Sports

These Franchises Are An Embarrassment To Their Sports

Darren - January 3, 2023

Sports

These Franchises Are An Embarrassment To Their Sports

Darren - January 3, 2023

Every sports fanatic loves their favorite teams, but sometimes our franchises are an outright embarrassment to their sports. It can be tough to be a fan when their team never wins anything special. Meanwhile, there are moments when franchises make decisions that even make it very difficult to support them.

So today we’ll look at some of the reasons why the following franchises are an embarrassment. We feel awful for the people who adore them because they’re living in a kind of sports limbo. Sometimes it feels like nothing will ever change and that they’ll be garbage forever. But it simply can’t be denied that these franchises are an embarrassment, so check them out right here.

Detroit Lions

Let’s kick this off with one of the worst NFL teams of the past 50 years. Detroit has never played in a Super Bowl, never mind won one. They have an appalling record over the years and fire coaches at the same rate as a surgeon changes masks. Motor City deserves better than this embarrassment of a team (via The Athletic).

The only solace is that they showed strong signs of improvement under Dan Campbell in 2022. But history isn’t kind to them and they’ve wasted some elite players over the years. The likes of Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, and Matt Stafford couldn’t bring anything close to glory to Detroit and that’s a shame.

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies made the World Series in 2022, so it may seem strange to include them on this list. But they’ve had a horrendous few years and made it very difficult for their fans. They were one of the first two MLB franchises to lose 10,000 games. That’s a major embarrassment for the city’s passionate supporters.

Then, when they made it to the World Series, they suffered one of the worst losses on record. Game Four against the Astros saw them reach their lowest depths. They posted a no-hitter against Houston as they capitulated on the biggest stage. It was the most Phillies moment in history (via USA Today Sports).

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Arizona Cardinals

Has anybody ever stopped and asked what’s the point of the Cardinals? The franchise is one of the least successful in the NFL. First, let’s be petty and talk about their dumb logo. Ask a neutral fan and they’ll say that it looks like something straight out of ‘Angry Birds’ (via N.Y. Post).

Then there is their on-field contribution or lack thereof. Arizona made a single Super Bowl appearance in 2009 but failed to win the game, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But nobody sane would put money on them coming back soon. They threw a massive contract at the overrated Kyler Murray and they’re paying the price.

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Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes are one of the most depressing franchises in professional sports today. In the ’90s, the NHL decided that the Southern U.S. was the place to be. They ripped the beloved Winnipeg Jets out of Canada and put them in Phoenix, Arizona. Attendance wasn’t too bad in the early days but then they moved again, this time to Glendale.

That’s because they desperately needed a bigger stadium. But then numbers dropped and made this an embarrassment to the league. Meanwhile, the Coyotes are a disaster on the ice and never compete. They’re a shambles of an organization and fans don’t care about them (via The Hockey News).

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Minnesota Timberwolves

The Milwaukee Bucks proved that a small market franchise can compete with the biggest names in the NBA. New Orleans also showed how a tiny team can lose its best player and build an exciting roster. But it’s Groundhog Day for the Minnesota Timberwolves because they’re always garbage.

It’s fair to say that Minnesota is an embarrassment to basketball. They entered the 2021-22 season as the losingest franchise in American sports history. That’s a record that nobody wants but they’ve earned it through their appalling performance. Nothing changes in the Gopher State (via The Guardian).

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Pittsburgh Pirates

In 2022, the Pirates suffered a loss so bad that their own social media team turned on them. This came after the Cardinals smashed Pittsburgh 18-4 in a humiliating performance. But this wasn’t a major surprise to their fanbase because the front office destroyed the franchise (via Fansided).

They assembled one of the weakest rosters in baseball history. Opposition teams enjoyed exposing their horrific pitching. Furthermore, they refuse to compete with same-tier teams like the Padres. In 2022, San Diego spent over $300 million while the frugal Pirates spent only $18 million.

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Cincinnati Bengals

For decades, the Bengals have been an embarrassment to the NFL. That’s because it’s rare that they do anything exciting. They’ve played in three Super Bowls in their history but failed to win one. They drastically improved in 2022 but that’s no thanks to their owner, Mike Brown (via Fansided).

Brown refuses to spend money and that has been a major issue for the team. They were lucky to draft Joe Burrow because he brought them to another level. But the team’s resurgence is despite Brown, not because of him. Then there are their horrible tiger-stripe helmets that look straight out of the 1980s.

