10 Fanbases That Panicked Way Too Early
When the Green Bay Packers started the 2014 season 1-2, quarterback Aaron Rodgers went on the ESPN Milwaukee radio show (via ESPN.com) and basically told everyone to chill out. The Pack went on to a 12-4 record and an NFC Championship berth. The start of this NFL season has similarly caused some teams to hastily reach for the panic button.
The "panicked too soon" label could be applied to pretty much any fanbase that endured a couple early-season losses. That said, the following conditions should help narrow things down for today's purposes:
- Panic must occur early in a season.
- Teams must have had medium to high expectations entering the season, since panic doesn't usually occur when fans know the team will be bad.
- If happening this season, teams must have at least a reasonable chance of turning things around.
- If not happening this season, the panic proved to be unfounded, and the team went on to make the playoffs.
This probably applies to a lot of teams, but let's take a look at a few notable examples of fanbases losing their collective cools a little too early. And remember, when panic sets in, just R-E-L-A-X.
2015 Toronto Blue Jays
1 of 10
Start: 6-7
The Toronto Blue Jays haven't made the playoffs since 1993, but they did finish the 2014 season at 83-79. With the offseason acquisitions of catcher Russell Martin and third baseman Josh Donaldson, expectations were high going into spring training.
Instead, the Blue Jays sputtered (a little) to start the season. After a 6-7 start, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star urged patience but wrote, "It seems like Toronto's sports fans are forever searching for reasons not to believe."
The Jays later got pitcher David Price and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki at the trade deadline, and they were off to the races.
Result: 91-65 through September 29. Clinched a playoff spot and look likely to win the American League East.
2007 New York Giants
2 of 10
Start: 0-2
Anytime an NFL team starts 0-2, it's cause for concern. Preseason expectations for the New York Giants weren't way high in 2007, but the team entered the season coming off of two straight playoff appearances. Unfortunately, Eli Manning and Co. got off to a rough start, dropping the first two games.
According to the Associated Press (via NFL.com), guard Chris Snee told reporters at the time, "You hate to use the word desperation, but we've put ourselves in a bad position, let's put it that way. We know what we have to do and what the score is."
Result: The Giants turned it around just enough to finish 10-6 and slip into the playoffs. They won the Super Bowl with the help of David Tyree’s helmet.
2015 Indianapolis Colts
3 of 10
Start:1-2
An early favorite to contend for a Super Bowl title, the Indianapolis Colts have gotten off to a rough (OK, really rough) start in this young 2015 season.
Through three games, Andrew Luck has the worst passer rating in the NFL. In the first two games, the Colts failed to score any first-half points. Problems with the offensive line, an egregious Frank Gore fumble and a high number of Luck turnovers have all contributed to a state of disarray in Indianapolis.
Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star wrote that the "Colts are a dumpster fire waiting to happen." Ouch.
Result: TBD, but at least Luck and Co. eased a little tension with a win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 3.
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2014-15 New York Rangers
4 of 10
Start: 11-10-4
The New York Rangers haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1994, but it's not for lack of opportunity. The Rangers have made five straight playoff appearances. They reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 but succumbed to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
The following season, the Rangers hoped to get over the hump. Unfortunately, they got off to a slow start and struggled to find consistency amid injury and performance issues.
In December, Larry Brooks of the New York Post wrote that goaltender Henrik Lundqvist "has surrendered too many unsightly goals and has had way too many borderline nights for a team that isn't good enough to overcome mediocrity in nets." One New York blogger even suggested benching the All-Star goalie.
Result: 53-22-7 record (most points and wins in franchise history), lost in Eastern Conference Final.
2015 Chelsea, Premier League
5 of 10
Start: 2-2-3
Chelsea took the Premier League title in 2014-15, and expectations are always high for Jose Mourinho's club. Perhaps that's why a winless preseason caused some concern in Fulham, London.
Regular-season play hasn't gone much better—Chelsea scored just eight points in its first seven matches. Alistair Tweedale of the Telegraph speculated on Mourinho's future as manager and wrote, "2015-16 may now prove to be a season of damage limitation."
