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America's Most Miserable Sports Cities
For sports fans, misery isn't always a matter of pure incompetence. Sometimes it's a product of heartbreak--the anguish of getting close without bringing home the bacon. We added up playoff losses (with progressively more weight given to later rounds--more heartbreak), along with championship droughts and the loss of teams moving out of town to find the 10 most miserable sports cities.
No. 1 Seattle
Teams: Mariners, Seahawks, Sonics
Championship round losses: 3
Semifinal round losses: 7
Total seasons/championships: 109/1
Years since last title: 31
Teams lost: Sonics
We're not counting the one-year run of baseball's Seattle Pilots, who split for Milwaukee in 1970 in an essentially pre-arranged deal. The city is still looking for its first MLB and NFL titles, while having to endure the sight of young NBA superstar Kevin Durant do his thing in Oklahoma City, which lured the Sonics with a sweet arena deal two years ago.
No. 2 Atlanta
Teams: Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Thrashers, Flames
Championship round losses: 5
Semifinal round losses: 9
Total seasons/championships: 147/1
Years since last title: 15
Teams lost: Flames
The Braves have parlayed 11 trips to the National League Championship Series into just one World Series title. And don't forget the Hawks: 25 playoff teams since 1968 without a single trip to the NBA finals.
No. 3 Phoenix
Teams: Suns, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Coyotes
Championship round losses: 3
Semifinal round losses: 7
Total seasons/championships: 88/1
Years since last title: 9
Teams lost: None
The Suns' excruciating 128-126 triple overtime loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA finals came to symbolize what has become a close-but-no-cigar history. The club has reached the NBA semifinals eight times, and the finals twice, without a title. The Cardinals took their cue in 2009 with a last-minute Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh.
No. 4 Buffalo
Teams: Bills, Sabres, Braves
Championship round losses: 6
Semifinal round losses: 6
Total seasons/championships: 87/2
Years since last title: 45
Teams lost: Braves
Back in the early 1970s, Buffalo was cooking: O.J. Simpson was running circles around NFL defenders and the upstart Braves wowed the NBA with exciting players like Randy Smith and Bob McAdoo. Since then, the Bills are 0-4 in Super Bowls while the NHL Sabres are still looking for their first Stanley Cup after 27 playoff appearances. All while the Braves reside in NBA purgatory as the Los Angeles Clippers. And as for O.J. ...
No. 5 San Diego
Teams: Chargers, Padres, Clippers, Rockets
Championship round losses: 6
Semifinal round losses: 3
Total seasons/championships: 91/1
Years since last title: 47
Teams lost: Clippers, Rockets
Basketball just didn't fly in San Diego--the city's two former NBA clubs now reside in Houston and L.A., respectively. Meantime, the Chargers and Padres have combined to lose in the title round six of seven times.
No. 6 Cleveland
Teams: Browns (I), Browns (II), Rams, Indians, Cavaliers, Barons
Championship round losses: 8
Semifinal round losses: 10
Total seasons/championships: 219/7
Years since last title: 46
Teams lost: Rams, Barons, Browns (I)
Only some 1940s to 1960s success by the Indians and Browns prevents Cleveland from occupying a higher spot on the list. Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the Browns have made 11 trips to the postseason without a Super Bowl appearance, a run that includes three AFC title game losses to Denver. Meantime the Indians have come up empty in seven postseason trips since 1995.
No. 7 Washington, D.C.
Teams: Redskins, Nationals, Senators (I), Senators (II), Capitals, Wizards
Championship round losses: 11
Semifinal round losses: 2
Total seasons/championships: 225/7
Years since last title: 19
Teams lost: Senators (I), Senators (II)
Thank goodness for the Redskins' periodic success--Washington's basketball, baseball and hockey teams have scored just two championships over 147 cumulative seasons, the last one in 1978.
