Best teams that DIDN't win their championship

[STL FANATIC]

I've always thought it's interesting how sometimes the best teams or teams with the best story come up short. Or on that same line, how the most memorable amazing games are often the ones that led to the championship game and not the actual championship.

I'm not suggesting these are the final answers to the questions, I'm just mentioning them because they're the teams that stick out to me. So I'm not sure that's exactly homerism. And I think that's the case with most people in this thread.

Rams80 already mentioned it, but the 2001 Rams were one of the most dominant teams in NFL history, and for a variety of reasons, they weren't the same team in the Super Bowl. This one I would actually argue would belong up there with the best ever not to win.

But these Cardinals ones I'm about to mention are just the best Cardinal teams I've ever seen (so my sample size is Cardinals between 1996-2008) not to win the championship. Or actually, they're just the best Cardinals teams I've ever seen--I don't think the 2006 team was better. And that was 2004 and 2005. In '04 they actually made the World Series but got beat by a red hot Red Sox team. And in '05, they actually might have been even better, but were beat by a hot Houston team. In both years, the Cards may have been the best team in the league, but not when it mattered.

And as for the latter thing I mentioned, Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS against the Mets was one of the greatest baseball games I've ever seen, and was probably far more exciting and compelling than any of the 5 World Series games that year. When reminiscing back to that playoff glory, I always go to that game over any of the WS games.

And then a mix between the two things would be the 2004-05 Fighting Illini, who nearly went undefeated and then were beat by UNC in the Championship game. First off, the story of that team was just incredible, and the talent and ability backed it up. I think if Sean May didn't get the Shaq treatment from the officials in that game, the Illini probably win. But regardless, the Elite 8 game against Arizona to reach the Final Four was again one of the more amazing games I've ever seen, even though it's impact wasn't one of a championship.

So there you go. Some homer stories, but maybe not quite homerism?

[TFoA]

Another homer pick, but one that I think holds up: 2004-2005 Illinois Basketball.

Ranked #1 from early December until the Tourney after knocking off previous #1 Wake Forest.

Lost one regular season game ? the finale at Ohio State by one point.

Rolled through the Big Ten Tournament.

Won an all time classic tournament game against Arizona, coming back from 15 down with 4:00 left to win in OT to get into the Final Four.

Beat a very good Louisville team to go to the Championship Game.

Lost to North Carolina in the Finals, finishing the year 37-2.

I agree with this. I remember that team as being unstoppable, IMO. I remember thinking that the OSU loss was just a bump in the road, and thinking I was right after they basically owned the Big Ten in the conference tournament. Then they made it to the 'ship and I was thinking "No way the Heels beat em." and then they lost.

So yeah, very good team, definitely would've won the championship 9 times outta 10.

[infrared41]

I've always thought it's interesting how sometimes the best teams or teams with the best story come up short. Or on that same line, how the most memorable amazing games are often the ones that led to the championship game and not the actual championship.

I could not agree more. How about the ultimate game along those lines? The 1980 US Hockey Team. How many people are aware that the US beating the Russians was not the game for the gold medal?

[illwauk]

The 1997 Packers... is it still homerism if they were favored to win the Super Bowl by 14 points?

Just in case... I'll also say the 1969 Vikings probably would've MURDERED the Chiefs if the Super Bowl was played after the merger. It was the Chiefs need to legitimaize of the entire existence of their league that gave them the edge over the bigger and stronger Vikes.

[PittsburghSucks]

The 1995 Cleveland Indians.

They went 100-44.

100 wins in a 144 game strike shorten season.

Boy could that team mash the ball.

I wonder what their record would have been if they played 162 games that season.

[Jamikel]

Another homer pick, but one that I think holds up: 2004-2005 Illinois Basketball.

Ranked #1 from early December until the Tourney after knocking off previous #1 Wake Forest.

Lost one regular season game ? the finale at Ohio State by one point.

Rolled through the Big Ten Tournament.

Won an all time classic tournament game against Arizona, coming back from 15 down with 4:00 left to win in OT to get into the Final Four.

Beat a very good Louisville team to go to the Championship Game.

Lost to North Carolina in the Finals, finishing the year 37-2.

