andrew8798
FANatic
on 24/7 this month
Posts: 106,081
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Post by andrew8798 on Sept 10, 2015 15:33:15 GMT -5
Two to come to mind are this years Nats and the 2012 USC team that started #1 in the polls only to finish 7-5
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JTH
Dennis Stamp
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Posts: 4,467
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Post by JTH on Sept 10, 2015 15:35:00 GMT -5
I remember every expert saying the beginning of the season that the Padres were gonna win it all...
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BRV
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Wants him some Taco Flavored Kisses.
Posts: 16,876
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Post by BRV on Sept 10, 2015 17:14:05 GMT -5
A few recent examples that immediately come to mind...
- 2011 Philadelphia Eagles: Better known as "The Dream Team", the Eagles went wild in free agency after the lockout ended, signing Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Steve Smith, Ronnie Brown, Vince Young, and Donald Lee to name a few. Considering these were additions to a team that had previously gone 10-6 and won the NFC East, it sure seemed like the Eagles were destined for a Super Bowl berth. They proceeded to fall flat on their collective faces, finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs altogether.
- 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers: "Now this is going to be fun," Sports Illustrated wrote. Fun for whom, we'll never know. The Lakers signed Steve Nash and traded for Dwight Howard, adding the two perennial All-Stars to a roster that already had Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. The problem is, that's about all they had, as the rest of the roster were flotsam and jetsam including Steve Blake, Jordan Hill, Antawn Jamsion, and Jodie Meeks. Everyone's prediction to win the Western Conference and challenge the Miami Heat for the NBA Finals finished a subpar 45-37 before being swept in the Western Conference quarterfinals by the Spurs.
- 2010-11 Miami Heat: A controversial choice, but when this team was assembled in the summer of 2010, they were shoo-ins for a championship and some thought they'd give the 72-10 Bulls record a run for its money. While they won the Eastern Conference and advanced to the NBA Finals, the season was still a letdown considering the pomp and circumstance of that ridiculous press conference and LeBron James declaring his intention to win "not three...not four...not five..." rings in Miami.
- 2011 Boston Red Sox: The Boston Herald splashed "Best Team Ever!" across its front page prior to the start of the 2011 season. The team signed Carl Crawford in the off-season and traded for Adrian Gonzalez and for much of the summer, it appeared the team would coast to the American League postseason. But the wheels came off, concluding in a 7-20 September finish and a gut-wrenching loss to the Orioles on the final night of the season. This team's on-field disappointment and off-field antics were so abhorrent that it led to Terry Francona and Theo Epstein leaving for greener pastures.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2015 17:18:01 GMT -5
The University of Georgia: every season.
Honorable mention: Notre Dame 2012-13. They struggled against some mediocre teams(and should have lost to Pitt) but for some reason people still pretended like they were world beaters. Enter Alabama. Manti Te'o meet Eddie Lacey.
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Post by Cyno on Sept 10, 2015 18:44:36 GMT -5
2011 Boston Red Sox. That was a great baseball season for schadenfreude.
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Post by Nickybojelais on Sept 10, 2015 18:44:36 GMT -5
The "Los Galacticos" team of Real Madrid in the early to mid 2000s. They had the likes of Zidane, Figo, Beckham, the other Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos but seriously underachieved. They only won 1 Champions League and 2 Spanish titles during that period. Should've won much more with that talent.
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Post by Can you afford to pay me, Gah on Sept 10, 2015 18:53:04 GMT -5
Opening season of the Miami Marlins. Brand new stadium. Signed a bunch of big name free agents. Didn't do crap and next off season traded away all the big signings and fans just as fast jumped on the bandwagon jumped off.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Sept 10, 2015 18:57:55 GMT -5
The Nationals two years ago.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2015 22:31:59 GMT -5
2007 Michigan. All the seniors were coming back to give the Wolverines their biggest run in ages, preparing many for what looked to be the year they take the National Championship.
Then Appalachian State pulled the biggest upset in College Football history in week 1, and the dream died there. Never made the Top 5 ever again.
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Dr. T is an alien
Patti Mayonnaise
Knows when to hold them, knows when to fold them
I've been found out!
