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. The Magic returned to the Eastern Conference Finals the next season, losing to the Celtics 4-2. There are long-suffering franchises and fan bases across American sports. The Brewers have made it to the playoffs only three times since then. While the Rays made the postseason for the fourth straight season in 2022, they fell to the Guardians in the Wild Card Series. 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. Since then the Twins have only advanced as far as the ALCS once (2002). San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA. Here is a look at the longest active championship droughts, all of which go back to at least 1998. The St. Louis Blues, founded in 1967, hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2019, their first championship in franchise history. 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. Manchester United are middle of the pack when it comes to the longest trophy droughts ever suffered by the 20 current Premier League clubs. Minneapolis-St. Paul is the nations 16th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 3,600,618. A citys sports misfortunes can come in different forms. Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports. Note that for continuity purposes, the Cleveland Browns are officially considered to have suspended operations for the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons. Discovery Company. 2023 Cable News Network. Throughout the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), franchises have had various postseason and World Series droughts.. All 16 of the original Major League franchises (i.e., those in place when the first World Series was played in 1903) have won the World Series, with the longest wait for a franchise's first championship being for the Phillies (77 seasons, ending in 1980). But the Red Sox swept the Rockies that year in the franchises closest title attempt. The Blue Jays' drought continued to grow in 2022 after they lost in the Wild Card Series to the Mariners. Since then, the Os have fallen in the ALCS in 1996, 97 and 2014. When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, they ended a 108-year drought and broke one of baseball's most famous curses. There were World Series chances in '84 and 98, but the Padres won just one Fall Classic game in those years against the Tigers and Yankees, respectively. A championship appearance is listed as appearing in an NFL Championship (19321969), AFL Championship (19601969), or Super Bowl Championship (1966present). Cleveland last won a championship 69 years ago, in 1948. The Indians now have the longest World Series drought of any baseball team, as well as the . The Hornets would move to New Orleans after the 2002 season. New York then lost in the Finals three times from 1999 to 2002. And some of these droughts are especially surprising. Toronto Star via Getty Images. Neither team has been crowned the NHLs champions since entering the league in 1970. 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. 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. 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. Here's a look at the longest championship droughts for teams still in their original cities. 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. Tennessee also stands out for its pro sports struggles. . Of those 12, they have the longest championship victory or appearance drought. For some fans, however, hope all is all they have had for too long. The Predators, after missing the playoffs their first five seasons, have made the playoffs 12 of the 15 seasons since then. Here are the longest championship droughts in the four major American professional sports. Charlotte has been a professional city since 1988 when the NBA expanded with the Charlotte Hornets. This is a list of current National Football League (NFL) franchise post-season and Super Bowl droughts (multiple consecutive seasons of not winning). Following the 2021-22 NBA season, Sacramento has missed the playoff in 16 consecutive seasons. The first time was in 1920 behind the guise and bat of player/manager Tris Speaker. Padres: 54 seasons (No titles)An expansion team in 1969, San Diego has yet to bring home a title. How to Stream Without Cable, Why Sports Matter to Cable Subscribers: One-Third May Cancel If NFL is Postponed. 1. This is also a list of the last time a particular club won a divisional playoff game. 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. Locations were attributed wins for championships won by teams that were branded to be from the location at the time it took place. The Phoenix Suns have the longest championship drought by a team without a single title. 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. A citys sports misfortunes can come in different forms. 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. 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. Prior to the 1972 season, the AFL's Oakland Raiders defeated the NFL's Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl. (SeeThrowback Thursday: Bucks wintitle.). src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. But there is one important caveat: most of these cities have not had pro sports franchises for very long. Sacramento Kings 16 seasons (last playoff . For current droughts, Minnesota leads all states in the U.S. for the longest championship drought. Oklahoma City has only one active team, the, The most recent championship for Green Bay was the, The most recent championship for Washington DC was the, The most recent championship for Toronto was the, The most recent championship for San Antonio was the, There have been no championships in Las Vegas history. (See Unfilled Dynasties: The Bucks Stop Here.). Today, he streams pretty much everything while his library of thousands of Blu-rays and DVDs collects dust. After their initial season, the Jaguars went 45-19 over the next four seasons, making the playoffs each year and the AFC Championship twice (losing to the Patriots 20-6 in 1996-97 and the Titans 33-14 in 1999-2000). 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 . For many of these teams, these streaks of decades without a championship extend beyond one generation. Columbus has only one active team, the, There have been no championships in Memphis history. Buffalo is the nations 50th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 1,136,856. 