I agree with this. I remember that team as being unstoppable, IMO. I remember thinking that the OSU loss was just a bump in the road, and thinking I was right after they basically owned the Big Ten in the conference tournament. Then they made it to the 'ship and I was thinking "No way the Heels beat em." and then they lost.

So yeah, very good team, definitely would've won the championship 9 times outta 10.

[charger77]

The 1995 Cleveland Indians.

They went 100-44.

100 wins in a 144 game strike shorten season.

Boy could that team mash the ball.

I wonder what their record would have been if they played 162 games that season.

That would be on pace to win 112.5 games.

-Dan

[NEW.ERA]

2001 Winnipeg Blue Bombers had one of the most dominating offenses the CFL has ever seen, earlier in the year the team tied a CFL record by winning 12 games in a row and some thought maybe the greatest team in CFL history finishing the year 14-4 since 2001 only the 2007 BC Lions have had a better record 14-3-1.

They head in to the 89th Grey Cup whopping favorites against an 8-10 Calgary Stampeders squad who didn't start getting going till after Labour Day lets just say the game wasn't close the Stamps got out to a 17-4 lead at Halftime and never looked back despite a late effort out Winnipeg, overlooking and not playing up to your complete ability is what caused the Bombers to falter.

[Jigga]

I've always thought it's interesting how sometimes the best teams or teams with the best story come up short. Or on that same line, how the most memorable amazing games are often the ones that led to the championship game and not the actual championship.

I'm not suggesting these are the final answers to the questions, I'm just mentioning them because they're the teams that stick out to me. So I'm not sure that's exactly homerism. And I think that's the case with most people in this thread.

Rams80 already mentioned it, but the 2001 Rams were one of the most dominant teams in NFL history, and for a variety of reasons, they weren't the same team in the Super Bowl. This one I would actually argue would belong up there with the best ever not to win.

But these Cardinals ones I'm about to mention are just the best Cardinal teams I've ever seen (so my sample size is Cardinals between 1996-2008) not to win the championship. Or actually, they're just the best Cardinals teams I've ever seen--I don't think the 2006 team was better. And that was 2004 and 2005. In '04 they actually made the World Series but got beat by a red hot Red Sox team. And in '05, they actually might have been even better, but were beat by a hot Houston team. In both years, the Cards may have been the best team in the league, but not when it mattered.

And as for the latter thing I mentioned, Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS against the Mets was one of the greatest baseball games I've ever seen, and was probably far more exciting and compelling than any of the 5 World Series games that year. When reminiscing back to that playoff glory, I always go to that game over any of the WS games.

And then a mix between the two things would be the 2004-05 Fighting Illini, who nearly went undefeated and then were beat by UNC in the Championship game. First off, the story of that team was just incredible, and the talent and ability backed it up. I think if Sean May didn't get the Shaq treatment from the officials in that game, the Illini probably win. But regardless, the Elite 8 game against Arizona to reach the Final Four was again one of the more amazing games I've ever seen, even though it's impact wasn't one of a championship.

So there you go. Some homer stories, but maybe not quite homerism?

With you, it's always homerism.

[Cujo]

My homer pick would have to be the 2003 Ravens. Steve McNair took us to a 13-3 record, AFC North title and a #2 seed. We had our best defense since 2000, our offense was decent and we would have had an AFC Championship game in Baltimore. I guess it was just Peyton's year. But wouldn't it have been cool to have a Ravens vs Bears superbowl?

Umm, I don't think that was 2003.

[SenatorJake]

Non homer picks: the 1994 Montreal Expos, the 1992 Atlanta Braves & the 2007 New England Patriots.

Rampant homerism: the 2002-2007 Ottawa Senators. That was the Sens' window of opportunity but they never could go all the way.

[tBBP]

Let's see...

1994 Montreal Expos. Check.

1998 Minnesota Vikings. Ouch. (Still hurts watching that replay over a decade later.)

2004 Auburn Tigers. Straight-up horse$#*! right there.

2007 New England Patriots. If only Asante had held on...who knows?

Somehow I feel like this is an appropriate time to quote the overly annoying (but in this case quite appropos) Chris Berman:

"THAT'S...why they play the games."

