What About Us: 10 Teams That Deserve Way More Sports Love
In a fair world, all sports franchises would receive proper recognition for their success regardless of their roster and market. Every team and player would receive fair, rational coverage.
Of course, this world is far from fair.
Instead of discussing above-average NBA teams, fans are forced to sit through the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers on nationally televised games. The Dallas Cowboys are good now, but years of mediocrity didn't remove them from the spotlight.
Sick of talking about those organizations already? Tired of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox as well? Worried about the Chicago Cubs joining that list in a couple of years? As a neutral observer, watching everyone obsess over the same few teams gets old.
Change only happens in small increments, so let's strive for justice and equality by highlighting some unheralded franchises that deserve more attention. They may be boring, and most of them haven't tasted a championship in quite some time, but they're either steady and/or on the rise.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 10
Even when the Atlanta Hawks won an Eastern Conference-high 60 games in 2014-15, few onlookers took them seriously as a threat to LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers. This proved accurate, as Cleveland swept Atlanta in the conference finals.
So the Hawks aren't a championship-caliber level of excellent. In a superstar-driven league, they remain tucked behind James. They still deserve some respect.
Mike Budenholzer, who spent 18 years working with Gregg Popovich on the San Antonio Spurs, brought their culture to an organization woefully stuck in the middle for years. He may not have an MVP at his disposal, but the Hawks head coach oversaw Paul Millsap's ascension into the game's most underrated star.
The Hawks fell off last year, but going 48-34 is no easy task. Early into this season, they look poised to at least vie for the No. 2 spot behind Cleveland, opening the year 6-2 with a conference-best scoring margin of plus-9.4.
On Tuesday night, they handed the Cavaliers their first loss of the season. After the game, Hawks guard Kent Bazemore expressed his excitement in snapping an 11-game losing streak against the Eastern Conference champs.
"For my two years here, they've kicked our butts," Bazemore said, per an Associated Press report, via USA Today. "This is one of the biggest wins I've had since I've been here."
Could they derail the already scheduled Cavs-Golden State Warriors NBA Finals rematch? Probably not, but they may deliver a closer fight than anticipated.
Baltimore Ravens
2 of 10
No other team listed has won a title as recently as the Baltimore Ravens, who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 3, 2013. Although now more of a running gag, the Super Bowl XLVII victory over the San Francisco 49ers sparked a legitimate "Is Joe Flacco elite?" debate.
In a single-elimination NFL postseason, a team simply needs a spot on the card to foster hope of glory. Whether elite or not, Flacco has proven good enough under center to lead a stable supporting cast to six postseason trips in eight years. Before last year's 5-11 debacle, the Ravens hadn't notched a losing record since drafting the passer in 2008.
Even after Jim Harbaugh moved back to the college circuit, John Harbaugh still doesn't get as much national attention as his brother. Since arriving the same year as Flacco, the head coach has supervised six top-10 defenses. Only the Arizona Cardinals have yielded fewer yards per game (297) than Baltimore (298.8) this season.
After defeating the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night, the Ravens reside first in an underwhelming AFC North division. At 5-4 with a plus-28 point differential inflated by their Week 10 victory over a winless opponent, they're the epitome of average.
But as they have proven before, one of the league's most reliable franchises just needs an invitation to the dance.
Charlotte Hornets
3 of 10
The Charlotte Hornets had the look of a franchise needing to accept reality. While going 43-39 in 2013-14 marked a vast improvement of their 28 wins from the previous two years combined, a first-round playoff exit doesn't fix a franchise, especially when followed with a 33-49 mark.
Last year, they reportedly turned down six draft picks from the Boston Celtics for their No. 9 selection, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com, which they used on Frank Kaminsky. With so many other teams going for an all-or-nothing approach, the curious refusal represented Michael Jordan's club doing the minimum to stay OK instead of building capital for a brighter future.
In Steve Clifford's fourth year as head coach, the Hornets turned around and went 48-34. With a healthy Michael Kidd-Gilchrist back in the fold this season, they have started 6-1 while relinquishing 98.2 points per 100 possessions, per Basketball-Reference.com.
At the heart of their fast start, Kemba Walker is averaging 23.9 points per game with a 46.6 field-goal percentage. He and the Hornets have benefited from a light schedule, but the 26-year-old has quickly expanded on last year's breakout campaign.
If the guard sustains his stellar scoring rate, the Hornets will stay relevant as a postseason fixture.
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Dallas Stars
4 of 10
The Dallas Stars have stumbled out of the gate, opening 2016 with five wins through 14 games. Per the Dallas Morning News' Mike Heika, captain Jamie Benn didn't mince words after Tuesday's 8-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
"This is pretty much rock bottom," Benn said. "We all have to look in the mirror and figure it out."
This season is far from the ideal way to follow last year's finish atop the Western Conference, but don't react too harshly to the short sample size. The Stars still rank No. 12 in Corsi, per NHL.com. In the past three years, they have rated no lower than No. 11 in the telling metric, which measures shot attempts in even-play scenarios.
Along with Benn, who recorded 89 points last season, Tyler Sequin gives Dallas a young dynamic duo to engineer its offense. Sequin, a 24-year-old center, has stormed out of the gates with seven goals and eight assists.
While the Stars have only made two playoff appearances in eight years, they have the firepower to rediscover last year's groove and climb back into the playoff hunt.
Houston Astros
5 of 10
Looking for the next version of the Cubs, a team loaded with young talent set to dominate baseball after a long rebuilding phase? The Houston Astros are poised to take the next step into an elite contender this offseason.
Their retooling period ended sooner than expected when they earned a wild-card spot in 2015. While they didn't expand that momentum into more October baseball this year, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Alex Bregman will lead them into a bright future.
