The Best of Times, the Worst of All Times Appreciating the Worst Professional Sports Teams of All Time

          In today's world, most people tend to focus on the greatest teams and players of all time, like Tom Brady and his New England Patriots dynasty, or the Yankees winning numerous World Series. Athletes like Simone Biles and Tiger Woods are crowned with the title of the greatest of all time, and the overall category of “being the best” is rightfully put on a pedestal. The problem with this is that many categories of sports become overlooked, one of which is what  I like to call the WOAT—the worst of all time. We all know that the Dallas Cowboys and the Boston Celtics are some of the GOATs—the greatest of all time—in their respective leagues, but do we know the Mr. Irrelevants of the NFL Drafts or the players with the worst batting average of all time? Looking at the MLB, NBA, and the NFL, the WOATS will be decided according to the record books and the teams at the bottom of the leaderboard will finally earn the recognition that their record-breaking accomplishments deserve.

          Of all professional sports, it’s very hard to argue against football being the most hallowed of them all. Talented teams like the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers or the modern-day Kansas City Chiefs are celebrated across decades, whilst up-and-coming superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow are routinely praised for their record-breaking statistics. We are all aware of these household names, but football’s worst teams rarely receive the same acknowledgment. So, in an effort to fix that, the Detroit Lions are formally being recognized as the WOAT of the National Football League (NFL). After analyzing the statistics of all NFL teams that were established before 1976, the Lions have earned only 579 wins since they joined the NFL in 1930, whilst racking up 703 losses in the process. The Lions have not only had an astounding losing record, but they have also played in exactly zero Superbowl games. So far, the Lions have kept their streak at the bottom of the NFL leaderboard and we will have to see if they continue that streak this year. After three games to start the NFL 2023 season, the Lions have a record of 2-1 beginning with Jared Goff starting strong as this year's quarterback for Detroit.

          Just like its football counterpart, the NBA(National is full of legendary players like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant along with legendary franchises like the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. NBA teams like Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets or the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors are celebrated for their championship titles and mesmerizing winning records. Yet one NBA team has been underrated in regards to their position in the record books. The team with the unfortunate title of being the NBA’s worst team of all time is the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves have struggled ever since they became part of the NBA in 1989, with only 1091 wins out of 2712 games after this past 2023 season. This Minnesota team has not only barely won any games, but they have also had a record low of only 58 playoff games and zero NBA championships. There is a slim chance that the Timberwolves will climb up the standings this upcoming season, led by Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns, but as it stands right now the Minnesota Timberwolves are the WOAT of the NBA.

          The final WOAT comes from America’s favorite sport, baseball. In terms of baseball, everyone loves stadium snacks and fan-favorite teams like the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox hitting home runs all day with players like Aaron Judge and Babe Ruth. We know these highly decorated teams and stars, but one MLB (Major League Baseball) team has not deserved its true credit. The title of WOAT in the MLB since the 1876 founding of the league, is the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners have a total of only 3510 wins after 46 years of in the MLB, one of the worst records of all time. The Seattle Mariners have struggled for almost 50 years, and they have yet to reach a World Series, remaining the only team to never attend the all-time classic championship. Overall, the Seattle Mariners may have been part of the MLB for almost 50 years yet their record has only gotten worse cementing their title as the WOAT of the MLB.

          Overall, this article has helped teams usually overlooked at the bottom become highlighted at the top of the board. The Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Seattle Mariners have earned their true titles as some of the worst sports franchises in history. We will see if these teams continue their streak of being at the bottom, or if they can make strides to maybe one day become the GOATs instead (or at least not the WOATs.)