The Sacramento skyline, as seen fromThe ZigguratinWest Sacramento, California. Phoenix Suns - 53 years. The organizations last championship came in 1951, when the team was the Rochester Royals. Back in 1925, the Cardinals faced the Pottsville Maroons in the 1925 NFL Championship game. The Phoenix Suns have the longest championship drought by a team without a single title. The Hornets/Bobcats have made only 10 playoff appearances and have never advanced beyond the second round. Sacramento Kings - 71 years. Five Pro Sports Cities in a Championship Drought That Deserve a Ring. It is the longest playoff drought in NBA history, surpassing the Los Angeles Clippers (15, 1977-19992) and Minnesota Timberwolves (13, 2005-18). Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald came within a minute of ending that streak in 2007, but a six-yard Santonio . While they have had some success in Memphis, they have only reached the conference finals once in 2013 where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons for teams. Most cities, however, have tasted recent success in a major sport in one form or another. In their second season in Nashville, the Titans reached the Super Bowl for the only time in an amazing season that included surviving a near upset in the Wild Card game thanks to the infamous Music City Miracle 75-yard kick off return. Since 1984, a drought has existed in the United States. Here are the longest title droughts among the remaining NBA playoff teams, starting with the longest. The T-Wolves fell 4-2 to the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. But the tide turned with a name change and new colors in 2008, when the franchise enjoyed a 31-win turnaround and claimed its first pennant before losing to the Phillies in five games in the World Series. Researchers at HotDog.com ranked US and Canadian metropolitan areas according to active professional sports championship droughts, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS. The Buffalo Bills won AFL championships in 1964 and 1965 prior to Super Bowls between the two football leagues. Despite having a team in each of the five major sports, it has been more than three decades since Minnesota last saw a title, when the MLBs Twins won in 1991. A puck that rebounds off the goalie, the goal post or an opposing player is not deemed to be a change of possession, and therefore Hull would be deemed to be in possession or control of the puck, allowed to shoot and score a goal even though the one foot would be in the crease in advance of the puck. Memphis has only one active team, the, The most recent championship for Baltimore was the, The most recent championship for Philadelphia was the, The most recent championship for Seattle was the, The most recent championship for Cleveland was the, The most recent championship for Raleigh was the, The most recent championships for Boston were the, The most recent championship for Pittsburgh was the, There have been no championships in Oklahoma City history. Which NHL team has the longest Stanley Cup drought? Tennessee also stands out for its pro sports struggles. Thanks to the Capitals, Detroit has now moved up the list of cities with the longest-running title droughts. The St. Louis Blues, founded in 1967, hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2019, their first championship in franchise history. Manchester United are middle of the pack when it comes to the longest trophy droughts ever suffered by the 20 current Premier League clubs. **Does not include the three seasons (19961998) during which the franchise suspended operations. Here are some of sports' longest-standing droughts for things other than championships. Thats it youll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more! Of course, the NHL playoffs werent as kind to others. They were followed by the World Football Leagues Jacksonville Sharks/Express (defunct), the NASLs Jacksonville Tea Men (defunct), the United States Football Leagues Jacksonville Bulls (defunct) and them, finally, the NFLs Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995. This is also a list of the last time a particular club won a divisional playoff game. Milwaukee is the 39th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 1,576,236. Which WNBA team has the longest championship drought? are the only original WNBA team with its original name that has never won a title, giving them a drought of 25 seasons. After being eliminated from postseason contention in Week 18, the New York Jets have the longest active NFL playoff drought at 12 seasons. At the metro level, one city currently stands out for the length of time without a professional sports title. Answer (1 of 3): Counting AFL championships and defunct teams, the longest current droughts for an entire city winning any major sports championship are: 1. The Blue Jays' drought continued to grow in 2022 after they lost in the Wild Card Series to the Mariners. The Wild has reached the Conference Finals only once getting swept by the Anaheim Ducks in 2003. . By ending the 2021-22 season with a 30-52 record, the Kings have failed to reach the postseason for. It is also possible that the NHL championship drought will extend to Los Angeles. Fans growing up as children hoping desperately to see their favorite club they were raised to support one day lift the banner declaring the champions. Sacramento has quite a playoff drought going, as it last reached . Longest championship drought, by sport. By ending the 2021-22 season with a 30-52 record, the Kings have failed to reach the postseason for 16 consecutive seasons. WOLVERHAMPTON, England: Wolverhampton boosted their survival hopes and delivered a damaging blow to Tottenham's Champions League ambitions in a 1-0 win in the English Premier League on Saturday. Winnipeg has only one active team, the, There have been no championships in Jacksonville history. Since the Chargers won the 1963 AFL championship, the Chargers, Padres, Clippers and Rockets have played a combined 109 seasons without a championship among them. Longest NFL / AFL / Super Bowl championship appearance droughts through history. Jacksonvilles debut as a pro-sports city came in 1970 when the American Basketball Associations The Floridians played some of their games in Jacksonville as a regional franchise in 1970 and 1971. Around a quarter (25.5%) have never won a championship, but one important caveat is that most of these cities have not had pro sports franchises for very long. June 20, 2016 2:16 pm. After the Cav's NBA championship last night, the city that's endured the most seasons without a major sport championship is San Diego. