Is this what it feels like to have been a Cubs fan until 2016?

[The Lens]

I love 'em. Best run team in baseball.

I didn't know you were a red neck racist with a penchant for drinking & driving. 

[Lennys Tap]

Yeah, we're just like the Cubs - if Bryant (like Henry) leaves after his rookie year.

[wildbillsb]

The Wojo era has been most like the Miami Marlins, recently.  Lots of potential with a ceiling of .500.  If there is a more apt comparison (Brew will hopefully like this one), this team is most like the USMNT under Klinsmann. A coach who had come from somewhere more prestigious. A recruitment of pretty good players.  Results that were really "meh" on the field, with some awesome wins and terrible losses thrown in.  A lot of questions on whether the coach knew anything about "coaching" or not.

I'm liking this comparison, sad to say.

[We R Final Four]

Huh?

My bad--mistaken Warriorfreds response as Wadesworld.

[MDMU04]

Like all of the Cubs fans chiming in, I'd have to say no. This single season has been very frustrating and adding in the past few post Buzz seasons makes it worse. But we'd need to add a solid 4 decades of complete irrelevance coupled with two EPIC postseason collapses to get close.

I think a pretty good baseball comp is the Pittsburgh Pirates. Won a title in the late 70s. Had a couple decades toiling in irrelevance. Recent success over the last several years ultimately culminating in disappointment.

Two straight wild card round losses at home with really solid teams would be pretty frustrating. Honestly, that might be a bit worse than what we've dealt with lately.

[Eye]

Pirates now comparison leader in the clubhouse.

[Anti-Dentite]

I don't wanna be a Pirate!

[tower912]

A team that was a consensus 7th place team in the pre-season polling is .500 with two games to go.     The reason this feels more crushing that it should is the number of double digit second half leads blown.   Having a really good record, on the edge of the top 25, safely in the tourney, seems so tantalizingly close and that it has been taken away.     But ultimately, maybe the preseason prognosticators weren't so wrong.   

[Sheriff]

I love 'em. Best run team in baseball.

Try not to suck

[#UnleashSean]

The rebuild is looking promising and maybe you find a taker for Braun this summer.  And you're not a Cards fan.

Does that help?

No ones taking bruan but an al team for little

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Quite frankly, if this season's disappointment is what you think Cubs fans went through before 2016, you'd have never made it as a Cub fan.

When Marquette makes the tournament again, I'll be excited, but I highly doubt that I will be crumpled in a heap on my living room floor with tears streaming down my face like I was when the Cubs won the pennant.

Comparing this season's struggles to Pre-2016 Cubdom is not apples and oranges, it's apples and washing machines.

[wadesworld]

I just meant this single season, not overall.  My apology to the Cubs fans who went through inexplicable pain that I could never feel.

[tower912]

Every fanbase but one is going to be frustrated and disappointed at the end of the year.  This isn't unique to MU fans.     In every major sport.   And they rant and vent and stew and insult each other because everybody is waaaayyyyyyy smarter than the coach and could easily have landed the big recruit that got away or developed them better.     And every coach gets out-coached and the officials are biased against every team.     
     If MU had fallen behind early and failed in furious comebacks in those games where MU has blown double digit second half leads, would this season be as frustrating?      After all, MU was a preseason 7th place pick in the Big East.    The lack of size at the 4 is not exactly a surprise.  It isn't news that playing a pair of 5'10 guards next to each other will lead to defensive issues.     If the returnees had all made proportional improvement but the freshmen and newcomers stunk, would it be as frustrating?     Because, as of right now, MU is 17-11, 8-8 and a bubble team, DESPITE everything.     Which, coming into the season, is just about where the majority of posters thought they would be and BETTER THAN the experts thought.     
    So, what is it?     The blown second half leads?     The seniors not stepping up?      The lack of physicality?       MU is about where they were predicted to be.   

