Atlanta’s sad sports history: One lousy title in 149 pro seasons
The initial response to the sight of Atlanta patrons leaving an NFL playoff game with a quarter still to play — this happened only last weekend — was to loose the boilerplate harrumph. “Nothing new here! These people are the fairest of fair-weather fans in all the land!”
That’s always the reaction from national voices, and there was a time when it was the belief of this correspondent. Atlanta’s the city that can’t sell out playoff games and then, when finally it does, the crowd goes home early when the scoreboard gets ugly, et cetera. But 26 years and 10 months of residency have had an erosive effect, and now this neutral-by-profession can say:
Folks, I feel your pain.
Since big-time professional sports arrived in 1966, teams sailing under the Atlanta flag have completed 149 seasons. (We won’t count baseball in 1994, when the World Series was canceled by a players’ strike, or the 2004-2005 NHL campaign, which was scrubbed due to a lockout.) Only one has yielded a championship. That’s a batting average of .007, which is nice if you’re James Bond, less nice if you’ve invested financial and emotional capital in any of those 148 misses.
(Just to clarify: I haven’t included the Atlanta Chiefs’ 1968 NASL title because soccer wasn’t a major American sport. Nor is the Knights’ 1994 International Hockey League championship factored, the Knights having been by definition minor-league.)
The history of major Atlanta pro sports is of the cosmic whiff. Our teams build us up to let us down. The Hawks have never won more than one playoff series in any season since moving from St. Louis. The NHL Flames, who left for Calgary in 1980, didn’t win a single series in six tries. The Thrashers, in operation since 1999, haven’t yet won a postseason game.
The Falcons have won six playoff games in 45 years of trying. The two times they held the No. 1 seed resulted in flops of wildly differing flavor. On Jan. 4, 1981, the Falcons led Dallas by two touchdowns after three quarters and lost. (See YouTube video below.) This January the Falcons led 14-7 only to watch with benign neglect as they were outscored 35-0 in a span of 18 minutes, 25 seconds.
The one time the Falcons graced a Super Bowl — this after the epic overtime victory in the Minneapolis Metrodome that stands as the greatest performance by any Atlanta team — they messed it up. On the eve of Super Bowl XXXIII, safety Eugene Robinson got himself arrested for solicitation hours after receiving the NFL’s Bart Starr Award for citizenship. Was it any wonder the game’s key play — an 80-yard touchdown pass from John Elway to Rod Smith — featured a late-arriving Robinson?
Andruw Jones chases the Leyritz blast -- to no avail, naturally. (AJC file photo)
The Braves, to their credit, reached the World Series five times in the ’90s. They lost four, the first three in excruciating fashion. Bobby Cox, manager of those teams, would later say, “We played better in three of the ones we lost than in the one we won,” and it was just Atlanta’s luck that its one professional title was achieved the year after the players’ strike of 1994, a debilitating event that served to sap some of passion from the moment of long-deferred (and never-repeated) moment of arrival.
We Atlantans know the drill: Whenever one of our teams gets close, Lucy snatches away the football and Charlie Brown goes flying. With a chance to take a 3-1 lead in a World Series, Mark Wohlers throws Jim Leyritz a slider. With a chance to close out the Boston Celtics at the old Omni, the Hawks’ final shot is taken not by Dominique Wilkins but by the sub Cliff Levingston, who offers up a running lefty hook. With a chance to take a 2-1 series lead on San Francisco, the reliever Craig Kimbrel is removed but the shaky emergency second baseman Brooks Conrad remains on the field in what will be the penultimate ninth inning of Cox’s managerial career.
One hundred forty-nine seasons, one victory parade. (Although the worst-to-first Braves of 1991, who lost the World Series when Lonnie Smith dallied at second base in Game 7, held a parade, too. And so, on a predictably rainy day, did the Falcons after their lost Super Bowl.) Over the same span, the modest city of Pittsburgh has won 11 championships — 12 if you count the ABA crown taken by the Pipers. Long-suffering Philadelphia has six titles since 1966. Denver has four, one at Atlanta’s expense.
