Not all losses are created equal.
In some cases a loss can actually pass as a victory, an idea that fans of tanking NBA teams have become intimately familiar with. For teams that begin the year with the bar set on the ground, most games result in either a loss that pushes them closer to the top of the lottery or an upset win that offers a gleam of hope for what the future holds.
Is that an ideal existence? Most would probably argue no, though perhaps there are some Philadelphia natives who would say otherwise.