With Super Bowl LIX in the books, we’re officially 25 seasons into the 21st century. Over that time, we’ve seen dynasties dominate. Teams like the Patriots, Chiefs, Giants, Red Sox, Spurs, and Lakers have flooded ESPN highlights and hoisted trophies year after year, giving their fans plenty to celebrate.

But what about the teams on the other end of the spectrum? The ones fans suffer through, the franchises stuck in a perpetual cycle of disappointment? Today, we’re shining a spotlight on the worst of the worst.

To make this as fair as possible, I created a points system, the franchise performance scale (explained below), to determine the ten worst American sports franchises of the past 25 years. Teams earned points for championships, deep playoff runs, and consistent success—while losing points for worst league records, racking up losing seasons, and non-playoff streaks. This system isn’t perfect (I’m not sure it ever will be), but I think it provides a solid view of franchise performance. 

Rule Detail	MLB	NBA	NFL
Win a championship	+20	+20	+20
League/Conference champion	+10	+10	+10
Playoff series/game win	+6	+3	+4
Make playoffs	+4	+2	+2
5 consecutive years w/a playoff appearance	+5 (+1 for each extra year)	+2 (+1 for each extra year)	+3 (+1 for each extra year)
5 consecutive years w/a winning record	+3 (+1 for each extra year)	+3 (+1 for each extra year)	+3 (+1 for each extra year)
Winning record	+1	+1	+1
Best league record	+3	+3	+3
Worst league record	-3	-3	-3
5 consecutive years w/o playoff appearance	-3 (+1 for each extra year)	-6 (+1 for each extra year)	-5 (+1 for each extra year)
5 consecutive years w/o winning record	-5 (+1 for each extra year)	-5 (+1 for each extra year)	-5 (+1 for each extra year)

A few notes before we dive in:

• This ranking only includes MLB, NBA, and NFL teams. Other leagues (WNBA, MLS, etc.) have recently added a significant number of expansion teams, which skews results.
• The point system balances differences in league structure—e.g., the NBA and NFL have more playoff spots than MLB, making a playoff appearance in the MLB worth more.
• A team only earns points for its highest achievement in a given season (e.g., championship winners don’t also get points for making the playoffs).

With an average score of 49.7 across all teams, we have a benchmark to compare the bottom dwellers. So, who takes the crown as the worst franchise of this century? Let’s find out.

#10 Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders have been as bad as Mark Davis’ haircut over the past 25 years, but at least his bowl cut has been consistent.

Since their Super Bowl loss in 2002, it’s been a comedy of errors for the silver and black. With just four winning seasons (six if you’re feeling generous with 8-8 records), four playoff appearances, and one Super Bowl trip, they score -3 points on the franchise performance scale. 

And let’s not forget the lowlights: Drafting JaMarcus Russell over Calvin Johnson, a decision so bad it will be talked about for years to come. Then there was the Antonio Brown saga, the brief Jon Gruden reboot (and collapse), and a revolving door of head coaches that could fill a small arena.  

Sadly for their fans, there doesn’t appear to be any relief in sight. Without any quality young talent on their roster and a pick outside the top 5 for the 2025 draft, the Raiders seem directionless as ever. But who knows, maybe having Tom Brady as a part of the ownership group will help turn things around.

#9 Jacksonville Jaguars 

The Jaguars have spent most of this century wandering the NFL wilderness, searching for relevance and a competent quarterback.

Over the last 25 years, they’ve managed just six winning seasons (again, if you squint and count two 8-8 years), four playoff appearances, and four playoff wins, which all adds up to -3 points.

Along the way, Jacksonville has given us some all-time head-scratchers: taking Blaine Gabbert over J.J. Watt, letting Urban Meyer turn an NFL locker room into a reality TV disaster, and somehow convincing themselves that Blake Bortles was the guy—which, to be fair, worked briefly in 2017 before crashing back to reality.

Despite all the dysfunction, the Jags have had flashes of hope, including that miracle AFC Championship run in 2017. But for a team that’s been stuck at the bottom for so long, they have a long way to go before anyone takes them seriously.

#8 Sacramento Kings 

For 16 straight years, the Sacramento Kings were the NBA’s version of a ghost town—no winning seasons, no playoff appearances, just endless suffering. It’s no surprise they’ve totaled an abysmal -5 points.

The Kings have managed eight winning seasons and seven playoff appearances since 2000, but let’s be real: Almost all of that success came before their legendary playoff drought from 2006 to 2022. That streak was so long that the iPhone didn’t exist when it started, and by the time it ended, people were watching highlights on TikTok instead of SportsCenter.

From draft mistakes, like passing on Luka Dončić for Marvin Bagley III, to cycling through 12 different head coaches during those 16 years, the Kings have given their fans plenty of things to be frustrated about. 

To their credit, they finally snapped the streak in 2023, and the beam-lighting era has given fans something to cheer for. But after spending most of the century as an NBA punchline, Sacramento still has plenty to prove.

#7 Minnesota Timberwolves 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have spent the past quarter-century perfecting the art of underachievement. Earning -5 points on the franchise performance scale, with just nine winning seasons, eight playoff appearances, and a grand total of three playoff series wins. 

The 13-year playoff drought from 2004 to 2017 was a period marked by questionable draft choices and front-office turmoil. Notably, the team selected Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn over future MVP Steph Curry in the 2009 draft. And, despite the presence of talents like Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, and Karl-Anthony Towns, sustained success has remained elusive. 

As the Timberwolves look to the future, fans are cautiously optimistic that recent roster changes and front-office adjustments will finally lead to consistent success. However, given the franchise’s history, it’s a hope tempered with a healthy dose of skepticism.  

