USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team ever

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-worst-team-ever.htm?csp=34

We are ranked worse than the freaking '76 Bucs - Thanks Rod Rust!!

Look at the bright side - At least the team won a title this year

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

How come the '07 Dolphins are not on there?

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

With comments from the peanut gallery such as this one: "What about the 2007 Patriots? I mean winning every game except the Super Bowl, that should make you the worst team automatically", it is rather obvious why the Patriots of 1990 "won" this poll. The sheep that have been brain washed this past season by tWWL and negative sports talk radio host's rants aren't old enough to remember but one of these teams. This was a very predictable vote by the jealous and envious haters who are incapable of original thought, and are still looking for an excuse as to why their favorite team can't win as often as the Patriots.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

I don't get the outrage, jmho Not only did the team suck on the field, but off the field as well. Zeke Mowatt ring a bell?
That sexual harrassment thing embarrassed the franchise, and they seemed to just give up after that-they went on to lose 14 in a row.
I think the poll's probably accurate- the team didn't just lose games; the whole franchise was a disaster-probably at an all-time low in fact, but that's ok.
IIRC, that's what brought in Bob Kraft.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

It only strengthens my Tommy Hodson man-crush.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

jmt57 said:

With comments from the peanut gallery such as this one: "What about the 2007 Patriots? I mean winning every game except the Super Bowl, that should make you the worst team automatically", it is rather obvious why the Patriots of 1990 "won" this poll. The sheep that have been brain washed this past season by tWWL and negative sports talk radio host's rants aren't old enough to remember but one of these teams. This was a very predictable vote by the jealous and envious haters who are incapable of original thought, and are still looking for an excuse as to why their favorite team can't win as often as the Patriots.

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Right. No, actually, the 1990 Patriots were the worst team of all-time and that's why they were chosen.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

Leave No Doubt said:

I don't get the outrage, jmho Not only did the team suck on the field, but off the field as well. Zeke Mowatt ring a bell?
That sexual harrassment thing embarrassed the franchise, and they seemed to just give up after that-they went on to lose 14 in a row.
I think the poll's probably accurate- the team didn't just lose games; the whole franchise was a disaster-probably at an all-time low in fact, but that's ok.
IIRC, that's what brought in Bob Kraft.

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Yeah, that Pats team was a complete train wreck both on and off the field, no doubt. The Oilers, Colts, and several renditions of the Saints were very bad too. But for as long as I can remember the 0-14 Bucs have been the undisputed pinnacle of ineptitude in the NFL. IMO that USAToday vote was more of a vote against the current Pats team and fans, than voting the '90 Pats team as the worst ever. If you had a nationwide poll asking 'what was the worst NFL team ever' without giving any choices, that Bucs team would be the first one that most NFL fans think of.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

OhExaulted1 said:

It only strengthens my Tommy Hodson man-crush.

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Tommy "QB of the future" Hodson ... man he was awfull.
It was like watching a robot learn to throw a football.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

Hahaha. I can't say I disagree with these rankings. Growing up there was a rule in my family: Pats win and we got to go to Brigham's to celebrate, Pats lose and we lost. I was only a little kid in 1990, but I sure remember the two seasons ( '90 and '92 )when I got just one and two ice cream cones...and I was pissed. Can't say I disagree at all

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

jmt57 said:

Yeah, that Pats team was a complete train wreck both on and off the field, no doubt. The Oilers, Colts, and several renditions of the Saints were very bad too. But for as long as I can remember the 0-14 Bucs have been the undisputed pinnacle of ineptitude in the NFL. IMO that USAToday vote was more of a vote against the current Pats team and fans, than voting the '90 Pats team as the worst ever. If you had a nationwide poll asking 'what was the worst NFL team ever' without giving any choices, that Bucs team would be the first one that most NFL fans think of.

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That team has excuses though. It was an expansion team, most notably, in an era without free agency. It also lacked the failures of the 1990 Patriots off the field, too. I should say hilarious failures, such as a barfight with Hart Lee Dykes losing an eye and the Zeke Mowatt incident.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

They were pretty bad...the Zeke incident took place the day after their ONLY victory that season lol. They'd also lost to the Skins on national television, and were down 9-0 without the Redskins ever having run an offensive play LOL.

I can't remember all the gory details of the 1990 New England Patriots but I don't think the fans who voted were just being anti-Patriot. Those are probably some of the very same fans who just voted the Pats #1 in the recent ESPN poll.

It was rock-bottom for the Patriots, but such a drastic turn around just makes their success that much more amazing, and that much sweeter :rocker:

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

I think it's great. And another reason to enjoy this great ride we have been on.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

I don't mean to discount the futility and ineptness of that 1990 Patriots team at all. They certainly do rank as one of the worst NFL teams of all time without a doubt. That season was painful and embarrassing for all Pats fans.

The point I was trying to make was that the poll is flawed due to the way many football fans around the country look at the current Patriots team. Whether the anti-Pats sentiment is large and universal or is a vocal minority, whether it is fueled by spygate and the media, or by envy of a winning franchise, it doesn't matter. In my opinion, many people are going to vote to put down the Pats in any poll, given the chance.

As a point of reference, I found some past polls of NFL "worst teams".

