Even with four total franchises between Nashville and Memphis, the state has never won a professional sports title in 25 years. The Chargers traveled to Pittsburgh where, unlike the Freezer Bowl in Cincinnati, it was a balmy 59 degrees. Manchester United are middle of the pack when it comes to the longest trophy droughts ever suffered by the 20 current Premier League clubs. With the Mariners getting the monkey off their back, here are the 12 active longest postseason droughts between the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL . The Browns last appeared in the AFC Championship Game during the 1989 season when they fell . . 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. The Seattle Mariners snapped one of the longest playoff droughts ever, making it into the MLB postseason for the first time in two decades. With C-Town now anointed NBA champions, let's . Which MLB team has the longest World Series drought? The last time the Lions won a championship came in 1957, when they defeated the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers are now at a 27-year championship drought. 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. 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. 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). After consecutive first-round losses in 2005 and 2006, the Kings fired Adelman despite a .633 win percentage over 8 years. Which WNBA team has the longest championship drought? The last championship in San Diego was the 1963 AFL Championship where the Chargers beat the Boston Patriots 51-10. The longest drought since a championship of any kind is that of the Cardinals, at 75 seasons. (61), Milwaukee Brewers (53) and San Diego Padres (53). Since then, the team has used four different names and reached just two conference finals . Here is how they compare to those 12. To make matters worse in Sacramento, the Kings set an NBA record for the longest playoff drought in league history. Here are some of sports' longest-standing droughts for things other than championships. New York then lost in the Finals three times from 1999 to 2002. 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. The Panthers have reached the Super Bowl twice. Winnipeg has only one active team, the, There have been no championships in Jacksonville history. In 1991, the Minnesota Twins went from finishing in last place the year before to winning the World Series in a dramatic Game 7. 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 . He specializes in technology, business, and film/television. 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. Teams that have never made it beyond each successive milestone are listed under the year in which they began NFL play. That 10-year drought is twice as long as anyone else in the NFL, as the Cardinals, Bengals and Broncos have all most . 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. From 1917-67, Toronto won the Stanley Cup finals 13 times, they still have the second-most Stanley Cup wins in NHL history. 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. For current droughts, Minnesota leads all states in the U.S. for the longest championship drought. 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. New York Knicks - 49 years. The Seattle Mariners snapped one of the longest playoff droughts ever, making it into the MLB postseason . With spring training having begun in baseball and basketball and hockey seasons ramping up towards the playoffs towards, hope springs eternal for dedicated fans. The Toronto Maple Leafs have the longest championship drought in the NHL, a massive fall for a dynasty. The Colorado Avalanche last won the Stanley Cup in 2001. The Sacramento Kings have a historic playoff drought to go along with their historic championship drought. The Bucks lost in seven games to the Allen Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers in a series that some believe was rigged in Philadelphias favor. 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. are the only original WNBA team with its original name that has never won a title, giving them a drought of 25 seasons. The NFL's longest current drought is held by the Oakland Raiders, who have not won a championship since 1972. Rangers/Senators: 62 seasons (No titles)The franchise didnt make the postseason in its first 35 seasons (the first 11 in Washington) after arriving as an expansion team in 1961. Only streaks with consecutive years of professional sports operating within a location were considered. Despite having a team in each of the five major sports, it has been more than three decades since . Frank Moraes is Content Editor at HotDog.com. Having played more seasons naturally makes it more likely that a team would win a championship at some point. 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 . The Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks are the other NHL teams to go 50-plus years without winning the Stanley Cup. Five Pro Sports Cities in a Championship Drought That Deserve a Ring. Your email address will not be published. Each season begins with optimism across the 30 MLB fanbases, and each one ends with some level of disappointment for 29 of them. After the Kings, the Atlanta Hawks hold the next-longest championship drought, which extends back to 1958. Of course, some have it worse than others. It could be tantalizingly close misses, like the Buffalo Bills run of four straight Super Bowl losses in the 1990s. Sacramento Kings 16 seasons (last playoff . Nashville has 2 active teams, the, The most recent championship for Portland was the, The most recent championship for Dallas was the, There have been no championships in Salt Lake City history. Jacksonville has only one active team, the, The most recent championship for Newark was the, The most recent championship for New Orleans was the, There have been no championships in Columbus history. 