Signs That a Crushing Loss Will Have Lasting Effects
When a sports team is stuck in the middle of a serious and long-lasting rut, there is usually a noteworthy and equally depressing sign or two that fans can go back and identify.
Take, for example, the 2001 Arizona Cardinals, who—from 2001 to 2006—suffered through six consecutive losing seasons. Of course, no moment signaled such future futility quite like when Bill Gramatica suffered a season-ending knee injury while celebrating a first-quarter field goal in an '01 game the Cardinals actually lost.
Similarly, the funk in which the New York Knicks are still currently stuck was never made so clear as when, back in March, members of the opposing Chicago Bulls were caught doing the wave rather than caring even a little about the NBA game of which they were a part.
There were also the 2013 Florida Gators, who showed signs of future misery not just with a loss to Georgia Southern, but by blocking themselves in the process.
With these signals of dread in mind, we've compiled our very own commemorative list of signs that a crushing loss will have lasting effects.
That said, we've found notably embarrassing moments that took place in notably embarrassing losses and, in the end, specifically highlighted the teams that allowed such debacles to completely derail them, in both the present and future to come.
When Never-Used Players Enter the Game
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The Sign
When an NBA team starts reaching deep into its bench, you're witnessing either a noncompetitive or unimportant contest.
And when said team digs so deep for a player that even closed captioning can't get his name right, well, then you're watching a snoozer for the record books.
Sacramento rookie Nik Stauskas was the victim of such a fiasco back in March when—while checking into the game—he was mistakenly, but also awesomely, referred to as Sauce Castillo.
The memorable moment is the one exception on our list, as it actually occurred during a 107-106 Sacramento win over Philadelphia.
Of course, when those two tank-mode bottom feeders are playing—they are a combined 45-117 on the season—a "win" is actually a loss.
Since Then
Since the infamous night Stauskas received his unforgettable nickname, Sacramento is an unimpressive 2-7.
More importantly, an apparently then-unknown Stauskas appeared in what was supposed to be a losing effort and exposed a careless franchise that is clearly trying to stockpile assets and take shelter for will likely be a long and cold winter.
When Your Team's Player Gets Hurt While Celebrating a Sack
2 of 10The Sign
There's no doubt sacks can be exciting, but for good teams, they're also relatively commonplace.
So when a player celebrates one so intensely that he ends up injuring himself, it's a pretty negative reflection on his team and the direction it's heading.
That, of course, is exactly what happened to Chicago's Lamarr Houston, who injured his knee last October after sacking New England backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
It's important to note that the play occurred in the fourth quarter of a game the Bears lost, 51-23!
Since Then
Following the Houston embarrassment, Chicago lost six of its last eight contests.
And based on the team's recent struggles both on and off the field—which includes drama surrounding Jay Cutler, who just so happens to play football's most important position—an end to Chicago's misery seems far off in the distant future, making the aforementioned blunder both a likely and troubling sign of things to come.
When Your Opponent Starts the Wave
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The Sign
On March 28, 2015, the Chicago Bulls absolutely embarrassed the New York Knicks.
The final: 111-80!
More importantly, with the game firmly in hand midway through the fourth quarter, Chicago starters Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah took the opportunity to sit back, relax and join in on The Wave!
Now that's some serious New York disrespect, folks.
Not only were the Bulls completely ignoring the Knicks and the ongoing game, but they actually dedicated considerable time and attention to identifying The Wave, timing it up, waiting for their turn and then—with perfect synchronization—seamlessly becoming a part of the ritual cheer.
Since Then
It hasn't exactly been long since the Bulls completely shamed the Knicks; nonetheless, New York lost four of its next five contests.
And if the team's absolute dearth of talent and dreadful 17-64 record are any indication, Chicago won't be the last opponent to mock and disregard the lowly Knicks.
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When the Other Team Barely Shows Up
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The Sign
When your team is setting records for futility, and in the NFL no less—a league known pervasive parity—its future is likely in serious peril.
Such was the case with the 0-6 Tennessee Titans, who barely even showed up for their showdown with the New England Patriots in October 2009.
The terrible Titans were absolutely annihilated on the day—the final score was 59-0—and set the NFL's mark for the most pathetic half in league history, trailing 45-0 at the break!
Since Then
When your favorite NFL team has simply stopped trying altogether, it hardly bodes well for its future.
Certainly, that was true of the Titans; they finished the 2009 season with a losing record and have only one above-.500 season since (Tennessee finished 9-7 in 2011).
When Fans Chant for Tom Hanks Instead of Their Team
5 of 10The Sign
You know things are bad when fans at a game are so wholly disinterested in their own dreadful team that instead of caring about the game, they begin chanting for things completely unrelated to sports.
The Knicks have had a painful 2014-15 season, and it all came to a head on March 3 when New York found itself getting embarrassed at home by a bad team from Sacramento.
