Written by Jonathan Knight

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If you found it genuinely hard to root for anybody in either the NBA Finals or Stanley Cup Finals over the past couple weeks, there’s a pretty good reason.

Of the final four teams that remained, three were from Goliath-esque, Wal-Mart-type sports towns. And sure, the Spurs were all small-market cute and up against the devil incarnate, but let's not forget San Antonio has been wildly spoiled by championship success.

But no matter. LeBron won another title, as did the suddenly dynastic Chicago Blackhawks, bringing the winter sports season to its long-overdue conclusion.

And more importantly, prompting the release of the updated Sports Misery Index.

Interestingly, while LeBron completed the purchase of his second straight championship and the Blackhawks took home the Cup for the second time in four years, neither Miami nor Chicago were able to dethrone Baltimore as the least miserable sports city in North America. 

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.

It goes without saying that Cleveland remains atop the list, with its string of championship-less seasons now standing at 138.

Thus, C-Town remains atop the Sports Misery Index, now scoring a 234.87 (compared to Baltimore’s 92.8). The top five also remains the same: San Diego (201), Buffalo (197), Seattle (196.13), and Minneapolis (175.07).

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 138: when you combine the Browns, Indians, Cavs, and don’t forget the Barons’ two NHL seasons, Cleveland teams have now played 137 consecutive seasons without winning a title.

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

 

1.CLEVELAND [138]

Last world title: Browns 1964

 

2.SAN DIEGO [101]

Last world title: never

 

t3.SEATTLE [97]

Last world title: SuperSonics 1978-79

 

t3.BUFFALO [97]

Last world title: never

 

5.MINNEAPOLIS [79]

Last world title: Twins 1991

 

6.WASHINGTON [72]

Last world title: Redskins 1991

 

7.ATLANTA [66]

Last world title: Braves 1995

 

8.TORONTO [56]

Last world title: Blue Jays 1993

 

9.KANSAS CITY [55]

Last world title: Royals 1985

 

10.HOUSTON [49]

Last world title: Rockets 1994-95

 

11.VANCOUVER [48]

Last world title: none

 

12.DENVER [47]

Last world title: Avalanche 2000-01

 

13.PHOENIX [46]

Last world title: Diamondbacks 2001

 

14.CINCINNATI [45]

Last world title: Reds 1990

 

t15.OAKLAND [41]

Last world title: Athletics 1989

 

t15.CHARLOTTE [41]

Last world title: none

 

17.PORTLAND [36]

Last world title: Trail Blazers 1976-77

 

18.SALT LAKE CITY [34]

Last world title: none

 

19.MONTREAL [31]

Last world title: Canadiens 1992-93

 

t20.NASHVILLE [30]

Last world title: none

 

t20.TAMPA BAY [30]

Last world title: Buccaneers 2002

 

22.SACRAMENTO [28]

Last world title: none

 

23.OTTAWA [27]

Last world title: Senators 1926-27

 

24.ORLANDO [24]

Last world title: none

 

25.CALGARY [23]

Last world title: Flames 1988-89

 

26.EDMONTON [22]

Last world title: Oilers 1989-90

 

27.SAN JOSE [21]

Last world title: none

 

28.DETROIT [20]

Last world title: Red Wings 2007-08

 

29.PHILADELPHIA [19]

Last world title: Phillies 2008

 

t30.*HARTFORD [18]

Last world title: none

 

t30.JACKSONVILLE [18]

Last world title: none

 

t30.NEWARK [18]

Last world title: Devils 2002-03

 

t33.*QUEBEC [17]

Last world title: none

 

t33.*WINNIPEG [17]

Last world title: none

 

35.INDIANAPOLIS [13]

Last world title: Colts 2006

 

t36.COLUMBUS [12]

Last world title: none

 

t36.MEMPHIS [12]

Last world title: none

 

t36.PITTSBURGH [12]

Last world title: Penguins 2008-09

 

39.NEW YORK [11]

Last world title: Giants 2011

 

40.*FORT WAYNE [9]

Last world title: none

 

t41.*SYRACUSE [8]

Last world title: Nationals 1954-55

 

t41.DALLAS [8]

Last world title: Mavericks 2010-11

 

t41.BOSTON [8]

Last world title: Bruins 2010-11

 

t44.RALEIGH [7]

Last world title: Hurricanes 2005-06

 

t44.NEW ORLEANS [7]

Last world title: Saints 2009

 

t44.MILWAUKEE [7]

Last world title: Packers 2010

 

t47.*ROCHESTER [6]

Last world title: Royals 1950-51

 

t47.LOS ANGELES [6]

Last world title: Kings 2011-12

 

t47.SAN ANTONIO [6]

Last world title: Spurs 2006-07

 

t50.*HAMILTON [5]

Last world title: none

 

t50.OKLAHOMA CITY [5]

Last world title: none

 

t50.ST. LOUIS [5]

Last world title: Cardinals 2011

 

53.*PROVIDENCE [3]

Last world title: none

 

t54.*TRI-CITIES [2]

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

Last world title: none

 

t54.SAN FRANCISCO [2]

Last world title: Giants 2012

 

t56.*ANDERSON [1]

Last world title: none

 

t56.*SHEBOYGAN [1]

Last world title: none

 

t56.*WATERLOO [1]

Last world title: none

 

t56.*PORTSMOUTH [1]

Last world title: none

 

t60.BALTIMORE [0]

Last world title: Ravens 2012

 

t60.MIAMI [0]

Last world title: Heat 2012-13

 

t60.CHICAGO [0]

Last world title: Blackhawks 2012-13

 

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 223 seasons, seven of which have ended with a world title. Thus of all the seasons in Cleveland history, 3.14% have ended with a championship.