Still, according to Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal, former Chelsea left back Graeme Le Saux said, "Chelsea becomes very anxious very quickly. Every team Chelsea play when they're in this run of form will think, 'This is our chance to beat the champions.'"
Result: TBD
2010-11 Miami Heat
6 of 10
Start: 9-8
The Big Three made a big deal about being together in Miami. The expectations for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were sky-high in 2010 soon after James announced his plans to join the team.
New teammates often take time to gel, however, and such was the case for those guys. The team hovered near .500 at the beginning of the season, fighting against rumors of inner turmoil.
After a 106-95 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in November, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that head coach Erik Spoelstra said, "It is so easy for everyone to push the panic button right now. Panic is probably at an all-time high on the outside. It cannot be on the inside with us."
Result: 58-24 record, lost NBA Finals
2014 Green Bay Packers
7 of 10
Start: 1-2
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had one word for anxious fans after a 1-2 start to the 2014 season. According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Rodgers said on his Milwaukee radio show, "Five letters here just for everybody out there in Packer-land: R-E-L-A-X. Relax. We're going to be OK."
At the time, the Packers offense was ranked 28th in total yards. Spoiler: Things turned around, and that rank was up to sixth overall by regular season's end. Rodgers threw for 4,381 yards, 38 touchdowns and only five interceptions on the season, en route to the MVP Award.
Result: 12-4 record, NFC Championship Game loss
1990-91 Chicago Bulls
8 of 10
Start: 5-6
Coming off of two straight trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, expectations were high for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1990. Things got off to a bumpy 5-6 start, however. The Bulls won seven straight after that but in December, suffered a "humiliating 105-84 loss" to the Detroit Pistons, as Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune put it back then.
Smith wrote, "There had been predictions recently about a major earthquake in the Midwest. It didn't occur. But somehow the Bulls are feeling the aftershocks." He reported that Michael Jordan had this to say: "These Miamis and Orlandos and teams we beat don't compare when we have to play the real horses."
Result: 61-21 record, won NBA Finals (sweeping the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals along the way)
2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers
9 of 10
Start: 1-3
Shouldn't have LeBron James fans learned their lesson from the 2010 Miami Heat?
No, Ohioans (and pretty much the sports world at large) worked themselves into an altogether ridiculous tizzy just four games into the 2014-15 NBA season. It was, after all, the highly anticipated homecoming of James. That, plus the addition of Kevin Love to a team that already had Kyrie Irving, made preseason expectations pretty high.
Instead, the Cavs dropped three of their first four games. Chris Fedor of the Plain Dealer collected a series of Twitter overreactions after a particularly stinging loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Of James' 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, one fan tweeted, "LeBron James didn't score in the 2nd half. He took his talents back to Cleveland, he just apparently forgot to bring them to Portland."
In response to early criticism, James took a page out of Aaron Rodgers' book. Literally. The King tweeted, "In the words of the great @AaronRodgers12 'RELAX.'"
Result: 53-29 record, NBA Finals loss
1993 Dallas Cowboys
10 of 10
Start: 0-2
In 1993, the Dallas Cowboys were coming off of a Super Bowl victory. Panic set in before the season even began, however, because of an Emmitt Smith holdout. When the 'Boys dropped their first two, things really got tense.
Thomas George of the New York Times wrote, "Are the Dallas Cowboys taking a perfectly molded team, a defending Super Bowl champion, and misshaping it beyond repair? Is this Emmitt Smith thing a whirlwind ripping through the heart and soul of everything special the new Cowboys have built?"
Owner Jerry Jones was booed by his own fans. Cowboys defensive end Charles Haley famously smashed his helmet into a locker room wall and yelled, "We can't win with a rookie running back."
Shortly after that, Smith worked things out with management and breathed life back into the fanbase. Despite missing two games, he went on to lead the league in rushing with 1,486 yards.
Result: 12-4 record, Super Bowl victory
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