The As most recent ALCS appearance resulted in a sweep by the Tigers in 06. Active droughts are listed in bold type Cities With the Longest NBA Championship Droughts of All Time The search for a franchise QB: History of every NFL team's franchise Five Pro Sports Cities in a Championship Drought That Deserve a Ring. 2. Updated with completion of NFL season ending in 2023. Additionally, each location must have had at least one professional sports team operating in all years of its championship drought for that losing streak to count. Following the 2021-22 NBA season, Sacramento has missed the playoff in 16 consecutive seasons. Since 1984, a drought has existed in the United States. Within two years, the Magic had the best record in the Eastern Conference and reached the 1994-95 NBA Finals. All 32 active NFL teams have qualified for and won a game in the playoffs. The last Buffalo championship was in 1965 when the Bills won their second consecutive AFL title with a 23-0 win over the San Diego Chargers led by quarterback Jack Kemp (who would go on to be a New York Congressman). The first time was in 1920 behind the guise and bat of player/manager Tris Speaker. The Browns last appeared in the AFC Championship Game during the 1989 season when they fell . San Diego is the nations 17th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 3,337,685. . The Braves swept the Reds in the 95 NLCS, and the franchise has not advanced past the LDS since then. Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. We also cover VPNs, internet providers & more. Detroit Tigers - 7 years. The Cleveland Browns are tied for the second-longest conference championship game drought at 29 years. The Bucks swept through the NBA playoffs beating Nate Thurmond and the San Francisco Warriors (4-1), Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) and sweeping Wes Unseld and the Baltimore Bullets. 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. (All-time and active). . Neither the Reds nor the Bengals have played in a Championship Game since then. (61), Milwaukee Brewers (53) and San Diego Padres (53). There are long-suffering franchises and fan bases across American sports. In the Super Bowl, however, the Denver Broncos defense shut down Newton, as the Broncos won 24-10 in Peyton Mannings final game. In 2003-04, the Panthers battled the Patriots in a shootout, with a Jake Delhomme touchdown pass evening the score at 29 with 1:08 to go. Longest championship drought, by city (with multiple teams in current pro leagues) City: Most recent title: And here are the 10 longest World Series title droughts in MLB history that are no longer active (going back to the inaugural World Series in 1903): Cubs: 107 years (1909-2016)White Sox: 87 years (1918-2005)Red Sox: 85 years (1919-2004)Phillies: 77 years (1903-80)Orioles/Browns: 63 years (1903-66)Twins/Senators: 62 years (1925-87)Astros: 55 years (1962-2017)Giants: 55 years (1955-2010)Dodgers: 52 years (1903-55)Nationals/Expos: 50 years (1969-2019), MLB-record streak of elimination-game losses. This list also counts all seasons since a team last won the league championship. It is the second largest city on this list. Milwaukee is the 39th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 1,576,236. Blue Jays: 29 seasons (Last title in 1993)The road to the World Series title ran through Toronto at the beginning of the 1990s, but dynastic days north of the border subsided at the turn of the millennium. Pittsburgh Pirates - 6 years. Its par for the course from a team that has battled to even reach mediocrity during its best seasons in the last two decades. While the Seattle Mariners are far behind some others in the length of their title drought, they are in MLB history for another unfortunate reason. The Kings lost Game 6 in Los Angeles 106-102 in a controversial game that many have claimed demonstrates that the league wanted to ensure that the marquee Lakers and not the small-market Kings reached the NBA Finals; as in the final minutes, all foul calls and non-calls went the Lakers way. 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. Winnipeg has only one active team, the, There have been no championships in Jacksonville history. Some believe a curse is a reason for this title drought. The organizations last championship came in 1951, when the team was the Rochester Royals. Further ties were broken by the team with the most active professional sports franchises. In the event of a tie, the location with fewer total professional championships was ranked higher. In 1995, Charlotte became home to the NFL Panthers who have had much greater success, including making it to the NFC Championship game in their second year. 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. Rocky Widner / NBA. DID YOU KNOW?FuboTV offers 38+ sports-oriented channels, which is why it might be the best option for live TV for sports fans. 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. At least the Maple Leafs arent totally alone. Cities with the longest active championship droughts - Omaha World-Herald Only metros with at least one active NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or MLS team were considered. 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. Thanks to the Capitals, Detroit has now moved up the list of cities with the longest-running title droughts. The club they defeated, the Indians, still maintains the record for the longest World Series drought in baseball history. The Lakers went on to win Game 7 at Sacramento in overtime 112-106. The Las Vegas Aces organization also has never won an WNBA title in its 25-year history. In their last appearance, the Vikings were playing for a chance to play in the Super Bowl to be held in Minneapolis. In 2015, the MLS added Orlando FC, which has yet to qualify for the playoffs. drought started in 1966 and has been ongoing for Since then the Twins have only advanced as far as the ALCS once (2002). Only streaks with consecutive years of professional sports operating within a location were considered. Instead, it was the Rockets who swept the Magic as Hakeem Olajuwon outplayed the younger Shaq. The sport was also just two years removed from Wayne Gretzky retiring. Teams that have never made it beyond each successive milestone are listed under the year in which they began NFL play. Seattle then went 20 years without making it back to the postseason, but that streak is now over. The second came in 1948 with manager Lou Boudreau calling the shots and Bob Lemon and Bob Feller manning the mound. Here are the longest championship droughts in the four major American professional sports. The Padres were the last San Diego team with a shot at a title. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Ten Major Cities With Longest Championship Droughts. Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks back to the NBA Finals in 1974 against the Boston Celtics. The Arizona Cardinals have the longest championship drought in the NFL, with their last title coming in 1947 as the Chicago Cardinals. Between the NHLs Sabres (established 1970) and the NFLs Bills (established 1960), Buffalo has never experienced a sports championship in 62 years of having teams. For some fans, however, hope all is all they have had for too long. In fact, the last time Toronto hosted an Eastern Conference finals game came in 2002. While it certainly isnt one of the longest championship droughts in sports, the 14-year stretch is one of the longest in franchise history. 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. The Reds have been 2-11 in its four post-season appearances since then and has finished in last or next to last 11 times including the last five seasons. The Toronto Maple Leafs have played 54 seasons since winning their last championship in the 1966-67 season. With a first-round exit in the 2022 playoffs, the Maple Leafs tied the record for longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history, matching the New York Rangers mark from 1940 to 1994. Sacramento has only one active team, the, The most recent championship for Miami was the, The most recent championship for Ottawa was the, There have been no championships in Orlando history. But if youre not going to count those as championships then you have to start counting years with the start of Super Bowls. With spring training having begun in baseball and basketball and hockey seasons ramping up towards the playoffs towards, hope springs eternal for dedicated fans. Active droughts are listed in bold type. Once again, it would come down to a decisive Game 6 in Buffalo and a controversial moment between the Stars Hall of Fame winger Brett Hull and the Sabres Hall of Fame goalie Dominik Hasek in triple overtime, as Hull scored the clinching goal with his skate in the crease. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Over the last 25 years, 62.7% of cities have won a championship in either the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or MLS. The Cleveland Cavaliers snapped a 52-year championship drought June 19, 2016, when they toppled the Golden State Warriors in a best-of-seven series. One of the NHLs Original Six organizations has gone over five decades without lifting the Cup. Locations were attributed wins for championships won by teams that were branded to be from the location at the time it took place. 12 longest active playoff droughts in NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL 3) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES - Last NFL Title: 1960. Three more MLB teams have World Series droughts that extend 50-plus years: the. Shaq would leave for the Lakers the next season and it would not be until 2008-2009 that the Magic would return to the conference finals. Winning a championship, regardless of league, is no easy feat. Twins: 31 seasons (Last title in 1991)The days of Jack Morris, Kirby Puckett and the "Homer Hanky" are growing further and further into the rearview mirror for the Twins. The NBA returned to Charlotte in 2004 with the expansion Bobcats who reclaimed the Hornets name in 2014. What are the worst droughts in modern sports history? - Deadspin The modern Ottawa Senators did not begin. Charlotte is the 22nd largest metropolitan area and has a 2017 population of 2,525,305. The Mariners have gone 20 years without reaching the MLB playoffs, it is the longest active postseason drought in the top four American mens sports. The data was sourced from pro-football-reference.com, basketball-reference.com, baseball-reference.com, hockey-reference.com, and fbref.com. We see many teams continuing their hist. The franchises most recent Hall of Famer, Mike Piazza, was 18 years old when the Mets won it all in 86. Cleveland last won a championship 69 years ago, in 1948. Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates leading the Bucks to the NBA championship Tuesday night. Theyve made it twice total since last winning in 1984. Did you encounter any technical issues? Salt Lake City has only one active team, the, The most recent championship for Montreal was the, There have been no championships in Sacramento history. The City of Minneapolis (1991-Present): No Minneapolis franchise has claimed a championship in 25 years, excluding three, maybe four WNBA titles . After that promising start, they have had only four winning seasons and three playoff appearances since 1999. 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 Mariners ended their 21-year postseason drought in 2022 before losing to the division-rival Astros in the ALDS. The Ravens, as a result of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, absorbed the Browns' personnel upon their suspension, but not their history. The Cleveland Cavaliers snapped a 52-year championship drought June 19, 2016, when they toppled the Golden State Warriors in a best-of-seven series. The Hornets/Bobcats have made only 10 playoff appearances and have never advanced beyond the second round. Listed according to seasons waited. The 10 longest championship droughts in professional sports - WPRI.com The following championships were included: Each sports season is referred to by the year that the season started. Time flies by and those same fans are capturing their children and even grandchildren in that same feeling. The Chargers were 19-point underdogs against Steve Young and San Francisco 49ers, who jumped to a 42-10 lead and coasted to a 49-26 win. The franchise will hope to find a new quarterback in 2023, someone who can finally take this team back to the playoffs. Finally, the city of Cincinnati had be flummoxed. Basketball fans must go all the way back to the 1051 NBA to find the last Kings championship. For current droughts, Minnesota leads all states in the US for the longest championship drought. The longest currently active championship drought belongs to the city of Padres fans can take comfort in the fact that the Yankees were simply that good, as they began a 10-game World Series winning streak as the Yankees also swept the Atlanta Braves in 1999 and beat the New York Mets (4-1) in 2000. Others, meanwhile, are annually telling themselves Maybe next year just to repeat the cycle. 