These cities don’t have a sporting chance

  1. Dallas, Texas:
    While Texas is home to arguably the most well-known sports franchise in the world, the Cowboys last Super Bowl victory came in ‘95, and since then the Boys have teetered off into mediocrity, advancing past the wild card just once in the past 12 years. The Rangers have missed the playoffs for the past 10 seasons, and have yet to win the Fall Classic in their 36-year history. The Mavericks have also yet to win a championship in their 28-year stint, and have seen back-to-back first round exits the past two seasons. The only bright spot for the Big D has been the Stars, who hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup in ‘99 and have made the playoffs for five straight years.

  2. Phoenix, Arizona:
    Although the Cardinals shocked the world by going to the Super Bowl, the team has yet to win the Lombardi Trophy and last season marked their first playoff appearance in 10 years, and just their second in 20. Although the Suns are led by former M.V.P. Steve Nash, they have also yet to capture an NBA title in their 40-year history. The lowly Coyotes have not seen the Stanley Cup yet either in their 12-year run, and in fact have had a losing record for the past six seasons. The only Phoenix team to capture a championship has been the Diamondbacks in 2001, but they have since gone into a decline, making the playoffs just once over the past five years.

  3. Houston, Texas:
    The second city from the Lone Star State in the top ten haven’t seen a championship since ‘95, when the Rockets captured the NBA Championship. Since then, despite having Yao and McGrady, the Rockets haven’t advanced past the first round in 11 years. On the diamond, the Astros have yet to win the World Series in their 46-year history, and have missed the playoffs for 3 consecutive seasons. Rounding out H-Town is the newly established Texans, who in their 7-year history have not only failed to snag a Super Bowl but have yet to even taste the playoffs.

  4. Oakland, California:
    This Pacific city hasn’t seen a championship in 20 years. Known for the crazed Raider Nation, the Silver and Black have not won the Super Bowl since ‘83. Also for the Raiders, they have yet to put together a winning season since falling to the Bucs in 2002. On the hardwood, the Warriors have gone without a championship for 33 years and have seen the playoffs just once in the past 14 years. While the Athletics are expected to turn things around for the city this upcoming summer, they have made the playoffs just once in the past five years and haven’t captured the World Series since 1989.

  5. Atlanta, Georgia:
    While making the Tomahawk Chop a globally recognized celebratory gesture, the Braves have been without a championship since ‘95 and haven’t played in September for the past three years. The Falcons have become more famous for Michael Vick than for winning Super Bowls and for good reason: the franchise has yet to win a Super Bowl in its 42-year history, and only made the playoffs for the first time in four years this season. The Hawks have also yet to capture gold in their 40-year history, and made the playoffs for the first time in ten years this past season. On the ice, the Thrashers have only made the playoffs once in their 10-year stint, and after a first-round sweep have not won the Cup.

  6. Toronto, Ontario:
    The 2004-5 lockout may have affected the Leafs more than any other hockey team, as they have yet to reach the playoffs since the season off. Don’t forget that despite Buds fans telling themselves that they cheer for the best team, they have been without a cup since Canada’s Centennial, which in the world of hockey is a long-ass time. Sharing the ACC with them is the Raptors, who in their 14-year existence have yet to claim a championship and have only moved beyond the first round once in history. The Blue Jays were alive and well in the early 90’s with back-to-back World Series titles in ‘92 and ‘93, but they have failed to make it to the post-season since then. Also, if you want to throw in the Buffalo Bills, who will play a few games at Rogers Centre over the next couple of years, Toronto’s sports history looks even worse. The Bills have yet to win a Super Bowl or league championship since joining the NFL in 1970, and haven’t made it to the playoffs since 99.

  7. Washington, D.C.:
    Obama has been the best thing to come to Washington in a long while. The Wizards have been without a championship since ‘78 and have only moved deeper than the first round of the playoffs once in the past 26 years. The Capitals have yet to win the Stanley Cup in their 34-year history, and have made the playoffs just once in the past five years. The Redskins were the most recent team to bring a celebration parade to Washington, winning the Super Bowl in ‘91 but have only made the playoffs three times in the past 16 years. The newest franchise out of America’s capital is the Nationals who have yet to make the playoffs since moving their start in 2005. Their extended history, which includes their time in Montreal, still sees no World Series rings and a playoff drought that dates back to ‘81.

  8. The Entire State of Ohio (Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus):
    The state’s only hockey franchise, the Blue Jackets, have yet to make it to the playoffs since joining the NHL in 2000. The Bengals have had just one above-500 season in the past 18 years, marking their only playoff appearance in that time. They have also yet to win a Super Bowl in their 40-year existence. The Cavaliers have also yet to win a championship in their 38-year existence. The Indians haven’t won a World Series since 1948, have missed the playoffs for six straight years and racked up an awful 40-year span of missing the playoffs from 1955-95. The Browns captured their last Super Bowl in ‘64 and don’t look like they will turn that around anytime soon, making the playoffs just once in the past ten years. The most recent championship for the Buckeye State was the Reds’ World Series in 1990, but they have not made the playoffs in the past 12 years.

  9. Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities), Minnesota:
    The Timberwolves were well-known for having Kevin Garnett but now that he’s gone, they have nothing. The T-Wolves have yet to claim a championship in their 20-year history and haven’t made the playoffs in four years. The Vikings claimed their last and only Super Bowl in ‘69, and over the past eight years have made the playoffs just once. The Twins last won the World Series in 91, and have only advanced past the first round once since then, as they currently sit on a two-year playoff drought. The Wild have yet to win a Stanley Cup in their eight-year history, and have only advanced out of the first round once since then. Looking at hockey history in the area, the North Stars never won the Cup in their 25-year existence.

  10. Seattle, Washington:
    The Rainy City makes our list as the team that dropped to only two teams by trading away their only championship winner. The Sonics won the city’s only major championship in ‘75 but after failing to make the playoffs in the past three years, and combined with poor attendance, the franchise moved to Oklahoma City this season. The Mariners have yet to win a World Series title in their 31-year history, and haven’t made the playoffs in six years. Beating them by one year is the Seahawks who haven’t won a Super Bowl despite being around for 32 years. The Hawks have also made it to the playoffs just six times over the past 20 years. As if the rain wasn’t enough.

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