100 Seasons Without a Title

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 20, 2008

100 Seasons Without a Title

May 1, 2008

The elimination of the Sixers and Flyers from the playoffs this year made it 100 consecutive <i>seasons</i>, dating to 1983, without a title for Philadelphia's four major teams. That's the record for a four-sport town. In this gallery we offer a snapshot of the futility the city has witnessed in those 25 years, beginning with the Pistons' elimination of the Sixers in this season's East quarterfinals.

May 18, 2008

The Flyers dropped a 6-0 decision in Game 5 to the Sidney Crosby-led Penguins.

May 19, 2000

The second-best team of the Iverson era entered the playoffs as a potential NBA Finals contender but fell to the Pacers for the second straight postseason.

Oct. 16, 1994

After finding the end zone in the fourth quarter to pull within 24-13 in Dallas, Rich Kotite called for a two-point conversion instead of kicking the extra point to pull within a touchdown and a field goal. The conversion failed and the Eagles lost. During postgame interviews, Kotite blamed the mental blunder on his rain-soaked chart.

Dec. 14, 1994

Jefferies signed the biggest contract in franchise history at the time and never came close to delivering on his promise during four years in Philadelphia, bottoming out with a .256 average in 1997.

Jan. 7, 2001

Ron Dixon's opening kickoff return for a touchdown jump-started the Giants to a 20-10 divisional playoff victory over the upstart Eagles.

Dec. 5, 2005

With quarterback Donovan McNabb shelved for the season, the Eagles had little hope with Mike McMahon under center in a Monday Night game in Philly against the Seahawks.The final was 42-0.

1997

The second overall pick in the draft refused to sign with the Phillies for anything under $10 million, a sum Philadelphia's thrifty front office wasn't prepared to pony up. Drew played with the St. Paul Saints of the independent Northern League instead, going back into the draft when his one-year standoff with the Phillies ended.

1992-93

Moe told the media his team might win 50 games, but fans wondered if they could win 20. He was fired after 56 games, the Sixers having stumbled to a 19-37 mark.

Sept. 3, 1995

High-priced free agent Ricky Watters fumbled twice in his Eagles debut and short-armed a pair of passes across the middle to avoid contact with a Tampa Bay defender, drawing lusty boos from the Veterans Stadium crowd. ''I'm not going to trip up there and get knocked out,'' explained Watters following the 21-6 loss. ''For who? For what?''

Dec. 31, 1988

The Bears scored a 20-12 victory over the Eagles in a divisional playoff game best remembered for the dense fog that rolled onto Soldier Field in the second quarter.

September 2003

A six-game losing streak during the final week of the season cost the Phillies a wild-card berth and the franchise's first playoff appearance in a decade.

June 11, 1995

Lemieux's long-distance strike with 44.2 seconds left in Game 5 demoralized the Flyers and their fans, setting the stage for New Jersey's six-game East finals triumph.

June 30, 1993

A $44 million contract made Bradley the highest-paid athlete in Philadelphia sports history at the time. The 7-foot-6 center ended up becoming a symbol of the organization's mid-1990s ineptitude.

Oct. 20, 1993

The Phillies appeared poised to knot the World Series at two games apiece. But relief pitchers Larry Andersen and Mitch Williams couldn't hold down a 14-9 lead as the Blue Jays stormed back for a 15-14 victory, the highest scoring game in World Series history.

Sept. 1, 1991

Led by Pro Bowl defenders Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner and Eric Allen, the Eagles had the pieces in place for a run at the Super Bowl. But those dreams were dashed when the league's reigning MVP went down with a season-ending knee injury against Green Bay in Week 1.

May 31, 1987

Netminder Ron Hextall's heroic Conn Smythe Trophy-winning performance wasn't enough to lift the Flyers past the Gretzky-led Oilers in a Game 7 heartbreaker.

Feb. 6, 2005

Only one quarterback -- Kurt Warner -- has ever thrown for more yards in a Super Bowl than Donovan McNabb, who had 357 yards against the Patriots. But McNabb's three interceptions sealed the fate of the NFC champions in a 24-21 thriller.

Oct. 23, 1993

Joe Carter's game-winning homer off Mitch Williams in the bottom of the ninth was just the second walk-off homer to win a World Series after Bill Mazeroski's blast in 1960.

Jan. 19, 2003

With a 27-10 loss to the Buccaneers, the Eagles missed an opportunity to give Veterans Stadium a storybook ending in the team's last game at the decrepit venue. ''You couldn't have a better stage set,'' said Troy Vincent following the game. ''The fans were ready. The city was ready. The atmosphere was right. For us to lose this football game -- this was a tough one to swallow.''

100 Seasons Without a Title