Worst Team to Win a Championship

I don't often start threads, but seeing the other two, I find this one even more interesting.

In MLB in recent years, I think you have to start with the 2006 Cards, though I don't think much of last year's Cards or the 2005 White Sox. Going back a little further, but at least to teams I remember, the 1990 Reds & '88 Dodgers weren't terribly impressive either.

In the NFL, Tampa comes to mind.

NBA - Dallas, the last Detroit team and first Rockets team.

NCAA Hoops - Last year's UConn, Maryland, Arizona.

I'll leave Hockey & CFB to others.

Another interesting list would be best teams to only win 1 title or should have been dynasties. I'd include the mid-80s Mets, the early 90's A's, the 90's-2000s Braves, the Colts, the mid-80's Bears, UNLV & the early 80's 76ers. The current Phillies will join if they don't get their act together over the next few years.

 

You've got the wrong Rockets team. It was the SECOND Rockets championship team that belongs in this discussion, not the first.

And you do realize that 02 Maryland team was a No. 1 seed that was was one of the four best teams in the country throughout the season, right? Sorry, but they're not even close to teams like 83 NC State, 85 Villanova and 88 Kansas on this list.

 

Tampa was plainly better than either of these two Giants teams that've won Super Bowls in recent years.

 

The 1987 Twins won a weak West Division at 85-77, a record that would have placed them fifth in the AL East. Then used the Domefield advantage winning all four home games in the World Series. They scored five runs in the three road losses and 33 in the four home victories.

 

1998 Tennessee. Was bailed out by an atrocious PI call in the opener at Syracuse, then needed a gift from the heavens to beat Arkansas in mid-season when Clint Stoerner used the ball to break his fall after an O-lineman stepped on his foot, lost his balance and fumbled. Then in the title game, it got a Florida State team that was on something like its fourth-string QB.

Not to mention Peyton Manning >>>>>>>>>>>> Tee Martin.

 

I am standing here in a Green Bay Packers 2011 Super Bowl champions jersey knowing full well how lucky they get. It was kind of a miracle that they even made the playoffs.

 

This would be blasphemy if I went to the campus and said it, but the 1977 Marquette team. They had seven losses and there was a lot of doubt that they would make the tournament, which was only 32 teams at the time.

 

That 2002 Maryland team also beat a loaded Kansas team in the semis.

 

That Maryland team was a rarity in college sports these days: An actual TEAM led by two seniors who were really good "college" basketball players. Calling them a bad team is to misunderstand the most interesting thing about sports. I would put a lot of money on them to beat teams with NBA talent that just athleted their way to titles.

The Larry Brown Pistons are another example of that principle. Great TEAM, not great talent comparatively.

 

1990 Colorado. Lost to Illinois and Tennessee even before accounting for "fifth down." What AP voters saw in them over Ga. Tech is a mystery.

 

MLB: the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals, end of thread. (last year's Cardinals were a mediocre team that caught lightning in a bottle. In 2006, they were a mediocre team that took advantage of several upsets in the other brackets and the Tigers forgetting how to play defense in the series). From the pre-Wild Card era, the 1960 Pirates might also merit some discussion.

I saw the 1990 Reds mentioned -- they may not have seemed impressive, but they had a solid rotation and a decent lineup. But the key to that team was, if they got a lead after the 6th inning, the game was over. You'd essentially have to face three closers in the 7th-9th with Charlton, Dibble and Myers. To me, the bullpen is the most underrated part of baseball, and if you've got lock-down guys in the late innings, you're going to win most of the close games. Their pen might've been the best collection of 3 late-inning guys I've ever seen.

NBA: I'll leave it to people who watch pro basketball.

NFL: The 2002 Bucs had a pretty pitiful offense, but their defense was phenomenal (much like the 2000 Ravens, who IMO were not as good as the 2002 Bucs). They had knocked on the door of the SB several times before. Had they held on, the Arizona Cardinals would've maybe held this thread forever. The 2000 Ravens were probably the biggest "meh" team in the Super Bowl era to win.

NCAA hoops: 1988 Kansas. 1985 Villanova.

Hockey: 1993 Canadiens. Not a great team that happened to win 10 straight OT games, and turned the Stanley Cup final on a stick measurement. Also took advantage of the Bruins getting upset in the 1st round and the Penguins getting upset in the 2nd, so they managed to walk through against some pretty weak competition. The 1938 Blackhawks had a 14-25 record and started a minor-league goalie in the Stanley Cup Finals that was pulled off a Toronto barstool.

 

Well, the ACC was a pretty crappy conference and was tied into the Citrus Bowl, meaning Georgia Tech got a pretty weak bowl opponent. Slim pickings in 1990, for sure. Georgia Tech did get the coaches' national title.

An extremely questionable clipping call also handed Colorado the Orange Bowl that year. If it doesn't get made, Rocket Ismail scores a TD in the closing seconds and Notre Dame wins.