A 2002 column on espn's page 2 ranked the '76 Bucs 1st, followed by the '90 Pats, '73 Oilers, '71 Bills, '81 Colts, '91 Colts, '52 Texans, '80 Saints, '01 Panthers, and '34 Reds.

Readers responded to espn's poll and ranked the '76 Bucs 1st with 32.2% of the responses, followed by the Bengals, '01 Lions, Cardinals, '89 Cowboys, '96 Jets, and the '90 Pats were 7th with 4.1% of the vote; the '80 Saints, '92 Seahawks, and '81 Colts rounded out the top ten.

Last November SI came out with a story comparing the Dolphins to the all time worst and again the '76 Bucs took top honors. They were followed by the '80 Saints, '01 Panthers, '91 Colts, and the '90 Pats ranked fifth.

Now the '90 Pats have suddenly become the worst ever? The only thing that has changed is how people outside of New England feel about the Pats. That is why I feel the poll is flawed.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

F.B.N. said:

Tommy "QB of the future" Hodson ... man he was awfull.
It was like watching a robot learn to throw a football.

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Yes, it was terrible. He was battling all year with Marc Wilson for playing time. Wilson won that unenviable battle of svck.

The '92 team was just as bad except they won twice as many games. Nothing like having Scott Zolak and **** McPhearson as the faces of your franchise.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

PATRIOTSFANINPA said:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-worst-team-ever.htm?csp=34

We are ranked worse than the freaking '76 Bucs - Thanks Rod Rust!!

Look at the bright side - At least the team won a title this year

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Who cares? I've become so immune to this stuff that none of it matters to me anymore. The Patriots are so unfairly reviled nationally that it's of no consequence to me.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

KontradictioN said:

How come the '07 Dolphins are not on there?

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Not even ranked among the "contenders". Apparently wins and losses don't really enter into USA Today's equation of the best and worst teams.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

jmt57 said:

I don't mean to discount the futility and ineptness of that 1990 Patriots team at all. They certainly do rank as one of the worst NFL teams of all time without a doubt. That season was painful and embarrassing for all Pats fans.

The point I was trying to make was that the poll is flawed due to the way many football fans around the country look at the current Patriots team. Whether the anti-Pats sentiment is large and universal or is a vocal minority, whether it is fueled by spygate and the media, or by envy of a winning franchise, it doesn't matter. In my opinion, many people are going to vote to put down the Pats in any poll, given the chance.

As a point of reference, I found some past polls of NFL "worst teams".

A 2002 column on espn's page 2 ranked the '76 Bucs 1st, followed by the '90 Pats, '73 Oilers, '71 Bills, '81 Colts, '91 Colts, '52 Texans, '80 Saints, '01 Panthers, and '34 Reds.

Readers responded to espn's poll and ranked the '76 Bucs 1st with 32.2% of the responses, followed by the Bengals, '01 Lions, Cardinals, '89 Cowboys, '96 Jets, and the '90 Pats were 7th with 4.1% of the vote; the '80 Saints, '92 Seahawks, and '81 Colts rounded out the top ten.

Last November SI came out with a story comparing the Dolphins to the all time worst and again the '76 Bucs took top honors. They were followed by the '80 Saints, '01 Panthers, '91 Colts, and the '90 Pats ranked fifth.

Now the '90 Pats have suddenly become the worst ever? The only thing that has changed is how people outside of New England feel about the Pats. That is why I feel the poll is flawed.

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It's a poll. That's what polls do - they (supposedly) capture what people are currently thinking or feeling. To try and make out a poll - any poll - as anything more than that is wrong.

So, this poll doesn't mean that the '90 Patriots were the worst NFL team of all time. It just means that fans are willing to vote that way today. Again, polls are primarily about the voters and may or may not be about the subject at hand.

We've become a nation so inundated with polls that we've lost sight of what they do. Actually, what they do is not much other than give people something more to talk about. They also take away from true sports coverage with (very) cheap public opinions that, as often as not, mean nothing.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

TruthSeeker said:

We've become a nation so inundated with polls that we've lost sight of what they do. Actually, what they do is not much other than give people something more to talk about. They also take away from true sports coverage with (very) cheap public opinions that, as often as not, mean nothing.

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I completely agree. I can't stand polls, personally.

Now Poles, on the other hand, are very nice people.

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

PATSNUTme said:

I think it's great. And another reason to enjoy this great ride we have been on.

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Precisely, that is why we all revel in our current success, remember the "lean" years well and it was painful.. still hate the Jets and Dolphins fans as they would come to work on Sunday with their crappy green coats, and flaunt their success... but then again the Toronto Argonauts were having more success than our NEP...

Re: USA Today Poll results rank The New England Patriots of 1990 NFL's worst team eve

jmt57 said:

With comments from the peanut gallery such as this one: "What about the 2007 Patriots? I mean winning every game except the Super Bowl, that should make you the worst team automatically", it is rather obvious why the Patriots of 1990 "won" this poll. The sheep that have been brain washed this past season by tWWL and negative sports talk radio host's rants aren't old enough to remember but one of these teams. This was a very predictable vote by the jealous and envious haters who are incapable of original thought, and are still looking for an excuse as to why their favorite team can't win as often as the Patriots.

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Right now if a Patriots cheerleader was in a beauty contest vs a chimpanzee and she wore her uniform and the voting was by national "fans," the chimp would win.