Biggest failures

[Bill Horton]

Doing some research here and could use some of your knowledge and opinions:
What single pro or college sports team is the biggest failure of all the time, the team to fall furthest from its preseason goals or expectations?
For example, the Knicks had the highest payroll in the NBA last season, won only 20-something games and fired a coach with a five-year contract after only one season. Measured by that standard, the Knicks might be the biggest flop of all time.
I'm not looking for a team such as the Royals, with its low payroll and expectations, but for teams that had many reasons and resources to succeed and still failed.
Any ideas? Examples? Opinions?

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

http://godhatesclevelandsports.blogspot.com/

 

[PaseanaARG]

That U. Arizona football team in the late 90s was supposed to challenge for a national title ... and finished with a losing record.

Notre Dame football fell a long way a few years back despite a lot of resources. Look at the press-box food, for example.

Real Madrid soccer this past season. Competitive, sure, but worth all the money?

 

[The Big Ragu]

The USSR hockey team in 1980.

 

[da man]

Me.

 

[User 4332]

I don't think I'd call it the biggest failure of all-time, but North Carolina and its talented freshmen class was ranked 19th in the 2001-02 preason AP poll and finished 8-20 -- first losing season in 38 years, most loses in a single season, etc. etc.

It's up there for a pretty big collapse.  

 

[rolling]

Mizzou basketball. Pick a year.

 

[You're With Me Leather]

New York Yankees, 2001-present.

 

[Driver 8]

Tennessee football team this fall was an exceptional failure, though nobody was talking national title at the beginning of the year.

 

[dooley_womack1]

BYH's stamina.

 

[da man]

Dan O'Brien, 1992 Olympic decathlon

 

[Buck]

The fifth-ranked U.S. soccer team failing to get out of the first round of the 2006 World Cup?

 

[HejiraHenry]

Tennessee football team this fall was an exceptional failure, though nobody was talking national title at the beginning of the year.

Theere were ranked, what, third?

 

[spup1122]

Mizzou basketball. Pick a year.

Any. Year.

 

[Yodel]

2000 Alabama (preseason 3, finished 3-8)

My marriage :'(

 

[friend of the friendless]

Sirs, Madames,

I'm torn: Gerry Cooney or Duane Bobick? Maybe Joe Bugner gets the negative-bronze.

Evel Knievel.

Jason Bonsignore.

Any North American Soccer League.

2nd place: USFL. 1st place: XFL.

YHS, etc

 

[Huggy]

Sirs, Madames,

I'm torn: Gerry Cooney or Duane Bobick? Maybe Joe Bugner gets the negative-bronze.

Evel Knievel.

Jason Bonsignore.

Any North American Soccer League.

2nd place: USFL. 1st place: XFL.

YHS, etc

Mr. Friend O'

Hey Cooney beat Norton, Bobick never did.

Evel Knievel is an inspired choice. The Snake River Canyon - not to mention some of those buses he used to jump over on Wide World - got the better of him.

Don't Tony Mandarich or Ryan Leaf belong here somewhere?

 

[tyler durden 71351]

LaRue Martin
Harold "Baby Jordan" Minor
David Clyde

 

[Tommy_Dreamer]

New York Rangers, every year since 1994!

 

[KP]

Brien Taylor