(And...only because I can, I'll throw out MY biased homer pick: the 1999 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bert Emanuel caught that ball...that's all Imma say about that. Well, that and...eff Ricky Proehl. )

[Jamikel]

My homer pick would have to be the 2003 Ravens. Steve McNair took us to a 13-3 record, AFC North title and a #2 seed. We had our best defense since 2000, our offense was decent and we would have had an AFC Championship game in Baltimore. I guess it was just Peyton's year. But wouldn't it have been cool to have a Ravens vs Bears superbowl?

Umm, I don't think that was 2003.

But as long as we're talking Steve McNair, I think you have to mention the 1999 and 2000 Titans teams.

[jkrdevil]

I'm not sure you can really put the '94 Montreal Expos in this conversation (although they would go over some of the teams mentioned). They were on pace for 105 wins, there have been teams that have won more games and not win the World Series. Not to mention there was no guarantee they would have won that many, plus the Yankees in the AL were right behind them for best record in baseball at the time.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Homer pick: The 1999 Bills. They had the number one defense in the league that season and only lost to the Titans on a trick play (and bad return coverage). I felt very good about the team's chances to go all the way until two things happened:

1. The aforementioned trick play (and sloppy coverage).

2. Wade Phillips deciding, on a whim, that Rob Johnson should start over Doug Flutie.

What a waste.

Non-homer pick: 2002 Sacramento Kings. I'm far from a Kings fan, but that team was so clearly robbed of a Finals berth by the refs.

[charger77]

I was under the belief that Phillips was told to start Johnson over Flutie by management because they wern't paying Johnson to back up Flutie (my favorite football player of all time!)

-Dan

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I was under the belief that Phillips was told to start Johnson over Flutie by management because they wern't paying Johnson to back up Flutie (my favorite football player of all time!)

-Dan

That may be so. But Johnson had a big game against the 13-2 (at the time) Colts in week 17, and that's what I've always heard the justification to be. Nevermind that those Colts benched Manning for the game. And nevermind that Flutie was 10-5 that year as a starter.

Again. What a waste.

EDIT: Actually, scratch that. Manning did start. Whatever. F Wade Phillips.

[cgcrusader13]

My homer pick would have to be the 2003 Ravens. Steve McNair took us to a 13-3 record, AFC North title and a #2 seed. We had our best defense since 2000, our offense was decent and we would have had an AFC Championship game in Baltimore. I guess it was just Peyton's year. But wouldn't it have been cool to have a Ravens vs Bears superbowl?

Umm, I don't think that was 2003.

2006 my bad thats what I ment to say I must have pushed the wrong number

[BaltimoreFan]

My homer pick would have to be the 2003 Ravens. Steve McNair took us to a 13-3 record, AFC North title and a #2 seed. We had our best defense since 2000, our offense was decent and we would have had an AFC Championship game in Baltimore. I guess it was just Peyton's year. But wouldn't it have been cool to have a Ravens vs Bears superbowl?

Umm, I don't think that was 2003.

2006 my bad thats what I ment to say I must have pushed the wrong number

I think you got confused because McNair took the Ravens out of the playoffs in 2003. The 2003 and 2006 playoff games were both pretty similar. Both we're home games we probably should have won, but never got going. I remember having a real "helpless" feeling watching both games.

If you're going to talk about Baltimore I think it all goes back to 1969. Two teams lost in the championship when they were heavily favored. The Colts lost Super Bowl III to the Jets, in the Joe Namath guarentee game. Then the Orioles lost to the Miracle Mets in the World Series. That Orioles team was prehaps the best in franchise history, winning 109 games.

[tBBP]

Non-homer pick: 2002 Sacramento Kings. I'm far from a Kings fan, but that team was so clearly robbed of a Finals berth by the refs.

I don't know how the hell I missed that one.

In fact, I think it was right around this time that the conspiracy theories of NBA officiating started circulating in my brain...which eventually turned me off to the NBA completely up until about two or three years ago. (I still have certain thoughts here and there, but, still...)

Yeah--that one there was highway robbery all the way, if you ask me.