Sunday, February 11, 2018

Major League Sports' Longest Title Droughts as of Super Bowl LII

Yes, it actually happened last Sunday night: The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl.

So what are the longest title droughts now? Note: I am only including those teams that have gone at least 25 years. I am counting from either their last title, or, if they have never won one, from the first game in franchise history. 

New York Tri-State Area teams are in bold. Droughts that have ended are in italics.

25 to 30 years (NHL's Montreal Canadiens will qualify in June, MLB's Toronto Blue Jays in October):
* NFL Washington Redskins: 26 years, 1 month, 1992-present,
* NBA Houston Rockets: 26 years, 8 months, 1967-1994.
* MLB Minnesota Twins: 26 years, 4 months, 1991-present.
* MLB Cincinnati Reds: 27 years, 6 months, 1882-1919.
* NHL Edmonton Oilers: 27 years, 9 months, 1990-present.
* MLB Cleveland Indians: 28 years even, 1920-1948.
* MLB Philadelphia Phillies: 28 years even, 1980-2008.
* MLB Oakland Athletics: 28 years, 5 months, 1989-present.
* NHL Calgary Flames: 28 years, 9 months, 1989-present.
* NFL Green Bay Packers: 29 years even, 1968-1997.
* MLB Los Angeles Dodgers: 29 years, 4 months, 1988-present.

30 to 40 years:
* MLB Kansas City Royals: 30 years, 1 month, 1985-2015.
* NFL New York Giants: 30 years, 1 month, 1956-1987.
* NBA Dallas Mavericks: 30 years, 6 months, 1980-2011.
* NHL Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars: 31 years, 6 months, 1967-1999.
* NBA Detroit Pistons: 31 years, 8 months, 1957-1989.
* NBA San Antonio Spurs: 31 years, 8 months, 1967-1999.
* NFL Chicago Bears: 32 years, 1 month, 1986-current.
* MLB Detroit Tigers: 33 years, 4 months, 1984-current.
* NFL New England Patriots: 32 years, 5 months, 1960-2002.
* NFL Oakland Raiders: 34 years, 1 month, 1984-current.
* MLB Baltimore Orioles: 34 years, 4 months, 1983-current.
* MLB Detroit Tigers: 34 years, 6 months, 1901-1935.
* NBA Philadelphia 76ers: 34 years, 8 months, 1983-current.
* NHL New York Islanders: 34 years, 9 months, 1983-current.
* MLB Cincinnati Reds: 35 years even, 1940-1975.
* MLB Pittsburgh Pirates: 35 years even, 1925-1960.
* NFL San Francisco 49ers: 35 years, 4 months, 1946-1982.
* NFL Denver Broncos: 37 years, 5 months, 1960-1998.
* NFL Seattle Seahawks: 37 years, 5 months, 1976-2014.
* MLB Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves: 38 years even, 1957-1995.
* MLB Pittsburgh Pirates: 38 years, 4 months, 1979-current.
* NBA Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder: 38 years, 9 months, 1979-current.
* NHL Boston Bruins: 39 years, 1 month, 1972-2011.
* NBA Washington Bullets/Wizards: 39 years, 9 months, 1978-current.

40 to 50 years:
* MLB St. Louis Cardinals: 40 years even, 1886-1926.
* NBA Golden State Warriors: 40 years, 1 month, 1975-2016.
* NBA Portland Trail Blazers: 40 years, 9 months, 1977-current.
* MLB Seattle Mariners: 40 years, 10 months, 1977-current.
* NBA New York/New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets: 41 years, 9 months, 1976-current. Since their ABA title.
* MLB Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, 42 years even, 1930-1972.
* NHL Detroit Red Wings: 42 years, 2 months, 1955-1997.
* NFL Pittsburgh Steelers: 42 years, 5 months, 1933-1975.
* NHL Philadelphia Flyers: 42 years, 9 months, 1975-current.
* MLB Boston/Milwaukee Braves: 43 years even, 1914-1957.
* NBA New Orleans/Utah Jazz: 43 years, 4 months, 1974-current.
* NHL Washington Capitals: 43 years, 4 months, 1974-current.
* NFL New Orleans Saints: 43 years, 5 months, 1967-2010.
* NFL Miami Dolphins: 44 years, 1 month, 1974-current.
* NHL Los Angeles Kings: 44 years, 8 months, 1967-2012.
* NBA Indiana Pacers: 44 years, 9 months, 1973-current. Since their ABA title.
* NBA New York Knicks: 44 years, 9 months, 1973-current.
* NBA Cleveland Cavaliers: 45 years, 7 months, 1970-2016.
* MLB Texas Rangers: 45 years, 10 months, 1972-current.
* NBA Milwaukee Bucks: 46 years, 9 months, 1971-current.
* NBA Buffalo Braves/San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers: 47 years, 4 months, 1970-current.
* NHL Buffalo Sabres: 47 years, 4 months, 1970-current.
* NHL Vancouver Canucks: 47 years, 4 months, 1970-current.
* NFL Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams: 48 years, 1 month, 1951-2000.
* NFL Kansas City Chiefs: 48 years, 1 month, 1970-current.
* MLB Los Angeles/California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels: 48 years, 6 months, 1962-2010.
* MLB Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers: 48 years, 9 months, 1969-current.
* MLB San Diego Padres: 48 years, 9 months, 1969-current.
* MLB Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals: 48 years, 9 months, 1969-current.