Really, can anyone blame us if we’re jaded? Even if we don’t know what will go wrong this time, we’ve seen enough to know something will. We live in Atlanta, where something always does.
By Mark Bradley
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491 comments Add your comment
Kapoonka
January 22nd, 2011
4:06 pm
I think the only stat that could make this sting more is how much we have paid the players and coaches for this .007 result. The only way this record could be worse is If we didn’t have any pro (sic) teams…sad.
I have lived in Atlanta for 25 years, but I have never abandoned my roots. Glad I’m from Chicago….Go Bears, Go Bulls, Go Blackhawks, Go White Sox..heck…go Cubbies!!!!!
PHILLY FAN IN TEMECULA CA
January 22nd, 2011
4:31 pm
GREETINGS ATLANTA TROLLS, THERE IS GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS, THE BAD NEWS FIRST FLYERS LOST TODAY TO NJ HOWEVER STILL ARE FIRMLY IN FIRST PLACE,
AND THE GREAT NEWS IS #7 VILLANOVA THE WILDCATS BABY, WENT TO #3 SYRACUSE AND BEAT THEM SOUNDLY BY 12 POINTS,
ALL IN ALL NOT A GREAT DAY IN PHILLY SPORTS TODAY BUT A VERY GOOD ONE, GO PHILLIES,NOVA,FLYERS,EAGLES,76ERS,TEMPLE,
PHILLY FAN IN TEMECULA CA
January 22nd, 2011
4:34 pm
PHILLIES REPORT FOR SPRING TRAINING IN EXACTLY 21 DAYS THATS 3 WEEKS FOR YOU ATLANTA FANS THAT DROPPED OUT BEFORE HIGHSCHOOL
PHILLY FAN IN TEMECULA CA
January 22nd, 2011
4:37 pm
NO MORE INFO AT THIS TIME WHO THE EAGLES WILL HIRE FOR DEF CORD. THE GUESS HERE IS 1 OF THE 4 TEAMS PLAYING TOMMOROW, AS WE KNOW ITS NOT THE FALCONS AS THEY ARE ELIMINATED BIG SURPRISE, LOL HAHAHAHAHAHA
Mark Bradley Atlanta
January 22nd, 2011
4:38 pm
[...] [...]
Lifetime opportunity for Auburn faithful | Low Fare Airline Tickets
January 22nd, 2011
4:47 pm
[...] Sad sports history [...]
F Troop
January 22nd, 2011
4:51 pm
Lord! The Cowboys guessed right on EVERY SINGLE ATL coverage. Zone countered with a deep slant. Deep zone countered with two screens. Red zone man-to-man with Pridemore late – as usual. Pearson goes in motion and White sees Rolland Lawrence going with him, you know Danny White was salivating at that point.
Gosh, Leeman, why not blitz Glazebrook at some point? White was just too comfortable back there. Kinda like Rodger was. I remember this like it was yesterday.
But in THAT loss and THIS one, the absence of a pass rush was pivotable.
Concern
January 22nd, 2011
5:00 pm
UGA has like 25 National Championships since 1999 if I heard correctly last week.
F Troop
January 22nd, 2011
5:13 pm
Bradley, you forgot to mention…
ATL probably hasn’t had more than 30 winning seasons out of those 148, so it’s not THAT bad. Not to mention…
The 1996 Braves WS loss was spooky. Ol’ reliable Mark Lemke can’t lay down three seriously key bunts. Crucial outs dropping in and around a Gold Glove Marquis Grissom and Jermain Dye. The unhittable Smoltz losing 1-0. We’d just held the Olympics for cripes mick!
In 1992 and 1999, I submit we got beat by better teams. The Bluejays and Yanks outclassed us those years.
In the 1993 NLCS, we lost to the Phillies on a freak liner off the invincible Maddux’s leg in game 6 taking him out of the series.
