Crimson Tide, Dallas Cowboys Top List Of America’s Saddest Fanbases
Dec 6, 2019, 10:21 AM
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Fans are loyal to their sports teams and sometimes to a fault. When teams are bad it can be hard and frustrating to cheer on your favorite team because of the long-standing relationship built up over the years.
There are ups and downs over the decades but instead of looking back longterm, KSL Unrivaled looked at the current state of some fanbases that could be begrudgingly rooting on their favorite team.
Alabama Out Of The Playoffs
Crimson Tide football fans should be the least likely fanbase to earn the label of miserable, but when success at the highest level is expected and that falls short (like this season) fans can be unhappy.
For Alabama fans, it is missing out on the College Football Playoffs for the very first time.
Hey @AlabamaFTBL…
"NO PLAYOFF FOR YOU!!!"
"COME BACK… ONE YEAR!!"#IronBowl pic.twitter.com/3kGlQupjcj
— Polar Ginger (@PolarGinger) December 1, 2019
It is understandable that those fans are grumpy that the team underachieved, but both Scott Mitchell and Alex Kirry of KSL Unrivaled predicted that most college football fans are glad about the Crimson Tide being left out.
“When your coach is making up excuses that there is some cheating and nefarious workings in the back that is a low point,” Kirry said. “Nick Saban, look, just grow up, Alabama fans group. You had your time and you will be right back again. They are a sad group because they are not in any conversation this week.”
Mitchell piled on saying non-Crimson Tide fans are ecstatic.
“I think Alabama fans are probably really sad but the rest of America is probably really happy,” Mitchell said. “This could be the best thing for college football and the playoff system. Let them stew on this a little while and the talk will be, ‘let the conference champions in, have some at-large teams, and we will always be in the playoffs.'”
Dallas Cowboys Are In Turmoil
The expectations for Dallas Cowboys fans are always over the moon and usually unrealistic. This team has just two playoff wins this decade and it has been 22 seasons and counting since Dallas won Super Bowl XXX over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This year seemed different. The Cowboys won a Wild Card game and brought back a lot of talent with quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, a full offseason with wide receiver Amari Cooper, and a defense that was expected to be really good.
“Dallas is a sad state of affairs. It is the expectations, that is what it is,” Mitchell said. “Everyone thinks the Cowboys are going to win a Super Bowl every year, it is this year. The Cowboys are going to make a run and a push in the playoffs. It is all a ploy and marketing, the Cowboy are like the [New York] Yankees.”
Fast forward to the first week of December; they are 6-6 and coming off a home loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The brighstide is that the NFC East is really bad and that .500 record has them at the top of the division.
Chris Petersen Steps Down At Washington
According to the duo, fans of the Washington Huskies can claim to be the saddest right now. Chris Petersen abruptly resigned after six years at Washington which included two Pac-12 titles and a College Football Playoff appearance.
Petersen is one of the most respected and successful coaches around and he continued the success from Boise State to Washington.
Petersen said he was worn out and decided it was time to step aside from coaching.
Shake up in the Pac-12. How does this impact the Utes? https://t.co/LRhHQSAUke
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 2, 2019
Washington is going to promote Jimmy Lake to head coach but Kirry said it is not the same because Petersen was a legend.
“Those fans have to be massively disappointed because this one of the best coaches in the past 20 years in college football and he is walking away unexpectedly,” Kirry said. “There is no way the Washington Huskies are going to be playoff-worthy over the next couple of years.”
New England Is Not Showing Desire
We have heard this at least once a year for the past few seasons with Tom Brady, now a 42-year-old quarterback, and the offense not being as elite as it has been in the past.
“This is the end of Tom Brady,” Mitchell said. “He just doesn’t seem the same. There is no desire in this team to play. I just don’t see it… and something is wrong.”
Kirry noted how the issue is the lagging offense.
“It is not Tom Brady, really,” Kirry said. “Brady doesn’t get sacked but he has been getting sacked a lot this year, comparatively. He used to be able to get the ball out to whomever, and he isn’t trusting who he is throwing the ball to as much.”
Patriot fans are in the same scope as Alabama fans – being elite is expected.
New England is still going to make the playoffs and probably win the AFC East, but a first-round bye is not a guarantee, specifically after losing to the Houston Texans over the weekend.
The case can be made that their dynasty run might really be over this time, but as long as they are in the playoffs they have a shot.
Utah Jazz Struggling On The Road
The NBA season is a long one but with the expectations the Jazz had the latest road stretch leaves fans disappointed. The team went 1-4.
“This East Coast road swing has been bad and I guess pulling out that win vs. Memphis is fine,” Kirry said. “These other big games they have had it has not been a good go, and they have not been close games. It will be nice to get back home again but getting beat up by the 76ers, Raptors, Bucks, and they get the one win vs. the Grizzles.
“They come and play the Lakers and Grizzlies, and the hope is that they turn it around. I know that the Lakers game is never going to be an easy one.”
There is so much basketball to be played and if Jazz fans are down in the dumps they can just look at the games where the team has done well and to past years where there were slumps but the team bounced back just fine.
Cleveland Browns Expectations Were Overblown
The hype surrounding the Cleveland Browns after their late-season run in 2018 when they went 5-2 and everyone freaked out. The Browns then acquired Odell Beckham Jr. and the thought of him catching touchdown pass after touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield filled the heads of all Cleveland fans.
Those moves are what a lot felt would push the Browns to the next level but that is not what happened. Kirry explained how this team has vastly underachieved.
“How about the Cleveland Browns. This fanbase had expectations and their over under in Las Vegas said they were supposed to win 11 games,” Kirry said. “They are already 5-7 and lost to the Steelers. This is a team that only their city can like these guys.”
Things have not gone well for the Browns this year which is basically par for the course.
Teams the media hyped up the most this offseason to be big time Super Bowl contenders:
-Chicago Bears (6-6)
-Dallas Cowboys (6-6)
-Philadelphia Eagles (5-7)
-Cleveland Browns (5-7)
-LA Chargers (4-8)That is a combined 26-34 😂😂😂#AllHype
— Alex Scherer (@Alex_R_Scherer) December 2, 2019
All of that hype led to Cleveland being darkhorse Super Bowl picks and even the wise guys in Las Vegas fell for this and gave the Browns the sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl.
Fast-forward to the present and the Browns are 5-7 and Beckham has only two touchdown passes.
Just be thankful your fanbase is not on this list, but if it is on the list keep your chin and hopefully things get better sooner than later.