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN. He specializes in technology, business, and film/television. A season-ending Game 5 loss at Yankee Stadium in the 2022 AL Division Series extended the Guardians' MLB-record streak of elimination-game losses to 11. And in some cases, it could be all of a citys sports franchises struggling simultaneously, like in Cleveland, which experienced a 52-year championship drought from the Browns 1964 NFL title to the Cavaliers 2016 NBA championship. Colorado has yet to capture an NL West division title. Last year they had the best record in the National League and were one game away from returning to the World Series, but lost Game 7 of the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1. The longest currently active championship drought belongs to the city of Buffalo, who has gone 116 seasons without winning a championship. Seattle then went 20 years without making it back to the postseason, but that streak is now over. The 2007-08 Celtics rolled to a stop-the-insanity 131-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 17, 2008, after which no Boston team would win a championship until . The Kings had a mini-dynasty under Coach Rick Adelman from 1997-2006 making the playoffs 8 consecutive years, including winning back-to-back Pacific division titles in 2002-2003. Since returning 24 years ago, they have only made the playoffs twice, while the Baltimore Ravens are considered to be a separate team that began play in 1996. Your email address will not be published. Far more importantly, New York is in the playoffs for the first time since Ben McAdoo was the head coach, bringing an end to the Giants five-year playoff drought. Even with four total franchises between Nashville and Memphis, the state has never won a professional sports title in 25 years. General manager Billy Beanes innovative roster strategies have kept the As competitive on small-market budgets, particularly during the clubs Moneyball period in the early 2000s, but the franchise has reached just two ALCS since last winning the World Series in 1989. But cities that have been awarded franchises recently have an additional disadvantage, because there are now more teams to compete against than in earlier years. DID YOU KNOW?FuboTV offers 38+ sports-oriented channels, which is why it might be the best option for live TV for sports fans. Here are the longest championship droughts in the four major American professional sports. It could be tantalizingly close misses, like the Buffalo Bills run of four straight Super Bowl losses in the 1990s. The Chargers traveled to Pittsburgh where, unlike the Freezer Bowl in Cincinnati, it was a balmy 59 degrees. Entering Week 18, the Giants have only their second winning season in 10 yers. The Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks are the other NHL teams to go 50-plus years without winning the Stanley Cup. Super Bowl odds: Every teams championship futures for 2023 NFL season, NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl, MLB power rankings 2022 Houston Astros, New York Yankees battle for No.1 spot, MLB playoffs 2023: MLB postseason predictions, World Series and playoffs info, Who is the oldest NBA player? The Bucs only three postseason appearances since then (2013-15) all fell short of the NLCS. That 10-year drought is twice as long as anyone else in the NFL, as the Cardinals, Bengals and Broncos have all most . The Cubs last win came in 1945 against the . Active droughts are listed in bold type. Last championship in the city: New York Giants (2012), or for Brooklyn specifically, the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers. Shoutout to the city of Winnipeg, where there's never been a division title in the NHL, but the . Buffalos future is bright, but it is currently riding the longest playoff drought in NHL history with 11 consecutive seasons without an appearance in the NHL playoffs. Neither the Reds nor the Bengals have played in a Championship Game since then. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. One of the NHLs Original Six organizations has gone over five decades without lifting the Cup. The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans. Only metros with at least one active NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or MLS team were considered. For these teams, its practically impossible. Los Angeles Clippers - 52 years. There are long-suffering franchises and fan bases across American sports. Rays: 25 years (No titles)Tampa Bay debuted as the Devil Rays and began with some lean times, averaging 97 losses over its first 10 seasons. The club they defeated, the Indians, still maintains the record for the longest World Series drought in baseball history. NBA championship drought: 39 seasons (1975-2013) Reason the drought ended: 2014 championship season (Warriors) Most recent championship season: 2017 season (Warriors) Total NBA championships: 4. . Orlando has not won a title since becoming a pro-city in 1989 when the Orlando Magic joined