In the 1997 NLCS, we got “Eric Gregged” out of a trip.
You forgot that our starting CF, Otis Nixon, didn’t help us in 1991. Tested positive for cocaine and was ineligible. Mighta snatched one from the Twins in the noisy Metrodome.
So why not just get used to it? With that many seasons and opportunities you get the distinct impression – at least when it comes to sports – ATL is supposed to lose. The rest of the nation gets it and that’s why we get no respect.
Reality Check
January 22nd, 2011
5:16 pm
We never hire good coaches. We could have hired Rex Ryan. Nooooooooo… We hire Mike “Bobby Cox” Smith. Nice guy but, too easy going.
Prince of Alabama
January 22nd, 2011
5:21 pm
Too many lousy Yankees in Atlanta now!
one tainted title
January 22nd, 2011
5:35 pm
The 1995 baseball title was during a strike year. the title is a fluke and shouldn’t be counted.
Bravissimo
January 22nd, 2011
5:39 pm
MB I was living in the Bay area when that playoff game happened in ‘80. I remember the letdown like it was yesterday. Lost money on it to boot.
Several of my work buddies were 49ers fans, and this was the year before they went on to win 4 SB’s in the decade. Even SI had Bartkowski on the cover touting them as the team of the decade to come (the jinx?)
I enjoyed the game in 78 when the Falcons were the wildcard, beat the Eagles 14-13 then went to Dallas on Dec. 30th. The defense was awesome in the first half,taking a 20-13 lead into the half. Even knocked Staubach out of the game. This is where the Falcons got intorduced to Danny White. And we all know how that turned out.
Ive been a Braves fan from the start and remember how bad the 70’s were.
(The Falcons were just as bad) But at least the 90’s were great,with the exception of Leyritz homer,Lonnie Smiths baserunning blunder etc etc.
Havent watched much of the Hawks in the last 20 yrs, but do remember the days of nique,spud and others. At least they made it exciting.
Im not much of a hockey fan, so I cant speak to the Thrashers.
But overall,yes its been frustrating to watch Atlanta teams over the years. But I keep coming back for more year after year after……
The future sure looks brighter for the Braves and Falcons than it did all those years ago.
Dick
January 22nd, 2011
7:01 pm
I can’t understand it. Everyone said Bobby Cox was teh greatest manager around yet he has one world championship to celebrate.
lombardi
January 22nd, 2011
7:27 pm
Put it into real perspective MB: How have smaller MSAs , ie Tampa Bay fared w/ championship seasons among their Major League franchises. I use Tampa as an example because of familiarity w/ ownership issues during the “developmental years” of a franchise.
JSS
January 22nd, 2011
7:57 pm
The Bucs made the NFC championship game within 4 years of entering the League… Culverhouse had a pony and whore problem… The Lightning won a Stanley Cup, and the long time floundering Rays have been righted… Tampa’s a good example…
native
January 22nd, 2011
8:05 pm
and who can forget the Falcons first (almost) 1,000 yard rusher, Dave Hampton? He hits the 1,000 yard mark, runs the ball one more time and loses yardage, finishes with 996.
Kennesaw
January 22nd, 2011
8:10 pm
Mark:
Atlanta has actually won two.
1995 Braves
1968 Chiefs (soccer)
Bradleyisterrible
January 22nd, 2011
8:33 pm
And an awful reporter reporting on it all….sounds like a perfect match!!! oh Plus, a crappy paper as well.
Seminole
January 22nd, 2011
9:54 pm
Mark,
The college teams have been heart breakers as well. Ga Tech was in the final four twice and the title game once, lost both times. UGA was in one final four and lost. UGA football has been close but no cigar except for 1980? Ga Tech won the UPI in 1990 but didn’t really play anybody. I was born and raised in Atlanta but moved away when i joined the military and it’s sad, i thought the Falcons might be good but i guess i was wrong.
