Yankees, Patriots, and Lakers fans have long been known for being among the most insufferable in sports. They never cease to remind you how great their teams are, nor do they stop talking about the franchise’s glory days that they weren’t even alive for. There’s nothing more obnoxious than hearing a Yankee fan yell “27 rings” when he wasn’t even alive for 22 of them.
On the other side of the sports-fandom coin exists another type of insufferable fan: One that takes great pride in their team’s horrendous play. If you’ve ever met a Jets fan, you’ll know that a good number of them bask in the misery the “J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets!” have caused them over the years. Same goes for pre-2004 Red Sox fans. Hell, the Browns fans had a parade for going 0-16.
While it’s arguably better to debate the greatest franchises in sports history, it can be just as fun to debate the worst. So, Complex has compiled the sports misery index, providing the ultimate bottom-feeding bragging rights across the NFL, NBA, and MLB. The index was calculated based on a points system, and this list is made up of the 25 teams with the fewest points since 1990. Here’s how the index numbers are being calculated:
- A winning season is one point. .500 seasons don’t count.
- A playoff appearance is two points for NBA teams, three for NFL teams, and four for MLB teams.
- A playoff series victory counts for four points for NBA teams and eight for MLB teams. A playoff victory for NFL squads counts for six.
- A championship is 12 points.
- Teams that have not played the entirety of the 28-year period covered will have the average number of points per year multiplied by 28. For example, the Texans started play in 2002, so their 16-year average would then be multiplied by 28.
Bottom line: the lower the point total the more misery you've inflicted upon your fans. So without further adieu, here are the official worst of the worst. Chances are you know who No. 1 is, but the standings might surprise.