Boston’s Championship Run Not History’s Gold Standard
It’s hard to believe that the New England Patriots have the longest championship drought in the city of Boston. With the Bruins’ Stanley Cup championship last night, Boston teams have now won seven titles in the past 10 years. However, that is not the city’s best championship run for its professional sports teams. From 1960 through 1970, the Celtics won nine NBA titles and the Bruins won the 1970 Stanley Cup, giving Boston 10 championships in 11 years, its most prolific championship run. Of the 44 combined seasons Boston teams played during this time, 22.7 percent of them ended in championship, the highest percentage of champions a city has produced over an 11 year period. However, there is one city that exceeds Boston’s title achievements throughout any 11-year period in history.
Given the historic New York-Boston rivalries in every sport, it is fitting that the New York is the only city that can rival Beantown’s historic title run from 1960-1970. From 1932 through 1941, New York teams won an astounding 11 titles, a streak unmatched by any city. During that span, the New York sports scene was drastically different than it is today. Each New York team except for the Brooklyn Dodgers contributed a championship during that 10-year run, with the Yankees winning in ’32, ’36, ’37, ’38, ’39 and ’41, the Rangers winning in ’33 and ’40, the football Giants winning the NFL Championship in ’34 and ’38 and the baseball Giants winning in ’33. Twenty-two percent of the New York professional sports seasons during this time ended in a championship, so while New York claims the most championships over an 10-year run, Boston has a higher percentage of champions over a similar span. The rivalry never ends.
1932-1941 was not the only time in which New York teams dominated sports. The Big Apple won 10 championships from 1947 through 1957. New York added the Knicks in 1946, lowering their championship percentage to 15 percent during that 11-year period, with the Yankees winning in ’47, ’49, ’50, ’51, ’52, ’53 and ’56, the baseball Giants winning in ’54, the Dodgers winning in ’55 and the football Giants winning in ’56.
New York also had a an excellent run from 1977 through 1987. During that time period, the Yankees were World Series champions in ’77 and ’78, the Islanders won the Stanley Cup in ’80, ’81, ’82 and ’83, the Mets won the ’86 World Series and the Giants won the ’86 Super Bowl, giving New York eight total championships during that span.
Detroit and Los Angeles are the only other cities that comes close to the success that New York and Boston sports, respectively, have had over 11-year periods throughout history. The Tigers were World Series champions in ’45, followed by Red Wings’ Stanley Cup victories in ’50, ’52, ’54 and ’55 and Lions’ NFL Championships in ’52 and ’53, giving Detroit a total of seven championships from 1945 through 1955.
Los Angeles has had a much more recent streak of championships. The Lakers began the run with the 2000 NBA Championship, following up in ’01, ’02, ’09 and ’10. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won the 2002 World Series while the Anaheim Ducks won the 2007 Stanley Cup, giving the City of Angels seven titles from 2000-2010.
Two other cities were able to put together championship runs of six during an 11-year period. With the A’s winning the World Series in ’72, ’73 and ’74, the Raiders becoming the ’76 and ’80 Super Bowl champions and the Golden State Warriors winning the ’75 NBA Championships, the city of Oakland had six championships from 1972 through 1982. With just three professional sports teams, Oakland teams won a title 18.1 percent of the time during that period. Throw in the 1981 San Francisco 49ers’ Super Bowl win, and Bay Area teams combined for seven championships during that span.
With the Blackhawks being hailed as Stanley Cup champions in ’34 and ’38 and the Bears winning the NFL Championship in ’32, ’33, ’40, ’41 and ’43, the city of Chicago had six championships from 1932 through 1942 and 1933 through 1943. With four professional sports teams, Chicago had 13.6 percent of its seasons end with titles during those runs.
The Bruins Stanley Cup victory last night has certainly given the city of Boston another historic championship run with its professional sports teams. However, with seven titles in the past 10 years, it is not the best run any city has had over any 10-year period in history. New York teams dominated by future Hall of Famers like the Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, the baseball Giants’ Carl Hubbell and Mel Ott and the Rangers’ Frank Boucher, Bill Cook, Lester Patrick and Bun Cook gave New York an incredible 11 championships over a 10 year period from 1932 through 1941, a streak that has been unmatched by any city throughout history.
