CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Reds have the eighth-most "miserable" fan base in professional sports, according to a new analysis by ESPN.
The annual Sports Misery Index looks at five primary factors including championships, playoff berths, playoff wins, heartbreaks and rival comparisons to determine the most miserable fan bases in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL.
The Reds came in at eighth overall and fourth in MLB.
"The Big Red Machine might be one of the most famous teams of all time, but it's been 40-plus years since Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench & Co. were the toast of baseball," ESPN's T.J. Berka wrote. "There has been very little for Reds fans to toast about in the last two decades, as they haven't won a World Series championship since 1990 or a playoff series since 1995."
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Despite having made the playoffs just three times in recent years, ESPN graded the Reds 10th in MLB for heartbreaks. And, the Reds are currently sitting at the bottom of the NL Central standings.
What about the Bengals? ESPN found that their fan base was only the 45th most miserable (out of 123, by the way), and 11th in the NFL. Things make look bleak sometimes, but at least they make the postseason frequently. We could be stuck with the Browns.