Posts: 31,351
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Post by Dr. T is an alien on Sept 10, 2015 23:59:49 GMT -5
1989-90 IU Men's Basketball team - Bobby Knight recruited what looked to be an amazing freshman class to join the defending Big Ten Championship team. Huge things were predicted for the team when they won their first 10 games, but they went off of the rails when they hit the Big Ten schedule. The team finished a disappointing 18-10 and a first round exit in the NCAA Tournament.
Still, the recruiting class was pretty decent and several of them had nice college careers.....after they transferred away from IU and Bobby Knight. Fortunately for Knight, 2 of the 3 players in that recruiting class that made their way to the NBA did not transfer out (including eventual National Player of the Year Calbert Cheaney. Otherwise, I think the school would have tired of his antics sooner than they did.
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Post by Jedi-El of Tomorrow on Sept 11, 2015 0:00:02 GMT -5
2003-04 Lakers: They added Karl Malone and Gary Payton and people were saying they'd make a run at 72 wins, and win the title easily. Yeah they got to the Finals, and then got completely destroyed in a 5 game sweep.
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4real
Wade Wilson
Posts: 27,639
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Post by 4real on Sept 11, 2015 0:17:54 GMT -5
Colombia football team of 1994. A lot of people tipped them to win that world cup after they beat Argentina 5 nil away. Instead they got knocked out of the group stage and...well Escobar.
Also Serbia & Montenegro team of 2006. Overhyped due to a good defense record in qualifying, got hammered 6 nil by Argentina and lost all 3 group games.
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Post by "Mr Wonderdick" Dick Dastardly on Sept 11, 2015 1:45:42 GMT -5
The Nationals two years ago. I'd the Nationals and the Dodgers the last couple of seasons. Every sports media outlet would pick one of those two teams to win the NL and they would both fall flat on their faces.
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fw91
Patti Mayonnaise
FAN Idol All-Star: FAN Idol Season X and *Gavel* 2x Judges' Throwdown winner
Tribe has spoken for 2024 Mets
Posts: 38,900
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Post by fw91 on Sept 11, 2015 1:54:13 GMT -5
2010 Jets. Made an improbable run the year prior, but Rex Ryan opens his fat yap and gurantees super bowl, and such on hard knocks. Had a pretty good season to be fair, but didn't win the division or make it to the superbowl, and that was the last good season they had.
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Post by RadcapRadsley on Sept 11, 2015 4:21:37 GMT -5
The 1994 Icelandic Junior Goodwill Hockey Team
They were supposed to be one of the best Junior hockey teams of all time.Lost in the finals to Team Usa who proved their opponents were not all they were Quacked up to be.
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Post by Jedi-El of Tomorrow on Sept 11, 2015 5:00:48 GMT -5
The 1994 Icelandic Junior Goodwill Hockey Team They were supposed to be one of the best Junior hockey teams of all time.Lost in the finals to Team Usa who proved their opponents were not all they were Quacked up to be. And they were upset by Russia. When you're the powerhouse unbeatable Iceland team you shouldn't lose to freaking Russia.
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Ben Wyatt
Crow T. Robot
Are You Gonna Go My Way?
I don't get it. At all. It's kind of a small horse, I mean what am I missing? Am I crazy?
Posts: 41,478
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Post by Ben Wyatt on Sept 11, 2015 6:28:33 GMT -5
San Jose Sharks: For about 5-6 years following the Thornton tade, that year was supposed to be the year the Sharks finally get over the hump.
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Post by The Lach is very tired on Sept 11, 2015 6:48:10 GMT -5
2007 New England Patriots. Showed up at the Superbowl just expecting to win. The media expected them to win, the experts expected them to win.
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Ben Wyatt
Crow T. Robot
Are You Gonna Go My Way?
I don't get it. At all. It's kind of a small horse, I mean what am I missing? Am I crazy?
Posts: 41,478
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Post by Ben Wyatt on Sept 11, 2015 8:13:20 GMT -5
2007 New England Patriots. Showed up at the Superbowl just expecting to win. The media expected them to win, the experts expected them to win. I see your logic, but it's not like they missed the playoffs or went one and done. They went undefeated, shattering offensive records along the way. They lost the Superbowl in very large part to a one-in-a-million catch.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2015 10:05:52 GMT -5
2003-2004 Colorado Avalanche
2011-2012 LA Kings (well they were expected to be a regular season powerhouse but won the cup as a #8th seed)
The Toronto Blue Jays for the last two or three seasons when they've been hyped in all of Canada to be World Series favorites but fail every year
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