Below is a list of each city’s champions in each of the Big Four (NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB) professional sports:
ATLANTA (1 championship)
Braves- 1995
Falcons- N/A
Flames- N/A
Hawks- N/A
Thrashers- N/A
BALTIMORE (7 total championships)
Bullets- N/A
Colts- 1958, 1959, 1970
Orioles- 1966, 1970, 1983
Ravens- 2000
BOSTON (34 total championships)
Braves- 1914
Bruins- 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, 2011
Celtics- 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008
Patriots- 2001, 2003, 2004
Red Sox- 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007
CHICAGO (24 total championships)
Bears- 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985
Blackhawks- 1934, 1938, 1961, 2010
Bulls- 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
Cardinals (NFL)- 1947
Cubs- 1908
White Sox- 1906, 1917, 2005
CLEVELAND (6 total championships)
Browns- 1950, 1954, 1955, 1964
Cavaliers- N/A
Indians- 1920, 1948
DALLAS (8 total championships)
Cowboys- 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1995
Mavericks- 2011
Rangers- N/A
Stars- 1999
Texans- 1962
DENVER (4 total championships)
Avalanche- 1996, 2001
Broncos- 1997, 1998
Nuggets- N/A
Rockies- N/A
DETROIT (22 total championships)
Tigers- 1935, 1945, 1968, 1984
Pistons- 1989, 1990, 2004
Red Wings- 1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2007
Lions- 1935, 1952, 1953, 1957
HOUSTON (2 championships)
Astros- N/A
Rockets- 1994, 1995
Texans- N/A
KANSAS CITY (3 total championships)
Athletics- N/A
Chiefs- 1966, 1969
Kings- N/A
Royals- 1985
Scouts- N/A
LOS ANGELES (20 total championships)
Angels- 2002
Dodgers- 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988
Ducks- 2007
Lakers- 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010
Raiders- 1983
Rams- 1951
MIAMI (5 total championships)
Dolphins- 1972, 1973
Heat- 2006
Marlins- 1997, 2003
Panthers- N/A
MINNEAPOLIS (7 total championships)
Lakers- 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954
Timberwolves- N/A
Twins- 1987, 1991
Vikings- N/A
Wild- N/A
NEW YORK (53 total championships)
Dodgers- 1955
Giants (baseball)- 1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954
Giants (football)- 1927, 1934, 1938, 1956, 1986, 1990, 2007
Islanders- 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
Jets- 1968
Knicks- 1970, 1973
Mets- 1969, 1986
Rangers- 1928, 1933, 1940, 1994
Yankees- 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009
OAKLAND (9 total championships)
A’s- 1972, 1973, 1974, 1989
Raiders- 1976, 1980
Warriors- 1975
PHILADELPHIA (16 total championships)
76ers- 1967, 1983
Athletics- 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930
Eagles- 1948, 1949, 1960
Flyers- 1974, 1975
Frankford Yellow Jackets (NFL)- 1926
Phillies- 1980, 2008
Warriors- 1947
PHOENIX (1 championship)
Cardinals- N/A
Coyotes- N/A
Diamondbacks- 2001
Suns- N/A
PITTSBURGH (12 total championships)
Penguins- 1991, 1992, 2009
Pirates- 1960, 1971, 1979
Steelers- 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO (6 total championships)
49ers- 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994
Giants- 2010
SEATTLE (1 championship)
Mariners- N/A
Metropolitans (NHL)- 1917
Seahawks- N/A
Supersonics- 1979
ST. LOUIS (12 total championships)
Blues- N/A
Bombers- N/A
Browns- N/A
Cardinals- 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006
Hawks- 1958
Rams- 1999
WASHINGTON (7 total championships)
Capitals- N/A
Nationals- N/A
Redskins- 1937, 1942, 1982, 1987, 1991
Senators- 1924
Wizards- 1978
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