Teams that we're just dying to see win for once

The Cleveland Indians blew a 3-1 advantage in losing the 2016 World Series to the Chicago Cubs, a result that transferred MLB's longest title drought from the Cubbies to the Tribe. Cleveland hasn't won a World Series since 1948, and the team's offseason moves — or lack thereof — ahead of the 2019 season leads one to believe the Indians aren't close to returning to the Fall Classic. 

LeBron James taking his talents from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018 reinforced the notion the Los Angeles Clippers are the little brothers of L.A. basketball. The "Lob City" Clippers, a franchise born in Buffalo in 1970, have never made a trip to the NBA Finals. Perhaps the Clips can persuade Kawhi Leonard to become the face of the franchise in July 2019.. 

The original Winnipeg Jets never played in a Stanley Cup Final before relocating and becoming the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes ahead of the 1996-97 campaign. That move didn't dramatically transform a franchise known more for losing than memorable playoff journeys. An end to the title drought would make a great storyline -- even if it involves a winter sport played in Glendale, Ariz. 

In February 2016, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press offered 50 reasons why the Detroit Lions, a team that last won a league title in 1957, haven't been to the Super Bowl. Since that winter, Detroit was blown out in a wild-card game and twice missed the playoffs. The window for the Lions to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy with Matthew Stafford under center is quickly closing. 

Let's be honest about the state of New York professional basketball in the spring of 2019: It stinks. Of the teams playing in the Big Apple, the Liberty is probably the most likely to experience championship glory. Believe it or not. From 1997-2002, the Liberty played in the WNBA Finals four times but lost each series. Although the Liberty won only seven games in 2018, we'd still bet on it before putting money on the New York Knicks -- or Brooklyn Nets, for that matter -- to win an NBA title anytime soon.  

It's OK to admit you got swept up in the England World Cup fever and hummed or even sang "Football's Coming Home" in the summer of 2018. The Three Lions became the baby faces of the tournament before falling to Croatia in the semifinals. England hasn't  won the tournament since 1966. The nation's next  World Cup shot comes in 2022 in Qatar. 

We're not saying San Diego professional sports are cursed, but it's rather sad the city's last pro sports championship celebration occurred in 1963. The franchise that won that title, the Chargers of the American Football League, now plays in Los Angeles. This leaves the San Diego Padres as the city's only hope. The Padres last played in a World Series in 1998, when the club was unceremoniously swept by the New York Yankees. There may be hope for the Pads. In March 2019, Matt Snyder of CBS Sports believed their future appeared bright. 

When one of your players claims those in the locker room are "comfortable" with losing, you know a team's situation has deteriorated. For a moment, ignore those comments from the Suns' Devin Booker, whose team hasn't won an NBA title since joining the league in 1968. Casual fans require Basketball-Reference to recall the last time Phoenix made the playoffs. 

The St. Louis Blues have consistently appeared in the playoffs, but they haven't made the Stanley Cup Finals since 1970. Sadly, it seems history will again repeat itself in spring 2019. 

Atlanta has never won a Super Bowl, and it's the butt of all those "28-3" jokes. The Falcons blew a 25-point lead against New England in Super Bowl LI, an especially brutal result for anyone who despises the Patriots. It will be a shame if Matt Ryan, who turns 34 this spring, never leads Atlanta back to the Big Game. 

The curse that supposedly affected Australian soccer is a wild story that involves a witch doctor and channeling of spirits. As far as we can tell, it only impacted the men's national team. We already know the Matildas will compete in Group C during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. They may be the most stylish squad in the competition. 

The United States made history when John Shuster and his team notched upset victories over Canada and Sweden to win Olympic gold in 2018. You're up, American ladies. Every American loves curling during the Olympics, right? The American women finished eighth in Pyeongchang. Next up: Beijing 2022.

Imagine sharing a city with the New York Yankees, a team with 27 World Series titles. The Mets, who haven't won a World Series since 1986, have two championships. Unlike the Mets, the Yankees would never try to sell Tim Tebow as a legitimate option to fans. 