No. 8 Kansas City
Teams: Chiefs, Royals, Athletics, Kings, Scouts
Championship round losses: 2
Semifinal round losses: 6
Total seasons/championships: 116/3
Years since last title: 25
Teams lost: Athletics, Kings, Scouts
Baseball's Philadelphia A's used Kansas City as a pit stop (1955-67) on their way to Oakland, while the city's former NBA and NHL clubs now play in Sacramento and New Jersey, respectively. The George Brett-era Royals were bounced out of the postseason six times in six tries between 1976 and 1984 before bringing home their lone title in a seven-game upset of the Cardinals in 1985.
No. 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
Teams: Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, Lakers, Wild, North Stars
Championship round losses: 6
Semifinal round losses: 18
Total seasons/championships: 166/7
Years since last title: 19
Teams lost: North Stars, Lakers
Lots of bridesmaid history in the Twin Cities. Not only are the Vikings 0-4 in Super Bowls, they've lost in the NFC title game five times. The Twins' World Series championships in 1987 and 1991 are all the fans have had since the Minneapolis Lakers scored five titles in the early days of the NBA (we counted the Lakers' 1949 BAA title the year before the NBA was formally convened).
No. 10 Houston
Teams: Astros, Texans, Oilers, Rockets
Championship round losses: 4
Semifinal round losses: 8
Total seasons/championships: 131/4
Years since last title: 15
Teams lost: Oilers
The Astros still await their first title through 48 seasons and nine playoff appearances (yet they've justified retiring nine player numbers). The Rockets' two titles during Michael Jordan's mid-'90s NBA hiatus are all the city has since the Oilers took two early AFL championships during the pre-Super Bowl era.
For sports fans, misery isn't always a matter of pure incompetence. Sometimes it's a product of heartbreak--the anguish of getting close without bringing home the bacon. We added up playoff losses (with progressively more weight given to later rounds--more heartbreak), along with championship droughts and the loss of teams moving out of town to find the 10 most miserable sports cities.
No. 1 Seattle
Teams: Mariners, Seahawks, Sonics
Championship round losses: 3
Semifinal round losses: 7
Total seasons/championships: 109/1
Years since last title: 31
Teams lost: Sonics
We're not counting the one-year run of baseball's Seattle Pilots, who split for Milwaukee in 1970 in an essentially pre-arranged deal. The city is still looking for its first MLB and NFL titles, while having to endure the sight of young NBA superstar Kevin Durant do his thing in Oklahoma City, which lured the Sonics with a sweet arena deal two years ago.
No. 2 Atlanta
Teams: Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Thrashers, Flames
Championship round losses: 5
Semifinal round losses: 9
Total seasons/championships: 147/1
Years since last title: 15
Teams lost: Flames
The Braves have parlayed 11 trips to the National League Championship Series into just one World Series title. And don't forget the Hawks: 25 playoff teams since 1968 without a single trip to the NBA finals.
No. 3 Phoenix
Teams: Suns, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Coyotes
Championship round losses: 3
Semifinal round losses: 7
Total seasons/championships: 88/1
Years since last title: 9
Teams lost: None
The Suns' excruciating 128-126 triple overtime loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA finals came to symbolize what has become a close-but-no-cigar history. The club has reached the NBA semifinals eight times, and the finals twice, without a title. The Cardinals took their cue in 2009 with a last-minute Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh.
No. 4 Buffalo
Teams: Bills, Sabres, Braves
Championship round losses: 6
Semifinal round losses: 6
Total seasons/championships: 87/2
Years since last title: 45
Teams lost: Braves
Back in the early 1970s, Buffalo was cooking: O.J. Simpson was running circles around NFL defenders and the upstart Braves wowed the NBA with exciting players like Randy Smith and Bob McAdoo. Since then, the Bills are 0-4 in Super Bowls while the NHL Sabres are still looking for their first Stanley Cup after 27 playoff appearances. All while the Braves reside in NBA purgatory as the Los Angeles Clippers. And as for O.J. ...
