In 2013 the Cleveland Indians finished with an astounding record of 92-70 making it into the WC spot and a postseason berth for the first time since 2007.
Howver during the wild card game, the powerhouse Indians failed to score a single run and were shutout by the Tampa Bay Rays by the score of 4-0.
Interesting of note, during the season they set an unthinkable record by going 17-2 against the hapless Chicago White Sox who lost 99 games that season.
Was it possible the 2013 Indians far inflated their own teams strength due to being able to play a last place 99 loss team 19 times? If we place an average team against the Indians instead of the White Sox, and we take the record to be 10-9 or 9-10 split instead of 17-2. That would be 7 wins as losses effectively putting the Indians at 85-77 record as opposed to the sparkling 92-70 and that would not have been enough to get them even into the postseason.
We can see clearly here that the only reason the 2013 Indians got the WC and the 92 wins was because they basically fed off of one of the worst teams in the league. And this was aptly proven once they got shutout and trounced in the WC game.
So with that story in mind, what are other examples of this in sports throughout history?
tl;dr: "good" team gets good by stomping on shit teams, gets stomped itself once they're in the playoffs playing real teams
Peyton Manning's Colts playing the Texans, Titans, and Jaguars twice a year
>>63460904
Adding onto this, it was proven again when they missed the playoffs again next year.
>>63460904
Patriots
>>63460904
The Packers get 4 free wins a year against the Bears and Lions and then lost to the 9-7 Giants at home.
>>63461031
>>63460984
>>63460951
What about to the degree of the 2013 Cleveland Indians so much so that they even missed the playoffs the year after and the year after that was even worse?
>>63460904
Talk about a fluke team.
Red Sox
>>63460984
Here, take a reply
>>63461515
>lelfins
>jest
My favorite Indian playoff moment was the mayfly invasion.
>>63460904
Why is this allowed?
>>63460904
>17-2 against the white sox
>Who lost 99 games
>instead of the manager being fired or on the hot seat, the f.o. decided to extend ventura's contract
>he still has his job, with no playoffs in sight
Why
>>63461776
You trusted jews
>powerhouse indians
they were good, not exactly a powerhouse. that's why they were the wc team. plus they won a shit ton of games in september iirc
>>63461031
>>63461031
>Bears and Lions and then lost to the 9-7 Giants at home
the Bears were 8-6 against teams not called the Packers that year
the Lions were 10-4 against teams not called the Packers
the Giants won the Super bowl
idk what you're trying to say
>>63461841
They played the White Sox in several series that September and swept all of them. Moreso adding to the point.
>>63460904
Wasn't this also the year Terry Francona won manager of the year? That drove me crazy. I don't want to sound like an awful Yankees homer here but Girardi had that dumpster fire of a team in contention all season long. How bad were they? Lyle Overbay was easily their most important player. Girardi somehow coaxed 85 wins and was in the playoff hunt until the last week of the season yet they give manager of the year to a dude who won 7 more games by beating on the hapless White Sox 17 times. MVP/Player of the Year/Manager of the Year voting is by far the most awful joke in sports.
>>63465013
It's all sensationalism. No one actually looks at the stats behind the stats.
>>63465013
Girardi has dealt with shit from 2013-now
1999 Jaguars,
Played one good team all year. Lost to them 3 times.
>>63460904
pretty much the entire NL this year
>>63467609
This. So many meme teams all because LOOL AT HOW WE WIN AGAINST THE PHILLIES AND BREWERS AND BRAVES AND MARLINS, WAIT WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO PLAY REAL TEAMS NOW?!
>>63460904
>>63461183
I really want to point out the Seminoles back in 2013 (a miracle failed field goal kept them from playing the true sec champ) to now, but really this applies to any and every "good" college football team outside the sec