The NBA is better when the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are competing in the playoffs. It's why Kevin Durant and/or Kyrie Irving potentially calling Madison Square Garden and the “Mecca of Basketball" home in October 2019 intrigues so many. A Toronto Raptors-Denver Nuggets NBA FInal puts casual viewers to sleep and causes nightmares for league executives. Let's go Knicks!

You had your chances in the 1990s, Buffalo Bills, but you went 0-4 in the Super Bowl. Besides, the thought of the Bills ending Buffalo's 54-year championship drought terrifies us because of the team's "unique" fans. The Buffalo Sabres haven't made the Stanley Cup playoffs since the spring of 2011, far too long a drought for such an amazing hockey town. Unfortunately, it appears the Sabres will again be on the outside looking in this season. 

Three Supporters' Shield titles aren't enough to stop rival fans from reminding the New York Red Bulls they've never won the MLS Cup. Ives Galarcep of Goal.com named the Red Bulls favorites to win the league's postseason tournament in the fall of 2018, but New York fell to eventual champion Atlanta United. 

Canada's women's national soccer team was robbed in the 2012 Summer Olympics semifinal against the United States. The Canadians haven't qualified since for a spot in a major final. Their next opportunity to right that wrong comes this summer during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. 

New York Giants fans complain about a team that last won a Super Bowl title, its fourth, in February 2012. The nerve! The New York Jets, the team that shares MetLife Stadium with Big Blue, last won a Super Bowl in 1969, Gang Green's only Super Bowl appearance. Will drafting Sam Darnold with the third pick of the 2018 NFL Draft be the decision that ultimately guides the Jets back to Super Bowl Sunday?

Since the 1998 Winter Olympics, only the United States and Canada have won gold in women's hockey. Finland, meanwhile, has won the bronze three times, most recently in 2018. We're not going to pretend we can name a single player on the Finland squad without the help of the Internet.  If the FInns win gold, though, it will help boost the sports international appeal. We want parity!

Don't you dare get hyped about the Alliance of American Football and XFL and then act all snooty toward the Canadian Football League and the Grey Cup. NFL flop Johnny Manziel briefly played in the league afterall. Speaking of flops, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue to suffer through a Grey Cup drought that, as the CBC's Darren Bernhardt pointed out, is older than the World Wide Web. The official CFL website ranked Winnipeg second in power rankings on March 8. 

As Ryan Van Bibber of SB Nation noted, the Chicago Cubs defeating the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series gave the Arizona Cardinals the longest title drought among teams competing in the "big four" sports leagues. Interestingly, the team was the Chicago Cardinals when it won what was known as the NFL Championship in 1947. The Cardinals haven't returned to the final game of a season since losing a lead to the Pittsburgh Steelers late in Super Bowl XLIII. 

Sacramento Kings fans could not care less that the franchise won a championship as the Rochester Royals in 1951. Since moving from Kansas City to Sacramento ahead of the 1985-86 season, the Kings have yet to play in the NBA Finals. The Kings christened a new arena in 2016, keeping the team in Sacramento for the foreseeable future. It'd be nice if the Kings could raise a banner inside the venue sooner rather than later. 

Tottenham Hotspur doesn't deserve the "bottled" label thrown their way this spring, as few experts predicted the Spurs would win the league. Tottenham hasn't topped the English top-flight table since 1961, and the club last won a cup in 2008. The North London outfit is on the verge of opening a new world-class stadium. Could it bring a Champions League semifinal match to that venue? 

Unless you have a reason to despise the Toronto Maple Leafs -- looking at you, New York Islanders fans -- you could quietly find yourself rooting for the Original Six side during the postseason. The Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, which, sadly for Toronto fans, is also the last time the franchise played in a Final. In March 2019, S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated wrote John Tavares and his teammates could be close to ending the proud franchise's title drought. 

Rookie of the Year quarterback Baker Mayfield, newly acquired wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and an improved defense have Cleveland fans dreaming the team will play more than one game in January 2020. The Browns — yes, the BROWNS — may become the class of the AFC North in the 2020s.