Let’s face it — not every franchise is bathed in glory, drenched in rings, or showered in fan devotion. Some teams just can’t seem to catch a break, whether it’s due to years of losing, a complete lack of identity, or simply being overshadowed by a more successful neighbor. These are the teams that don’t get the prime-time slots, the ones whose merch collects dust, and the ones that even casual fans forget exist.
It’s not always their fault, of course. Bad ownership, cursed draft picks, or just being stuck in a city that doesn’t care — the reasons are endless. But at the end of the day, these are the franchises that feel unloved, unwanted, or just flat-out unlucky. If sports are about passion, these teams are running dangerously low on affection.
15. Columbus Blue Jackets
They’ve been in the NHL for over two decades and still feel like an expansion team nobody remembers. Even their cannon can’t blast them into relevance.
14. Charlotte Hornets
MJ couldn’t make them cool and LaMelo’s flashes haven’t lit much of a spark. They’re somehow stuck in permanent rebuild purgatory with retro jerseys as their biggest draw.
13. Oakland Athletics
They traded away everything but the stadium rats and still expect fans to show up. At this point, “Moneyball” feels more like a horror movie.
12. Arizona Coyotes
They’ve been kicked out of more arenas than bad garage bands and still don’t have a permanent home. Watching them is like rooting for a pop-up shop with hockey sticks.
11. Washington Wizards
They haven’t sniffed true contention since flip phones were a thing. The most exciting part of their season is usually figuring out who they’ll overpay next.
10. New York Jets
They got Aaron Rodgers and everything fell apart. That’s the Jets for ya! Every season starts with hope and ends with memes — and somehow, they keep finding new ways to break hearts.
9. Colorado Rockies
Coors Field is beautiful, but unfortunately, the baseball played there is not. They exist mostly to boost opponent batting averages and occasionally confuse fans with a Nolan Arenado highlight from 2019.
8. Indiana Pacers
They’re consistently mid, quietly exiting the playoffs or the national conversation altogether. Even in Indiana, basketball fans seem to prefer college hoops.
7. Houston Texans
They were basically an NFL afterthought until they drafted C.J. Stroud. Things are looking up now, but it’s going to take time to undo a decade of “meh.”
6. Anaheim Ducks
They dropped the “Mighty” and somehow lost their identity. These days, they’re just a punchline to anyone who remembers the 90s glory days.
5. Chicago White Sox
Living in the shadow of the Cubs, and not even trying to come out. When your biggest headline in years is a player complaining about vibes, you know it’s bad.
4. Winnipeg Jets
Even their own fans are kind of over it. Great players have left, playoff runs have fizzled, and the overall mood is “shrug.”
Read More: 10 NFL Franchises That Keep Making the Same Mistakes
3. Charlotte FC
They’re the new kid on the MLS block and already kind of forgotten. It’s hard to build hype when nobody can remember your coach’s name.
Read More: 15 NFL Teams That Just Can’t Catch a Break, Ranked by Misery
2. Portland Trail Blazers
They kept Dame too long, then traded him too late, and now it’s Scoot season whether anyone asked for it or not. Even Rip City looks a little sleepy these days.
1. Los Angeles Angels
They had two of the greatest players of this generation and still couldn’t make the playoffs. It’s like owning a Ferrari and using it to deliver pizza. And now that they’ve lost Shohei Ohtani? Forget about it.
Read More: 10 MLB Franchises That Are Stuck in Baseball Purgatory
