In sport, history is written by the victors. Yet for other fans, their sporting teams lengthy wait for a major trophy continues to the present day.
What is strange is that often these teams are highly-regarded. In some cases, if you check with bet365 Sport ahead of a major tournament, they may be listed amongst the favourites.
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In this article, we are going to take a look at some five organisations. Sporting teams and superstars that have endured a lengthy wait to win a major trophy.
At the time of writing, the data included in this article was correct. However, things may change in the future.
Let’s begin with one sporting franchise that has come close to winning the ‘big one’ but failed at the final hurdle a few years back.
5 Sporting Teams Lengthy Wait for a Major Trophy
The Arizona Cardinals (1920 to present day) – NFL Super Bowl victory
When the Cardinals organisation was formed in Chicago in 1920 out of the embers of the Racine Cardinals, few would have expected one of just two charter members in the NFL to still be without a Super Bowl title to the present day.
The Chicago Cardinals joined the NFL in 1920 and remained in the city until 1959, when after a period of poor results, the team upped and moved to St. Louis. From 1960 to 1967, the team joined the newly formed AFL.
27 years in St. Louis proved fruitless in terms of Super Bowl success. The Cardinals only played three playoff games during that period and lost all of them.
By 1987, owner Bill Bidwill had decided to move the team to Phoenix. They became the Phoenix Cardinals for seven years before becoming the Arizona Cardinals in 1994.
Four years later, they qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 16 years and won their first playoff game since 1947.
In 2008, they went even further. Led by Kurt Warner, they beat the Eagles in the NFC Championship game but lost in their first Super Bowl appearance to Pittsburgh. The Steelers scoring the winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d39joB1GP1Y
The Cardinals have not come closer than that to ending their lengthy wait for NFL success. However, many experts feel that the forthcoming 2024/25 NFL season could see them amongst the challengers.
However, at bet365 Sport, they are priced as a 101.00 chance to win the Super Bowl.
Could the Cardinals finally end their drought? Will they be the first to end this NFL team’s lengthy wait for the Lombardi trophy?
The Cleveland Guardians (1948 to present day) – MLB World Series Victory
For a long time, the Chicago Cubs were held up as an example of a sporting team that had failed to land its primary goal: The World Series.
After winning back-to-back World Series in 1907 and 1908, it took the Cubs another 108 years to win their next title, which they did in 2016.
Their regular failures over that period even earned them the somewhat unwelcome nickname of the “Lovable Losers”.
However, the Cubs wait is finally over, but for the Cleveland Guardians fans, their sporting teams lengthy wait continues.
Having won the World Series in 1948, the Guardians (then called the Cleveland Indians), reached the final series of the MLB season in 1954, 1996, 1997 and 2016. Ironically, the latter defeat coming against the Chicago Cubs.
Could the Guardians finally end that lengthy wait for success this season? After 75 games, they have a win percentage of .653, the best in the American League and they are comfortably top of the Central Division in the AFL.
Only the National League East leaders, the Philadelphia Phillies have a better percentage at .662 but they have played two games more than the Guardians.
Can they make it 76th time lucky? Bet365 Sport has the Guardians at 14.00 to win the World Series this season. Will baseball’s long-time losers finally become winners?
Newcastle United (1955 to present day) – Any Major Trophy
Although Newcastle United have won some trophies since 1955, none have been major trophies in the shape of the Premier League, FA Cup, Football League Cup or any of the top UEFA competitions.
For a team as big as Newcastle United, it has been 69 years since they last won a major trophy. That is a statistic that their wealthy new owners will want to be banished as quickly as possible.
The Toon Army have come close. Led by Kevin Keegan, they pushed hard for the Premier League title in their formative years. They have reached several FA Cup and League Cup finals but have fallen at the final hurdle.
They have also qualified for Europe but been unable to reach a major European final, let alone win one.
Now backed by the billions behind the Saudi Private Investment Fund, Newcastle are ostensibly the richest club in the world. Manager Eddie Howe will therefore be tasked with ending that lengthy wait without a major trophy sooner rather than later.
England Men’s Football Team (1966 to present day) – World Cup or European Championship
It’s coming home is the all-too-frequent chant of England fans hopeful that the Three Lions will eventually win another trophy. Yet, it has always fallen short in recent times.
England won the World Cup in 1966 as hosts. They finished third in the European Championships in 1968. But that was as good as it got until two World Cup Semi-Final appearances in 1990 and 2018, both of which ended in defeat.
Then England finally reached another final in Euro 2020. They even went 1-0 up against Italy but handed the initiative to the Italians and succumbed to an equaliser before losing on penalties.
A World Cup quarterfinal elimination followed in 2022, but for 2024, a new generation of talent was expected to make England a force to be reckoned with at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions started the tournament as favourites, but after two very disappointing performances, are now third favourites behind France and Germany. Based on those displays, football won’t be coming home any time soon.
However, Gareth Southgate’s men do have the rest of the tournament to put things right. Will England’s lengthy wait for a major trophy end soon?
The Phoenix Suns (1968 to present day) – NBA Championship
Formed as an expansion team in 1968, the Phoenix Suns are a dichotomy. They have the fifth best all-time winning percentage out of the 30 NBA teams. They have won eight divisional titles and three conference titles.
However, despite three NBA Championship series appearances, they are yet to win the big one.
They are making an effort to do precisely that in recent times. In recent seasons they have signed Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to supplement their talented guard Devin Booker and their 7ft 3” centre Bol Bol.
They reached the playoffs once again this past season, only to be swept in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks. The lengthy wait rolls on for another season.
It has been a similar story for a number of talented Suns teams over the years, despite having players like Steve Nash, Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson and Paul Westphal in their ranks at various times.
With a very talented roster already taking shape for next season, Suns fans will be hoping that the sun doesn’t set on their season too soon next time.
Which one of these teams will be the first to end their lengthy wait for sporting success? Who is your money on?
