30 Best Professional Sports Teams That Never Won It All
/granite-web-prod/0e/32/0e321365ea794168a7b571efe3d16c49.jpeg)
We all remember the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls as the greatest NBA team ever. Those Bulls went 72-10 and cruised to the NBA championship that year. The 1998 New York Yankees won 114 regular-season games and 11 more in the playoffs to stake a claim as the best baseball team ever.
But what about the teams that had historic regular seasons that fell short come playoff time? Some are arguably more memorable than the mentioned teams. Others have been forgotten to history, essentially wiped out of our brains because they couldn’t scale the mountain entirely.
These are those teams, the greatest professional sports teams that weren’t able to win the championship in their season.
30. 2015-16 Washington Capitals
/granite-web-prod/e8/ba/e8ba0bfb0a3c498584c13fd7cc7eed48.jpeg)
Sport: NHL
Regular-season record: 56-18-8 (120 points)
Coach: Barry Trotz
Key players: LW Alex Ovechkin, C Nicklas Backstrom, C Evgeni Kuznetsov, RW Justin Williams, RW TJ Oshie, D John Carlson, G Braden Holtby
Finish: Lost in second round of Stanley Cup playoffs to Pittsburgh Penguins
Bottom line: These Capitals flirted with the NHL all-time win record, and only a late-season cold spell — Washington went 11-7-4 in its final 22 — kept them from winning 60-plus games. Washington was stingy defensively, thanks to Braden Holtby who tied the single-season record for goalie wins en route to the Vezina Trophy that season, and scored the second-most goals in the league (252), led by Alex Ovechkin’s 50. Still, it was no match for their arch-nemeses, the Pittsburgh Penguins, who despite finishing 16 points worse than in the standings took down the Caps in the second round in six games en route to the Stanley Cup.
29. 2009-10 Washington Capitals
/granite-web-prod/00/d3/00d372e254ac470e815d2a8ad6656f5c.jpeg)
Sport: NHL
Regular-season record: 54-15-13 (121 points)
Coach: Bruce Boudreau
Key players: LW Alex Ovechkin, C Nicklas Backstrom, F Alex Semin, D Mike Green, G Jose Theodore
Finish: Lost in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs to Montreal Canadiens
Bottom line: The Capitals led the NHL in goals, rolling to the Southeast Division crown and Presidents’ Trophy. Yet you could almost excuse their playoff flameout since the term “Getting Halak’d” has since been coined in hockey circles for a team that peppered shots at an extraordinarily hot goalie to no avail. The Capitals built a 3-1 advantage and looked extremely scary as a Stanley Cup contender, yet Jaroslav Halak, Montreal’s goalie, stopped 131 of 134 shots (.978 save percentage) over the final three games in sending the high-flying Capitals home after just seven games.
28. 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs
/granite-web-prod/62/7e/627ea990939943ad946700d63803ca86.jpeg)
Sport: NBA
Regular-season record: 67-15 (.817 win%)
Coach: Gregg Popovich
Key players: G Kawhi Leonard, G Tony Parker, F Tim Duncan, F LaMarcus Aldridge, F Danny Green
Finish: Lost in second round of NBA playoffs to Oklahoma City Thunder
Bottom line: The Spurs may have been the second-highest profile Western Conference team to have their championship dreams dashed that year (more on the other coming), but they still are tied for seventh in NBA history for single-season win percentage. Plus, of the Spurs’ 15 regular-season losses, three came to the historic Golden State Warriors, who went 73-9 that year. Yet San Antonio cheated NBA fans out of the dream Western Conference Finals matchup against the Dubs when they dropped their final three to the Oklahoma City Thunder and bowed out in six games in the second round.
27. 1991 Buffalo Bills
/granite-web-prod/95/bf/95bff12139894782be7ad36e07d0e1ca.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 13-3 (.813 win%)
Coach: Marv Levy
Key players: QB Jim Kelly, RB Thurman Thomas, WR Andre Reed, WR James Lofton, DE Bruce Smith, LB Darryl Talley, LB Cornelius Bennett
Finish: Lost in Super Bowl XXVI to Washington Commanders
Bottom line: The best of the Bills teams that reached four straight Super Bowls scored a then-franchise record 458 points and had the NFL MVP Thurman Thomas leading their backfield. Yet, Thomas famously misplaced his helmet in the Super Bowl’s early going against Washington, and Buffalo had no answer for Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, who threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns in Washington’s 37-24 win.
