12 Teams Happy to See 2014 End
New Year's is always a time when people are making resolutions and hoping that, what they might regret or have missed out on in the current year, they can change and accomplish in the following 365 days.
Resolutions are not limited to individuals making goals they set to achieve, however, as there are also sports teams who might be doing the same come 2015.
Whether it was because of turmoil, a losing record, dysfunction or something else, these are teams who can't wait to see the calendar change in a couple days.
12. Oakland Athletics
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Seeing how the 2014 Oakland Athletics sat 28 games over .500 with baseball's best record on August 9, yet barely made the playoffs, is there any doubt they're looking toward 2015?
After making trades for pitchers Jon Lester and Jeff Samardzija that were intended to bolster the roster and help them contend for a World Series, the A's went just 11-25 in their final 36 games, played in the one-game Wild Card Game and lost to the Kansas City Royals.
And, as has become a custom of the organization, the A's are wheeling and dealing to try and acquire young players rather than pay established players, making the collapse the team had even more devastating as they look toward 2015, too.
11. Washington Capitals
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When you have one of the best players in the world skating for your team, the hope would be that that guy could help lead the team to a deep postseason run.
That hasn't been the case in 2014 for the Washington Capitals, though.
Even with three-time league MVP Alex Ovechkin, the Caps missed the playoffs last season, and, thus far in 2014-15, haven't looked too great, either.
The losing last season ended the run of former head coach Adam Oates and then-general manager George McPhee, but, even with a new system and veteran leader in Barry Trotz, the team still sits in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern standings.
That may get them into the postseason, but, more than likely, it wouldn't end with the one thing the franchise and its superstar seek—a Stanley Cup title.
10. Michigan Wolverines Football
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Ask any Michigan Wolverines football fan about 2014, and they might just tell you that it was the most depressing seasons of the past six since former head coach Lloyd Carr left the program.
No, the Wolverines didn't completely collapse this season, winning six times in what turned out to be Brady Hoke's final season in Ann Arbor. But, after failing to reach a bowl game and seeing rival Ohio State finish in the Top Four of the College Football Playoff, it was one of the lowest points for the program.
In addition to all of the mess on the field, the fans turned against the school, booing the players and, eventually, running former athletics director Dave Brandon out of his post.
The mighty Wolverines have fallen on hard times in 2014, but, thanks to the hiring of alum Jim Harbaugh as their new coach, there's hope that 2015 will bring more smiles than frowns—and a lot more wins.
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9. San Francisco 49ers
4 of 12Speaking of Jim Harbaugh, the San Francisco 49ers are, more than likely, pretty sad to see the love affair with him end after the success he had in three of his four years in the Bay.
Sadly, the one season that didn't go well for him was 2014, where the team dipped from three straight NFC title games to an 8-8 record and a regular season ending in both turmoil and no playoffs.
After the team invested so much in quarterback Colin Kaepernick this past offseason and believed it had a team worthy of knocking off the division rival Seattle Seahawks from their championship-winning perch, the Niners were one of the most disappointing teams in all of sports, leading to Harbaugh's exit to the aforementioned Michigan Wolverines.
8. Tampa Bay Rays
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To be frank, 2014 was an awful year for the Tampa Bay Rays.
After making the postseason in 2013 and three of the five seasons prior, the team battled inconsistency and injuries all season long, fading to just 77 wins and a fourth-place finish in the AL East.
Sure, the Rays are always one of those teams with question marks because they don't have the resources to contend every season, but, under the guidance of Joe Maddon, they always seemed to overachieve.
Speaking of that Maddon guy, as if the losing during the season wasn't enough, the longest-tenured skipper in Rays history decided to take his managerial talents to North Side Chicago, where he hopes to sprinkle his magic over the Chicago Cubs in their quest to win a World Series.
That's a big loss, but, so too, is the split with front-office guru Andrew Friedman, who left the team for the deep-pocketed Los Angeles Dodgers.
A lot of bad happened to the Rays in 2014, so the fanbase should hope that new beginnings will lead to big success—even if it doesn't happen instantly in 2015.
7. Boston Bruins
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For a team that has reached the playoffs in each of the past seven years—including two trips to the Stanley Cup Final and one win—the Boston Bruins have looked poor thus far in 2014-15.