The Braves have no excuse, they should have won the 1991 and 1996 World Series. Choke City, USA!
cdog
January 22nd, 2011
10:31 pm
atlanta should thank the lord for that one. some cities don’t have any championships.
Jim Ragan
January 22nd, 2011
11:15 pm
Mark Bradley-this is definitely a stretch, but what about that “California Trophy” that Jerry Glanville got back in 1991 in honor of the Falcons going 6-0 vs. California teams that year? That was quite funny in itself and I still chuckle about it today when remembering it.
TOM
January 23rd, 2011
7:42 am
You were probably the first one out the door. I have lived in Atlanta much longer than you and the Falcons are losers now and have always been along with their transplanted and fair weather fans. Look at the no show in their first ever playoff game against the Eagles,, LOSERS ALL.
Outside Robber
January 23rd, 2011
8:08 am
Question: Would I prefer to live in the Atlanta area with its mild winters, beautiful women and great food with no sports winners as opposed to freezing my azz off in the frozen north with horrid wind chills and depressing overall climate coupled with sports winners galore? Hmmmmm. I’ll take the Atlanta area 10 times of 10.
saintsSB44champs
January 23rd, 2011
8:44 am
Falcons Will need a new QB.before they win a SB,as a Saints fan I’ll say last year was the best year of my life:-)..I’m 46 an I witness my team,win it all.what an awesome feeling..One day falcons will “rise up”…
Underground Atlanta
January 23rd, 2011
8:56 am
`
A record of 1-148 is just plain awful.
poopdawg
January 23rd, 2011
9:12 am
The only thing sader is looking at the AJC sports writers during those years. YOUR PATHETIC BRADLEY! Delta is ready when you are!
BullDawgMike
January 23rd, 2011
9:13 am
Mark, you forgot to mention that Falcons would have won the game if they had NOT knocked Roger Staubach out of the game. Roger was probably having ( for him) as bad a day as he ever had throwing the football. But he was knocked out ( I believe by Robert Pennywell) a Falcon Linebacker. In steps a cold Danny White off the bench, and the rest is history…….
Dogham
January 23rd, 2011
10:17 am
All Georgians really truly care about is UGA and except for 1980, they are always the bridesmaid and never the bride. Having lived there for 11 years, i couldn’t believe the high number of fair weather fans that live there. It’s absolutely embarrasing to see so many out of town fans take over their stadiums when they come to town (Steelers, Cowboys, Packers, Bears, Yankees, Redsox, Cubs). If the Braves and Falcons are doing well the fans will come, but as soon as there is any rough waters, the fans jump ship and distance themselves as quickly as possible. For whatever reason, the fans don’t seem to live and die with the Braves, Falcons, Hawks and Thrashers like other cities do and everyone’s allegiance is to the state university 80 miles east of Atlanta. When the fans are passionate enough about their teams, their voices are heard when changes are need. Take Denver for instance, the fans forced Broncos owner Pat Bowlen into firing their Head Coach with 2 years remaining on his contract and still paying Mike Shannahan the previous coach. Why? Because the fans matter there and they make their voice heard. Atlanta has the same opportunity, it just take the fans to commit to the teams win or lose and grow a pair.
Dogham
January 23rd, 2011
10:20 am
Concern
January 22nd, 2011
5:00 pm
UGA has like 25 National Championships since 1999 if I heard correctly last week.
Sweet — Dominating in Gymnastics and Tennis. Maybe someone from Atlanta won a World Series of Poker bracelet too!
1969
January 23rd, 2011
10:23 am
go JETS !
Dogham
January 23rd, 2011
10:27 am
Outside Robber
January 23rd, 2011
8:08 am
Question: Would I prefer to live in the Atlanta area with its mild winters, beautiful women and great food with no sports winners as opposed to freezing my azz off in the frozen north with horrid wind chills and depressing overall climate coupled with sports winners galore? Hmmmmm. I’ll take the Atlanta area 10 times of 10.
Great Food? What is Atlanta famous for? The Varsity and Waffle House?
