The Big Lead brought up a good question yesterday: what's the most tortured sports city? We'll let them explain the criteria:What hurts more, a team that hasn’t won a title in 50 years (but is never really close), or a team that hasn’t won in a decade, but is always on the cusp? And the nominees for most Championship-starved city (requirement - minimum of three pro teams necessary).Their nominees are Cleveland, Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia and New York. (Go read The Big Lead's post to get each city's résumé).
OK, fine, whatever. But we think the two cities we call home deserve adequate mention.
Seattle - Seahawks have been in the playoffs five years in a row, made the 2006 Super Bowl, but have never won a championship. Mariners won 116 games in '01, lost ALCS, and haven't been to the playoffs since. No championships. The Sonics won the NBA title in '79, but have only won one playoff series in the last 10 years. UW won the '91 National Championship and, most recently, '01 Rose Bowl, but has been miserable since.
Bay Area - Giants brutally lose 2002 World Series, haven't won WS since 1954. Niners last Super Bowl title came in '94. Only one playoff win in last nine years. Missed playoffs last five years. Warriors' last title came in '75. Haven't been to conference finals since '76. Went 12 seasons without making playoffs before beating Mavs last season. A's haven't won World Series since '89 (beat Giants). Lost ALDS four years in a row, 2000-2003. Cal last played in Rose Bowl in '59, last won Rose Bowl in '38.
Make the case for your tortured sports city in the comments.
Fantastic. I'm a huge Giants fan that has relocated from California to the Seattle area. Maybe it's me that's cursed.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't Buffalo be up there??? The Bills were 0-4, they had that Brett Hull thing, and plus they live in Buffalo.
ReplyDeleteSeems pretty shitty to me.
Seattle Storm won the WNBA Championship in 2004.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehow about new orleans?
ReplyDeletethe saints won their first playoff game a few years back and besides last year the saints have been horrible for most of their franchise history.
to top that we have the hornets, who since moving to the west have looked like preschoolers playing pros (this year looks good)
If you are a Knicks fan and a Jets fan, your misery dwarfs any other city in any of the four major North American sports.
ReplyDeleteNo Arizona? The Cardinals have been horrible since they arrived in town back in the late 80's, the Suns have lost two heartbreaking championships and nobody there even cares about baseball, we couldnt even sell tickets when we were making a run at the World Series last season, so our one World Series win means nothing to us...
ReplyDeletePhilly. I've never seen a championship in my life. The Phantoms do not count...
ReplyDeleteThe three appearances in the finals in my lifetime (since 84):
Phillies- Joe Carter.
Sixers- Barely won the first game because it was at home and Iverson was the man. Got killed the next four games.
Flyers- Swept by the Red Wings.
Eagles- Andy Reid and McNabb have no concept of time management. Probably the closest I've ever been to tackling my TV.
hey don't forget about the Sharks - playoffs every year, no stanley cup.
ReplyDeletebut we do have the Sabercats!
Worst sports city is New York. First of all, their football teams actually play in NJ so right there that tells you something about the management, the NFL, and the fans. It's New Jersey Jets and New Jersey Giants, people. This idiocy is akin to me living in Cape May and calling myself a New Yorker. Secondly, after the Mets fell apart this past summer (LOL), they should have a WS taken away, preferably the '86 one. Third, replacing Yankee Stadium is complete lunacy. Next, their sports writers are dolts. Mark Cannizarro had a big friggin orgasm when the Jets hired Kotite; thinking the Eagles didn't know what kind of genius they were losing then a few years later he was begging the Jest (not a type) to can him. What duplicity. Lastly, just listen to WFAN for about 10 minutes and this whole debate will end very quickly.
ReplyDeleteRunner-up city: Miami; just brutal; mostly because their fans are transplanted New Yorkers.
The Twin Cities.
ReplyDeleteVikings went 15-1 and choked in the NFC Championship game. Got rolled by the Giants the next time we made it there. We didn't even get our draft pick in on time one year. 0-4 in the Super Bowl.
The Twins had a little success in the early 1990s but since then they've been pretty bad. Almost got contracted a few years back.
T-Wolves never won anything. Now we're the worst team in the NBA.
And on top of it all, we've helped Boston go on their winning streak. Ortiz, Moss, Garnett!
What about sports fans in Ohio?
ReplyDeleteCleveland Cavaliers swept by Spurs.
Ohio State loses football national title to Florida
Ohio State loses football championship to LSU
Ohio State loses basketball championship to Florida
Ohio State loses men's soccer championship to Wake Forest
Cleveland Browns miss playoffs at 10-6.
Cleveland Indians lose to Boston Red Sox after leading 3-1 in series.
It's really only between Cleveland and Philly. Buffalo's only got two pro teams, and no one there even cares about football half as much as they care about their Sabres. The Bay area? Gimme a break.. the Niners were a dynasty in the '90's and one of the top five franchises in league history, so that automatically disqualifies them. There are probably less than 100 diehard sports fans in Atlanta, so only those people are really tortured. Plus, who the hell cares about the Thrashers? I'm a tortured Philly fan, so right now, I'm going with Philly as most tortured city. But when Lebron ditches the Cavs in a few years, there's going to be no debate.
ReplyDeleteI took a slightly different take on this a few months back...looking at whose immediate future looked the bleakest.
ReplyDeleteMiami took #1 on my list.
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ReplyDelete