The 29 most hopeless fan bases in professional sports

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 13, 2015: Cleveland Browns fans hold up signs reading 'HELP' during a game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 13, 2015 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won 24-10. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

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Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis reacts during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /

18. Cincinnati Bengals

Last championship: never

Last winning season: 2015

The Bengals, more than anything, are a team steeped in absolutes. Either they are really good (okay, more like “good enough”) or they are completely deplorable. Their colors may be black and orange, but the results come across in a strikingly clear black and white.

After finding success relatively early in their NFL run, winning the AFC Central in their third season and posting a pair of double-digit win seasons in 1973 and 1975, the late seventies were brutal for Cincy, low-lighted by three straight double-digit loss seasons.

However, the Begnals twice made the Super Bowl in the 1980s behind the arms of Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, both of whom won MVPs during their Super Bowl seasons. However, the Bengals fell twice to Joe Montana and the 49ers in those contests and, after making the playoffs again in 1990, fell into a 14-year playoff drought.

During this spell, they became one of the worst franchises in all of sports, carrying a .316 winning percentage from 1991 thru 2004 and losing 12 or more games in seven seasons. During this time they stumbled through an extraordinary collection of draft busts, including David Klingler, Ki-Jana Carter, Aliki Smith, Peter Warrick, and Chris Perry, among others.

And while the Bengals have recently broken out of their horrible ways, they have stepped out of that mess and into another: playoff purgatory. Because despite making the playoffs seven times in 13 years under coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals have never advanced beyond the Wild Card round. Nor have they managed to score 20 points in any of these appearances.

So what’s worse: being outright terrible, or being stuck in a never-ending neutral?

Next: 17. Charlotte Hornets