Yes, hope can spring eternal, even in the most infernal sports regions.

When the Miami Dolphins make the first pick in Saturday's NFL draft, they will stand before a national television audience as a symbol of the worst team in the NFL. But they also stand as a representative of something much worse: the completion of possibly the worst year ever by a major sports city.

Still, the ceremonial announcement of an already-signed supposed savior — Jake Long of Michigan — will renew optimism amid the failure.

“The Dolphin fan is almost delusional,” said Jorge Sedano, who hosts a mid-day radio show in South Florida on WAXY-790AM The Ticket. “Today I had a guy call who said eight or nine wins, after one win last year.”

This caller’s enthusiasm wasn’t merely a consequence of the Dolphins’ signing of the mammoth offensive tackle, more than 100 hours before the official start of the draft.

“I get that kind of call every day,” Sedano said.

Yet Sedano doesn’t blame suffering South Florida fans for their occasional irrationally exuberant prediction. Any sports enthusiast would go a little wacko, watching all of his or her beloved teams stumble, bumble and tumble down the standings.

Talk about humbling.

Many fan bases have endured the agony of defeat, after defeat, after defeat. So South Florida won’t get much sympathy from supporters of the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, the 1962 New York Mets or the Pittsburgh Pirates of the past 15 years. Nor will any tears be shed by those who have followed the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Clippers for nearly the entirety of that terrible trio’s collective existence.

Still, the statistics suggest that no sports region has suffered more during any one of the past 25 calendar years than South Florida did in 2007-08, from the start of the baseball season to the end of the basketball and hockey seasons.

No twosome during that time has been as tragic as the Dolphins and Miami Heat, each of which finished last in its respective league.

Combined record: 16-82.

Nor did the Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers make anyone feel much better.

They combined to finish 109-135.

Welcome to Loserville.

That doesn’t even include the University of Miami, long a collegiate football power. The Hurricanes closed the historic Orange Bowl with a 48-0 loss to Virginia.

“It’s been a catch-22 as a talk show host,” said Orlando Alzugaray, who hosts a morning show on WQAM-560AM. “On the one hand, it stirs up callers, because callers like to call and complain. But on the flip side, as each season wears on, apathy sets in. It kind of becomes a broken record.”

Aaron M. Sprecher / EPA Houston Texans defensive tackle Travis Johnson taunts Miami Dolphins quarterback Trent Green while he lays on the ground after being knocked out in a game Oct. 7.

Sedano said every Dolphins postgame show felt like Groundhog Day. He never experienced that apathy, since fans were determined to whine about ineptitude and wallow in negativity.

“They are attracted to a train wreck,” Sedano said.

Now all the teams are trying to get back on the tracks.

That starts with the Dolphins, the oldest and most scrutinized pro franchise in town.

The Dolphins have been on the clock since December. That's when they secured the No. 1 overall pick by finishing 1-15, their only win coming in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens.

Now fans hope the franchise has finally found direction under new vice president Bill Parcells, who has hired apprentices Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland to serve as coach and general manager, respectively.

While the Dolphins were embarrassing themselves by losing 15 times, the Heat was doing the same by winning 15 times, worst in the NBA. That season included a trade of Shaquille O'Neal and injuries to Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Dorell Wright, Alonzo Mourning and Jason Williams.

Looking for a South Florida professional team that succeeded in a season starting in 2007?

Slim pickings. Actually, that’s kind. Make that no pickings.

Baseball’s Marlins finished tied for the fifth-worst record in the major leagues. Hockey's Panthers extended their playoff drought to seven years, tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the longest current streak.

While it is difficult to quantify sporting despair, here is one unscientific method:

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