CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Featured Photo Credit: Doug Lemke / Shutterstock. The Ravens, as a result of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, absorbed the Browns' personnel upon their suspension, but not their history. The Bucks lost in seven games to the Allen Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers in a series that some believe was rigged in Philadelphias favor. New York then lost in the Finals three times from 1999 to 2002. Ten teams have multiple losing streaks where they lost an equal number of post season games before breaking the drought. Columbus has only one active team, the, There have been no championships in Memphis history. Sacramento has quite a playoff drought going, as it last reached . 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. 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 Sacramento Kings have a historic playoff drought to go along with their historic championship drought. Of course, some have it worse than others. With their Game 7 win in the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers became the first professional sports team in Cleveland to win a championship in 52 years ending what had been the longest drought between . Cleveland has not won a title since 1948, but it has come close to winning one several times. While the Cardinals appeared in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, their lone Super Bowl appearance, this organization has never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. 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 club's 12 postseason appearances since beating the Boston Braves in the 1948 Fall . While championship droughts are the focus, some fan bases have gone more than a decade without even seeing their team in the playoffs. 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. In their last appearance, the Vikings were playing for a chance to play in the Super Bowl to be held in Minneapolis. Here are the longest title droughts among the remaining NBA playoff teams, starting with the longest. Here are the US and Canadian metros with the longest active championship droughts. To make matters worse in Sacramento, the Kings set an NBA record for the longest playoff drought in league history. The Bucks made it back to the conference finals in 2001 with a team led by Hall of Famer Ray Allen and Sam Cassell in the backcourt and power forward Glenn Big Dog Robinson. 7 seed in the NFC with a Seattle Seahawks loss in Week 18 and a Lions victory over the Green Bay Packers. The Braves swept the Reds in the 95 NLCS, and the franchise has not advanced past the LDS since then. With C-Town now anointed NBA champions, let's . Winnipeg has only one active team, the, There have been no championships in Jacksonville history. During this period, the Minnesota Vikings have lost in the NFC Championship four times (1998, 2000, 2009 and 2017). Active droughts are listed in bold type 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. Further ties were broken by the team with the most active professional sports franchises. The Twins havent advanced past the LDS round since 02. Sacramento Kings 16 seasons (last playoff . Frank Moraes is Content Editor at HotDog.com. Researchers at HotDog.com ranked US and Canadian metropolitan areas according to active professional sports championship droughts. 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 . 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. Related: MLB power rankings 2022 Houston Astros, New York Yankees battle for No.1 spot. After the Maple Leafs, the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks share the second-longest Cup drought at 51 years. How to Stream Without Cable, Why Sports Matter to Cable Subscribers: One-Third May Cancel If NFL is Postponed. 2. Full List Of Super Bowl Champions Longest Super Bowl Droughts Longest NFL Playoff Droughts Longest NFL Playoff Win Droughts All Time Best NFL Regular Seasons All Time Worst NFL Regular Seasons Most Consecutive NFL Seasons With Winning Records Most Consecutive NFL Seasons With Losing Records Most Consecutive NFL Seasons Making The Playoffs . Here are the longest active playoff droughts in the NFL entering the 2022 season. Atlanta Hawks - 63 years. This It is the longest playoff drought in NBA history, surpassing the Los Angeles Clippers (15, 1977-19992) and Minnesota Timberwolves (13, 2005-18). Here is how they compare to those 12. It could be a decades-long, mythic streak of losing, like the 86- and 108-year World Series droughts of the Boston Red Sox (ended in 2004) and the Chicago Cubs (ended in 2016). The Queen City is home to the MLBs Cincinnati Reds, NFLs Cincinnati Bengals and MLS FC Cincinnati (debuting this season) and was once home to the NBAs Cincinnati Royals (now Sacramento Kings) and the World Hockey Associations Cincinnati Stingers. Brewers/Pilots: 54 seasons (No titles)After one season in Seattle, the franchise moved to Milwaukee in 1970. But there is one important caveat: most of these cities have not had pro sports franchises for very long. Neither team has been crowned the NHLs champions since entering the league in 1970. Here are the longest championship droughts in the four major American professional sports. 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. Your email address will not be published. Which NHL team has the longest Stanley Cup drought? Locations were attributed championships for championships won by teams that were branded to be from the location at the time that they won the championship. (SeeThrowback Thursday: Bucks wintitle.). The Magic faced the defending champion Houston Rockets who had struggled during the season, leading some to predict a Magic sweep. To make matters worse, this team isnt even coming close to the Stanley Cup finals. Despite owning a dominant team, the Lakers have yet to win an NBA championship since 1988. The Mariners last made the playoffs in 2001, an unforgettable season for the team. The following championships were included: Each sports season is referred to by the year that the season started. Detroit Tigers - 7 years. As a one-sport city, Sacramento lives and dies by its Kings. 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 . 