the NBA. have a historic playoff drought to go along with their historic championship drought. Of the 12 teams that have never won the Super Bowl, four are expansion franchises younger than the Super Bowl itself (the Bengals, Panthers, Jaguars, and Texans), while the Falcons began playing during the season in which the Super Bowl was first played. The NFL's longest current drought is held by the Oakland Raiders, who have not won a championship since 1972. Buffalo's drought tops the next-highest city by nine years, and only two other cities besides Buffalo have championship droughts longer than 50 years. When the Cubs rallied from a 3-1 World Series deficit and then broke a 6-6 tie in the 10th inning Wednesday, they broke, as we all know, the longest championship . After losing to Detroit (4-1) in the 1984 World Series, the Padres won the pennant again in 1998 (in only their second playoff appearance since 1984). The Ravens, as a result of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, absorbed the Browns' personnel upon their suspension, but not their history. 10 of those cities have seen at least 2 teams total (in 2 different sports) win a championship ; 10 have seen at least 1 championship since 2010; 11 have seen at least 1 team win a championship since 2000 The Original Ottawa Senators last won the Stanley Cup in 1927. To make matters worse in Sacramento, the Kings set an NBA record for the longest playoff drought in league history. They have not made the playoffs since then. From 1917-67, Toronto won the Stanley Cup finals 13 times, they still have the second-most Stanley Cup wins in NHL history. The Royals beat the New York Knicks in seven games to win the 1951 NBA Finals. They have two teams but took a World Series home in 1990. The Bucks have not won a series since then, although this year certainly looks promising. Athletics: 33 seasons (Last title in 1989)The As have enjoyed as many dynastic runs as any team outside the Yankees over the breadth of Major League history, but the last three decades have been a dry period in Oakland. The Browns last appeared in the AFC Championship Game during the 1989 season when they fell . The team was an original WNBA team as the Utah Starzz starting in 1997 before turning into the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2003 and the Aces in 2018. In 2017-18, they returned to the AFC Championship and had a 20-10 lead early in the fourth quarter over the defending champion New England Patriots, but Tom Brady led the Patriots back to a 24-20 win. For current droughts, Minnesota leads all states in the U.S. for the longest championship drought. Since then, the team has used four different names and reached just two conference finals . Time flies by and those same fans are capturing their children and even grandchildren in that same feeling. With C-Town now anointed NBA champions, let's look at the cities with two or more "Big Four" sports teams (meaning from the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL sorry, MLS and college sports) that have gone the longest without a title. Orlando is the 23rd largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 2,509,831. Researchers at HotDog.com ranked U.S. and Canadian metropolitan areas according to active professional sports championship droughts, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS. But the magic hasnt been sufficient enough in the years since, though the Mets did enjoy plenty of memorable moments during their NL pennant runs in 2000 and 15. It would take the Sabres 24 years to return to the Stanley Cup Finals where they faced the Dallas Stars in 1999. Required fields are marked *. Mariners: 46 seasons (No titles)With the Nationals making it to the Fall Classic in 2019, that left the Mariners as the only franchise without an appearance in baseballs championship event. The city of Los Angeles has the longest championship drought of any NBA city. Sacramento Kings 16 seasons (last playoff . Entire US Womens Soccer Team Sues US Soccer for Gender Discrimination, we covered franchise championship conference titles, conference finals, and playoff appearance droughts, team moved to Los Angeles in 2017 after 56 years in San Diego. 1. The Detroit Red Wings brought the last major championship home to the Motor City ten . Your email address will not be published. The Cardinals have the longest active title drought in the NFL (last title: 1947) and one of the longest droughts without a franchise QB. They lost the championship the following season and did not reach the championship game for 60 years before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl LIII. The Cardinals' 70-year championship drought is one year longer than the team the Cubs beat Wednesday. 2023 ChampsOrChumps.us Terms Privacy Policy, The most recent championship for Minneapolis was the, The most recent championship for New York was the, The most recent championship for Phoenix was the, The most recent championship for Cincinnati was the, There have been no championships in Charlotte history. Listed here are both appearance droughts and winning droughts in almost every level of the NFL playoff system. The Brewers have made it to the playoffs only three times since then. Further ties were broken by the team with the most active professional sports franchises. Researchers at HotDog.com ranked U.S. and Canadian metropolitan areas according to active professional sports championship droughts. 3) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES - Last NFL Title: 1960. They have not won a playoff series since then. It is the largest city on the list and the only one with teams in all major leagues. Nashville became a major league city in 1998 when the NFLs Tennessee Oilers moved from Memphis (they became the Titans the following season) and the Nashville Predators debuted as an NHL expansion team. This is the second-longest championship drought the city has ever experienced dating back to 1900. 