Written by Jonathan Knight

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This just in: the Indians did not win the World Series this year.

Shockingly, the Tribe fell just short of capturing its third world championship, and as a result, Cleveland remains the most miserable sports city in America. Mathematically speaking, that is.

And on that note, it’s time for the unveiling of the latest Sports Misery Index, coinciding with the conclusion of baseball season and the San Francisco Giants’ second title in three years.

The Giants’ sudden bid for dynasty status dropped San Francisco from No. 52 (out of 62) to No. 60 in the Index. Not a dramatic drop, hence the complete lack of any genuine interest outside of the Bay Area for the Giants’ shellacking of the Tigers in the Fall Classic.

But more important than San Francisco’s drop in the Index is New York’s rise. With the Yankees and Mets failures, New York relinquished the title of least miserable sports city and handed it back to San Antonio. Granted, New York only jumped six spots to No. 56, but in times like these we have to celebrate the little things.

For more details on the rationale between determining the factors that go into calculating the Index - which mirrors the U.S. economic Misery Index (inflation rate + unemployment rate), click here for a previous TCF column outlining the origin of the Sports Misery Index.

Proving anybody can be No. 1 if you put together the right set of numbers, Cleveland remains atop the Sports Misery Index (the SMI, if you will), now scoring a 232.85 (compared to last-place San Antonio’s 94.89), though our lead over second-place San Diego (200) decreased marginally.

The top five also remain the same: Seattle (195.12), Buffalo (195), and Minneapolis (172), though Seattle leap-frogged Buffalo due to its unfortunate participation in Major League Baseball. Barring any titles by their respective teams in the next six months, the cities will flip back next summer.

Let’s see how the current Index breaks down, first by looking at the two factors individually: drought factor and non-title percentage.

 

NEXT IN LINE

Ranking the Cities by Drought Factor

Here’s a list of the cities by highest Drought Factor – how many seasons (not years) each has endured since winning a world title.

For example, Cleveland’s Drought Factor is now 136: when you combine the Browns, Indians, Cavs, and don’t forget the Barons’ two NHL seasons, Cleveland teams have now played 136 consecutive seasons without winning a title.

The * symbolizes that the city currently has no teams in any of the four major leagues.

 

1.CLEVELAND [136]

Last world title: Browns 1964

2.SAN DIEGO [100]

Last world title: never

3.SEATTLE [96]

Last world title: SuperSonics (1978-79)

4.BUFFALO [95]

Last world title: never

5.MINNEAPOLIS [76]

Last world title: Twins 1991

6.WASHINGTON [69]

Last world title: Redskins 1991

7.ATLANTA [63]

Last world title: Braves 1995

8.KANSAS CITY [54]

Last world title: Royals 1985

9.TORONTO [54]

Last world title: Blue Jays 1993

10.VANCOUVER [47]

Last world title: none

11.HOUSTON [47]

Last world title: Rockets 1994-95

12.CINCINNATI [44]

Last world title: Reds 1990

13.DENVER [44]

Last world title: Avalanche (2000-01)

14.PHOENIX [43]

Last world title: Diamondbacks (2001)

15.OAKLAND [40]

Last world title: Athletics (1989)

16.CHARLOTTE [39]

Last world title: none

17.PORTLAND [35]

Last world title: Trail Blazers 1976-77

18.SALT LAKE CITY [33]

Last world title: none

19.MONTREAL [30]

Last world title: Canadiens 1992-93

t20.NASHVILLE [28]

Last world title: none

t20.TAMPA BAY [28]

Last world title: Buccaneers 2002

22.SACRAMENTO [27]

Last world title: none

23.OTTAWA [26]

Last world title: Senators 1926-27

24.ORLANDO [23]

Last world title: none

25.BALTIMORE [23]

Last world title: Ravens 2000

26,CALGARY [22]

Last world title: Flames 1988-89

27.EDMONTON [21]

Last world title: Oilers 1989-90

28.SAN JOSE [20]

Last world title: none

29.*HARTFORD [18]

Last world title: none

t30.JACKSONVILLE [17]