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Seattle Mariners

There’s one big reason why the Mariners are an embarrassment to MLB. They haven’t made it to the postseason since 2001. That’s when they had a rookie named Ichiro Suzuki on their roster. Since then, it’s been a miserable two-decade tale of anguish for their fanbase.

They became historically bad around 2011 and showed few signs of improvement. Amazingly, their last foray into the playoffs saw them fall short in the American League against the Yankees. Hopefully one day they’ll turn it around but only time will tell (via Bleacher Report).

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Sacramento Kings

On paper, the Kings share a lot of similarities with the Jaguars. They play in a city where nobody cares about them because of their bigger state rivals. In Sacramento’s case, that’s the Lakers and the Warriors. For those who weren’t paying attention, we’re talking about the NBA’s most successful teams of the past decade.

It doesn’t help that the Kings don’t do anything to excite their small fanbase. Some franchises like the Pelicans or the Grizzlies attract hipster supporters. But the Kings have demotivated players and never threaten a postseason run. Sometimes we wonder why they still exist (via Kings Herald).

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Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson turned United into one of the world’s strongest teams over 20 years. But these days, they’re an embarrassment. That’s because the owners didn’t know what to do after their legendary manager retired. They threw money at the problem but it didn’t solve it.

The Glazers ran through six managers before settling on Erik Van Tag in 2022. Meanwhile, they spent hundreds of millions on ineffective players including a nostalgic reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo. But this turned bitter after a scandalous interview and they released him (via Sports Brief).

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Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres have endured a dynasty of disappointment as they annually break their fans’ hearts. This makes them one of the most difficult franchises to support because they don’t do anything positive. In the 2000s they made the Eastern Conference Finals twice.

But the reality is that they’ve done nothing since. The Sabres tanked multiple times with a false dawn in 2018-19. That’s when they enjoyed a 10-game hot streak but they quickly regressed. Buffalo is a badly-run franchise and there isn’t much hope on the horizon (via The Hockey Writers).

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Indianapolis Colts

It’s been a long road for the Colts since Peyton Manning left for Denver. Yes, they replaced him with a generational talent in Andrew Luck, but the battered quarterback retired before he could fulfill his destiny in Indiana. These days the team is an embarrassment to the NFL (via CBS Sports).

They’ve tried to fill the gaps with Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz but it didn’t work. Then they brought in Matt Ryan, who had clearly fallen off a cliff in terms of talent and was benched twice. In 2022, the team suffered the worst comeback in NFL history when they gave up a 33-0 lead against the Minnesota Vikings. They also appointed ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday as head coach despite his complete lack of coaching experience.

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Florida Panthers

The Panthers have had moderate success in recent years but they’re a historically bad franchise. One problem is that hockey isn’t a popular sport in Florida. Meanwhile, the Rays have been the best team in the AL East. They’ve been everything that the Panthers haven’t.

Eventually, the NHL must intervene and accept that the Panthers will never be a success. There isn’t room for two teams in the Sunshine State. Sadly, they exist and the likes of the Hartford Whalers don’t. Sports should be for fans but sadly, that’s not always the case (via Stadium Talk).

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Atlanta Falcons

Football is a religion in Georgia. The University of Georgia Bulldogs is one of the best college programs in the nation. However, their NFL franchise isn’t enjoying the same success. Yes, it hasn’t been that long since they played in the Super Bowl but that’s when they had the worst meltdown ever (via Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

Historically, the Falcons have been an embarrassment to the NFL. Michael Vick’s dogfighting scandal was one of the most ridiculous and tasteless stories ever. After Matt Ryan’s departure, they became a team in transition and no longer compete with the best in the NFC.

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England

England has the most lucrative soccer league on the planet. It receives billions in television revenue every year and this means the weakest teams sign elite players. Massive clubs in other nations struggle to compete because they don’t have the same financial resources (via Liberty Line).

But the English national team is a joke at international tournaments. They haven’t won a competition since the World Cup in 1966 but their fans still sing “it’s coming home.” Perhaps they should change it to ‘we’re going home,” because their team never beats the best.

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Brooklyn Nets

The Nets thought that they could buy a Larry Brown Trophy but they made a big mistake. Instead of looking for a replica on Amazon, they spent millions on megastars like Kevin Durant and James Harden. They also had Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, and LaMarcus Aldridge. On paper, it was the stuff of dreams.