26. 2019 Houston Astros
/granite-web-prod/ea/f4/eaf48cf4dc89408b90a0d476e29bff05.jpeg)
Sport: MLB
Regular-season record: 107-55 (.660 win%)
Coach: Alex Cora
Key players: 2B Jose Alutve, SS Carlos Correa, 3B Alex Bregman, OF George Springer, OF Michael Brantley, P Gerrit Cole, P Justin Verlander, P Zack Greinke RP Roberto Osuna
Finish: Lost in World Series to Washington Nationals
Bottom line: The 2019 Astros were loaded with three bona fide ace starting pitchers, including AL Cy Young Justin Verlander. The Astros led baseball with 920 runs scored, led by AL Rookie of the Year in Yordan Alvarez and a lineup that featured seven 20-homer guys. Houston, which won the World Series two years prior, reached the Fall Classic again and led the Washington Nationals 3-2 after sweeping them in three straight games in Washington, D.C., yet could not close out Washington, which claimed its first title in franchise history.
25. 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins
/granite-web-prod/96/d4/96d4df7393dd4e7db384742ecb101bd1.jpeg)
Sport: NHL
Regular-season record: 56-21-7 (119 points)
Coach: Scotty Bowman
Key players: C Mario Lemieux, RW Jaromir Jagr, C Ron Francis, D Paul Coffey, D Larry Murphy
Finish: Lost in second round of Stanley Cup playoffs to New York Islanders
Bottom line: Ironically, the 1993 Penguins were the best of the early-1990s Pittsburgh clubs yet were done in by David Volek and the upstart New York Islanders in a famous second-round upset. Perhaps they felt the heat of the impending three-peat since the Penguins had claimed the previous two Stanley Cup championships. Unfortunately, Lemieux never got back even to the championship round as a player, as injuries and non-Hodgkin lymphoma limited his sterling, Hall of Fame career.
24. 1983 Washington Redskins
/granite-web-prod/3d/1c/3d1cfef511fb4ac5bcdeb3896a61ba62.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 14-2 (.875 win%)
Coach: Joe Gibbs
Key players: QB Joe Theismann, RB John Riggins, WR Art Monk, WR Charlie Brown, CB Darryl Green, DT Dave Butz, DE Dexter Manley, S Mark Murphy,
Finish: Lost in Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Raiders
Bottom line: Washington was the defending Super Bowl champs and had a juggernaut offense, led by NFL MVP Joe Theismann, that scored 541 points and set an NFL record at the time. The Redskins won 11 games in a row after a 5-2 start and averaged more than 37 points per game in their two NFC postseason games. Yet, once they reached the Super Bowl, they had no answer for the Raiders' defense, which sacked Theismann six times and forced him to throw two interceptions. Super Bowl MVP Marcus Allen had 191 yards rushing, including a memorable 74-yard touchdown dash in the third quarter, and Washington went home with a 38-9 loss.
23. 2013 Denver Broncos
/granite-web-prod/a2/c3/a2c30bc717614bcf917ee695edc3ad90.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 13-3 (.813 win%)
Coach: John Fox
Key players: QB Peyton Manning, RB Knowshon Moreno, WR Demaryius Thomas, WR Eric Decker, LB Von Miller, LB Danny Trevathan, DE Shaun Phillips, CB Chris Harris
Finish: Lost in Super Bowl XLVIII to Seattle Seahawks
Bottom line: The Broncos put up an NFL-record 606 points, and Manning set a single-season NFL record for passing yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (55) that year. Denver scored at least 20 points in every game until the Super Bowl, but the high-flying Broncos had no answer for the Seattle Seahawks’ defense, notably the team’s legendary secondary known as the Legion of Boom, which stymied Manning and Co. at every turn. The Broncos fell 43-8 in one of the most lopsided championship games in recent memory, thus rendering their dominant regular season titleless.