No. 5 San Diego
Teams: Chargers, Padres, Clippers, Rockets
Championship round losses: 6
Semifinal round losses: 3
Total seasons/championships: 91/1
Years since last title: 47
Teams lost: Clippers, Rockets
Basketball just didn't fly in San Diego--the city's two former NBA clubs now reside in Houston and L.A., respectively. Meantime, the Chargers and Padres have combined to lose in the title round six of seven times.
No. 6 Cleveland
Teams: Browns (I), Browns (II), Rams, Indians, Cavaliers, Barons
Championship round losses: 8
Semifinal round losses: 10
Total seasons/championships: 219/7
Years since last title: 46
Teams lost: Rams, Barons, Browns (I)
Only some 1940s to 1960s success by the Indians and Browns prevents Cleveland from occupying a higher spot on the list. Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the Browns have made 11 trips to the postseason without a Super Bowl appearance, a run that includes three AFC title game losses to Denver. Meantime the Indians have come up empty in seven postseason trips since 1995.
No. 7 Washington, D.C.
Teams: Redskins, Nationals, Senators (I), Senators (II), Capitals, Wizards
Championship round losses: 11
Semifinal round losses: 2
Total seasons/championships: 225/7
Years since last title: 19
Teams lost: Senators (I), Senators (II)
Thank goodness for the Redskins' periodic success--Washington's basketball, baseball and hockey teams have scored just two championships over 147 cumulative seasons, the last one in 1978.
No. 8 Kansas City
Teams: Chiefs, Royals, Athletics, Kings, Scouts
Championship round losses: 2
Semifinal round losses: 6
Total seasons/championships: 116/3
Years since last title: 25
Teams lost: Athletics, Kings, Scouts
Baseball's Philadelphia A's used Kansas City as a pit stop (1955-67) on their way to Oakland, while the city's former NBA and NHL clubs now play in Sacramento and New Jersey, respectively. The George Brett-era Royals were bounced out of the postseason six times in six tries between 1976 and 1984 before bringing home their lone title in a seven-game upset of the Cardinals in 1985.
No. 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
Teams: Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves, Lakers, Wild, North Stars
Championship round losses: 6
Semifinal round losses: 18
Total seasons/championships: 166/7
Years since last title: 19
Teams lost: North Stars, Lakers
Lots of bridesmaid history in the Twin Cities. Not only are the Vikings 0-4 in Super Bowls, they've lost in the NFC title game five times. The Twins' World Series championships in 1987 and 1991 are all the fans have had since the Minneapolis Lakers scored five titles in the early days of the NBA (we counted the Lakers' 1949 BAA title the year before the NBA was formally convened).
No. 10 Houston
Teams: Astros, Texans, Oilers, Rockets
Championship round losses: 4
Semifinal round losses: 8
Total seasons/championships: 131/4
Years since last title: 15
Teams lost: Oilers
The Astros still await their first title through 48 seasons and nine playoff appearances (yet they've justified retiring nine player numbers). The Rockets' two titles during Michael Jordan's mid-'90s NBA hiatus are all the city has since the Oilers took two early AFL championships during the pre-Super Bowl era.
KU basketball has been in the top 10 pretty much since Ive been here, KC hosts the Big12 tourneys in B-ball, and football everyother year or so and draws way more crowds than when its in Dallas, the college basketball hall of fame is here, major universities like Nebraska, Arkansas, KU, K-st, Iowa, Iowa st all within a 4hr drive, with Ok, and Ok st not to much further. Yes, the Chiefs havent won a championship in quite a long time, but if you checked the states that would say they are their top team, that would include....MO,KS,Neb,Ok, Iowa and Ark. The Royals are bad and have been bad for way too long, but the fans out here have had enough, and I do think things will change, but without a salary cap in MLB the Royals will never win. Based on avg city population the fans here still support the royals rt with every other city even though they do suck. This is the greatest sports town Ive lived in, and lets hope the pro teams finally get it together.
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