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Food Chain: Worst Eagles Losing Streaks 2000-2009

Lots of talk of losing streaks these days ...

NJIT just snapped the longest losing streak in NCAA Division I history last night, defeating Bryant 61-51 in Newark, NJ. Go Highlanders!

Clemson Tigers basketball continued its 54 game losing streak in Chapel Hill last night, dropping to the Tar Heels 94-70. North Carolina used a 20-4 run to open the second half to bury the Tigers. The Tar Heels - having never lost to the Tigers in Chapel Hill - push their NCAA-best home winning streak to 54 games.


"We're going streaking! Sorry, sorry, we're goin' streaking through the quad and then to the gymnasium. Come on everybody! Come on! Snoop! Snoop-a-loop! Snoop...uh, no, it's cool! It's cool! I'm cool, bring your green hat. Let's go! Come on everybody we're goin!"



As Eagles fans, Jeff and I have been lucky. We have only known relatively successful Eagles men's sports programs since we enrolled at BC. Two National Championships in ice hockey, two Atlantic Division championships, 8 straight bowl game victories, a Big East basketball tournament championship ... That's why I think this past stretch of basketball has been especially trying on us Eagles. We are simply not used to prolonged streaks of losing.

So we got to thinking, what has been the worst losing streak in our brief history as Eagles fans (2000-2009)?

Now of course, not all losing streaks are created equal, and it is tough to compare losing streaks in basketball with football (different number of games) or basketball/football with hockey (ties still get you a point in the standings). Also it's hard to find a losing streak anywhere in football over the last 9 years. But we decide to give it a shot anyway in a game of Food Chain.

Food Chain: Worst Losing Streaks 2000-2009

We consider the following 8 Eagle losing streaks and list our top 5 in terms of overall suckitude.


2008 - Men's Basketball - 4 straight (Harvard, Miami, Wake Forest, @ Virginia Tech)

The most recent of our losing streaks that just came to an end, although it certainly didn't come easy. This losing streak is high on our list because of what it detracted from - one of the greatest regular season upsets in BC men's basketball history. Before anyone could really dwell on beating the No. 1 Tar Heels, we had dropped to Harvard at home (and controversy swirled on the Heights with the football coaching search). Then we lost a winnable game to Miami, got crushed by the new No. 1 at home, and dropped another winnable game against on the road in Blacksburg. At least the last loss is looking better after last night.


2008 - Men's Basketball - 6 straight (@ Virginia, Virginia Tech, @ North Carolina, @ Clemson, Maryland, @ Duke)

Last season was a forgettable one for the Eagles once they started in on ACC play. After starting the season with a 12-4 record (and 3-0 in the ACC), the Eagles would go on to lose 12 of their last 13 ACC regular season games, with a 82-65 win over North Carolina State breaking up a pair of 6 game losing streaks. This losing streak was the first of two. The Eagles started the losing streak getting blown out in the second half in Charlottesville, and then dropped an OT game to the Hokies at home. Skinner's team followed these games up with blowout losses on the road in Chapel Hill and Clemson. The team then lost a close game to Gary Williams and the Terrapins at home, giving the ex-BC coach his 600th win. Finally, the Eagles were competitive against a No. 2 ranked Blue Devils team in Durham, but ended up losing the game 90-80. This streak dropped the Eagles record to 12-10 (3-6 ACC) on the season.


2008-2009 - Men's Ice Hockey - 6 straight games without a win (@ Boston University, Boston University, @ Vermont, @ Vermont, UMass-Lowell, @ Boston University)

If this losing streak isn't snapped this weekend, this should be high on everyone's list. The Eagles are dangerously close to digging a hole I don't think they crawl out of if they don't get at least 1 win this weekend at home against Maine. This streak is particularly painful as we have failed to win a game in all 3 regular season attempts against Boston U. The Eagles need to end this streak as soon as possible if they have any aspirations to get home ice in the first round of the Hockey East tournament.


2007 - Football - 2 straight (Florida State, @ Maryland)

Sure, it is only a two game losing streak, but this string of games was absolutely brutal to the hopes and dreams of Eagles football fans. Until Geno Hayes intercepted a pass from Matt Ryan and returned it 38-yards for the score, I don't think anyone really thought the Eagles were going to lose that game against the Seminoles. We had the ball, down 3, and Matt Ryan was under center. We were again counting on some late-game heroics from Ryan & Co., and that interception deflated any hopes of the Eagles playing in the National Championship. While the Florida State game crushed our National Title hopes, the Maryland game was equally demoralizing in terms of our ACC title hopes. The Maryland offense, led by quarterback Chris Turner, picked apart the Eagles secondary. Turner threw for 337 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Terp victory. The second straight loss put some serious doubt in the minds of Eagles fans whether the team could go down to Death Valley and win the Atlantic Division. (But I guess that made the Clemson win that much sweeter.)


