You Deserve Better! Collapses, Controversy Plague New York Sports Right Now

The Brooklyn Nets' disappearing trio of superstars. The New York Mets' 100-win season ending in Wild Card defeat. The Buffalo Bills failing to live up to Super Bowl-level expectations. The New York Islanders' disastrous start to their time at UBS Arena.

It's been a rough year for New York sports fans, and if you root for one of the Empire State's "big-four" pro teams, odds are, you probably deserve better than what you've been getting.

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New York Sports are Plagued by Controversy and Collapses Entering '23

The developments in the Brooklyn Nets' organization this week got me thinking: what is wrong with New York sports right now?

Out of the ten teams that are considered to be New York's "big four" teams (Buffalo Sabres and Bills, Knicks and Nets, Giants and Jets, Yankees and Mets, and Rangers and Islanders), the amount of heartbreaks, controversies and disasters that have unfolded in the last 365 days has been mind-blowing.

We'll begin in Brooklyn. GM Sean Marks assembled an extremely talented trio, and trusted Steve Nash to lead them to an NBA title. Instead, the team imploded almost immediately, and after only 16 games of Durant, Harden and Irving together, all three were traded to other franchises, and Steve Nash was fired.

That may be the most obvious example of a disaster in recent memory, but it's far from the only.

The New York Yankees and New York Mets had sky-high expectations coming into 2022. Aaron Judge re-wrote the history books for American League sluggers, and the Mets pitched their way to a 100-win season. The Mets, however, were dispatched by Padres in the Wild Card Round, and the Yankees were once again thwarted by the Astros.

On the ice, the New York Islanders reached back-to-back "semifinal" rounds in the NHL, and were a heartbeat away from defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning, and playing in the Stanley Cup Final. All of this success happened before the opening of the UBS Arena, a building that was supposed to be the backdrop for the next era of great Islanders' teams.

Instead, the Islanders have come cratering back to Earth, and are desperately searching for answers to try to avoid a complete rebuild.

On the gridiron, the New York Jets had records of 5-2 and 7-4 at various points of the season, but disastrous quarterback play down the stretch caused them to stumble and fall to the back of the pack, finishing with a record of 7-10. The Bills were the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl, but once again, were defeated in the Divisional Round, falling short of their goal.

A New York team has not won a championship since 2011, when Eli Manning led the Giants to a Super Bowl victory.

Granted, there are plenty of teams on-the-rise in the Empire State, so it may not be much longer until the streak is broken. Both the Yankees and Mets should have stellar campaigns in 2023. The Giants drastically exceeded expectations this year, and seem poised for another jump next season. The Rangers are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and the Knicks' acquisition of Josh Hart makes them more dangerous over in the NBA.

That being said, it's just been an ugly time for New York sports fans, and if you're frustrated with your favorite teams, then you're completely justified. With the trades of Durant and Irving finally out of the way, things seem to have calmed down a bit in New York sports.

Following the calm, a storm of titles may follow soon after.