BobbyDawg
January 23rd, 2011
10:31 am
I’m not giving up! We’ve had some of the best teams in the country. There’s a lot to be said about peaking at the wrong time.
Jim Pierce
January 23rd, 2011
10:34 am
Mark: Why are 99% of your articles negative? You seem to find a weed in the middle of a flower garden in most articles. I challenge you to go back and look at your article titles. FIND A POSITIVE NOTE on things, and write about those !!
Dogham
January 23rd, 2011
10:35 am
P Rose
January 22nd, 2011
12:42 am
Top 10 reasons why pro sports suck in Atlanta:
2. Geography. Atlanta and Phoenix are the only major U.S. cities not located on a major body of water (an ocean, a Great Lake or a major river). Not sure why this matters, but it does. Phoenix is a lousy sports town, too.
What ocean, Great Lake or major river is Denver located next to? Thought so…..
Johnny Rebel
January 23rd, 2011
10:39 am
Atlanta has too many cockroaches to be a successful city.
athdogbird
January 23rd, 2011
10:53 am
Well, that hurt.
The good side is this: The estimable Steve Young, HOF qb, said before the playoffs started that he felt Atlanta was a year early. He said it was possible the Birds could get to the SB this year, but he felt the timetable was a year early. Hopefully, a year in which we can come up with a speed back, a big DT to collapse things from the inside, and perhaps we’ll keep our other players healthy, as well.
Either way, these Birds are the best Birds since Reeves’ Birds.
Billy Bob
January 23rd, 2011
11:14 am
I guess that means that I was fortunate being witness to the World Championship in 1995. I remember looking around the stadium and thinking “IT” finally happened.
“IT” hasn’t happened since then in any sport, but there is always next year.
Bill
January 23rd, 2011
11:18 am
I was there on 1/4/1981 sitting in the endzone where the Cowboys scored. I remember it being very very cold. Anyone remember what the temp was that day?
Mark Bradley
January 23rd, 2011
12:08 pm
As has been noted, the correct number is one title in 149 seasons, not 148. I’ve amended the post. Thanks to those who noticed.
Sopwith Camel
January 23rd, 2011
12:28 pm
Mark,
Could you do a little more research and list for us all of the cities which have sports teams and the number of championships won by each over the years? You mentioned a few of these in your next-to-last paragraph, but I sure would like to see the complete list.
Thanks!
dude
January 23rd, 2011
12:52 pm
Bradley, that’s about the same ratio you have writing a good story.
doug h
January 23rd, 2011
1:26 pm
mark, you are the most negative writer i have ever seen. The fact is when things are good you are on the bandwagon and when not you jump off. Why don’t you quit here and find another state. ( if you could find another paper to write for )
Chief pitchanono
January 23rd, 2011
1:33 pm
Can’t totally agree on this one Mark, true only one world title, and at least its not all being blamed on the Braves this time. However the amount of success the Braves have had since 1991, 15 trips to the postseason in 19 yrs cannot be overlooked. No city with a team with that much recent success can feel too sorry for themselves. Most any team in any league out there would take that in a second if you offered it to them. I don’t think its fair to judge a team just on World titles. When you can pretty much bank on your team being competitive every season and getting to watch them in the postseason almost every year for the better part of 20 years, as a fan how can you ask for more. I certainly would not trade a few great seasons that ended in a World title for several years of cellar dwelling, which is what most teams do. The Braves have come back into form after a few years of rebulding and the I think the Falcons are finally laying the foudation for a lot of years of continued success. Things seem to be looking up for the Hawks and Thrashers too. I don’t like a one and done in the playoffs anymore that anyone else, but as a fan if my team can be relevant and keep me interested all season long, almost every year, and sprinkle in a League title or divison title every now a then, I’m thrilled! At least If they come up a little short of the World title, I really can hope for next year.