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Every fanbase but one is going to be frustrated and disappointed at the end of the year.  This isn't unique to MU fans.     In every major sport.   And they rant and vent and stew and insult each other because everybody is waaaayyyyyyy smarter than the coach and could easily have landed the big recruit that got away or developed them better.     And every coach gets out-coached and the officials are biased against every team.     
     If MU had fallen behind early and failed in furious comebacks in those games where MU has blown double digit second half leads, would this season be as frustrating?      After all, MU was a preseason 7th place pick in the Big East.    The lack of size at the 4 is not exactly a surprise.  It isn't news that playing a pair of 5'10 guards next to each other will lead to defensive issues.     If the returnees had all made proportional improvement but the freshmen and newcomers stunk, would it be as frustrating?     Because, as of right now, MU is 17-11, 8-8 and a bubble team, DESPITE everything.     Which, coming into the season, is just about where the majority of posters thought they would be and BETTER THAN the experts thought.     
    So, what is it?     The blown second half leads?     The seniors not stepping up?      The lack of physicality?       MU is about where they were predicted to be.   

I would be less frustrated if we played to our KenPom ranking more consistently - namely having a better record against those ranked 50-100 would have completely changed the complexity of this season.  From a watching the game perspective the lack of defense continues to be annoying because just a small improvement here would have changed my first statement. 

I personally don't really care what the experts thought pre-season because first off they aren't usually very accurate and secondarily, 2 people have left the team, two freshman are now in the starting lineup and we have now actually played games. 

[🏀]

I just meant this single season, not overall.  My apology to the Cubs fans who went through inexplicable pain that I could never feel.

Never say never.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Also my two favorite teams, and as many others said, this isn't close at all.

[tower912]

I would be less frustrated if we played to our KenPom ranking more consistently - namely having a better record against those ranked 50-100 would have completely changed the complexity of this season.  From a watching the game perspective the lack of defense continues to be annoying because just a small improvement here would have changed my first statement. 

I personally don't really care what the experts thought pre-season because first off they aren't usually very accurate and secondarily, 2 people have left the team, two freshman are now in the starting lineup and we have now actually played games.

So, if we had lost to Villanova and Creighton but swept Providence, you would be less frustrated.   

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

So, if we had lost to Villanova and Creighton but swept Providence, you would be less frustrated.   

No, that is not what I said.

I said that if we played to our ranking more consistently (i.e. played like a team in the 30's).  Clearly there is going to be variability, but our losing record versus the 50-100 teams when predictive statistics call you in the low to mid 30's is a killer.

[tower912]

Looking at the (long) bubble watch thread, it appears that our record against 50-100 is comparable to other bubble teams. 

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Looking at the (long) bubble watch thread, it appears that our record against 50-100 is comparable to other bubble teams.

Ok - you asked the question and I responded.  You win?

[tower912]

No winning.   I probably just kicked away a late lead.     

[muwarrior69]

I don't know. I am not a Cubs fan.

[CTWarrior]

Every fanbase but one is going to be frustrated and disappointed at the end of the year.  This isn't unique to MU fans.     In every major sport.   And they rant and vent and stew and insult each other because everybody is waaaayyyyyyy smarter than the coach and could easily have landed the big recruit that got away or developed them better.     And every coach gets out-coached and the officials are biased against every team.     
     If MU had fallen behind early and failed in furious comebacks in those games where MU has blown double digit second half leads, would this season be as frustrating?      After all, MU was a preseason 7th place pick in the Big East.    The lack of size at the 4 is not exactly a surprise.  It isn't news that playing a pair of 5'10 guards next to each other will lead to defensive issues.     If the returnees had all made proportional improvement but the freshmen and newcomers stunk, would it be as frustrating?     Because, as of right now, MU is 17-11, 8-8 and a bubble team, DESPITE everything.     Which, coming into the season, is just about where the majority of posters thought they would be and BETTER THAN the experts thought.     
    So, what is it?     The blown second half leads?     The seniors not stepping up?      The lack of physicality?       MU is about where they were predicted to be.   

For me it is the blown second half leads. 

[BM1090]

Looking at the (long) bubble watch thread, it appears that our record against 50-100 is comparable to other bubble teams.

Yep. And our overall record vs. top 50 and top 100 is better than almost all bubble teams.