Kansas City's 10 Greatest Teams
Very Honorable Mention to the Kansas City Monarchs, Negro League Pennant winners in 1923, 1924, 1925, 1929, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1953 and 1957.
The Kansas City Athletics never had a winning season in their 13-year run in the city, 1955 to 1967. Nor did the Kansas City Scouts make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their 2 seasons, 1974-75 and 1975-76.
10. 1926 Kansas City Cowboys. The KC's 1st NFL team won only 2 games in 1924, and only another 2 in 1925. But in 1926, they went 8-3. Had there been Playoffs at the time, they would have made it.
But pro football was saturating the market at the time. The NFL had 22 teams, while the 1st league to use the name "American Football League" had 9. That total of 31 teams would not be matched until 1999. That 1st AFL folded after just 1 season, and the NFL cut back to 12 teams for 1927, and the Cowboys were not among them. The only 1926 NFL teams that will also be 2018 NFL teams -- or were even 1933 NFL teams -- were the New York Giants, the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Cardinals (now in Arizona), and the Green Bay Packers.
9. 2013-17 Kansas City Chiefs. Rebounding from a 2-14 season, the Chiefs hired Andy Reid as head coach, and have finished 1st or 2nd in the AFC Western Division ever since, taking the Division in 2016 and 2017. But only in 2015 have they won a Playoff game, albeit that one on the road, against the Houston Texans, and they gave the New England Patriots all they could handle in Foxboro before losing. Their other 3 Playoff losses in this stretch have been by a grand total of 4 points.
8. 1978-81 Kansas City Kings. They made the NBA Playoffs 3 straight seasons, getting to the Western Conference Semifinals in 1979 and the Conference Finals in 1981. They missed the Playoffs in 1982 and 1983, made it in 1984, but fell apart in 1985, and were moved to Sacramento.
7. 1990-97 Kansas City Chiefs. Marty Schottenheimer's team made the Playoffs 8 straight seasons, winning the AFC Western Division in 1993, 1995 and 1997. But only in the 1993 season did they get to the AFC Championship Game, losing away to the 3-time defending Champion Buffalo Bills.
6. 1975-82 Kansas City Royals. In 8 seasons, they won an American League Pennant, 4 other AL Western Division titles (1 in the split-season format in strike-torn 1981), and had 2 other seasons where they won at least 90 games. By the time they won the 1985 World Series, most of this team was gone or getting old.
5. 2000-04 Kansas City Wizards. The team now known as Sporting Kansas City finished 1st overall in the 2000 MLS season, and went through the Playoffs, winning the MLS Cup. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2003, and in 2004 reached both Cup Finals, losing the MLS Cup but winning the U.S. Open Cup.
4. 2012-present Sporting Kansas City. They opened the 2012 season with 7 straight wins, including an MLS record 335 minutes without allowing so much as a shot on goal. They finished 1st in the Eastern Conference, but lost in the 1st Round of the Playoffs. They did win the U.S. Open Cup.
In 2013, they went all the way, defeating Real Salt Lake on penalties to win the MLS Cup Final. They have made the Playoffs every year since, being switched to the Western Conference in 2015, and winning the 2017 U.S. Open Cup. They remain one of MLS' top teams.
3. 1984-90 Kansas City Royals. Finally won the World Series in 1985, had another Division title in 1984, finished only 2 games out of one in 1987, and won 92 games in 1989.
2. 2014-15 Kansas City Royals. Fell a run short in Game 7 in 2014 of having back-to-back World Series wins. That might not make them better than the 1976-80 or 1985 teams, but it makes them more accomplished.
1. 1966-71 Kansas City Chiefs. Their earlier achievement of the 1962 American Football League Championship cannot be included here, since they were the Dallas Texans at the time. But they won additional AFL titles in 1966 and 1969, losing Super Bowl I but winning Super Bowl IV, KC's 1st World Championship in any sport. They also made the Playoffs in 1968 and 1971, and missed in 1967 despite going 9-5.
7. 1990-97 Kansas City Chiefs. Marty Schottenheimer's team made the Playoffs 8 straight seasons, winning the AFC Western Division in 1993, 1995 and 1997. But only in the 1993 season did they get to the AFC Championship Game, losing away to the 3-time defending Champion Buffalo Bills.
6. 1975-82 Kansas City Royals. In 8 seasons, they won an American League Pennant, 4 other AL Western Division titles (1 in the split-season format in strike-torn 1981), and had 2 other seasons where they won at least 90 games. By the time they won the 1985 World Series, most of this team was gone or getting old.
5. 2000-04 Kansas City Wizards. The team now known as Sporting Kansas City finished 1st overall in the 2000 MLS season, and went through the Playoffs, winning the MLS Cup. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2003, and in 2004 reached both Cup Finals, losing the MLS Cup but winning the U.S. Open Cup.
4. 2012-present Sporting Kansas City. They opened the 2012 season with 7 straight wins, including an MLS record 335 minutes without allowing so much as a shot on goal. They finished 1st in the Eastern Conference, but lost in the 1st Round of the Playoffs. They did win the U.S. Open Cup.
In 2013, they went all the way, defeating Real Salt Lake on penalties to win the MLS Cup Final. They have made the Playoffs every year since, being switched to the Western Conference in 2015, and winning the 2017 U.S. Open Cup. They remain one of MLS' top teams.
3. 1984-90 Kansas City Royals. Finally won the World Series in 1985, had another Division title in 1984, finished only 2 games out of one in 1987, and won 92 games in 1989.
2. 2014-15 Kansas City Royals. Fell a run short in Game 7 in 2014 of having back-to-back World Series wins. That might not make them better than the 1976-80 or 1985 teams, but it makes them more accomplished.
1. 1966-71 Kansas City Chiefs. Their earlier achievement of the 1962 American Football League Championship cannot be included here, since they were the Dallas Texans at the time. But they won additional AFL titles in 1966 and 1969, losing Super Bowl I but winning Super Bowl IV, KC's 1st World Championship in any sport. They also made the Playoffs in 1968 and 1971, and missed in 1967 despite going 9-5.
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