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. This list also counts all seasons since a team last won the league championship. The T-Wolves fell 4-2 to the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. The NFL then gave the title to the Cardinals. Neither the Reds nor the Bengals have played in a Championship Game since then. The St. Louis Blues, founded in 1967, hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2019, their first championship in franchise history. The Kansas City Royals have a chance to end a 29-year wait for a second world title. Among teams that have never won a title, the Phoenix Suns have the longest drought at 54 seasons. Las Vegas has 2 active teams, the, The most recent championship for Los Angeles was the, The most recent championship for Oakland was the, The most recent championship for St. Louis was the, The most recent championship for Tampa was the, The most recent championship for Atlanta was the, The most recent championship for Milwaukee was the, The most recent championship for Kansas City was the, The most recent championship for Denver was the, The most recent championship for San Francisco was the, The most recent championship for Houston was the. The Mariners last made the playoffs in 2001, an unforgettable season for the team. drought started in 1966 and has been ongoing for Your email address will not be published. They returned to the AFC Championship in 2002-03, losing to the Oakland Raiders 41-24. Since then the Bills have won only one playoff game the 1995 Wild Card game. Last Title: 1948 (74-year drought) The Guardians have been the kings of the MLB twice in their 122 seasons of play. 2023 HotDog.com | 1013 Centre Road, Suite 403S Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, 19805. 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). NFL: Arizona Cardinals: 70 years: . Cleveland last won a championship 69 years ago, in 1948. The As most recent ALCS appearance resulted in a sweep by the Tigers in 06. The next season, the Predators won the NHLs Presidents Trophy for the best record but were upset by the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. 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. Having played more seasons naturally makes it more likely that a team would win a championship at some point. 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. Entering Week 18, the Giants have only their second winning season in 10 yers. Longest championship drought, by sport. 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. For these teams, its practically impossible. In 2015, the MLS added Orlando FC, which has yet to qualify for the playoffs. By: Jill R. Dorson -. Teams With Longest Championship and Playoff Droughts 2019 Edition Trophy Lives, Seattle Kraken Set NHL Record With 7-0 Road Trip, Dec-23-79: Bruins-Rangers Donnybrook at MSG, England France Meet in World Cup For Only Third Time, First Elimination Round Match. Minnesota United has yet to make the playoffs in two seasons of play in the MLS. Jim Hart is the only QB in team history that fits the bill. Only streaks with consecutive years of professional sports operating within a location were considered. How else could he watch one to two films every day? 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. In the Super Bowl, however, the Denver Broncos defense shut down Newton, as the Broncos won 24-10 in Peyton Mannings final game. The Kings haven't won a Stanley Cup . The Wild has reached the Conference Finals only once getting swept by the Anaheim Ducks in 2003. Longest championship drought, by city (with multiple teams in current pro leagues) City: Most recent title: Sacramento Kings - 1951. It also has struggled with its back against the wall. . 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). Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. The organization's last championship came in 1951, when the team was the Rochester Royals. One of the NHLs Original Six organizations has gone over five decades without lifting the Cup. List of NFL franchise post-season droughts, AFC/NFC Championship Game appearance droughts, Super Bowl or NFL championship appearance droughts, Super Bowl or NFL championship win droughts, Cities/regions awaiting first Super Bowl crown, Closest approaches without winning the Super Bowl, Longest NFL / AFL / Super Bowl championship droughts through history, Longest NFL / AFL / Super Bowl championship appearance droughts through history, Playoff droughts of at least five seasons, Most consecutive post-season losses in team history, Longest post-season droughts in team history, Last edited on 13 February 2023, at 03:43, claimed an unrecognized 1921 championship, Chicago/St. 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. Since then, the team has used four different names and reached just two conference finals, losing both. (See Unfilled Dynasties: The Bucks Stop Here.). The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans. 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. (All-time and active). 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 Toronto Star via Getty Images. Jacksonville is the nations 40th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of1,504,980. Required fields are marked *. Longest NFL / AFL / Super Bowl championship appearance droughts through history. 