22. 1985-86 Edmonton Oilers
/granite-web-prod/33/e4/33e433300aa84750b04fb60a1fb67b88.jpeg)
Sport: NHL
Regular-season record: 56-17-7 (119 points)
Coach: Glen Sather
Key players: C Wayne Gretzky, C Mark Messier, D Paul Coffey, F Glenn Anderson, G Grant Fuhr
Finish: Lost in second round of Stanley Cup playoffs to Calgary Flames
Bottom line: The Oilers, like the ‘93 Penguins, were two-time defending champions looking for a three-peat yet were done in by a divisional rival in a Game 7. The 85-86 Oilers were arguably the franchise’s most dominant team, scoring 426 goals, and Gretzky set a single-season record for points (215) that still stands to this day. Still, the high-flying Oilers were done-in by a terrible and unfortunate bounce in Game 7 at home against their provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames, and were sent home in the Smythe Division final.
21. 1990 San Francisco 49ers
/granite-web-prod/34/0c/340cb116833e4b36808390841ebede33.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 14-2 (.875 win%)
Coach: George Seifert
Key players: QB Joe Montana, QB Steve Young, RB Roger Craig, WR Jerry Rice, WR John Taylor, LB Bill Romanowski, DE Charles Haley, S Ronnie Lott
Finish: Lost in NFC Championship Game to New York Giants
Bottom line: The Niners seemed destined to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls thanks to Joe Montana, who won his second straight NFL MVP that year, and his top-target Jerry Rice, who led the NFL with 1,502 yards that season. The Niners started 10-0 en route to a 14-2 record yet were stunned by the New York Giants, who knocked Montana out of the game and then stole a 15-13 victory en route to winning the Super Bowl.
20. 1984 Miami Dolphins
/granite-web-prod/51/00/51004c8f722e45bb8e2494b06493a5e1.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 14-2 (.875 win%)
Coach: Don Shula
Key players: QB Dan Marino, WR Mark Clayton, WR Mark Duper,
Finish: Lost in Super Bowl XIX to San Francisco 49ers
Bottom line: The 1984 Dolphins were an offensive juggernaut, carried by NFL MVP Dan Marino, who set records for single-season yards (5,084) and touchdowns (48) that lasted for more than two decades until football changed to a more pass-heavy game. Miami led the NFL with 513 points while qualifying for the Super Bowl that year yet were rolled over by the dynastic San Francisco 49ers, who won their second of four titles in the 1980s, 38-16. It was Marino’s only trip to the Super Bowl as a player.
19. 1970-71 Boston Bruins
/granite-web-prod/72/68/72681f777e59495c84d6c4dffd6200ed.jpeg)
Sport: NHL
Regular-season record: 57-14-7 (121 points)
Coach: Tom Johnson
Key players: C Phil Esposito, F Johnny Bucyk, F Ken Hodge D Bobby Orr, G Gerry Cheevers,
Finish: Lost in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs to Montreal Canadiens
Bottom line: The Bruins were defending Stanley Cup champs. Carried by Bobby Orr, who won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, and Phil Esposito, who led the league with 76 goals and 152 points, they finished with the most points in the league and the most points in league history to that point. Despite taking a 3-2 series win after a 7-3 win in the pivotal Game 5, Boston fell victim to their arch-rivals, the Montreal Canadiens and were sent home with a disappointing seven-game defeat. The Canadiens went on to win the Cup that year, but Boston rebounded to win the Cup the next season.
18. 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers
/granite-web-prod/80/d1/80d1fe4d2ff04c0abb6814d4112d5435.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 15-1 (.938 win%)
Coach: Bill Cowher
Key players: QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Jerome Bettis, WR Hines Ward, WR Plaxico Burress, LB Joey Porter LB James Farrior, S Troy Polamalu,
Finish: Lost in AFC Championship Game to New England Patriots
Bottom line: The stingy Steelers allowed an NFL-low 251 points and ripped off 15 straight victories after a 1-1 start. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger won NFL Rookie of the Year and steered an offense that averaged 23 points per game and qualified as the top seed in the AFC. Still, the Steelers' kryptonite, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, ousted Pittsburgh at Heinz Field for the second time in four seasons in the AFC Championship Game en route to their third Super Bowl win in four seasons.
