An intriguing article on the worst North American Football team of all time.

January 15, 2002 11:34 PM

An intriguing article on the worst North American Football team of all time.
posted by ttrendel (15 comments total)

I thought it was gonna be about my beloved bengals...
posted by Mick at 5:08 AM on January 16, 2002

One interesting note is that they dont' mention the 0-14 or 1-13 Bucs often because we now have a 16 game season. So the fact that the Lions went 2-14 TIES the number of losses in a season that the Bucs had their first year.

Another note...that was 1976 and 1977. In 1979 they went to the divisional championships.
posted by taumeson at 5:12 AM on January 16, 2002

And the Bucs just never seem to learn or understand when they've got a good thing. I actually learned to like their brand of football over the past few seasons under Tony Dungy...but to release him the way Malcolm Glazer and the Buc's front office did...with backhanding deal-making followed up by lame, foot-scuffling denials of the Parcells conversations...is just poor, in my opinion.
posted by tpl1212 at 6:00 AM on January 16, 2002

So the fact that the Lions went 2-14 TIES the number of losses in a season that the Bucs had their first year.

With zero wins, its really not accurate to claim a tie. Until you are able to get over the hump and get a win, its a real stretch to say that with two more games there would have been two more wins.
posted by brucec at 6:01 AM on January 16, 2002

Here are some more of John McKay's quotes. He was the greatest. Since his death last year, people are starting to remember him more for what he brought to the team rather than his 0-26 start.

And, regarding the Dungy dismissal, I'm sickened by it. I realize it's a business decision, but it was handled so poorly. I spouted off enough about it yesterday, though. This article is pretty much on track with how I feel about it.

Go Bucs.
posted by goto11 at 6:22 AM on January 16, 2002

this year's carolina pathers team was the first in history to lose 15 straight games. i think one reason the 0-14 bucs are still considered the worst ever is because that season was part of a several seasons of buc crappiness. the bucs of the late 70s didn't have the luxury of free agency and the general parity in the league that epitomizes the NFL these days. who knows, carolina could well be a contender in 2002 .... nobody would have said that about the '77 bucs in 1976.
posted by danOstuporStar at 7:38 AM on January 16, 2002

It was the uniforms. The old pastel uniform and fop logo inspired giggles instead of fear; they started kicking ass when they got butch uniforms and a scary logo. New uniforms = victory (q.v., Denver Broncos: 0-4 in the Super Bowl in the old unis, 2-0 in the new ones).

And Dungy's firing was completely disgraceful considering how much he's done for the team. I'd say the same about Dennis Green in Minnesota.

Although the Vikings did lose to both one-win teams this year. (Sigh.)
posted by kirkaracha at 7:49 AM on January 16, 2002

the bucs of the late 70s didn't have the luxury of free agency

That and the fact that the NFL basically screwed them (and the Seahawks) over by not having an expansion draft structured like the one they had for Jacksonville and Carolina when they joined the NFL. I recall reading someplace that the main reason for Jacksonville's/Carolina's early success is because the NFL learned a valuable lesson from the entry of Seattle/Tampa and didn't want to get burned again.
posted by PeteyStock at 8:26 AM on January 16, 2002

> Another note...that was 1976 and 1977. In 1979
> they went to the divisional championships.

Yeah, I remember the posters: "From Worst to First" :) Didn't take them long to plummet to the bottom again though.
posted by Foosnark at 8:36 AM on January 16, 2002

the NFL basically screwed them (and the Seahawks) over by not having an expansion draft

agreed. but IMO the nfl went too far. both jacksonville & carolina being in the playoffs their second year just didn't seem right to me. it'll be interesting to see what happens with the houston texans (what a stupid name).
posted by danOstuporStar at 8:37 AM on January 16, 2002

Bringing up the Houston Texans reminds me of the TRULY worst NA football team of all time.
posted by Wulfgar! at 8:51 AM on January 16, 2002

The worst football team of all time is the Baltimore Ravens, bar none.
posted by internetgeniuses at 9:30 AM on January 16, 2002

You are all just concealing an intense jealousy over Seattle's incredible legacy of great quarterbacks. I weep bitter tears over Matt Hasselbeck. By which I mean, of course, that his continuing existence saddens me. Trent Dilfer must still be wondering what awful karmic crime he committed in a past life to deserve his fate.
posted by Skot at 9:37 AM on January 16, 2002

Tony Dungy had five years in Tampa with a team that wasn't half-bad when he took over in 1996 and had a lot of nice draft picks. I was hoping he would be kept on, but I don't understand where all of this anger is coming from over his abrupt season-ending firing. Isn't that the norm for NFL coaches (and exactly what happened to Sam Wyche before Dungy replaced him?).
posted by rcade at 10:24 AM on January 16, 2002

Trent Dilfer must still be wondering what awful karmic crime he committed in a past life to deserve his fate.

Well, that thing last year with Baltimore not keeping him was pretty shabby, but that's what I would expect from that team. Fact is that Trent is getting incredible recognition now because he's endured so much. That, and he hasn't lost a game he's started since the middle of his last season with Tampa.

But Tampa has a history of dismissing players that go on to do great things. Steve Young (Super Bowl MVP), Doug Williams (Super Bowl MVP), Vinnie Testaverde, Chris Chandler, Steve Christie, Santana Dotson... the list goes on.
posted by goto11 at 10:43 AM on January 16, 2002