Bonzi Wells was suspended repeatedly by head coach Maurice Cheeks before finally being traded two months ago—and Wells was the team captain! The Portland Jail Breakers have oodles of talent and no wins to show for it. Their team chemistry has to rank as the worst all-time. Former Blazer Bill Walton has called the team embarrassing.

They’re certainly disappointing.

No. 1: Boston Red Sox

The Sox might not deserve this, but given past history, I can’t help but put them here.

I won’t talk about Aaron Boone. I won’t talk about Joe Kerrigan or Manny or Jimy Williams or Grady Little. I won’t talk about Jose Offerman or bullpen by committee or Derek Lowe’s absurd collapse as a closer.

I will just talk about how every year, the need to win becomes more and more intense. Boston fans are the best in the world. They care more about the Red Sox than any fans care about any other sports team.

And under all that pressure, the Sox continue to collapse. They don’t make the playoffs when they have talent up the wah-zoo. When they do, they come up with different ways of losing every year.

Of course, I do realize that “This is the year!”

I mean, come on—I’m not delusional...

—Staff writer Alex M. Sherman can be reached at sherman@fas.harvard.edu.