Last world title: none

t30.*QUEBEC [17]

Last world title: none

t30.*WINNIPEG [17]

Last world title: none

t30.NEWARK [17]

Last world title: Devils 2002-03

t30.DETROIT [17]

Last world title: Red Wings 2007-08

35.PHILADELPHIA [16]

Last world title: Phillies 2008

36.CHICAGO [12]

Last world title: Blackhawks 2009-10

t37.COLUMBUS [11]

Last world title: none

t37.MEMPHIS [11]

Last world title: none

t37.INDIANAPOLIS [11]

Last world title: Colts 2006

40.PITTSBURGH [10]

Last world title: Penguins 2008-09

41.*FORT WAYNE [9]

Last world title: none

42.*SYRACUSE [8]

Last world title: Nationals 1954-55

43.*ROCHESTER [6]

Last world title: Royals 1950-51

44.RALEIGH [6]

Last world title: Hurricanes (2005-06)

t45.*HAMILTON [5]

Last world title: none

t45.SAN ANTONIO [5]

Last world title: Spurs (2006-07)

t45.NEW ORLEANS [5]

Last world title: Saints 2009

t45.MILWAUKEE [5]

Last world title: Packers 2010

t45.DALLAS [5]

Last world title: Mavericks 2010-11

t45.BOSTON [5]

Last world title: Bruins (2010-11)

t45.NEW YORK [5]

Last world title: Giants 2011

52.OKLAHOMA CITY [4]

Last world title: none

53.*PROVIDENCE [3]

Last world title: none

t54.ST. LOUIS [2]

Last world title: Cardinals 2011

t54.*TRI-CITIES [2]

(Moline, Ill., Rock Island, Ill., Davenport, Ia.)

Last world title: none

t54.LOS ANGELES [2]

Last world title: Kings 2011-12

t57.*ANDERSON [1]

Last world title: none

t57.*SHEBOYGAN [1]

Last world title: none

t57.*WATERLOO [1]

Last world title: none

t57.*PORTSMOUTH [1]

Last world title: none

t57.MIAMI [1]

Last world title: Heat 2011-12

62.SAN FRANCISCO [0]

Last world title: Giants 2012

 

CHAMPIONSHIP SATURATION

Measuring the Cities by Their Percentage of Title Seasons

Here’s a list of the cities by highest title percentage – number of a city’s world-title seasons divided by number of total seasons.

For instance, Cleveland teams have played a combined 222 seasons, seven of which have ended with a world title. Thus of all the seasons in Cleveland history, 3.15% have ended with a championship.

The * symbolizes that the city currently has no teams in any of the four major leagues.

 

1.Montreal 18.62%

2.Edmonton 15.63%

3.San Antonio 11.11%

4.*Rochester 11.11%

5.Toronto 10.14%

6.Boston 9.29%

7.New York 8.59%

8.Ottawa 8.33%

9.Raleigh 7.14%

10.*Syracuse 7.14%

11.Oakland 6.90%

12.Detroit 6.71%

13.Milwaukee 6.56%

14.Baltimore 6.45%

15.Los Angeles 6.43%

16.Pittsburgh 5.88%

17.Miami 5.56%

18.Chicago 4.99%

19.Dallas 4.86%

20.St. Louis 4.87%

21.San Francisco 4.79%

22.Newark 4.69%

23.Philadelphia 4.30%

24.Minneapolis 4.00%

25.Calgary 3.23%

26.Denver 3.20%

27.Cleveland 3.15%

28.Washington 3.00%

29.Cincinnati 2.94%

30.Portland 2.38%

31.Kansas City 1.70%

32.New Orleans 1.67%

33.Houston 1.50%

34.Indianapolis 1.47%

35.Tampa Bay 1.43%

36.Phoenix 1.02%

37.Seattle 0.88%

38.Atlanta 0.65%

39.San Diego 0%

Buffalo 0%

Vancouver 0%

Charlotte 0%

Salt Lake City 0%

Sacramento 0%

Nashville 0%

Orlando 0%

*Hartford 0%

San Jose 0%

*Quebec 0%

*Winnipeg 0%

Jacksonville 0%

*Fort Wayne 0%

Columbus 0%

Memphis 0%

Oklahoma City 0%

*Hamilton 0%

*Providence 0%

*Tri-Cities 0%

*Anderson 0%

*Sheboygan 0%

*Waterloo 0%

*Portsmouth 0%

 

THE SPORTS MISERY INDEX

And here it is – the updated Sports Misery Index, measured by adding a city’s non-title percentage to its number of consecutive non-title seasons.