Currently sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference, the B's hope that 2015 will return them some of the luck they've had over these past few seasons, where they have made deep runs in the playoffs.
Thus far, though, it hasn't happened.
It would be one thing if they could blame the bad start on injuries, but, other than a few bumps and bruises on the day-to-day level, the team has managed to avoid major problems there.
After losing in last season's playoffs in a heartbreaking, seven-game series earlier this spring, then opening the season with 12-1 odds to win this season's Stanley Cup, the Bruins are sure to be celebrating the new year more than any other team in the NHL.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
7 of 12"We're not a very good team."
Those are the most recent words superstar LeBron James said following an ugly loss, at home, to the Detroit Pistons the other night.
For Cleveland, the return of its prodigal son wasn't supposed to be this difficult.
While the Cavs do currently sit at 18-12 and hold down the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, they are a shadow of the team many believed they would be, struggling to find a flow on offense and looking putrid, at times, on defense.
Everyone knew it would take patience—James included—so everyone within the organization is hoping that something clicks and the engine starts running smoothly once 2015 hits.
5. New York Jets
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Forget the fact that the New York Jets just completed a 4-12 season, because, while that's pitiful for the team and their fans to swallow, there's more to just a lost year.
With the team struggles comes responsibility on leaders and, as expected, the franchise cut ties with general manager John Idzik—which was hoped for months ago—and head coach Rex Ryan.
Still, even with a new regime coming in 2015, the Jets are still going to be looking for a franchise quarterback, figuring out what players are worthy of sticking around as a new playbook gets incorporated and how they are going to gain back some credibility in the AFC.
It has been a tough couple of seasons in the Big Apple for Gang Green, so 2015 brings a lot of new beginnings for them—which, they hope, will bring success.
4. Boston Red Sox
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Worst-to-First-to-Worst.
That's the strange pattern the Boston Red Sox have found themselves following in the past three MLB seasons, finishing in the bottom of the AL East in both 2012 and 2014, with a World Series title sandwiched between.
Even with the fourth-highest payroll in baseball in 2014, the Red Sox had their struggles, turning a season they hoped would end with a repeat title into one with just 71 wins.
Hoping to turn things around in 2015, the Sox will be made up of a good mix of young and experienced talent, which, they believe, will help them continue to the trend of going from worst-to-first again.
3. The Baylor Bears and TCU Horned Frogs
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While the first annual College Football Playoff selected the top four teams in the country to compete for the national title, there were no other teams more upset with the decision than both Baylor and TCU.
With both finishing with just one loss on the year, the Bears and Horned Frogs had legitimate cases for why they should have been the last team chosen for the semifinals.
Unfortunately, the committee didn't think the arguments were solid enough, as they chose the Ohio State Buckeyes, in part, because the Big 12—Baylor and TCU's conference—doesn't have a conference title game and the Big 10 does.
Though both teams are in bowl games, they are probably happy that 2014 will end and they can try to get to the Playoff in 2015.
2. New York Knicks
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It wasn't long ago that jubilation filled the air for New York Knicks fans, who celebrated the team hiring Phil Jackson as their new president.
Boy, that seemed like an eternity ago, doesn't it?
After his first offseason produced the hiring of a first-time head coach in Derek Fisher and the re-signing of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have looked more pitiful than a rec league team, struggling to understand the triangle offense and displaying many of the bad habits of playing one-on-five basketball.
While 2015 won't immediately see many changes, Knicks fans have to be hopeful that the team will do something to show some sort of pulse as it continues to rebuild.
Well, at least Phil Jackson has claimed so.
1. Chicago Bears
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When thinking about which team deserved to fall atop this list, the Chicago Bears were a near-perfect choice.
Here's why.
They won just five games in 2014, leading to the firing of head coach Marc Trestman after two seasons in the Windy City.
On top of that, the defense surrendered back-to-back 50-point games and, statistically, was one of the poorest in league history.
Oh, and, let's not forget about that whole quarterback situation, where Jay Cutler has actually seemed to regress, looking completely lost in some games this year.
Much like others on this list, the Bears hope that a new coach can bring new energy and a winning atmosphere, but, even then, the roster will have to undergo quite the renovation to be considered capable of making a playoff run in the talented NFC.
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