But it turned into a nightmare because they had zero chemistry. The team fell apart after two seasons because Harden went to Philly. Then Irving became one of the most polarizing figures in basketball because of his controversial opinions. This was a massive embarrassment for the franchise (via The Sportster).

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings became the first NFL franchise to play in four Super Bowls. This makes it almost more impressive that they never won a single one. Minnesota knows all about embarrassing moments. There was the ridiculous ‘Loveboat’ scandal and many false dawns.

It’s not as if the Vikings didn’t deserve it. But they keep finding new and exciting ways to lose. Daunte Culpepper had a career season before destroying himself. They’ve also made rotten draft decisions. It’s easy to like the Vikings but they can be unintentionally hilarious (via Bleacher Report).

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New York Yankees

The Yankees have more money than anybody else but this doesn’t stop them from disappointing their fans. They indeed have a record 27 World Series titles, but the last one came in 2009. Since then, they’ve endured a drought that is an embarrassment to the franchise.

They’ve continuously slumped in the postseason and allowed great opportunities to pass by. Meanwhile, the upstart Mets are threatening the Yankees’ traditional dominance in the city. Their fans have a sense of entitlement but they should take nothing for granted (via The Athletic).

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Chicago Blackhawks

One thing is certain: it’s never boring to be a Blackhawks fan. Bill Wirtz turned them into the laughingstock of the 2000s because he refused to pay their best players. He also blocked TV crews from filming live home games because he thought it was unfair to season ticket holders (via The Hockey Writers).

This was ludicrous behavior but eventually, old Bill aged out of significance. His son turned things around and the team won a Stanley Cup in 2015. But then they went back to their roots and showed that some things stay the same in this world. The Blackhawks are a bad team again and an embarrassment to hockey.

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Jacksonville Jaguars

Let’s caveat this by saying that the Jags are improving. They have one of the hottest quarterback prospects ever in Trevor Lawrence and the future is bright. But this doesn’t eradicate years of embarrassing history. The franchise is one of the worst in the entire NFL (via Jacksonville.com).

Most people in Florida follow the Dolphins or the Buccaneers because of their historical success. Nobody cares about the Jaguars and they won’t unless they win something. But the problem is that they’ve barely come close. Furthermore, recent mistakes like the Urban Meyer saga didn’t help their image.

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Inter Miami

David Beckham is an iconic MLS figure because he helped bring international attention to the league. The L.A. Galaxy legend loves the U.S. and promised to create another expansion franchise. He’s one of Miami’s primary owners and the reason why they wear pink.

However, they are one of the worst teams in the league and arguably Beckham’s biggest failure. One of his dumbest moves was appointing former teammate Phil Neville as head coach. Neville had a shocking record with England’s women and failed to inspire Miami (via TalkSport).

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L.A. Angels

The Angels of Anaheim are an embarrassment to baseball for one big reason. Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout are indeed two of MLB’s best players right now. But there’s more chance of the L.A. Chargers making the World Series than the Angels these days (via Bleacher Report).

It’s incredible that Trout, arguably the best of his generation, has only played in a single playoff series. The Angels failed to build a roster to his strengths. Yes, it’s a lot of fun to watch Ohtani and Trout work their magic every week, but fans want to see this franchise in the postseason.

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Norwich F.C.

Norwich is one of the strangest soccer teams on the planet. The English team bounces like a tennis ball between the Premier League and Championship. Typically, they are too good for the latter and blow their rivals away. But they’re never competitive after a promotion (via TalkSport).

It’s a strange situation for the Canaries because they frustrate their fans. A strong contingent would prefer that they didn’t go up after winning the league. That’s because they know they’ll barely see their team win again the following season. This is the opposite of what most fanbases want.

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Chicago Bears

Boomer Esiason said that Chicago is where quarterbacks “go to die.” This perfectly summed up the situation for the franchise because they haven’t had a great one since Jim Harbaugh. The franchise is an embarrassment because it enjoys a huge market in one of the nation’s biggest cities.

They won the Super Bowl in 1986 but struggled for the next couple of decades. Now they have a brilliant young QB in Justin Fields but he can’t win games by himself. Time will tell if their front office bucks up their ideas and builds a stronger roster around him (via NBC Sports).

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Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones is one of the biggest reasons why ‘America’s Team’ is an embarrassment to the NFL. We know their fans will indignantly say that it’s the most lucrative franchise in the U.S. But surely they should care more about winning games than Jones lining his pockets with cash.