The * symbolizes that the city currently has no teams in any of the four major leagues.

 

1. CLEVELAND (232.85)

96.85 + 136

2. SAN DIEGO (200)

100 + 100

3. SEATTLE (195.12)

99.12 + 96

4. BUFFALO (195)

100 + 95

5. MINNEAPOLIS (172)

96 + 76

6. WASHINGTON (166)

97 + 69

7. ATLANTA (162.35)

99.35 + 63

8. KANSAS CITY (152.30)

98.3 + 54

9. VANCOUVER (147)

100 + 47

10. HOUSTON (145.5)

98.5 + 47

11. TORONTO (143.86)

89.86 + 54

12. PHOENIX (141.98)

98.98 + 43

13. CINCINNATI (141.06)

97.06 + 44

14. DENVER (140.8)

96.8 + 44

15. CHARLOTTE (139)

100 + 39

16. OAKLAND (133.1)

93.1 + 40

17. SALT LAKE CITY (133)

100 + 33

18. PORTLAND (132.62)

97.62 + 35

19. NASHVILLE (128)

100 + 28

20. SACRAMENTO (127)

100 + 27

21. TAMPA BAY (126.57)

98.57 + 28

22. ORLANDO (123)

100 + 23

23. SAN JOSE (120)

100 + 20

24. CALGARY (118.77)

96.77 + 22

25. *HARTFORD (118)

100 + 18

26. OTTAWA (117.67)

91.67 + 26

t27. JACKSONVILLE (117)

100 + 17

t27.*QUEBEC (117)

100 + 17

t27.*WINNIPEG (117)

100 + 17

30. BALTIMORE (116.55)

93.55 + 23

31. NEWARK (112.31)

95.31 + 17

32. PHILADELPHIA (111.7)

95.7 + 16

33. MONTREAL (111.38)

81.38 + 30

t34. COLUMBUS (111)

100 + 11

t34. MEMPHIS (111)

100 + 11

36. DETROIT (110.29)

93.29 + 17

37. INDIANAPOLIS (109.53)

98.53 + 11

38. *FORT WAYNE (109)

100 + 9

39. CHICAGO (107.01)

95.01 + 12

40. EDMONTON (105.37)

84.37 + 21

41. *HAMILTON (105)

100 + 5

42. PITTSBURGH (104.12)

94.12 + 10

43. OKLAHOMA CITY (104)

100 + 4

44. NEW ORLEANS (103.33)

98.33 + 5

45. *PROVIDENCE (103)

100 + 3

46. *TRI-CITIES (102)

100 + 2

t47. *ANDERSON (101)

100 + 1

t47. *SHEBOYGAN (101)

100 + 1

t47. *WATERLOO (101)

100 +1

t47. *PORTSMOUTH, OHIO (101)

100 + 1

51. *SYRACUSE (100.86)

92.86 + 8

52. DALLAS (100.14)

95.14 + 5

53. RALEIGH (98.86)

92.86 + 6

54. MILWAUKEE (98.44)

93.44 + 5

55. ST. LOUIS (98.13)

95.13 + 3

56. NEW YORK (96.41)

91.41 + 5

57. BOSTON (95.71)

90.71 + 5

58. LOS ANGELES (95.57)

93.57 + 2

59. MIAMI (95.44)

94.44 + 1

60. SAN FRANCISCO (95.21)

95.21 + 0

61. *ROCHESTER (94.89)

88.89 + 6

62. SAN ANTONIO (93.89)

88.89 + 5

 

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