17. 2009 Indianapolis Colts
/granite-web-prod/9e/33/9e33c3cd1f614462a9100acd8784fd06.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 14-2 (.875 win%)
Coach: Jim Caldwell
Key players: QB Peyton Manning, RB Joseph Addai, WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark, DE Dwight Freeney, LB Gary Brackett, S Antoine Bethea
Finish: Lost in Super Bowl XLIV to New Orleans Saints
Bottom line: These Colts started the season 14-0 and only lost their final two regular-season games because Caldwell decided to rest Manning and play backup Curtis Painter in the second halves of their final two regular-season games. The Colts rolled through the playoffs, combining to defeat the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets 50-20, and led the New Orleans Saints 10-6 at halftime of Super Bowl XLIV. But the Saints held the Colts to just seven, second-half points, and Manning threw a killer, game-sealing pick-6 to Tracy Porter that sent Indianapolis home without a championship.
16. 2001 St. Louis Rams
/granite-web-prod/44/a6/44a64f6980ad43fb83ea65fe3941e5d6.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 14-2 (.875 win%)
Coach: Mike Martz
Key players: QB Kurt Warner, RB Marshall Faulk, WR Torry Holt, WR Isaac Bruce, LB London Fletcher, CB Aeneas Williams, DE Leonard Little
Finish: Lost in Super Bowl XXXVI to New England Patriots
Bottom line: The 2001 Rams were dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf,” thanks to an offense that scored an eye-popping 503 points. Warner threw for 4,830 yards, the second-most all-time to that point, and 36 touchdowns en route to the NFL MVP that year. The Rams won eight straight games leading up to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, where they were a 14-point favorite, yet could not contend with the Patriots' defense, which forced three turnovers. Tom Brady guided New England down the field for the first of his Super Bowl-winning drives, and the Patriots stunned the Rams with Adam Vinatieri’s game-ending, 48-yard field goal that sent St. Louis to a 20-17 defeat.
15. 1969 Baltimore Orioles
/granite-web-prod/f5/a8/f5a824d7312f4a44bfa03e8f72f81075.jpeg)
Sport: MLB
Regular-season record: 109-53 (.673 win%)
Coach: Earl Weaver
Key players: OF Frank Robinson, 3B Brooks Robinson, 1B Boog Powell, SP Jim Palmer, SP Mike Cuellar, SP Dave McNally
Finish: Lost in World Series to New York Mets
Bottom line: Led by Cy Young Award winner in Mike Cuellar, who went 23-11 with a 2.38 earned-run average and five shutouts, the Orioles cruised to the third-most wins in the history of the American League. Baltimore finished 19 games better than the second-place Detroit Tigers in the AL East then swept the Minnesota Twins in the inaugural AL Championship Series. Yet, after Cuellar won Game 1 of the World Series, the “Ya Gotta Believe” New York Mets won four consecutive games, stunning the Orioles in five and bringing home their first World Series crown.
14. 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings
/granite-web-prod/cd/64/cd64f4be32094b4aa019c2ac83fd3b1c.jpeg)
Sport: NHL
Regular-season record: 58-16-8 (124 points)
Coach: Mike Babcock
Key players: C Steve Yzerman, C Pavel Datsyuk, RW Brendan Shanahan, F Henrik Zetterberg, D Nicklas Lidstrom, D Chris Chelios G Manny Legace
Finish: Lost in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs to Edmonton Oilers
Bottom line: In the first season of the “new NHL” and playing under new head coach Mike Babcock, the Red Wings rolled through the regular season, posting a league-high 124 points and winning the Presidents’ Trophy. Yet, the top-seeded Wings were stymied at every turn by the eighth-seeded Edmonton Oilers — who finished 29 points behind Detroit in the standings — and especially goalie Dwayne Roloson. Edmonton won four of five games after Detroit’s series-opening, double-OT win in Game 1 and stunned the Wings en route to the Stanley Cup finals.