Their most consistent period came in the early 1990s when they won three Super Bowls. But these days they struggle to compete with the best teams and burn out quickly. Meanwhile, off the field, they made horrible mistakes with women beaters like Greg Hardy and Ezekiel Elliot (via USA Today Sports).

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Cleveland Browns

Luckily, the Browns have one of the most loyal fanbases in North America. We’re not sure why though because their team doesn’t give them a lot to love. The Browns were decent before they flickered in and out of existence. Then they returned in 1999 as one of the weakest franchises in the NFL (via The Spun).

They won a single game across two seasons from 2015 to 2016. This was one of the most difficult times for their fans because they had nothing to cheer for. In recent years they improved but they became an embarrassment again. That’s because they brought DeShaun Watson in despite his sexual assault allegations.

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L.A. Clippers

Spare a thought for Clippers fans because they are fighting against the tide. It’s not easy to support them in a town dominated by a serial winner like the Lakers. Historically, the Clippers have a garbage record but they’re trying to improve. Nowadays they’re an underachieving title contender.

That’s because the Clippers always fall short and fail to meet expectations. In recent years, they added Kahwi Leonard and Paul George to their roster. Fans expected that they’d be very competitive in the postseason but instead they proved to be an embarrassment (via Sportsnaut).

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FC Cincinnati

Yes, we know that nobody in the U.S. cares about soccer. But that doesn’t change the fact that Cincinnati is an embarrassment to their sport. The team entered the MLS in 2019 as an expansion team. They enjoyed a lot of success in the USL but the last couple of years were a nightmare.

They managed a win ratio of 0.71 in their debut season. This was terrible but fans gave them the benefit of the doubt. After all, they were an expansion team and it’s not easy to make the step up. But then they regressed to 0.69 in 2020 as they proved that they were out of their depth (via Gambling Sites).

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Ottawa Senators

Imagine if Dan Snyder was Russian and owned a hockey team. That’s effectively the situation the Senators have found themselves in with Eugene Melnyk. He’s one of the shadiest people in the sport and the main reason why they’re the NHL’s main embarrassment (via SBNation).

It doesn’t help that they’re not a very good team. If they enjoyed a lot of success then people would overlook Melynk’s dubious business practices. Meanwhile, they have one of the dumbest nicknames and logos in the sport. Why are they called Senators when they have a picture of a Roman centurion?

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Denver Broncos

Denver fans were a nightmare during the 2022 off-season because they thought that they were getting Aaron Rodgers. Finally, the franchise traded for Russell Wilson, and their fans talked about being Super Bowl contenders. Instead, Wilson received a baptism of fire and played horribly for the team.

Furthermore, rapidly exposed their rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett. It seemed that he learned his trade playing Madden instead of forging a respectable NFL career. The team went into meltdown and didn’t have any hope of making the playoffs. It was a major embarrassment after all of their trash talks (via ESPN).

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Tottenham Hotspurs

The Spurs are one of the most strange soccer teams in Europe. On paper, they’re a decent side with some of the best players in the world. Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son are devastating talents who would walk into any starting lineup. But Tottenham is like the L.A. Angels of the Premier League (via The Sun).

“Doing a Spurs” is a phrase that entered the soccer lexicon because they find amazing ways to hurt their fans. They throw away leads from impossible positions. Spurs had great opportunities to win the Premier League and Champions League in recent years but failed miserably.

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Chicago Bulls

In the ’90s, this would be the most ridiculous inclusion ever. But the team went into meltdown in the 2000s after Jordan’s departure and the end of that era. They thought that they had the next big thing in basketball when they drafted Derrick Rose. However, that didn’t change their downward spiral.

Then they suffered because of their horrific front office situation. Jerry Krause broke up a winning team. Meanwhile, Jim Boylen went 39-84 as head coach. But they shouldn’t have allowed him to get that far. Finally, 2020 signaled a culture shift with the firing of GM Gar Forman (via The Ringer).

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Houston Texans

The Texans are an embarrassment to the NFL for a bunch of reasons. In 2021, they lost more games by 20 points than any other franchise. The previous year they blew a 24-0 postseason lead against the Chiefs and also lost by 20 points. This was a record that nobody wanted.