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. 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. While the Rays made the postseason for the fourth straight season in 2022, they fell to the Guardians in the Wild Card Series. The first time was in 1920 behind the guise and bat of player/manager Tris Speaker. The Brewers had a 3-2 series lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, as the series moved back to St. Louis. Since then the Twins have only advanced as far as the ALCS once (2002). New Orleans Saints (1967-2010): . 2023 Cable News Network. Sacramento is the 27th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 2,324,884. They have not won a playoff series since then. 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 Rochester Royals, now known as the Sacramento Kings, won the NBA Finals in 1951. Only locations with at least one currently active professional sports team were considered in the analysis. The Philadelphia Phillies snuck into the postseason thanks to the added No. In the event of a tie, the location with fewer total professional championships was ranked higher. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN. This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons for teams. After the Kings, the Atlanta Hawks hold the next-longest championship drought, which extends back to 1958. In fact, the last time Toronto hosted an Eastern Conference finals game came in 2002. In 2016-17 they claimed the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and then swept the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks and then beat the St. Louis Blues (4-2) and Anaheim Ducks (4-2) to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time. Of course, the NHL playoffs werent as kind to others. The Buffalo Bills won AFL championships in 1964 and 1965 prior to Super Bowls between the two football leagues. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Ten Major Cities With Longest Championship Droughts. At least the Maple Leafs arent totally alone. The Braves had been one of those teams entering the 2021 season, but they became the latest team to end a lengthy drought by clinching their first title since 1995 by beating the Astros to take home the 2021 World Series trophy that fall. The longest currently active championship drought belongs to the city of 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. . 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. The St. Louis Blues, founded in 1967, hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2019, their first championship in franchise history. Last championship: 1994 Getty Images The Rangers are one of the NHL's "Original Six" teams and last hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1994 to end a 54-year title drought. Jabbar played only one more season with the Bucks, but the franchise found new life in the 1980s under Coach Don Nelson with 7-straight 50-win seasons and three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals only to face dynastic Philadelphia and Boston teams. This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons for teams. 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. 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 . Of course, we saw two of the longest MLB playoff droughts end this year. Whether curses are to blame or just bad management and worse luck, fans put up with a lot. The 10 longest championship droughts in professional sports. 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. 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. Having played more seasons naturally makes it more likely that a team would win a championship at some point. 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. June 20, 2016 2:16 pm. A Warner Bros. 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. The As most recent ALCS appearance resulted in a sweep by the Tigers in 06. Only locations . 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. In the 1990s the Bills had a dynasty, winning four consecutive AFC Championships (a feat that has not been matched) from 1990-1993 with Hall of Famers Cornelius Bennett (LB), Jim Kelly (QB) James Lofton (WR), Andre Reed (WR), Bruce Smith (DE), Thurman Thomas (RB) and Coach Marvy Levy. Five Pro Sports Cities in a Championship Drought That Deserve a Ring. drought started in 1966 and has been ongoing for This is a sortable table of all 32 current NFL teams. The Toronto Maple Leafs have played 54 seasons since winning their last championship in the 1966-67 season. Most cities, however, have tasted recent success in a major sport in one form or another. Updated The franchise will hope to find a new quarterback in 2023, someone who can finally take this team back to the playoffs. It also has struggled with its back against the wall. The franchise is 0-4 in potential championship clinchers over its past two trips to the Series, having squandered a 3-1 advantage to the Cubs in 2016. The Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks are the other NHL teams to go 50-plus years without winning the Stanley Cup. One of the NHLs Original Six organizations has gone over five decades without lifting the Cup. The Browns last appeared in the AFC Championship Game during the 1989 season when they fell . 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. (All-time and active). 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. Here are some of sports' longest-standing droughts for things other than championships. and, in a few cases, century-long curses. 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 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. Cleveland Guardians (MLB) - 73 years. The organizations last championship came in 1951, when the team was the Rochester Royals. Buffalos drought tops the next-highest city by nine years, and only two other cities besides Buffalo have championship droughts longer than 50 years. We see many teams continuing their hist. 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 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. Ultimately, they were passed over for another city with a similar drought, only this city has four teams rather than two. . 