76ers or Browns — Whose Fans Have it Rougher? [POLL]
This is the time of year when we remember those less fortunate. In the sporting world, "those less fortunate" means the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Browns are mired in yet another campaign that will end without a playoff appearance, while the Johnny Manziel experiment continues to flame out. The team has not played a postseason game since January 2003, hasn't won one since New Year's Day 1994 and hasn't won a championship since 1964. The franchise itself has rotated QBs over the years like it's a carnival game (there have been 23 since 1999, hardly a model of Tom Brady-like consistency).
The Sixers, meanwhile, well, what can you say about them? As of this writing, they're 0-15 (and lost the final 10 games last year) while they begin another season of tanking to collect draft picks, although fans and pundits continue to wonder when exactly this stockpiling of draft picks will pay off. Philadelphia, which last won a title in 1983, made the postseason as recently as 2012 before stumbling to a combined 37 victories over the last two years. There are post-apocalyptic wastelands with brighter futures than Philly's.
Perhaps the only thing worse than playing for either of these franchises is rooting for them. The only thing you should be cheering for are the holes you made for your eyes out of the paper bags you wear over your head to be big enough to let you see when you leave the stadium or arena in dismay.
Cheering on the Browns is like being an extra in a Michael Bay movie. You're going to get squashed while disaster reigns all around. Supporting the 76ers is no better. It's akin asking the dealer to hit when you've got 20 -- you're just not going to win.