5150 P.O.A.D
January 23rd, 2011
1:38 pm
1 Title?
Atlanta teams have 1 World Championship
Atlanta teams have many more divisional or league championships.
maybe to make it look better we need to add WC and Olympic and Boxing Championships.
We do have a better record in all sports than you’re making is look Mark.
It ain’t great but is is better than MANY MANY MANY states in the US.
A Fan
January 23rd, 2011
1:49 pm
Classic Bradley,
I bet you go to Haooloween parties as AL Bundy. One word in the Caption is right. Lousy. So, who’d you really root for last week? I’m sure the Birds would love to have you at practice. We’re not Buffalo, nor Minisota, or Northwest. It was a pretty good season for the birds. And all these people ocming on here and bitching about paying for tickets? Well, you should be a practice dummy with Bundy / Bradley. Go talk to your thearpist about abuse.
Falcons
January 23rd, 2011
2:03 pm
Atlanta’s sad sports history: One lousy title in 149 pro seasons:
That lousy title is not even real because it happened on a strike season so we actually do not have a title.
You get what you pay for and you are where you live.
If the falcons work hard they can be in Dallas in two weeks. It sounds good, falcons are Super Bowl bound to Dallas. I think they will win this time against Pittsburgh or Jets.
Falcons
January 23rd, 2011
2:16 pm
What do you mean by one lousy title? That title was not even real because it happened in a strike season so we do not have any.
You get what you pay for and you are where you live.
I think if the falcons work hard they can be in Dallas in two weeks. It sounds good as falcons are Super Bowl bound for Dallas. They will win this time against Pittsburgh or Jets.
Falcons
January 23rd, 2011
2:21 pm
Things are looking up for the thrashers? What do you mean? In three weeks, they have gone from the second seed to out of the playoffs race. Looking up because they are getting higher draft pick or you just cannot tell the difference because you are up-side-down due to drinking and smoking grass?
Dejay
January 23rd, 2011
2:23 pm
Folks, read what was said. The bottom line in pro sports is WINNING WORLD TITLES; NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. No one cares who was the 4th seed in the 1993 NBA playoffs or who won the NL East in 2007 unless they make the conference finals and beyond. Sure, we have good teams here but there still aren’t any banners hanging up (save the 1995 one and the 1998 NFC one) that really matters in the grand scheme of things. And it’s no secret to folks in the know that the guys running the Braves and Hawks are completely satisfied with regular season success and nothing more (I dare you to tell me I’m wrong) so that leaves the Falcons as the city’s lone hope for a championship.
I’m a born and raised Atlantan and the thought of having to see another team hoist a Super Bowl trophy instead of mine makes me sick inside. Losing in the manner that the Falcons did in the playoffs renders the rest of the season meaningless because 48-21 is the only thing most people are going to remember until next season kicks off; and even if they go 12-4, it will still be in the back of most people’s minds. Just like the Braves when they’d win a division, only to watch the Cubbies or Astros splash champagne on each other in the middle of Turner Field in October.
The bottom line is that the bar has to be raised in regards to what fans here are willing to accept. It isn’t 1976 anymore when we’d pray for the Falcons to win 6 games, the Braves to finish .500 and the Hawks not to embarrass themselves too badly in the first round of the playoffs. It’s time to get beyond the ‘well, they made the playoffs, we should be happy about that because I remember when they used to be soooo bad in 19…’ mentality that we hold onto with grips of iron.
The Braves had 14 straight cracks at it and only came through once because Bobby Cox ran into an even worse postseason manager. He should’ve gotten his walking papers over a decade ago, not given a sendoff like some wartime hero. The Hawks have never won more than one playoff series yet their GM still crows about them being an elite team after getting swept by the most points in NBA history while their owner demands that more of us buy $50 tickets and $7 beers. It’s no small wonder why they can’t give away tickets nowadays. Meanwhile, Arthur Blank has already stated that he is willing to do what it takes to get a Super Bowl trophy here. It’s safe to say that I’ll be renewing my Falcon season tickets after the CBA is done…