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5 of the most cursed teams in sports history

Historic collapses. Heartbreaking last-minute losses. Failed dynasties. Tortured fanbases. The factors surrounding “cursed” teams are plentiful. Such “curses” are the ultimate hate/love combo. Some fans relish the opportunity to emerge from a perceived curse while also enjoying the wallowing that comes with said curse.

Of course, not all curses are created equal. Some rise above the rest to achieve true legend status. That’s what we’re discussing today. Below, lists five cursed teams that have a real case to make for their woes.

1. The Buffalo Bills

It feels a bit odd to put the Buffalo Bills on this list, especially considering their recent winning seasons with Josh Allen behind center. But ask any long-time Bills fan, and they’ll understand,

The Bills are the only franchise in NFL history to lose four consecutive Super Bowls (1991-94). One of those losses was thanks to Scott Norwood’s now-infamous “wide right” field goal attempt in Super Bowl XXV against the Giants. The Bills lost 20-19.

A few years later, the in the 2000 NFL Wild Card game ended the Bills’ season, on a play some still argue is illegal. From 2001 to 2017, the Bills suffered a playoff drought. They’ve been going through it, and their recent playoff hopes have also been dashed.

2. The Pre-2016 Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs might be the most famous cursed team of all time. The team endured more than a century without a World Series win, from 1908 to 2016.

There’s even some curse-related lore. In 1945, Billy Sianis was ejected from a World Series game at Wrigley Field for . He allegedly cursed the franchise on his way out, solidifying the already-in-progress losing streak.

The Cubs’ woes continued into the new millennium. During Game 6 of the NLCS in 2003, the Cubs led 3-2 and were up by three runs in the eighth inning. Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball from his seat, and the Cubs ended up giving up eight runs. They lost the game and the subsequent meeting, giving up the series.

The Cubs curse spanned two World Wars, the moon landing, and Watergate. The Cubs’ drought started when silent movies were the top form of entertainment and ended in the streaming era.

3. The Cleveland Browns

You know you've had some famously bad luck when you have to capitalize otherwise mundane terms to identify your curse. The Cleveland Browns have both “The Drive” and “The Fumble” to contend with. Say either one near a diehard fan, and that curse will come to mind.

“The Drive” points to the 1986 AFC Championship. NFL legend John Elway marched the Broncos down the field, traveling 98 yards in 15 plays in the final minutes of regulation. He would score to tie the game, then Denver won in overtime. Devastation.

A year later, “The Fumble” reared its head in the AFC Championship game. Sports fans everywhere watched as the Browns’ Earnest Byner fumbled the ball at the 3-yard line in an attempt to tie the game against the Denver Broncos.

Relocation woes followed. In 1996, Art Modell relocated the Browns to Baltimore, where the team became the Ravens, who would win the Super Bowl in 2001. The Browns returned as an expansion team in 1999 and enjoyed the distinction of being among the worst franchises in football history. To cap it all off, the Browns went 0-16 in 2017; they’re one of only two NFL teams to hold that dishonor.

4. The Minnesota Vikings

The curse of the Minnesota Vikings has many different ingredients, each with its own flavor. Things start simply with four Super Bowl losses: 1970, 1974, 1975, and 1977.

In the 1999 NFC Championship, the team was banking on its field goal prowess. Gary Anderson went 35/35 on field goal attempts all season. He missed a crucial kick, and the Falcons rallied to win the game.

More kicking disaster came years later in 2016, when Blair Walsh missed a 27-yarder in the NFC Wild Card.

Two years later, a Stefon Diggs walk-off TD won the Vikings a thrilling divisional playoff game against the Saints. However, the Vikes would get demolished by Philadelphia 38-7 the next week in the NFC Championship Game, missing out on a chance to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.

The Vikings are a far cry from the longtime curses held by other teams (like the Cubs). Instead, they have incremental cursed moments that add up to franchise-wide trauma.

5. The Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, the year before the NHL expanded beyond six teams. Their drought remains the largest of any of the six original franchises.

Notable losses for the Maple Leafs include a 2013 Game 7 collapse against the Bruins in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The Leafs led 4-1 with only 10 minutes to play. They blew the lead and lost in overtime.

The Game 7 slump has carried into other playoff games for the Leafs, including similar first round losses to the Bruins (again, in 2024) and the Lightning in 2022. They’re competitive enough to raise hopes for Canadians, then they dash them.

Why Fans Love 'Cursed Team' Narratives

Shared winning is obviously a joyous feeling. But shared losing? That forges some strong bonds as well. It’s hard to imagine a time when an entire fanbase was happier than in 2016 when the Cubs won the World Series. Overcoming a years — or decades — long curse is the ultimate payoff for sports fans.

There’s also the fun mythology angle. It can be more interesting to craft lore around a drought than to find actual reasoning. “We’re cursed” sounds a lot better than “We’ve made terrible front office decisions for 40 years.”

While the losses are tough and tougher as they accumulate, they also create cool touchpoints in sports history. Without some of these curses, sports fans wouldn’t have the Billy Goat fable or “The Drive.”

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