13. 1931 Philadelphia Athletics
/granite-web-prod/56/38/5638d52f36f24fab8e38250c2d08b822.jpeg)
Sport: MLB
Regular-season record: 107-45 (.704 win%)
Coach: Connie Mack
Key players: 1B Jimmie Foxx, C Mickey Cochrane, OF Al Simmons, P Waite Hoyt, P Lefty Grove, P George Earnshaw
Finish: Lost in World Series to St. Louis Cardinals
Bottom line: The Athletics had won the previous two World Series and seemed destined for a third straight. Led by MVP Lefty Grove, they rolled to the American League pennant, finishing 13.5 games better than the second-place New York Yankees, who scored 1,067 runs that season. Yet, once Philadelphia got to the Fall Classic, Grove only won two of his three starts, including his complete-game, five-hitter that staved off elimination in Game 6. The A’s second starter, George Earnshaw, struggled in Game 7 by allowing four runs in seven innings, leaving Philadelphia one game short of the title.
12. 1972-73 Boston Celtics
/granite-web-prod/31/cf/31cffda0f42b48699e3fabb09ceaa83c.jpeg)
Sport: NBA
Regular-season record: 68-14 (.829 win%)
Coach: Tommy Heinsohn
Key players: G John Havlicek, F/C Dave Cowens, G JoJo White,
Finish: Lost in Eastern Conference Finals to New York Knicks
Bottom line: The 1972-73 Celtics are widely considered one of the five best teams in franchise history — no slouch given the organization’s 17 NBA championships. Boston set a single-season franchise record with 68 wins, which still has not been eclipsed nearly five decades later, and led by league MVP Dave Cowens, finished 11 games better than the second-place New York Knicks in the Atlantic Division standings. Yet, the Knicks turned the tables on the Celtics, stunning Boston in seven games en route to their most recent championship.
11. 2011 Green Bay Packers
/granite-web-prod/22/00/220068d9fde74f6fb0ea94cd16ff257b.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 15-1 (.938 win%)
Coach: Mike McCarthy
Key players: QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Jordy Nelson, WR Greg Jennings, DT BJ Raji, LB Clay Matthews, CB Charles Woodson
Finish: Lost in NFC Divisional playoffs to New York Giants
Bottom line: The defending-champion Packers looked like a sure bet to repeat when they started the season with 13 straight wins en route to a 560-point regular season. But Green Bay, who defeated the Giants 38-35 in Week 12, had the tables turned on it by upstart New York, falling 37-20 to the eventual Super Bowl champions.
10. 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks
/granite-web-prod/87/e9/87e96f8e8c474f1aa89517310daf64c8.jpeg)
Sport: NBA
Regular-season record: 67-15 (.817 win%)
Coach: Avery Johnson
Key players: F Dirk Nowitzki, F Josh Howard, G Jason Terry, F Jerry Stackhouse, C Erick Dampier
Finish: Lost in first round of NBA playoffs to Golden State Warriors
Bottom line: The Mavericks were the defending Western Conference champions and among the preseason championship favorites. Then, they had a record-setting regular season, setting a new franchise mark for wins that still holds. But Dallas was no match for Baron Davis and the Golden State Warriors’ stunningly robust homecourt advantage at Oracle Arena that year. The Mavericks became only the third top seed to lose its opening-round playoff year and the first to do so in a best-of-seven format when they fell to the Warriors in six games.
9. 2015 Carolina Panthers
/granite-web-prod/ae/7f/ae7f761e88574fe7aaae981f4742d9ae.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 15-1 (.938 win%)
Coach: Ron Rivera
Key players: QB Cam Newton, RB Jonathan Stewart, TE Greg Olsen, LB Luke Kuechly, LB Thomas Davis, CB Josh Norman
Finish: Lost in Super Bowl 50 to Denver Broncos
Bottom line: The Panthers were dominant on both sides of the ball, scoring 500 total points and starting the season 14-0 before losing their penultimate game against the Atlanta Falcons 20-13 in Week 16. Carolina won each of its home playoff games, qualifying for the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, but had no answer for Von Miller and the Denver Broncos defense, which limited the Panthers to 197 total yards in Denver’s 24-10 victory.