In short, the NFL’s youngest team has had a rough start to life. They constantly make strange decisions like trading DeAndre Hopkins and giving general manager duties to their head coach. Their front office is a trash can of bad ideas and their fans pay the price (via NFL.com).

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San Diego Padres

The problem with the Padres is that their owners don’t care about winning games. They run the franchise in the most cynical way possible because they don’t want to lose money. This makes sense from a business perspective but it’s a nightmare for their long-suffering fans (via Bleacher Report).

If they spend a lot of money on top players they’ll lose revenue. That’s because they have low TV ratings and a miserable attendance record. Historically, they don’t want to compete with the Dodgers or the Angels because they don’t have the means. But this also means that they’re an embarrassment to baseball.

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New York Knicks

The Knicks enjoy massive popularity because of the franchise’s situation in New York. They had a decent record in the ’90s when they had the legendary Patrick Ewing on their roster. But they haven’t made the Finals since 1999 and show few signs of returning.

It took the franchise years to recover from Isiah Thomas’s horrific front-office management. In later years they pursued established veterans instead of trying to build an eager young roster. This move backfired on them and they’ve remained out of contention (via Complex).

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New York Jets

The only good thing that we can say about the Jets is that they won a Super Bowl. But it feels like a lifetime since the days of Joe Namath. These days it’s a massive story for the Gang Green when their team makes the playoffs. It doesn’t happen very often so that’s not a surprise.

In recent years, the Jets have been an embarrassment to the NFL. They drafted quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson but went nowhere. Meanwhile, there were hilarious incidents in their history like the infamous ‘Butt Fumble (via The Guardian).”

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Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets spent years treading water before showing signs of improvement in the late 2010s. But then they regressed again and showed why they’re one of hockey’s most depressing franchises. Their fans agree that they’re an embarrassment to the sport but that’s life (via The Athletic).

We always respect people who follow notoriously bad teams. It’s not easy to spend every weekend watching a franchise lose. But that’s the Blue Jackets’ story and it’s one that their fanbase is familiar with. Perhaps one day they’ll compete for a Stanley Cup but it won’t be anytime soon.

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Charlotte Hornets

The old Charlotte Bobcats have the worst historical season in NBA history. After they revived the old ‘Hornets’ nickname they became one of the most pointless teams ever. Michael Jordan has a controlling stake in the franchise but he’s a garbage owner.

Skip Bayless described the Bulls legend as the worst NBA owner of all time. He believes that the franchise is an embarrassment to the sport and doesn’t contribute anything. They made rotten draft decisions and never compete at the top of their division (via FOX Sports).

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Washington Nationals

One analysis identified the Nationals as the most challenging team to support in sports. That’s because they are atrocious by any marker. Yes, they recently won a World Series but their reaction made it appear to be a mistake. They instantly posted the worst three seasons after winning a title.

Meanwhile, they lost the most games in franchise history as well as the worst run differential. We’re only talking about their recent history here because things become even worse. Before their World Series win, the Nationals were more than an embarrassment to MLB (via Washington Post).

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Washington Commanders

It’s difficult to know where to begin with the Commanders because they are a massive embarrassment. Most of this is because of their owner, Dan Snyder. He is one of the worst figures in the league with a notorious sexual harassment case hanging over him (via Bleacher Report).

Another terrible aspect of his ownership was his refusal to change the franchise’s name. It didn’t matter that it insulted native Americans. Finally, sponsors threatened to withdraw and he backed down. Then there were dozens of awful moments on the pitch that stressed their fans.

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These Franchises Are An Embarrassment To Their Sports

These Franchises Are An Embarrassment To Their Sports

Detroit Lions

Philadelphia Phillies

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Coyotes

Minnesota Timberwolves

Pittsburgh Pirates

Cincinnati Bengals

Seattle Mariners

Sacramento Kings

Manchester United

Buffalo Sabres

Indianapolis Colts

Florida Panthers

Atlanta Falcons

England

Brooklyn Nets

Minnesota Vikings

New York Yankees

Chicago Blackhawks

Jacksonville Jaguars

Inter Miami

L.A. Angels

Norwich F.C.

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Cleveland Browns

L.A. Clippers

FC Cincinnati

Ottawa Senators

Denver Broncos

Tottenham Hotspurs

Chicago Bulls

Houston Texans

San Diego Padres

New York Knicks

New York Jets

Columbus Blue Jackets

Charlotte Hornets

Washington Nationals

Washington Commanders

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