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. Despite owning a dominant team, the Lakers have yet to win an NBA championship since 1988. 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. Sacramento Kings - 71 years. We recommend (And use!) Tennessee Titans. 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. Finally, the city of Cincinnati had be flummoxed. The Hornets would move to New Orleans after the 2002 season. 2023 Cable News Network. After that promising start, they have had only four winning seasons and three playoff appearances since 1999. The Cleveland Guardians have the longest active championship drought in MLB, with their last World Series title coming in 1948. Of course, the Cardinals arent the only franchise with a championship drought beyond 50 years. 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. While the Cardinals appeared in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, their lone Super Bowl appearance, this organization has never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. This is the second-longest championship drought the city has ever experienced dating back to 1900. The Padres were the last San Diego team with a shot at a title. This is a list of current National Football League (NFL) franchise post-season and Super Bowl droughts (multiple consecutive seasons of not winning). For everything you need to know about Hulu, be sure to browse our Hulu + Live TV review. To make matters worse, this team isnt even coming close to the Stanley Cup finals. 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. Even with four total franchises between Nashville and Memphis, the state has never won a professional sports title in 25 years. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. Some believe a curse is a reason for this title drought. Instead, it was the Rockets who swept the Magic as Hakeem Olajuwon outplayed the younger Shaq. While the 2022 Stanley Cup finals wont wipe out one of the longest championship droughts, a streak of 20 consecutive years without hoisting of Lord Stanleys Cup, aka The Holy Grail of Hockey, came to an end. Then in the Super Bowl, they almost pulled off another miracle, as Kevin Dyson (who scored the Music City Miracle) was stopped a foot shy of a game-tying touchdown on the final play of the game. Active droughts are listed in bold type. June 20, 2016 2:16 pm. gone 116 seasons without winning a championship. 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. All Rights Reserved. This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons for teams. A championship appearance is listed as appearing in an NFL Championship (19321969), AFL Championship (19601969), or Super Bowl Championship (1966present). 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. 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. Here is a look at the longest active championship droughts, all of which go back to at least 1998. Of those 12, they have the longest championship victory or appearance drought. (MEDIA GENERAL) After 108 years of waiting for another World Series ring, the Chicago Cubs ended the longest championship drought in major American professional sports history. This drought started in 1966 and has been ongoing for 57 years. 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). Within two years, the Magic had the best record in the Eastern Conference and reached the 1994-95 NBA Finals. . However, they lost to the Houston Astros. Cyber Monday is coming with lots of deals on the things cord-cutters want and need from top providers like Hulu, ExpressVPN and NordVPN. Locations were attributed wins for championships won by teams that were branded to be from the location at the time it took place. Sadly for hockey fans in Philly, the Philadelphia Flyers arent far behind. 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 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. 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. Though no other American sports franchise has reached the century mark for years without a title, there . The first time was in 1920 behind the guise and bat of player/manager Tris Speaker. 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. It is also possible that the NHL championship drought will extend to Los Angeles. In the event of a tie, the location with fewer total professional championships was ranked higher. The Rays pushed the Dodgers one game further in '20, but still came up short in six games. 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. While championship droughts are the focus, some fan bases have gone more than a decade without even seeing their team in the playoffs. Still, 15 of the 30 teams have gone at least the past 25 seasons -- since MLB's most recent expansion in 1998 -- without winning the World Series. Sacramento is the 27th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 2,324,884. 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. The city of Los Angeles has the longest championship drought of any NBA city. 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. Today, he streams pretty much everything while his library of thousands of Blu-rays and DVDs collects dust. 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 Sacramento Kings have the longest championship drought in the NBA and one of the longest playoff droughts in American sports. Kansas City Royals - 6 years. 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. The Yankees swept the Padres, clinching Game 4 at Qualcomm Stadium. 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 . 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.