#6 Detroit Lions 

The Detroit Lions have been the NFL’s punching bag for the last 25 years, and their -7 points on the scale doesn’t truly reflect just how brutal it’s been. Since 2000, they’ve had eight winning seasons, five playoff appearances, and a whopping two playoff wins—both of which came in 2024, meaning they spent nearly the entire century winless in the postseason. 

Of course, no discussion of Lion’s misery is complete without mentioning 2008, when they became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16 and Dan Orlovsky gave us an alltime lowlight of running out the back of the endzone for a safety *chef’s kiss*. 

Adding to the pain, they also wasted a Hall of Fame career from Calvin Johnson, much like they did with Barry Sanders a generation before. Both retired early, likely to escape the never-ending cycle of disappointment.

But hey, there’s hope! The Dan Campbell era has finally given fans something to cheer about, and after decades of being an NFL laughingstock, the Lions might actually be on the right track. 

#5 Colorado Rockies 

The Colorado Rockies have firmly cemented themselves among the worst of the worst of the 21st century with a brutal -11 points on the franchise performance scale.

The Rockies have managed six winning seasons, four playoff appearances, and three playoff series wins—with the highlight being their Rocktober run to the 2007 World Series, where they promptly got steamrolled by the Red Sox. Since then, it’s been nothing but long playoff droughts and mediocre baseball.

The Rockies’ biggest issue? They never seem to have an actual plan. They gave away Nolan Arenado and paid the Cardinals to take him, let Trevor Story walk for nothing, and somehow convinced themselves that Kris Bryant on a seven-year deal was the answer. Spoiler: It wasn’t. The Monfort brothers, who own the team, are widely considered among the worst in professional sports. Their reluctance to spend money, coupled with a complete lack of a long-term vision, has left the Rockies stuck in mediocrity. And, sadly for Rockies fans, there doesn’t appear to be much hope in sight.

#4 Cincinnati Reds 

The Cincinnati Reds have been trapped in baseball purgatory this century—never truly competitive, but never fully rebuilding either. With a measly -14 points, they’ve been stuck in a cycle of false hope and inevitable disappointment.

Since 2000, the Reds have put together seven winning seasons, four playoff appearances, and a grand total of zero playoff series wins. That’s right—despite multiple chances, they haven’t won a single postseason series this century. The 2010 NL Central title? Swept in the first round. The 2012 season, where they won 97 games? Blew a 2-0 series lead to the Giants. The 2020 expanded playoffs? Swept again, this time without scoring a single run.

To make matters worse, they’ve endured three separate playoff droughts: 10 years, six years, and now four and counting. And, on top of all that, they wasted the career of fan favorite Joey Votto.

Hopefully, the current wave of young talent will finally turn things around and give fans something to cheer for. But I’m not sure Reds fans should be holding their breath. 

#3 Baltimore Orioles 

The Baltimore Orioles come in at a dismal -18 points on the franchise performance scale.

Baltimore has had seven winning seasons, five playoff appearances, and just two playoff series wins this century. Unfortunately, they’ve also had two seasons with the worst league record and two substantial playoff droughts—the first lasting 12 years and the second lasting six years. 

The O’s have long been stuck in the “rebuilding” phase, often making the playoffs just enough to tease their fanbase. They had that brief spark in 2012 and 2014, but both runs ended in crushing disappointment. And let’s not forget the time they were so bad they managed to finish dead last in the league in back-to-back seasons from 2018-19.

And yet, despite the historical misery, there’s hope on the horizon. The Orioles are starting to build something with young stars like Adley Rutschman and Gunner Henderson leading the way, but time will tell if they can actually capitalize on this young core.

#2 Cleveland Browns 

Is anyone surprised to see the Cleveland Browns on this list? I doubt it. If dysfunction were a sport, the Browns would be a dynasty. Coming in at an eye-watering -24 points, the Browns are the NFL’s ultimate tragedy.

Since 2000, the Browns have managed just four winning seasons, three playoff appearances, and one playoff win. The most infamous chapter? The 17-year playoff drought from 2002 to 2021, which included the historic 0-16 season in 2017. 

As for their quarterback situation? It’s a never-ending carousel of failure. Since 2000, the Browns have gone through more than 30 starting quarterbacks, a mind-boggling number that makes the QB instability one of the franchise’s defining features. From Tim Couch to Brady Quinn to Baker Mayfield, none could escape the curse of the Dawg Pound.

With such a rich history of missteps, it’s a miracle that Cleveland fans haven’t completely abandoned the team. And, sadly for those fans, there doesn’t seem to be any relief in sight.

#1 Pittsburgh Pirates 

Finally, we have the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have been the epitome of mediocrity, rarely awful, but never good, racking up -36 points on the franchise performance scale.

Since 2000, the Pirates have managed just four winning seasons, three playoff appearances, and one playoff series win. Despite the occasional flash of hope, they’ve spent most of the past two decades locked in 13 and 9-year playoff droughts, proving that even brief moments of success couldn’t break the cycle of underachievement. 

Much of the Pirates’ struggles can be traced back to ownership. The Nutting family’s reluctance to spend money on player development, combined with their tendency to cash in on star players before they reach their prime, has kept the Pirates stuck in the middle of the pack—never quite bad enough to rebuild properly, but never good enough to compete for a championship.

That being said, if there’s one thing Pirates fans can hang their hats on, it’s the exciting young talent finally making its way to Pittsburgh. With players like Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Henry Davis, there is a lot to be excited about in Pittsburgh, and hopefully, the Pirates can capitalize on it.

Next up

That brings us to the conclusion of our look into the ten worst American sports of the 21st century. Let me know if there were any appearances or omissions from this list that surprised you. Next up in this series, we’ll highlight the ten teams that have been the best of the best!