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. All NFL championships since the NFL was founded in 1920 were included; all NBA championships since the NBA was founded in 1946 were included; all World Series were included, dating back to 1903; all NHL championships since the NHL was founded in 1917 were included; and all MLS championships since MLSs first season in 1996 were included. Projected by many as a contender entering the season, Russell Wilson regressed and Nathaniel Hackett didnt make it a full season before he was fired. Ten teams have multiple losing streaks where they lost an equal number of post season games before breaking the drought. Photo Credit: The Speedy Butterfly / Shutterstock, Photo Credit: Natalia Pushchina / Shutterstock, Photo Credit: nikitsin.smugmug.com / Shutterstock, Photo Credit: Songquan Deng / Shutterstock, Photo Credit: Andriy Blokhin / Shutterstock, Photo Credit: Christopher Penler / Shutterstock, Photo Credit: Richard Cavalleri / Shutterstock. 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. 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 Rays pushed the Dodgers one game further in '20, but still came up short in six games. The Sabres made it to the Conference Finals in 2006 and 2007, but have not won a playoff series since then. At least the Maple Leafs arent totally alone. The Hornets/Bobcats have made only 10 playoff appearances and have never advanced beyond the second round. The Philadelphia Phillies snuck into the postseason thanks to the added No. Milwaukee is the 39th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 1,576,236. Orlando is the 23rd largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 2,509,831. Among teams that have never won a title, the Phoenix Suns have the longest drought at 54 seasons. The team has two WNBA Finals appearances in its history: 2008 and 2020. But if youre not going to count those as championships then you have to start counting years with the start of Super Bowls. 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. Having played more seasons naturally makes it more likely that a team would win a championship at some point. For example, Canadathe birthplace of hockeyis home to seven cities with NHL franchises, but none of them have brought home a Stanley Cup in the last 30 years. This list also counts all seasons since a team last won the league championship. The NFL's longest current drought is held by the Oakland Raiders, who have not won a championship since 1972. Sacramento is the 27th largest metropolitan area with a 2017 population of 2,324,884. 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. Thats it youll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more! Having played more seasons naturally makes it more likely that a team would win a championship at some point. With the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs breaking their respective curses this century, the longest World Series drought now belongs to the Cleveland Guardians. The Buffalo Bills won AFL championships in 1964 and 1965 prior to Super Bowls between the two football leagues. Tigers: 38 seasons (Last title in 1984)Detroits last trip to the World Series came in 2012, when the Tigers were swept at the hands of the Giants. The Arizona Cardinals have the longest championship drought in the NFL, with their last title coming in 1947 as the Chicago Cardinals. Which WNBA team has the longest championship drought? 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. The Bert Bell Benefit Bowl (aka the Playoff Bowl; 19601969) is considered an exhibition game for the purpose of this list. 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. The Toronto Maple Leafs have played 54 seasons since winning their last championship in the 1966-67 season. Over the last 25 years, 62.7% of cities have won a championship in either the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or MLS. The Twins win came months after the Minnesota North Stars lost in the Stanley Cup Finals. How else could he watch one to two films every day? Counted from the first Super Bowl season, 1966, to present. 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. 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 . The team would move to Dallas in 1993, with the Minnesota Wild debuting in 2000. 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. 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. The Sacramento Kings have the longest championship drought in the NBA and one of the longest playoff droughts in American sports. . Vancouver has only one active team, the, The most recent championship for Detroit was the, There have been no championships in Nashville history. Five Pro Sports Cities in a Championship Drought That Deserve a Ring. The Twin Cities have been home to MLBs Minnesota Twins, NFLs Minnesota Vikings, the NBAs Minneapolis Lakers (now Los Angeles Lakers), the NHLs Minnesota North Stars (now Dallas Stars) and Minnesota Wild, the NASLs Minnesota Kicks (now defunct) and the MLS Minnesota United FC. 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. Only locations with at least one currently active professional sports team were considered in the analysis. Kansas City Royals - 6 years. LEARN MORESports fans will be glad to know that Hulu + Live TV streamers can also select their favorite teams to watch live from six different sports leagues across five different sports. 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 . 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). 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. The Lakers went on to win Game 7 at Sacramento in overtime 112-106. Not included are some long-suffering cities whose prayers were recently answered such as Atlanta (Atlanta United), Cleveland (Cavaliers), Houston (Astros), Kansas City (Royals), Portland (Timbers) and Washington (Capitals). 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 franchise will hope to find a new quarterback in 2023, someone who can finally take this team back to the playoffs. The Sacramento Kings have a historic playoff drought to go along with their historic championship drought. 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. To make matters worse in Sacramento, the Kings set an NBA record for the longest playoff drought in league history. Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald came within a minute of ending that streak in 2007, but a six-yard Santonio . Los Angeles Clippers - 52 years. 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 longest drought since a championship of any kind is that of the Cardinals, at 75 seasons. Charlotte is the 22nd largest metropolitan area and has a 2017 population of 2,525,305. Active droughts are listed in bold type The Cleveland Browns are tied for the second-longest conference championship game drought at 29 years. 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.