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

 

1.Montreal 18.49%

2.Edmonton 15.15%

3.*Rochester 11.11%

4.San Antonio 10.81%

5.Toronto 10%

6.Boston 9.19%

7.New York 8.49%

8.Ottawa 8.11%

9.Baltimore 7.20%

10.*Syracuse 7.14%

11.Oakland 6.82%

12.Raleigh 6.67%

13.Detroit 6.65%

14.Milwaukee 6.49%

15.Los Angeles 6.35%

16.Miami 6.31%

17.Pittsburgh 5.83%

18.Chicago 5.17%

19.St. Louis 4.83%

20.Dallas 4.76%

21.San Francisco 4.73%

22.Newark 4.62%

23.Philadelphia 4.26%

24.Minneapolis 3.93%

25.Calgary 3.13%

26.Denver 3.13%

27.Cleveland 3.13%

28.Washington 2.97%

29.Cincinnati 2.92%

30.Portland 2.33%

31.Kansas City 1.68%

32.New Orleans 1.61%

33.Houston 1.48%

34.Indianapolis 1.41%

35.Tampa Bay 1.39%

36.Phoenix 0.99%

37.Seattle 0.87%

38.Atlanta 0.63%

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 (234.87)

96.87 + 138

2. SAN DIEGO (201)

100 + 101

3. BUFFALO (197)

100 + 97

4. SEATTLE (196.13)

99.13 + 97

5. MINNEAPOLIS (175.07)

96.07 + 79

6. WASHINGTON (169.03)

97.03 + 72

7. ATLANTA (165.37)

99.37 + 66

8. KANSAS CITY (153.32)

98.32 + 55

9. VANCOUVER (148)

100 + 48

10. HOUSTON (147.52)

98.52 + 49

11. TORONTO (146)

90 + 56

12. PHOENIX (145.01)

99.01 + 46

13. DENVER (143.87)

96.87 + 47

14. CINCINNATI (142.08)

97.08 + 45

15. CHARLOTTE (141)

100 + 41

16. OAKLAND (134.18)

93.18 + 41

17. SALT LAKE CITY (134)

100 + 34

18. PORTLAND (133.67)

97.67 + 36

19. NASHVILLE (130)

100 + 30

20. TAMPA BAY (128.61)

98.61 + 30

21.SACRAMENTO (128)

100 + 28

22. ORLANDO (124)

100 + 24

23. SAN JOSE (121)

100 + 21

24. CALGARY (119.87)

96.87 + 23

25. OTTAWA (118.89)

91.89 + 27

t26. *HARTFORD (118)

100 + 18

t26. JACKSONVILLE (118)

100 + 18

t28.*QUEBEC (117)

100 + 17

t28.*WINNIPEG (117)

100 + 17

30. PHILADELPHIA (114.74)

95.74 + 19

31. NEWARK (113.38)

95.38 + 18

32. DETROIT (113.35)

93.35 + 20

33. MONTREAL (112.51)

81.51 + 31

t34. COLUMBUS (112)

100 + 12

t34. MEMPHIS (112)

100 + 12

36. INDIANAPOLIS (111.59)

98.59 + 13

37. *FORT WAYNE (109)

100 + 9

38. EDMONTON (106.85)

84.85 + 22

39. PITTSBURGH (106.17)

94.17 + 12

40. NEW ORLEANS (105.39)

98.39 + 7

t41. *HAMILTON (105)

100 + 5

t41. OKLAHOMA CITY (105)

100 + 5

43. DALLAS (103.24)

95.24 + 8

44. *PROVIDENCE (103)

100 + 3

45. NEW YORK (102.51)

91.51 + 11

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. MILWAUKEE (100.51)

93.51 + 7

53. RALEIGH (100.33)

93.33 + 7

54. ST. LOUIS (100.17)

95.17 + 5

55. LOS ANGELES (99.65)

93.65 + 6

56. BOSTON (98.81)

90.81 + 8

57. SAN FRANCISCO (97.27)

95.27 + 2

58. SAN ANTONIO (95.19)

89.19 + 6

59. *ROCHESTER (94.89)

88.89 + 6

60. CHICAGO (94.83)

94.83 + 0

61. MIAMI (93.69)

93.69 + 0

62. BALTIMORE (92.8)

92.80 + 0

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