2007 - Men's Ice Hockey - 6 straight games without a win (Maine, Merrimack, @ New Hampshire, @ Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Northeastern)

This winless streak wasn't so big in the grand scheme of things as the Eagles were able to turn the corner on a lackluster November and December and win the Beanpot, Hockey East tournament and their third National Championship. But at the time, Eagles hockey fans had to be scratching their heads at this stretch of 6 games without a win. On November 2, the Eagles skated to a 1-1 tie with Maine. The following weekend, the Eagles only picked up 1 point, with a 3-3 tie at home to Merrimack followed by a 5-2 loss to New Hampshire. On November 16 and 17, the Eagles again only gained 1 point with a home-and-home series with UMass. Finally, the Eagles dropped a 4-3 decision in overtime at home against Northeastern. Last season, these were all teams that should have been put away (with the exception of UNH). Fortunately, the Eagles emerged from this winless streak by taking both games the following weekend against Boston University, outscoring the Terriers 10-5.


2008 - Men's Basketball - 6 straight (Virginia, @ Florida State, @ Virginia Tech, North Carolina, @ Miami FL, Georgia Tech)

Part 2 of the Great Skid of 2007-2008. The loss that stands out in this group was the home loss to Virginia 79-74. Virginia was equally terrible in the ACC last season, and their win on the road snapped a 7 game losing streak for the Cavaliers. The Eagles were in this game until the end, until UVA's Mamadi Diane hit a 3 pointer with 45 seconds left. Of these 6 losses, only two would come against tournament teams (North Carolina and at Miami FL), and UVA and Georgia Tech would finish with losing records on the season.


2002-2003 - Men's Basketball - 4 straight (@ Kent State, Providence, Northeastern, @ Syracuse)

2002-2003 wasn't a banner year for the Eagles men's hoops team, but they still managed to make the NIT tournament and beat Fairfield in the opening round. Still, this four game losing streak, while not particularly long, was pretty tough considering the quality of our opponents. The Eagles started this losing streak dropping a game 86-83 OT against Kent State in Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena. With the win, the Golden Flashes improved to 7-1 on the season, but they would only make the NIT with a 21-9 record on the season. After dropping to Kent State, the Eagles would fall to Providence at home 93-80 in Big East action and a 7-6 Northeastern team at home, losing 72-67. The losing streak was extended to four when the Eagles traveled to the Carrier dome and lost to Syracuse 82-74.


2008 - Football - 2 straight (Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship, Vanderbilt)

Technically, this losing streak is current, I guess. But I highly doubt that the losing streak will be extended to three if we get Northeastern or another out of conference cupcake to snack on the first game of the 2009 season. The loss to Virginia Tech hurt, the second consecutive unsuccessful trip to Florida for the ACC Championship. Injuries certainly contributed to the loss as they finally caught up to the Eagles, particularly on offense. The bowl loss to Vanderbilt snapped our NCAA-leading 8 game bowl winning streak. It was particularly painful to have lost to a 6-6 SEC team after coming so close to playing in the Orange Bowl.


Brian's Food Chain

5. 2008-2009 - Men's Ice Hockey - 6 straight games without a win (@ Boston University, Boston University, @ Vermont, @ Vermont, UMass-Lowell, @ Boston University)
4. 2007 - Football - 2 straight (Florida State, @ Maryland)
3. 2002-2003 - Men's Basketball - 4 straight (@ Kent State, Providence, Northeastern, @ Syracuse)
2. 2008 - Men's Basketball - 6 straight (@ Virginia, Virginia Tech, @ North Carolina, @ Clemson, Maryland, @ Duke)
1. 2008 - Men's Basketball - 6 straight (Virginia, @ Florida State, @ Virginia Tech, North Carolina, @ Miami FL, Georgia Tech)


Jeff's Food Chain

5. 2007 - Football - 2 straight (Florida State, @ Maryland)
4. 2008 - Football - 2 straight (Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt)
3. 2002-2003 - Men's Basketball - 4 straight (@ Kent State, Providence, Northeastern, @ Syracuse)
2. 2008 - Men's Basketball - 6 straight (Virginia, @ Florida State, @ Virginia Tech, North Carolina, @ Miami FL, Georgia Tech)
1. 2008-2009 - Men's Ice Hockey - 6 straight games without a win (@ Boston University, Boston University, @ Vermont, @ Vermont, UMass-Lowell, @ Boston University)


Brian: Jeff with the surprise hockey pick as his overall #1!

Any more devastating losing streaks pre-2000? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.