* NFL New York Jets: 49 years, 1 month, 1969-current.
* NHL Chicago Blackhawks: 49 years, 2 months, 1961-2010.
* NBA Phoenix Suns: 49 years, 4 months, 1968-current. Longest current NBA-only drought in a single city.
* NFL Cincinnati Bengals: 49 years, 5 months, 1968-current.

50 to 60 years:
* NBA Denver Nuggets: 50 years, 4 months, 1967-current. Longest current NBA drought in a single city. Began in ABA, but never won a title in that, either.
* NHL St. Louis Blues: 50 years, 4 months, 1967-current.
* NHL Toronto Maple Leafs: 50 years, 9 months, 1967-current. Longest current NHL drought, if you don't count the old and new Ottawa Senators together. Also longest current drought of any team without even reaching its sport's finals, same length.
* NFL Atlanta Falcons: 51 years, 5 months, 1966-current.
* NFL Buffalo Bills: 53 years, 1 month, 1965-current. Since their AFL title.
* NFL Cleveland Browns: 53 years, 2 months, 1964-current.

* NHL New York Rangers: 54 years, 2 months, 1940-1994.
* MLB Brooklyn Dodgers: 55 years even, 1900-1955.
* NFL San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers: 55 years, 1 month, 1963-current. Since their AFL title.
* MLB Houston Astros: 55 years, 7 months, 1962-2017.

* MLB New York/San Francisco Giants: 56 years even, 1954-2010.
* NFL Minnesota Vikings: 56 years, 5 months, 1961-current.
* NFL Philadelphia Eagles: 57 years, 1 month, 1960-2018.
* NFL Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans: 56 years, 5 months, 1961-current. Since their AFL title. 

* NBA St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks: 59 years, 9 months, 1958-current.

60 years or more:
* NFL Detroit Lions: 60 years, 1 month, 1957-current. Longest current drought of any NFL team in a single city.
* MLB Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins: 63 years even, 1924-1987.
* MLB St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles: 65 years, 4 months, 1901-1966.
* NBA Rochester/Cincinnati Royals-Kansas City/Sacramento Kings: 66 years, 10 months, 1951-current. Longest current NBA drought.
* MLB Cleveland Indians: 69 years, 4 months, 1948-current. Longest current MLB drought, longest drought of any team in a single city.
* NFL Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals: 70 years, 1 month, 1947-present. Longest current drought of any team.
* MLB Boston Red Sox: 86 years, 1 month, 1918-2004. *
* MLB Chicago White Sox: 88 years even, 1917-2005.
* MLB Philadelphia Phillies: 98 years, 6 months, 1883-1980.

* MLB Chicago Cubs: 108 years, 1 month, 1908-2016.

The asterisk next to the Red Sox refers not just to the fact that they cheated to win the World Series in 2004 (and 2007, and 2013), but to the fact that the 1918 MLB season was shortened on orders from the federal government, due to World War I, and the World Series was held in September instead of the usual October.


If you count the current Ottawa Senators franchise with the old one, it's been 90 years, 10 months -- but then, there was a drought of 58 years, 6 months when they didn't even have a team. You could do the same thing with the Baltimore Orioles: An NL team with that name was World Champions in 1896, and the current AL team with that name won in 1966, 70 years later.

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