8. 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings
/granite-web-prod/5a/8f/5a8fb320bcb44a37ab5d36fdbbaf48df.jpeg)
Sport: NHL
Regular-season record: 62-13-7 (131 points)
Coach: Scotty Bowman
Key players: C Steve Yzerman, C Igor Larionov, RW Sergei Fedorov, RW Dino Ciccarelli, F Vyacheslav Kozlov, D Nicklas Lidstrom, D Paul Coffey, G Chris Osgood
Finish: Lost in Western Conference Finals to Colorado Avalanche
Bottom line: The Red Wings had arguably the most dominant regular season in NHL history, setting single-season records for wins and points while running roughshod over the league. Yet, things got trickier in the playoffs as Detroit needed seven games to knock off Wayne Gretzky and the pesky St. Louis Blues — on Steve Yzerman’s iconic overtime goal in Game 7 — before falling to the Avalanche in a classic series marked by Claude Lemieux’s infamous hit on Kris Draper. The Wings learned from their mistakes, claiming the next two Stanley Cups in sweeps.
7. 1954 Cleveland Guardians
/granite-web-prod/d9/a1/d9a1c2ceabb149f48e4201325989b0f5.jpeg)
Sport: MLB
Regular-season record: 111-43 (.721 win%)
Coach: Al Lopez
Key players: CF Larry Doby, 3B Al Rosen, 1B Vic Wertz, SP Bob Feller, SP Bob Lemon, SP Mike Garcia, SP Early Wynn
Finish: Lost in World Series to New York Giants
Bottom line: Most people remember this World Series for Willie Mays’ stunning, over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1, yet it should be remembered as one of the most improbable upsets in sports history. The Guardians, after all, set an American League record for wins and finished eight games better than the New York Yankees, who won 103 games that year. Cleveland had five starters win at least 13 games, and two win 23, yet only managed nine runs in four games in the stunning sweep at the hands of the Giants.
6. 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning
/granite-web-prod/0d/38/0d387c3464934e379ec1afe779bd503c.jpeg)
Sport: NHL
Regular-season record: 62-16-4 (128 points)
Coach: Jon Cooper
Key players: C Steven Stamkos, C Brayden Point, RW Nikita Kucherov, D Victor Hedman, G Andrei Vasilevskiy
Finish: Lost in first round of Stanley Cup playoffs to Columbus Blue Jackets
Bottom line: The Lightning tied a record for wins in the regular season, rolling through the 82-game slate led by an MVP season from Kucherov. Yet, Tampa Bay did not win a playoff game, blowing a 3-0 lead in Game 1 against the Blue Jackets en route to a stunning sweep at the hands of Columbus — for the Blue Jackets’ first postseason series win. The stunning playoff exit was the only one Tampa Bay endured for some time as it won consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, and ironically, 2019 was the only year between 2017-21 that the Lightning didn’t advance to the NHL’s final four.
5. 1998 Minnesota Vikings
/granite-web-prod/ac/e4/ace479352a3a4ecc8d644346ea5fe871.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 15-1 (.938 win%)
Coach: Dennis Green
Key players: QB Randall Cunningham, RB Robert Smith, WR Randy Moss, WR Cris Carter, DE John Randle, LB Ed McDaniel, CB Jimmy Hitchcock
Finish: Lost in NFC Championship Game to Atlanta Falcons
Bottom line: The Vikings rolled through the regular season behind the NFC Rookie of the Year, Moss, and a resurgent year from Cunningham, who had come out of retirement and finished the season second in NFL MVP voting behind only Terrell Davis. Minnesota set a then-record for points in a season (556) and came a three-point loss to the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers from a perfect regular season. Unfortunately, the season is remembered for Gary Anderson’s stunning missed field goal that enabled the upstart Atlanta Falcons to rally from down 10 and end the Vikings’ season in overtime of the NFC Championship Game.
