Discussing The Next US Sports Team to Win a Championship

We present a great article by guest contributor Jack Mcdaniels on the prospects of New York Sports teams in the next seasons.

Whisper it, but New York City sports teams are in a drought era. Since the New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012, no team from the city has triumphed in any championship of the Big 4 US sports leagues – NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL.

Of course, a gap of a dozen years or so between championships is standard for most cities. Yet, this is New York City, and a couple of teams should always compete for championships. By our calculations, the current championship drought is the longest in the city’s history, surpassing New York teams' ten-year wait in the 1970s.

But which teams are most likely to break the drought? We can look at the league standings, factor in NBA Championship and NFL Super Bowl betting odds and consider general trajectories to make some assessments. It’s completely unscientific, yet our list reflects the likelihood of each team winning a championship.

1. New York Knicks (NBA)

The Knicks are currently third-favorites behind the Celtics and Thunder to win this season’s NBA Championship, so we will rank them as the most likely to bring a championship back to the Big Apple next. It will be tough for them, of course, and some pundits believe they are still a year or two away from being genuinely competitive, but they look good.

2. New York Yankees (MLB)

Of course, the Yankees came very, very close to winning a championship after reaching the World Series in the fall. They remain the best team in the American League, so they will fancy their chances of returning next year, making them number two on our list.

3. New York Rangers (NHL)

The Rangers are doing okay in the NHL this season, although we wouldn’t lump them in with the favorites for the Stanley Cup. They are in a strong position to make the Playoffs, though, although plenty of games remain left to play.

4. New York Mets (MLB)

Will Juan Soto deliver the championship that Mets fans crave? The deal to sign Soto is considered the most significant contract in sports history. We don’t think he alone is enough to deliver a World Series for the Mets, but it shows their ambition. Their odds suggest that they have a good chance. What hope for a Mets-Yankees World Series next fall?

5. New York Islanders (NHL)

The Islanders have an outside chance of winning the Stanley Cup this term – they certainly could get into the Playoffs – so that’s enough to make it to number five overall on this list. They don’t often get the media coverage afforded to the Rangers, but they have been an almost permanent fixture in the Playoffs over the last eight years.

6. New York Jets (NFL)

How far away are the Jets from being contenders? There was some hope that Aaron Rodgers's arrival would kick-start a mini-revolution for the Jets, but the experiment just hasn’t worked. The cold, hard truth is that the Jets have not been in the Playoffs since 2010, and they don’t look like that is going to change anytime soon. Still, they have been better than their neighbors this season…

7. New York Giants (NFL)

We started talking about the Giants being the last New York team to bring home a championship, but this season has been one to forget. They have arguably been the worst team in the NFL, so it’s clear that a major rebuild is on the cards. It’s difficult to gauge just when they will be competitive again, but for performances this season, they are at the bottom of our list.