Things got so ugly, in fact, that toward the end of the 124-86 shellacking, New York fans completely forgot about basketball and turned their attention to—wait for it—none other than Tom Hanks, whose name they started chanting.
Since Then
When basketball fans begin to care more about people in attendance than the people on the court, something just isn't right.
And since the bizarre showing of fandom, the forgotten Knicks have dropped 17 of 22 contests!
When Your Kicker Gets Hurt While Celebrating a First-Quarter FG
6 of 10The Sign
If you're jumping for joy over a first-quarter field goal, your team likely stinks.
If your kicker actually injures himself while jumping for joy over a first-quarter field goal, well, then, batten down the hatches because things are about to get ugly.
On December 15, 2001, Arizona kicker Bill Gramatica successfully connected on a 43-yard first-quarter field goal and then pathetically suffered a season-ending injury during the ensuing celebration.
It's worth noting the Cardinals lost to the Giants that day, 17-13.
Since Then
Not only did the ridiculous first-quarter celebration cost Gramatica the rest of the season along with his reputation, it also was a sign of Arizona's mediocrity to come.
The team finished 2001 with a below-average 7-9 record and then proceeded to endure five consecutive losing seasons before going just 8-8 in 2007.
When Fans Start Cheering for a Team That's Not Even Playing
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The Sign
You've got to give fans some credit: They usually know their teams quite well and if a blowout loss is simply an aberration or a sign of things to come.
On November 15, 2014—in the middle of a disastrous 6-2 home loss to the lowly Buffalo Sabres—Toronto Maple Leafs fans could smell the struggles ahead and reacted accordingly.
Disgusted by their team's uninspired performance, Leafs fans tossed scarfs onto the ice and, worse yet, eventually stopped caring altogether.
Rather than booing or heckling the home team, they forgot about hockey and turned their attention to the Raptors, the one Toronto team apparently worthy of both support and respect.
Since Then
Better than anyone else, Toronto fans knew that the 6-2 loss to Buffalo was more trend than outlier.
And boy, were they right.
Following the home-ice debacle, the Leafs went from two games above .500 to 14 games below it and amassed a record of 21-37-6 over the remainder of the season.
When Fans Would Rather Be Naked Than Keep Watching
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The Sign
For most people, stripping in public is either not an option or merely a last resort.
But when you're a fan of the once-glorious but now down-and-out Indiana basketball program, no shenanigan should ever be ruled out, especially if it means shedding the colors you are now embarrassed to don.
Just ask this Hoosier, who was so ashamed of Indiana basketball that she decided it was better to be naked than clothed in support of IU ball.
To be exact, the modest fan was on hand for Indiana's 2013 battle at Syracuse, which it lost 69-52. And when it was clear her team was going to fall without putting up much of a fight, she decided nudity was better than Hoosiery.
Since Then
Something tells us the nude Indiana fan probably had a bit too much to drink that night.
Nonetheless, she was totally justified in her IU shame.
Not only did the Hoosiers miss the NCAA tournament later on that year, but they only narrowly made it in 2014-15 before losing to Wichita State in the round of 64.
When Your Guys Start Playing for the Other Team
9 of 10The Sign
In the competitive sport of football, it's never wise to lend the opposing team a helping hand.
That, however, is exactly what happened in November 2013 when—in the middle of their own offensive play—two Florida players locked arms and began blocking each other rather than the opponent.
Football coaches love to talk about "winning football," preaching about fundamentals and doing the "little things." But long before a group can do that, it must first identify who is actually on which team, an exercise with which Florida clearly needed more time.
Not so surprisingly, the Gators lost at home to Georgia Southern that day—26-20 was the final—suffering arguably the worst defeat in program history.
Since Then
When your football team is caught trying to take on itself and the opponent, you know you're in for a long couple of years.
In the case of Florida, it went on to lose its final game of 2013—a 37-7 demolition at the hands of Florida State—and then posted a disappointing 7-5 mark in 2014.
Of course, the well-documented struggles put an end to the Will Muschamp experiment in Gainesville, and as we sit here today, the Gators are still trying to recover.
When Your Quarterback Can Be Seen Laughing on Sideline
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The Sign
In sports, watching your team lose is bad enough. That said, watching your team lose and one of its key players laugh all the while is simply unacceptable.
Cardinals fans know exactly how such misery feels. After all, they witnessed starting quarterback Derek Anderson laugh his way through a 21-point loss to San Francisco back in December 2010.
Though Anderson defended himself vehemently, Arizona fans are certainly happy he's no longer around.
Since Then
No matter what you say about taking things out of context, a competitive football player should be furious in the middle of a 21-point defeat, not happy enough to laugh.
Not surprisingly, Anderson's lack of competitive fire was representative of the 2010 Cardinals as a whole, who finished the year with a disappointing 5-11 record.
Fittingly, the mentally weak bunch didn't get back to consistently winning until three years later, in 2013, when they finished 10-6 on the year.
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