The 5 Most Dysfunctional Teams In Pro Sports

Not all franchises are created equal - some are run like a well-oiled machine, some are run like a beat-up used car, and some are barely run at all. We're counting down the five most messed-up franchises in America's top leagues, so hold on - it's gonna get messy.

A few notes, before we get started...

- Only North American teams in the 'Big 4' were considered (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL)

- These are heavily weighted by recent performance, so some teams that have been historically dysfunctional but turned things around recently (the L.A. Clippers, for instance) weren't considered

- 'Dysfunctional' isn't the same as 'bad', which is why you won't see the Philadelphia 76ers here - being bad is exactly what they're trying to do, and they're doing an excellent job at it

5. The New York Mets

Once again, winter meetings are here and the Mets are...what are the Mets doing? Seriously, does anyone know what the Mets are trying to do here?

GM Sandy Alderson hasn't made any real moves other than signing John Mayberry Jr. to a low-key deal, and there are no signs the team will improve on their 79-83 record from last season. The Mets haven't been to the playoffs since 2006, and over the past few years they've seemed perfectly content to sit back and be mediocre while the rest of their division strengthens.

There are no blockbuster deals in the works or high-profile prospects riding in to save the day...the Mets just seem to hope their team magically transforms into a contender without any personnel changes, year after year. If doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity, the Mets should be headed for a nice, comfortable padded cell.

 

4. The Los Angeles Lakers

KobeBryant

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

The Lakers have royally botched the transition from Kobe Bryant to their next phase as a franchise, and it could end up holding them back for years to come. To stay in contention, the Lakers needed to surround Bryant with an athletic, skilled supporting cast with at least one other star...and if you've caught a Lakers game recently, it's pretty clear that hasn't happened.

Now, we get Bryant cussing out his starting point guard in practice (again), Steve Nash (who was past his expiration date to begin with) on walkabout refusing to answer calls from his coach, and the Lakers are so hamstrung by Kobe's salary that they won't be able to construct the team he needs until he's gone. The Lakers are currently in the Western Conference basement, and it's hard to see that changing without some drastic changes to the roster.

3. The New York Jets

RexRyan

Our heart goes out to the Mets/Jets fans out there. It really does.

While the Mets continue to hope the same broken strategy starts magically working, the Jets at least keep things interesting by failing in new and exciting ways each year. Head Coach Rex Ryan might finally be on his way out, thanks to another year of spectacular failures at the quarterback position. Sometimes-starter Geno Smith says he's 'shown flashes of being a Pro Bowl quarterback' this year, despite ranking 34th in QB rating and 31st in completion percentage, and that kind of delusion is unfortunately par for the course in New York these days.

GM John Idzik is also set to be axed at the end of the year after a series of personnel blunders, and the operators of FireJohnIdzik.com will no doubt be supportive. This franchise needs a makeover from the top down, and things are going to get worse before they get better.

2. The New York Knicks

CarmeloAnthony

The Knicks are definitely the fastest risers on our list, thanks to a 10-game losing streak and reports coming out this week that pretty much everyone on the team hates each other.

This team was always going to be bad this year - years of mismanagement put them in salary cap hell, and there was no realistic way they were going to be better than last year's 37-45 team with a virtually identical roster. Still, fans weren't expecting to see the Knicks half a game ahead of Philadelphia, a team that's blatantly tanking the season.

Head Coach Derek Fisher could still turn things around, but he's been an absolute disaster so far - the players are frustrated with his lack of passion, and his rotations and adjustments have been abysmal.

Team President Phil Jackson will eventually turn this ship around once the bad contracts and toxic personalities are gone, but that's all that's saving the Knicks from our #1 spot.

1. The Washington Redskins

Washington Redskins  v Pittsburgh Steelers

Although the gap between our #1 and #2 teams is very narrow, Washington won out because unlike the Knicks, they don't seem to have any kind of plan for where they want to go as a franchise. Knicks President Phil Jackson has goals and a vision, while Redskins owner Dan Snyder has a Magic 8-Ball and an absolutely stunning lack of self-awareness.

Snyder wants the franchise to rally around quarterback Robert Griffin III, the player they gave up three first-round picks and a second-rounder to draft back in 2012...but Griffin is teetering on the brink of sanity and has regressed to the point where he looks like he'd be out of his depth in the CFL. Head Coach Jay Gruden would much rather start Colt McCoy or Kirk Cousins in Griffin's place, but Snyder is so set on Griffin, he's considering firing Gruden after the season ends rather than making the switch...just a year after hiring Gruden and guaranteeing all five years on his contract.

If Snyder does fire Gruden, he'll essentially guarantee that no reputable head coach with a pulse will consider coming to Washington until he sells the team...and it's not like they were lining up to begin with. There's also the ongoing legal battle over the divisive team name, and the former star who just publicly called the defensive coordinator a clueless backstabber. The Washington Redskins, everybody!

Congratulations to the Oakland Raiders, New York Islanders and Detroit Pistons, who all barely missed the cut! Who do YOU think is the most dysfunctional franchise in pro sports? Let us know in the comments section!

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