9. Reds: 32 seasons (Last title in 1990)The 1970s were dominated by the Big Red Machine, but aside from Cincinnatis most recent title in 1990, its been a different story since in the Queen City. Required fields are marked *. Ottawa. Minneapolis-St. Paul is the nations 16th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 3,600,618. But the Red Sox swept the Rockies that year in the franchises closest title attempt. They are one of 11 teams without an NBA championship. Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports. Its also an essential tool for getting the most out of your streaming services. The City of Minneapolis (1991-Present): No Minneapolis franchise has claimed a championship in 25 years, excluding three, maybe four WNBA titles . Pirates: 43 seasons (Last title in 1979)Only six franchises have won more championships than Pittsburgh (five), but its been a rough road for the franchise since Barry Bonds departure following a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS. Since then, the team has used four different names and reached just two conference finals, losing both. Guardians: 74 seasons (Last title in 1948)Cleveland has had its chances during this time, but it lost World Series in 1954, 95, 97 and 2016 -- four of the clubs 12 postseason appearances since beating the Boston Braves in the 1948 Fall Classic. Despite having a team in each of the five major sports, it has been more than three decades since Minnesota last saw a title, when the MLBs Twins won in 1991. In 1990, the Cincinnati Reds swept the favored Oakland As for their 5th World Series Championship. Buffalos drought tops the next-highest city by nine years, and only two other cities besides Buffalo have championship droughts longer than 50 years. While it was a finalist in MLBs 1993 and 1998 expansion, it got overlooked in favor of Miami and Tampa Bay. When the Mariners host the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the American League Division series, it will be Seattles first MLB playoff game since Oct. 18, 2001. Seattle tied the record for the most wins in an MLB season (116), but lost in the American League Championship Series to the New York Yankees. After losing in the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics have now gone 14 years without winning a title. But the team has had its stars -- including Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Johan Santana -- who led Minnesota to six AL Central titles from 2002-10 before the club suffered early postseason exits. Featured Photo Credit: Doug Lemke / Shutterstock. In 2015, the MLS added Orlando FC, which has yet to qualify for the playoffs. Despite having a team in each of the five major sports, it has been more than three decades since . We also cover VPNs, internet providers & more. While the Rays made the postseason for the fourth straight season in 2022, they fell to the Guardians in the Wild Card Series. Cleveland last won a championship 69 years ago, in 1948. The NBA returned to Charlotte in 2004 with the expansion Bobcats who reclaimed the Hornets name in 2014. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers are now at a 27-year championship drought. Frank Moraes is Content Editor at HotDog.com. He started streaming early, back in 2007 when Netflix introduced what seemed revolutionary even then, "instant watch," or what would eventually become the totality of the company. 6 seed. Its been just as long since the team even reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing in five conference finals over that stretch. Of course, we saw two of the longest MLB playoff droughts end this year. Columbus has only one active team, the, There have been no championships in Memphis history. While there are great dynasties throughout sports history, plenty of NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB teams have gone decades without being on top of the world. The Bucks were in their third year as a franchise and were led by MVP Kareen Abdul-Jabbar in his second season, Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and the great power forward Bob Dandridge. 7 seed in the NFC with a Seattle Seahawks loss in Week 18 and a Lions victory over the Green Bay Packers. The Toronto Maple Leafs have played 54 seasons since winning their last championship in the 1966-67 season. The Philadelphia Phillies snuck into the postseason thanks to the added No. One of two teams from Cleveland on the list, the Guardians not only hold the longest drought, but also have the most championship appearances of any team on this list with . Its made just one Fall Classic, in '82, when the Brew Crew was unable to finish off a 3-2 lead against the Cardinals. Jacksonville is the nations 40th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of1,504,980. drought started in 1966 and has been ongoing for Today, he streams pretty much everything while his library of thousands of Blu-rays and DVDs collects dust. But cities that have been awarded franchises recently have an additional disadvantage, because there are now more teams to compete against than in earlier years. Here's a look at the longest championship droughts for teams still in their original cities. In the world of major professional sports, some cities are known as consistent winners, while others have a long history of hard luck in the search for a sports championship. The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills are the other franchises that were in existence before the Super Bowl era that have yet to take home the Lombardi Trophy. Sacramento is the 27th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 2,324,884. The Detroit Lions, are one of seven teams without a Super Bowl win. With spring training having begun in baseball and basketball and hockey seasons ramping up towards the playoffs towards, hope springs eternal for dedicated fans. Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks back to the NBA Finals in 1974 against the Boston Celtics. The sport was also just two years removed from Wayne Gretzky retiring. If you value privacy, security, and access, you need a quality VPN. Charlotte has been a professional city since 1988 when the NBA expanded with the Charlotte Hornets. Over the last 25 years, 62.7% of cities have won a championship in either the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or MLS. Rocky Widner / NBA. The team has two WNBA Finals appearances in its history: 2008 and 2020. Then Hulu started and he was hooked. The longest currently active championship drought belongs to the city of Note that the NFL did not institute a permanent playoff tournament until 1967 and that the NFL Championship Game and any impromptu one-game playoffs (played only in the event of a tie atop the division standings) were the only postseason matchups in this era. The Bobcats, however, do have the distinction of having the worst record in NBA history in the strike-shortened 2012 season when they went a horrid 7-59 (.106). Each of the traditional Big Four sports leagues expanded into new markets throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, while Major League Soccer has only existed since 1996. The Panthers have reached the Super Bowl twice. No city currently compares to Clevelands legendary sports curse, but many pro sports markets have nonetheless seen lengthy championship droughts in recent years. For current droughts, Minnesota leads all states in the U.S. for the longest championship drought. NFL: Arizona Cardinals: 70 years: . 2023 HotDog.com | 1013 Centre Road, Suite 403S Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, 19805. The team came close to winning the inaugural WNBA championship in 1997 but fell to the Houston Comets. Pottsville won the game 21-7, a win that should have secured the championship. However, they lost to the Houston Astros. Current NFL cities/regions only. After snapping one of the longest playoff droughts in MLB, the Phillies made it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009. This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons for teams. Led by Dwight Howard, the Magic stunned LeBron James and the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in six games. Researchers at HotDog.com ranked US and Canadian metropolitan areas according to active professional sports championship droughts. Did you encounter any technical issues? The Padres have the distinction of holding the longest championship drought that no one gives a shit about. Kansas City's last three playoff losses have come by a total of nine points a freak 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh in a divisional game after the 2016 season, a 22-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans after the 2017 season and a 37-31 overtime loss to the New England Patriots in the . Charlotte is the 22nd largest metropolitan area and has a 2017 population of 2,525,305. The Colorado Avalanche last won the Stanley Cup in 2001. In fact, the last time Toronto hosted an Eastern Conference finals game came in 2002. In 2015-16, Cam Newton would lead the Panthers to a 15-1 season that was capped off with a 49-15 rout of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game. Padres: 54 seasons (No titles)An expansion team in 1969, San Diego has yet to bring home a title. However, they were stripped of the title and the Maroons were suspended by the NFL for playing an exhibition game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In the event of a tie, the location with fewer total professional championships was ranked higher. The second came in 1948 with manager Lou Boudreau calling the shots and Bob Lemon and Bob Feller manning the mound. 2. Only locations with at least one currently active professional sports team were considered in the analysis. The Kansas City Royals have a chance to end a 29-year wait for a second world title. To make matters worse, this team isnt even coming close to the Stanley Cup finals. Pittsburgh Pirates - 6 years. The Sacramento Kings have a historic playoff drought to go along with their historic championship drought. Around a quarter (25.5%) have never won a championship. It has been an essential part of our streaming toolkit for years. . Related: MLB power rankings 2022 Houston Astros, New York Yankees battle for No.1 spot. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The modern Ottawa Senators did not begin. The Maple Leafs have now gone 55 years without being crowned NHL champions. (See Unfilled Dynasties: The Bucks Stop Here.). Its one thing to never hoist the championship trophy and witness a parade, but not even experiencing the brief second of joy from a playoff game makes rooting for teams even more painful. See where the Miami Dolphins rank among the current longest title droughts in American major sports. Here is how they compare to those 12. The Sacramento Kings have a historic playoff drought to go along with their historic championship drought. After Kareems Sky Hook gave the Bucks a dramatic overtime win in Boston in Game 6 sending the series back to Milwaukee, a second title seemed assured. The 10 longest championship droughts in professional sports. Three more MLB teams have World Series droughts that extend 50-plus years: the Texas Rangers (61), Milwaukee Brewers (53) and San Diego Padres (53). Very little work got done in 2008. Since then they have had only 7 winning seasons and 4 playoff appearances, never getting past the second round (most recently in 2017-18 when they lost 34-14 to the defending champion New England Patriots).