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. Led by quarterback Stan Humphries, the Chargers came back from a 13-3 deficit to win 17-13. The Sabres made it to the Conference Finals in 2006 and 2007, but have not won a playoff series since then. Contact Frank with thoughts, questions, and story ideas at [emailprotected]. 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. The modern Ottawa Senators did not begin. After losing in the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics have now gone 14 years without winning a title. Colorado has yet to capture an NL West division title. Charlotte has 2 active teams, the, There have been no championships in Vancouver history. Phoenix Suns - 53 years. 6 seed. Required fields are marked *. Its been just as long since the team even reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing in five conference finals over that stretch. They also won the pennant in 2006, when they lost in five games to the 83-win Cardinals. HotDog.com Blog Cities With the Longest Active Championship Droughts. Which NFL team has the longest Super Bowl drought? See where the Miami Dolphins rank among the current longest title droughts in American major sports. New York went from 1906-1920 without a championship, and that dry spell was bookended by World . To make matters worse, a team with 17 championships in its history has just one (2008) in nearly 40 years. The defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins won the series 4-2. It could be tantalizingly close misses, like the Buffalo Bills run of four straight Super Bowl losses in the 1990s. Which MLB team has the longest World Series drought? 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. appreciated. Longest playoff drought - New York Jets: With the Browns and Bucs both having made the playoffs in 2020, the Jets now own the longest drought, not having appeared in a postseason contest since the 2010 AFC Championship Game. In this installment, we cover the 10 cities who have not seen a championship in 20 years or more in any major sport San Diego, Buffalo, Milwaukee, Sacramento, Charlotte, Orlando, Cincinnati, the Twin Cities, Jacksonville, and Nashville. The next season, the Predators won the NHLs Presidents Trophy for the best record but were upset by the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. After taking down the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final, Colorado is back on top of the NHL world. They have two teams but took a World Series home in 1990. 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. Jacksonville is the nations 40th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of1,504,980. . 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. Frank loves video. Each sports season is referred to by the year that the season started. Then Hulu started and he was hooked. What is the longest championship drought ever? The Kings haven't won a Stanley Cup . 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. Since then, the franchise has endured six decades of losing seasons and the longest championship drought among active NFL franchises. Its par for the course from a team that has battled to even reach mediocrity during its best seasons in the last two decades. The Bengals have been 1-8 in eight post-season appearances and have not played in a title game since losing Super Bowl XXIII in 1988-89. After consecutive first-round losses in 2005 and 2006, the Kings fired Adelman despite a .633 win percentage over 8 years. 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. 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? are the only original WNBA team with its original name that has never won a title, giving them a drought of 25 seasons. Phoenix, which is home to MLBs Arizona Diamondbacks, the NBAs Phoenix Suns, the NFLs Arizona Cardinals and the NHLs Arizona Coyotes, won its only championship ever in 2001 when the Diamondbacks won a thrilling World Series over the New York Yankees by scoring two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning in Game 7. Orioles: 39 seasons (Last title in 1983)Baltimores most recent trip to the World Series was its victory over the Phillies in 1983, when Cal Ripken Jr. was a 23-year-old who was only a year and a half into his consecutive-games streak. 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. Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. To put that 21-year drought into perspective, 28-year-old Jaromir Jagr led the NHL in points (121) during the 2000-01 regular season. The New York Liberty are the only original WNBA team with its original name that has never won a title, giving them a drought of 25 seasons. Under Coach Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars were a remarkably successful expansion franchise. Check out our Cyber Monday Shoppers Guide! The Blue Jays' drought continued to grow in 2022 after they lost in the Wild Card Series to the Mariners. City. A championship appearance is listed as appearing in an NFL Championship (19321969), AFL Championship (19601969), or Super Bowl Championship (1966present). The team has two WNBA Finals appearances in its history: 2008 and 2020. , 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. An early exit extended Torontos futility with one of the longest championship droughts in sports. Most cities, however, have tasted recent success in a major sport in one form or another. The . 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. Which WNBA team has the longest championship drought? 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. By: Jill R. Dorson -. It would take the Sabres 24 years to return to the Stanley Cup Finals where they faced the Dallas Stars in 1999. We have seen one of the longest Stanley Cup droughts end in recent years. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. breaking their respective curses this century, the longest World Series drought now belongs to the Cleveland Guardians. The Toronto Maple Leafs have the longest championship drought in the NHL, a massive fall for a dynasty. Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates leading the Bucks to the NBA championship Tuesday night. Seattle made it as far as the American League Championship Series in 1995, 2000 and 01, when it won 116 regular-season games.