

[A Happy Medium 0]

The Chicago Bulls need to sit tight this season, and just keep scrapping, as I believe they have New York's lottery pick in the upcoming draft, and then have the ability to swap first rounders with the Knicks in 2007. John Paxson has a good mind for the job, they have the right coach, they just need to get a guy who can give them twenty points a night.

 

Now the Blackhawks...they had a string of 23-24 straight years of making the NHL Playoffs, and now they are terrible. They should have known better than to go after Nikali. The game has changed, and he hasn't. Plus, the guy is a streaky goaltender. They need to get rid of Daze...his back is toast. The most important thing is that Wirtz needs to sell the team to someone who is willing to cater to players and fans alike.

[Guest]

First and foremost, Wirtz needs to put the home games on fucking TV in Chicago.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Czech, the Bulls championship win while you were in pre-school ... was that their first win or their last win? If it was their last win, then, yeah, I agree that it shouldn't count towards the championship success that you've seen in your lifetime. But if it was the first, or one of the first, then it should count, because it'd mean that your elementary school years were chock full o' success. Hell, I'm counting the Celtics wins, and those happened while I was between the ages of 7 & 11.

 

I will give you the Cubs & (especially) the 'Hawks as being teams in disarray. But there are tons of NFL fans that'd love it if there teams made the playoffs as a top 2 seed twice in the last 5 years. And there are a shitload of cities that'd love to have 7 world championships in the last 15 years (6 for the Bulls, plus the WS win last year).

[Bruiser Chong 0]

When I think of "disarray," I get images of a mess. As in things are bad and nothing looks to be moving in the right direction. That said, I don't consider the Cubs to be in total disarray. They had a bad season last year and I'm not sure about what this year's club can put together. But for them to be considered a total mess, we'd have nothing looking bright in the near future. That's not the case, as much as we act like it is.

[Annabelle 0]

the raiders are in disarray. horrible drafts. even worse free agent signings. idiotic coaches. primadonna players. can it get worse? no one wants to coach the raiders. they are stuck with losers. although i am happier with art shell than i have been since gruden. so who knows? norv turner is a dunce.

 

i've felt the detroit tigers have been on the cusp of success the past two years. unfortunately everyone stigmatizes the orginzation as losers, thus if they want to trade or get free agents, they must put up an exorbinate amount of cash to lure them in. i think they have some of the pieces to get gong. but their pitching staff still has little to be desired, and because of that, they won't really improve from last year.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

First and foremost, Wirtz needs to sell the team to someone who wants to spend the money to have a playoff team