4. 2001 Seattle Mariners
/granite-web-prod/72/f6/72f633f9255f48f39ffd7d3a620f9edc.jpeg)
Sport: MLB
Regular-season record: 116-46 (.716 win%)
Manager: Lou Piniella
Key players: OF Ichiro Suzuki, OF Mike Cameron, DH Edgar Martinez, 1B John Olerud, 2B Bret Boone, SP Jamie Moyer, SP Freddy Garcia, SP Paul Abbott, RP Kazuhiro Sasaki
Finish: Lost in American League Championship Series to New York Yankees
Bottom line: The Mariners ran roughshod over MLB, in their first season without reigning MVP Alex Rodriguez, in arguably the greatest season in league history. It featured Barry Bonds breaking the home run record and perhaps one of the most memorable World Series in recent memory. Unfortunately for Seattle, its dream of capping the most dominant regular season in modern baseball history died in the ALCS against the dynastic Yankees, who stunned the Mariners in six games in the ALCS to win their fourth straight American League pennant. Seattle hasn’t qualified for the postseason since and is enduring the longest playoff drought of any team in North American sports.
3. 1906 Chicago Cubs
/granite-web-prod/2a/c0/2ac0d756837d44988111675186bac6d5.jpeg)
Sport: MLB
Regular-season record: 116-36 (.763 win%)
Manager: Frank Chance
Key players: 1B Frank Chance, 2B Johnny Evers, SS Joe Tinker, OF Frank Schulte, OF Jimmy Stagle, OF Jimmy Sheckard, P Mordecai Brown, P Jack Pfeister
Finish: Lost inWorld Series to Chicago White Sox
Bottom line: Granted, 1906 was a long, long time ago, but the '06 Cubs were the epitome of dominance, with the greatest single-season win percentage in baseball history. They allowed just 381 runs, an average of just 2.5 surrendered per game, then scored more than 700 while finishing 20 games ahead of the second-place New York Giants, who by the way won 96 games, in the National League standings. Yet, the Cubs’ dominant pitching had no answer for their crosstown rival White Sox, who scored eight runs in Games 5 and 6, tagging Jack Pfeister — who won 20 games during the regular season — and ace Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown with losses in consecutive days, stealing the World Series in six games. The Cubs learned their lesson though, winning the next two Fall Classics.
2. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors
/granite-web-prod/72/b5/72b5b89616a14169a839ff5fab242414.jpeg)
Sport: NBA
Regular-season record: 73-9 (.890 win%)
Coach: Steve Kerr
Key players: G Steph Curry, F Klay Thompson, F Draymond Green, F Harrison Barnes, F Andre Iguodala
Finish: Lost in NBA Finals to Cleveland Cavaliers
Bottom line: The Warriors started 24-0, and their regular season was so dominant that they actually lost as many games in the playoffs as they did through the 82-game slate. Curry, the MVP that year, and the Warriors cheated elimination in the Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City, rallying from 3-1 down to claim the best-of-seven series in seven games. Yet, they had the tables turned on them in the Finals by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat Golden State twice at Oracle Arena — as many home defeats as the Dubs had in the entire regular season — turning around a 3-1 deficit and keeping arguably the greatest team in NBA history a game short of its seemingly inevitable title.
1. 2007 New England Patriots
/granite-web-prod/d4/b2/d4b2de59728f4342bdd01be6b52377cd.jpeg)
Sport: NFL
Regular-season record: 17-0 (1.000 win%)
Coach: Bill Belichick
Key players: QB Tom Brady, WR Randy Moss, WR Wes Welker, DT Vince Wilfork, LB Tedy Bruschi, LB Mike Vrabel, LB Junior Seau, CB Asante Samuel, S Rodney Harrison
Finish: Lost in Super Bowl XLII to New York Giants
Bottom line: This is without a doubt the greatest and most famous team to fall just a single game short of the crown. Brady set nearly every passing record and did so mostly by throwing the ball to Moss and Welker, as New England scored 589 points, a record at the time. The Patriots’ defense was stingy, too, limiting opponents to just 17 points scored per game. New England was rife to make history until it met the upstart New York Giants, a 12-point underdog who spoiled the run at a 19-0 season by holding the Pats to just 14 points and scoring on their final drive to score an improbable 17-14 win.