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. 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. To make matters worse, a team with 17 championships in its history has just one (2008) in nearly 40 years. Ten teams have multiple losing streaks where they lost an equal number of post season games before breaking the drought. Of course, we saw two of the longest MLB playoff droughts end this year. The Rays pushed the Dodgers one game further in '20, but still came up short in six games. 1. In that span since the 1984 title, theyve also found themselves on the precipice of the World Series three additional times -- losing the ALCS in 2013, 2011 and 1987. 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. Of those 12, they have the longest championship victory or appearance drought. 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. 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. Only metros with at least one active NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or MLS team were considered. 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. The organizations last title came in 1947, when there were only 10 teams in the NFL and the Cardinals were playing in Chicago. No city currently compares to Clevelands legendary sports curse, but many pro sports markets have nonetheless seen lengthy championship droughts in recent years. Listed here are both appearance droughts and winning droughts in almost every level of the NFL playoff system. The Kings haven't won a Stanley Cup . Mike Bibbys game-winning shot in Game 5 put them up 3-2 over the Los Angeles Lakers. Once part of the NFL, the Chargers made it to the AFC Championship Game four times: (i) losing to the Oakland Raiders 34-27 in 1980-81; (ii) losing 27-7 to Cincinnati in the famous Freezer Bowl in 1981-82; (iii)losing to the undefeated Patriots 21-12 in 2007-08; and (iv) then there was the 1994-95 season. The Chargers traveled to Pittsburgh where, unlike the Freezer Bowl in Cincinnati, it was a balmy 59 degrees. NFL. Cities With the Longest Active Championship Droughts and, in a few cases, century-long curses. Longest NFL Championship Droughts By Team (2022) - YouTube For these teams, its practically impossible. Top 10 Longest Championship Droughts in North American Pro Sports This . The Padres made the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons in 2022 and upset the Mets and Dodgers to reach the NLCS. (SeeThrowback Thursday: Bucks wintitle.). Then Hulu started and he was hooked. A good VPN provides extra security and unequalled privacy for everything you do online. The Buffalo Sabres made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in only their 5th season in 1974-75, led by Hall of Fame Center Gilbert Perreault They lost to the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers 4-2, who clinched Game 6 in Buffalo with a 2-0 win. 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. But their quest to give the city of San Diego its first World Series crown ended when the Phillies beat them in five games. The Twins havent advanced past the LDS round since 02. After the Eagles' Super Bowl win, the longest championship droughts for 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. All Rights Reserved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); HotDog is the internet's oldest guide to cordcutting, replacing expensive cable or satellite TV with cheaper or free live stream and OTA options. The Magic came back and won 60 games, but could not get past the 72-win Chicago Bulls who swept the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. Longest World Series title droughts - MLB.com Buffalo Last Title: Never Here is how they compare to those 12. The Brewers had a 3-2 series lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, as the series moved back to St. Louis. Unfortunately for the Padres, they faced the New York Yankees, who at 114-48 had posted the second-best record in Major League history. The team lost the World Series four times over the last 73 seasons, most recently in 2016 when the Cubs snapped their unprecedented 108-year skid. Milwaukee has been home to MLBs Milwaukee Braves (now Atlanta Braves), the Milwaukee Brewers, the NBAs Milwaukee Hawks (now Atlanta Hawks) and Milwaukee Bucks, the NFLs Milwaukee Badgers and the Green Bay Packers which played some games in Milwaukee from 1933-1994 (Green Bay is not part of the Milwaukee metro area). In the NBA Finals, the Magic faced Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers who beat them 4-1. Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports. The Blue Jays' drought continued to grow in 2022 after they lost in the Wild Card Series to the Mariners. The T-Wolves fell 4-2 to the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. Tennessee also stands out for its pro sports struggles. Longest championship title droughts in NBA history. Frank Moraes is Content Editor at HotDog.com. The Bills lost all four Super Bowls, with the closest one being in the 1990-91 season when Scott Norwoods potential game-winning 47-yard field goal attempt with 8-seconds remaining was wide by a foot. The organizations last title came in 1947, when there were only 10 teams in the NFL and the Cardinals were playing in. After losing in the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics have now gone 14 years without winning a title. Orlando has only one active team, the, The most recent championship for Calgary was the, The most recent championship for Indianapolis was the, The most recent championship for Edmonton was the, There have been no championships in San Jose history. 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. Since then the Bills have won only one playoff game the 1995 Wild Card game. Back in 1925, the Cardinals faced the Pottsville Maroons in the 1925 NFL Championship game. 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. Your email address will not be published. The longest drought since a championship of any kind is that of the Cardinals, at 75 seasons. This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons for teams.