Much like the Cubs last winter, the Astros are reportedly willing to open their pockets after years of frugal spending. According to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, a "payroll increase is coming," and they plan on pursuing free agent Edwin Encarnacion and Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera. Per the New York Daily News' Mark Feinsand, they're also "hot" on the trail for free agent Carlos Beltran.
Most of their young nucleus remains under team control, and veterans Colby Rasmus and Doug Fister came off their books when the season concluded. They have the financial flexibility (and farm system) to transform an emerging, above-average offense into a powerhouse lineup.
In 2014, a Sports Illustrated cover declared the Astros 2017 World Series champions, a bold claim given their 51-111 record in 2013. Now it seems like a perfectly reasonable prediction.
Kansas City Chiefs
6 of 10
Everyone is excited about the Oakland Raiders approaching their first winning season since 2002. Even though they have lost three of their last five games, the Denver Broncos still command respect as the NFL's defending champion.
Lost in a formidable AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs are 6-2 following four straight wins.
Since bringing aboard head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith, the Chiefs are 37-19. Although they don't resonate as one of the AFC's playoff mainstays, they're gradually turning into one. Entering Week 10, they control a wild-card spot by two games over multiple 4-4 teams.
In Week 9, they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars without Smith, running backs Jamaal Charles and Spencer Ware and top wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. They will now welcome back linebacker Justin Houston, who recorded 22 sacks in 2014.
After closing out last season on a 10-game winning streak, the red-hot club trounced the Houston Texans in a 30-0 Wild Card Round rout. Despite then losing 27-20 to the New England Patriots, they announced their arrival as a serious threat.
Look around the watered-down NFL. It's not a stretch to label Kansas City a top-five team and New England's biggest obstacle to reaching the Super Bowl.
Minnesota Lynx
7 of 10
The WNBA as a whole receives little coverage, so any team could qualify for this list. Given that disclaimer, let's honor a squad consistently in title contention.
Over the last six seasons combined, the Minnesota Lynx went 155-49 and only once accrued double-digit losses. They won three championships during this dynastic stretch and twice fell short in the Finals. That includes this year's thrilling title series against the Los Angeles Sparks, who edged out a 77-76 victory in the winner-take-all Game 5.
Drafting star center Maya Moore changed everything for Minnesota. The 2013 Finals MVP and 2014 season MVP has registered 18.6 points per game over her six-year career. She has received plenty of help, though, from veterans Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus.
Under head coach Cheryl Reeve, the Lynx are carving their path to historic success. Only the Houston Comets, who won the league's first four titles from 1997-2000, have accumulated more championships.
While nobody has missed an opportunity to discuss the San Francisco Giants' even-year magic, most sports fans haven't taken notice of Minnesota's odd-year sorcery. Don't be shocked if the Lynx continue the every-other-year title trend in 2017.
Pittsburgh Pirates
8 of 10
One down year doesn't take away from the Pittsburgh Pirates' strong recent run.
Before going 78-83 in 2016, the Buccos earned three consecutive playoff bids. They hadn't reached the postseason since 1992 before commencing this streak in 2013.
They also, however, still finished second to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central each time. After losing a five-game National League Division Series to their division rivals in 2013, they lost a pair of NL Wild Card Games, both as the home team with the superior regular-season record.
A deep playoff run would have given viewers a captivating underdog for which to cheer. They then wouldn't be treated as a third wheel to the Cardinals and Cubs.
Now they must come to grips with Andrew McCutchen's troubling regression. Fortunately, they have two other star outfielders in Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco. If they can all stay healthy, Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow will give them an imposing rotation for multiple years.
The Cubs won't likely share the NL Central crown anytime soon, but another pitcher and infielder could vault Pittsburgh back into the wild-card fold.
Tampa Bay Rays
9 of 10
Ten years into its arrival, MLB's youngest franchise hadn't won more than 70 games in a single season. That promptly changed in 2008, when the Tampa Bay Rays went 97-65 and reached the World Series.
Buoyed by top draft picks Evan Longoria and David Price, they finished above .500 for six consecutive seasons, including four playoff appearances and four straight seasons with at least 90 victories.
This success came in spite of never entering Opening Day with a payroll above $75 million, per Cot's Baseball Contracts. Elsewhere in the American League East, the New York Yankees regularly operate with over $200 million in player salaries on the books.
With the odds stacked against them in a division crowded with big-market competitors, they have stayed competitive despite their poor hand. It's the same story as the Moneyball Oakland Athletics, except they exploited different market inefficiencies.
In part due to Oakland's success and Michael Lewis' popular book—later turned into a movie starring Brad Pitt—other teams started to properly value low-contact sluggers with plenty of plate discipline. As the market priced these players out of the Rays' budget, they instead placed an added emphasis on defense and young pitching.
Don't count out the Rays because of 2016's 68-94 finish. While they're unlikely to replicate 2008's drastic turnaround, they have the talent to jump back into the 80-90 win range.
Utah Jazz
10 of 10
The Jerry Sloan era feels like 50 years ago rather than five.
In his 21 full seasons as head coach, the Utah Jazz only once finished below .500. What could have easily went down as a dynasty if not for Michael Jordan instead quickly fell by the wayside after 2011's ugly divorce.
Utah has since toiled in mediocrity, failing to reach the playoffs since 2012. That should change this year, as it has the makings of an interesting contender on the rise.
The Jazz have no superstar, but they have three potent young building blocks in Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. They complemented those pieces with veteran guards George Hill and Joe Johnson, who have helped the defensive-minded team rate No. 13 in offensive rating, per Basketball-Reference.com.
While not an "it" team like the Minnesota Timberwolves, they're a credible candidate for the Western Conference's No. 4. seed. Given their size and defensive tenacity, they'd pose a bigger second-round threat to the Golden State Warriors than anyone other than the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers.
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