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Franchise Reviving Games/Moments


Thomas Bugg

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This is the total reverse of my other thread. The past few threads have made me realize that I come off as being a miserable sumbitch of a sports fan. But I'm from Philly, can you blame me?!? :'(

 

One moment that immediately jumps off the page, and probably is the standardbearer of moments that revived or gave a franchise or program the kick in the ass that it needed, was in the 1984 NBA Draft when the Chicago Bulls, with the third overall selection in the draft, passed on Barkley and Stockton and selected a shooting guard from North Carolina. Yes, him. The Bulls had been a playoff team before in the 70's, but that seemed like a distant memory as they'd finished in the cellar 4 out of the past 5 seasons prior to 1984. The rest, as they say, is history.

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St. Louis Cardinals

 

Winter Meetings (and the preceding month) 1980.  In August 1980, Whitey Herzog moves from manager to GM.  In the offseason he names himself manager, holding both jobs, and moves a total of 26 players in or out over the course of two months.

 

This would end a decade of Cardinals futility and begin the era of the Cardinals that defined my childhood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shouldn't have traded Hernandez, though.

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The Saints picking up Drew Brees set them on the path of regular playoff appearances and a Super Bowl after being a running joke for decades. If you had to pick one game, the one where they trounced the Falcons in the first game in the Superdome since Katrina really set the tone for their revival.

 

Oh, and Mo Lewis killing Drew Bledsoe.

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There's a common thread with Miami teams that it had a lot to do with hiring the right person to be in charge. Shula. Schnellenberger, Riley.

 

Of course, Riley benefited greatly from the Arisons taking full control of the franchise at the same time and how Mickey Arison gave Riley a blank check (literally and figuratively) to run the team how he saw fit. 

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The Dolphins' doctor flunking Drew Brees on his physical was a pretty huge moment for Alabama football. Set in motion the chain of events that brought in Saban and the new golden age.

Wish I could go back in time and sit in that exam room with a shaker and an air horn. ROW TAHD HONK HONK.

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How about this one for the Tigers:

Pudge Rodriguez signs as a free agent. The year before, they lost 119 games as one of the worst teams all-time. The year after, they signed still-revered-in-Detroit Magglio Ordonez. They after THAT, they're in the World Series.

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This is kinda a "meh" one, but it's the moment when the Blues current rebuild gained momentum.

 

January 19th 2008. The Blues are in the midst of there rebuild, having back to back bottom 5 in the league finishes, and seemed to be heading for another one: They are dead last in the West, and were getting ready to play the Boston Bruins, who had been the best team in the East. Furthermore, Erik Johnson, there former 1st overall pick defensemen, was out for the season due to a "questionable" knee injury involving a golf cart. The Blues were lacking in top end talent, that seemed to be just watching the season pass by.

 

Then the game...

 

 

This seems like a minor game in teh grand scheme of things, but it completely altered the Blues season: They were on fire for the rest of the regular season after this win, climbing from 15th in the West all the way 6th. The Canucks completely trounced the Blues out in the first round, but it was a very key game for the franchise: They have not finished in the bottom 10 in the league since, and a lot of the key players in the game are still key players who adopted a bigger leadership role.

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John Davidson deserves a lot of credit. He did a ton for the Blues when they were a franchise with serious problems, and it still seems quite feasible he'll achieve the same with Columbus, as they've now moved from "awful franchise" to "interesting island of misfit toys".

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John Davidson deserves a lot of credit. He did a ton for the Blues when they were a franchise with serious problems, and it still seems quite feasible he'll achieve the same with Columbus, as they've now moved from "awful franchise" to "interesting island of misfit toys".

 

Him and Jarmo basically are the main reason we are in the position we are in now, being a team with serious Stanley Cup hopes in the short and long term. Smart drafting, and keeping good veteran players on the team to help transition our young talent develop there games. Without them, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there were talk of the team being moved right now.

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