Quote:
Originally Posted by Bl00dyBizkitz
I'm not asking if anyone's ever done it. I'm asking if it's ever truly worked.
I can't think of a time a team intentionally tanked and got rewarded with a generational player that changed all their fortunes.
|
Depends on if you believe the 1997 Colts that went 3-13 were that much worse than the 1996 Colts that went 9-7 with mostly the same players and the 1995 Colts that had even less talent and went 9-7. Same QB, better Marshall Faulk, better Marvin Harrison, etc.
If they didn't flop for Peyton Manning, then I'm not sure if anything else would ever be believable. They certainly threw games at the end of the 2011 season to get Luck, who would have likely been generational if he played a full career.
Outside of the Colts, I'm not sure of any clear-cut cases. Most teams suck at least for a year or two before they get the #1. I'm sure we could look back and find some teams tanking a few games to get a top 3 pick or something and give themselves a shot.