The Most Miserable Sports Cities

Forbes: The Most Miserable Sports Cities

Where have U.S. sports fans suffered the most misery? Not futility, but the heartbreak that comes from building fans' hopes up only to let them down in the end. Sticking to sports towns with at least 75 cumulative seasons in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, we rank each by playoff failures (the deeper you lose in the playoffs, the more misery points) and championship droughts.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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The Most Miserab... Where have U.S. sports fans suffered the most misery? Not futility, but the heartbreak that comes from building fans' hopes up only to let them down in the end. Sticking to sports towns with at least 75 cumulative seasons in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, we rank each by playoff failures (the deeper you lose in the playoffs, the more misery points) and championship droughts.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
10. Cincinnati Teams: Bengals, Reds, Royals

Championship round record: 5-6

Semifinal Round Record: 11-5

Total Seasons/championships: 168/5

Last title: 1990

The "Big Red Machine" clubs of the mid-'70s rank among the greatest baseball teams ever, but otherwise Cincinnati ranks up there with the best in postseason disappointment. The 1970s Reds bowed out four times in the NLCS or World Series, while the Bengals are 0-2 in the Super Bowl.

(Mike Williams/Newscom)
9. Denver Teams: Broncos, Rockies (MLB), Nuggets, Avalanche, Rockies (NHL)

Championship round record: 4-6

Semifinal Round Record: 10-11

Total Seasons/championships: 123/4

Last title: 2001

A lot of bridesmaid history in the Mile High City--the Broncos lost six times in the AFC title game or Super Bowl, the Rockies lost their only World Series appearance, and Nuggets teams featuring the likes of David Thompson, Dan Issel, Alex English, Dikembe Mutombo and Carmelo Anthony made the playoffs 30 times in 43 years with no rings.

(Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
8. Cleveland Teams: Browns, Browns II, Indians, Cavaliers, Barons

Championship round record: 7-9

Semifinal round record: 16-9

Total Seasons/championships: 219/7

Last title: 1964

Talk about a sense of entitlement: Cleveland fans feel snubbed every year at not being at the top of this list, as if they own a monopoly on sports misery. Well, those Bob Feller and Jim Brown titles back in the day are part of the city's sports history--they count. Have patience, though. At the rate you're going, you'll get there. But no misery bonus points for each title LeBron wins in Miami.

(Tom Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
7. Kansas City Teams: Chiefs, Royals, Kings, Scouts

Championship round record: 3-2

Semifinal round record: 5-6

Total Seasons/championships: 118/3

Last title: 1985

Admit it; just reading the words "Kansas City" induces glazed eyes and the sudden need for a nap. The NBA and NHL both skipped town, and the city's sports postseason history is mostly defined by George Brett's Royals falling just short against the Yankees. Kansas City built the Sprint Center, but no one has come.

(AP Photo/Ray Stubblebine)
6. Houston Teams: Texans, Oilers, Astros, Rockets

Championship round record: 4-4

Semifinal round record: 5-8

Total Seasons/championships: 134/4

Last title: 1995

The Oilers took the first two AFL titles in 1960 and 1961, and the Rockets grabbed back-to-back championships during Michael Jordan's baseball hiatus in the mid-'90s. Otherwise Houston's well has been pretty dry. The Astros are baseball's version of the NBA Suns; lots of contending teams but no bananas.

(Brad Mangin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
5. San Diego Teams: Chargers, Padres, Rockets, Clippers

Championship round record: 1-6

Semifinal round record: 7-3

Total Seasons/championships: 93/1 Last title: 1963

Oh, well. Great zoo, and the weather is nice.

(Vince Bucci/AFP/Getty Images)
4. Buffalo Teams: Bills, Sabres, Braves

Championship round record: 2-6

Semifinal round record: 8-6

Total Seasons/championships: 89/2

Last title: 1965

We all know about the Bills' four Super Bowl losses, but how about those Sabres: 22 playoff teams since 1970 with no Stanley Cups to show for them. Also, Buffalo lost its entertaining NBA Braves, who moved west to become the Clippers in 1978. Do the fans dream about Blake Griffin in powder blue?

(AP Photo/Jim McKnight)
3. Phoenix Teams: Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Suns, Coyotes

Championship round record: 1-3

Semifinal round record: 4-8

Total Seasons/championships: 92/1

Last title: 2001

Perennial pretenders: The Suns have reached the NBA's Western Conference Finals nine times since 1976 without bringing home the hardware.

(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
2. Atlanta Teams: Falcons, Braves, Hawks, Flames, Thrashers

Championship round record: 1-5

Semifinal round record: 6-9

Total Seasons/championships: 153/1

Last title: 1995

Henry Aaron and Dominique Wilkins brought plenty of thrills to Atlanta, but no rings. The 1995 Braves provided the lone championship of a 14-year playoff run that included four World Series losses.

(Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
1. Seattle Teams: Seahawks, Mariners, Sonics

Championship round record: 1-3

Semifinal round record: 4-7

Total Seasons/championships: 111/1

Last title: 1979

This year's 7-9 Seahawks snagged a bogus home playoff game thanks to a faulty seeding system that rewarded them for winning a weak division, but they promptly lost in Chicago the following week. Meantime, Kevin Durant and the Sonics are in Oklahoma City, and the Mariners, losers of 101 games last year, are still trying to reach a World Series after three trips to the ALCS. We're not counting the one-year run of baseball's Pilots in 1969.

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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