122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

[Kepler]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

He's talking about you linking to Gores, who is not involved in pizza.

OK, I see that now. I conflated the arena and the as-shole owner. There is no connection.

Turns out that rich guys are just as-sholes and pizza isn't special.

That makes more sense.

[CommAvHusky]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

25. Boston Bruins

Why? I can’t wait to bear down and this one before hibernating for the winter.

The Good. 6 Stanley Cups (1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, 2011), 4 Conference Championships (1988, 1990, 2013),

The Bad. A 29 year and a 39 year Championship drought, terrible during the last years of the Original Six Era.

The Ugly. At Madison Square Garden in 1979, just after the Bruins won 4-3, a Ranger fan stole Stan Jonathan’s stick and hit him with it. Terry O’Reilly charged into the stands followed by his teammates. Mike Milbury took the fan’s shoe and hit him with it. O’Reilly and Milbury got 8 game suspensions. I’m sure if it was another fanbase they would have gotten a 40 game suspension. Everyone on the Bruins got fined except for goaltender Gerry Cheevers

Where they play. TD Garden, replacing the aged Boston Garden is never easy, opened in 1995, the naming rights have changed frequently due to the changing of the banks. TD Garden is better known as where Northeastern University has their commencements.

Owner: Delaware North whose CEO is Charlie Jacobs, became head in 2015 while his father Jeremy has a more chairman figurehead role. Jacobs bought the Bruins in 1975.

Coach: Bruce Cassidy, coached the Bruins minor league team in Providence for 8 years before becoming an assistant in 2016. Took over as coach when Claude Julien was fired a year ago.

Top Current Players: Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand

Hall of Famers: Bobby Bauer, Ray Bourque, Frank Brimsek, Johnny Bucyk, Gerry Cheevers, Dit Clapper, Roy Conacher, Bill Cowley, Woody Dumart, Phil Esposito, Fernie Flaman, Cam Neely, Adam Oates, Harry Oliver, Bobby Orr, Brad Park, Jean Ratelle, Milt Schmidt, and Tiny Thompson.

Up Next: The Minnesota Vikings

[joecct]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

Brad Park and Jean Ratelle are Rangers, garddarnit!!!

[Kepler]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

Brad Park and Jean Ratelle are Rangers, garddarnit!!!

Alongside Roger Bear.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

Brad Park and Jean Ratelle are Rangers, garddarnit!!!

It still to this day makes me sick whenever I see Brad Park in a Bruins uniform. Even though he played a heck of a lot of years in Boston.

[CommAvHusky]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

24. Chicago Bulls

Why? The best example of how one player can affect their team. Imagine how far down this team would be without Michael Jordan.

The Good. 6 NBA Championships (1991-1993 & 1996-1998), two Conference finals without Jordan (1975 & 2011). 1996 Bulls are considered one of the greatest teams in history winning 72 games, the most at the time and most for any team that ended up winning the NBA Championship, almost had back to back 70 win seasons by winning 69 in 1997.

The Bad. After the team was blown up after the 1998 NBA Finals the Bulls missed the playoffs six years in a row. In the nine seasons prior to Jordan’s arrivals, the Bulls only advanced in the playoffs once. On April 10, 1999 the Bulls scored 49 points in a game, making it the lowest in the post-shot clock era.

The Ugly. As the Bulls won 6 NBA Titles in the 1990’s, General Manager Jerry Krause was facing an aging team who team was starting to decline. Krause decided to blow up the team. Scottie Pippen was traded, Dennis Rodman was not re-signed. Luc Longley and Steve Kerr were traded for draft picks. Phil Jackson stepped down as head coach, Michael Jordan retired for the second time. The Bulls only won 13 games in the lockout shortened 1999 season. Over those next six seasons, the Bulls finished last in five of those seasons.

Where they play. United Center, like the NHL’s Blackhawks, the Bulls moved to the United Center from Chicago Stadium in 1994. You can take the Blue, Green or Pink Lines on the ‘L’ to get to the game.

Owner: Jerry Reinsdorf, Reinsdorf who already owned baseball’s Chicago White Sox bought the Bulls in 1985. Reinsdorf presided over the Bulls 6 Championship’s in the 1990’s and also the blowing up of the team in 1999.

Coach: Fred Hoiberg, Hoiberg played in the NBA for ten seasons, before being hired as head coach in 2015, he was the head coach at Iowa State.

Top Current Players: Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, and Kris Dunn

Hall of Famers: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Artis Gilmore, and Chet Walker

Up Next: The Minnesota Vikings

[Kepler]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

Why? The best example of how one player can affect their team. Imagine how far down this team would be without Michael Jordan.

That's a good question. Is Michael Jordan the single most important player to any franchise in its history?

Can anybody think of someone comparable? Am I missing somebody obvious? LeBron and Cleveland?

[JF_Gophers]

That's a good question. Is Michael Jordan the single most important player to any franchise in its history?

Can anybody think of someone comparable? Am I missing somebody obvious? LeBron and Cleveland?

Did Edmonton win without Gretzky?

[The Rube]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

Did Edmonton win without Gretzky?

Looking up the seasons for post-Gretzky, they have 1 title and a couple deep runs in the playoffs.

[CLS]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

That's a good question. Is Michael Jordan the single most important player to any franchise in its history?

Can anybody think of someone comparable? Am I missing somebody obvious? LeBron and Cleveland?

Yup. Don't mean to set you off but ....

Brady and the Patriots.

I'd also add Russell and the Celtics, but that's from a different era.

[CLS]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

It still to this day makes me sick whenever I see Brad Park in a Bruins uniform. Even though he played a heck of a lot of years in Boston.

And continues to. Still plays in alumni games.

When Ratelle's number was retired by the Rangers, I looked up the Rangers' retired numbers and didn't see Park. What's with that? Did I miss something?

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

Did Edmonton win without Gretzky?

Yes. In fact, many believe Messier wanted badly to prove that he could lead the Oilers to a Stanley Cup without Gretzky. He did.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

Yup. Don't mean to set you off but ....

Brady and the Patriots.

I'd also add Russell and the Celtics, but that's from a different era.

I think it's easier in basketball for one player to make a huge impact. How deep off the bench do teams typically go? 2-3 at most as far as impact is concerned?

In hockey, even if you shorten the bench, you still need to roll at least three lines and two sets of defensemen. And of course, football heavily relies on completely different set of players for offense and defense as well as special teams. So, players there only have a chance to impact one side of the ball, and if the other side sucks, it doesn't matter how great that one player is.

[Russell Jaslow]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

When Ratelle's number was retired by the Rangers, I looked up the Rangers' retired numbers and didn't see Park. What's with that? Did I miss something?

I've always wondered about that. And if you're going to retire Ratelle's number for being on the GAG line, why isn't Vic Hadfield's number retired? Heck, he was only the sixth player at the time to score 50 goals in a season.

Wait a second. I just read that Hadfield's number is going to be retired next season. Hadfield was my favorite player when I was young, so now I'm happy.

[Kepler]

Re: 122 Franchises Ranked Bottom to Top:

Yup. Don't mean to set you off but ....

Brady and the Patriots.

I'd also add Russell and the Celtics, but that's from a different era.

I guess with Brady and LeBron we'll need to wait to see if after they retire their teams turn back into sh-t.

Here's hoping.