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First-Time Stanley Cup & NBA Champions in the Same Year

Started by Henry, June 18, 2019, 10:45:55 AM

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Henry

As the Toronto Raptors won their first NBA championship and the St. Louis Blues their first Stanley Cup this month, I've decided to compile a list of the years in which there were first-time champions in both sports during the same year, dating all the way back to the NBA's formation in 1947. According to this, 2019 is only the fifth year in which it has happened so far, with the other previous years being 2006, 1999, 1991 and 1989.

2019: St. Louis Blues/Toronto Raptors
2006: Carolina Hurricanes/Miami Heat
1999: Dallas Stars/San Antonio Spurs
1991: Pittsburgh Penguins/Chicago Bulls
1989: Calgary Flames/Detroit Pistons
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!


Max Rockatansky

I just think it's weird that somehow the Blues never won a Stanley Cup before now...nor won a conference championship.  They had some really quality teams, especially in the 1990s. 

thspfc

Boston sports fans are feeling the early effects of Spoiled Boston Sports Fan Syndrome, which sets on after Boston goes more than four months without a championship. Early signs include general grumpiness beyond normal and excessive binge-watching of ESPN.

1995hoo

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 18, 2019, 11:29:18 AM
I just think it's weird that somehow the Blues never won a Stanley Cup before now...nor won a conference championship.  They had some really quality teams, especially in the 1990s. 

They did play in the Stanley Cup Finals three previous times, but that's not saying much because the 1967 expansion put all the old teams in the Eastern Division and all the new teams in the Western Division. Four teams from each division made the playoffs and, for some weird reason, in each division the #1 seed played the #3 seed and #2 played #4. Thus, an expansion team was guaranteed to make the Stanley Cup Finals during those years, and St. Louis made it all three times.

(The weirdness continued with the 1970 expansion, which saw the Vancouver Canucks placed in the Eastern Division so they'd be in the same division as the other two Canadian teams. Buffalo got placed in the Western Division, and Chicago moved to the Western Division to balance the league. Then the playoff format was weird in that the winner of the Eastern 1 v. 3 series played the winner of Western 2 v. 4, while the winner of Western 1 v. 3 played the winner of Eastern 2 v. 4. Result: the Stanley Cup Finals were between Montreal and Chicago. It wasn't until the following season, 1971—72, that the NHL adopted the more normal 1/4 and 2/3 pairings, but the reason wasn't due to any sense of normal seeding but rather was a reaction to allegations that the North Stars tanked in order to finish fourth so as to avoid playing the Blackhawks in the first round.)
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Stephane Dumas

Ni cigar for this one, 1974 Philadelphia Flyers and New York Nets, back when the Nets was in the ABA before the merge with the NBA in 1976.

kevinb1994

#5
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on June 18, 2019, 04:26:53 PM
Ni cigar for this one, 1974 Philadelphia Flyers and New York Nets, back when the Nets was in the ABA before the merge with the NBA in 1976.
And before the Nets moved back across the Hudson (this time to the RAC in Piscataway for a few seasons before the completion of the then-Brendan Byrne Arena at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, which would later gain corporate sponsorships under the former Continental Airlines (now one-half of United Continental) and IZOD) and became known as the New Jersey Nets, a name they would keep until their move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Interestingly, they were originally known as the New York Americans, but couldn't play as such at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan, because the Knicks blocked them from doing so (a crass move by both them and the NBA). So the team had to move across the Hudson to the Teaneck Armory and began play there as the New Jersey Americans, but then that venue was being used by a circus after just one season of play there, so the team had to move late in the season (and back across the Hudson) to the former Long Island Arena in Commack. A plan to move back across the Hudson to Newark fell through (unfortunately–it appears that the City of Newark was either simply unwilling to fund their own sports team for whatever reason, or the city was just starting to recover from the infamous riot(s)), so the team decided to stay at the Long Island Arena for another year and that's when they became known as the New York Nets. However, the team decided in the off-season to move again, this time to the original Island Garden Arena in West Hempstead. The original Island Garden Arena in West Hempstead helped to stabilize the then-New York Nets (although, due to the arena being booked with other events, the team had to play one home playoff game at Hofstra University's then-new Physical Fitness Center in Hempstead, and two at Madison Square Garden's then-somewhat new Felt Forum in Manhattan (now the Hulu Theater)), as the team posted their first winning season in 1971-72, despite losing to the Indiana Pacers in the ABA Finals that season. However, the team decided late in the season to move again, this time to the then-new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.

kevinb1994

Quote from: thspfc on June 18, 2019, 11:48:46 AM
Boston sports fans are feeling the early effects of Spoiled Boston Sports Fan Syndrome, which sets on after Boston goes more than four months without a championship. Early signs include general grumpiness beyond normal and excessive binge-watching of ESPN.
:-D :clap:

Jim

There are several MLB teams who have never won a World Series interested in making it 3 first-timers in one year.
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Bruce

Teams in each league who have not won their respective playoff championship. Teams that have not appeared in the final are marked with an asterisk (*).

MLS - New England Revolution (5-time losers), FC Dallas (lost in 2010), New York Red Bulls (lost in 2008), Philadelphia Union*, Vancouver Whitecaps*, Montreal Impact*, Orlando City SC*, New York City FC*, Minnesota United*, Los Angeles FC*, FC Cincinnati*

MLB - Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals*, Seattle Mariners*, Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays

NFL - Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Carson Chargers of Los Angeles, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons*, Cincinnati Bengals*, Jacksonville Jaguars*, Carolina Panthers*, Houston Texans*

(Don't be a cat team, apparently)

NBA - Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers*, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets*, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves*, Charlotte Hornets*, Memphis Grizzlies*, New Orleans Pelicans*, Oklahoma City Thunder

NHL - Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes*, San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets*, Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets*, Minnesota Wild*, Vegas Golden Knights

ilpt4u

Quote from: Bruce on June 19, 2019, 12:10:56 AM
Teams in each league who have not won their respective playoff championship. Teams that have not appeared in the final are marked with an asterisk (*).

NFL - Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Carson Chargers of Los Angeles, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons*, Cincinnati Bengals*, Jacksonville Jaguars*, Carolina Panthers*, Houston Texans*
Apparently pre-Super Bowl NFL Championship Game Wins are being disregarded (Cardinals, Lions, Browns, Vikings), in addition to Super Bowl XXXVIII, where the Panthers appeared (and lost to the Patriots); The Falcons have appeared in the Super Bowl twice (XXXIII, LI). The Bengals appeared in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII

Pre-Super Bowl AFL Champions include the Houston Oilers aka Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers, and Buffalo Bills

Long story short, not sure about the other sports, but your NFL info is just a bit off. I will agree none of those has won a Super Bowl, tho

Verlanka

Quote from: ilpt4u on June 19, 2019, 03:00:58 AM
in addition to Super Bowl XXXVIII, where the Panthers appeared (and lost to the Patriots)

As well as Super Bowl 50, where the Panthers lost to the Broncos.

SP Cook

The NFL is the only sport I know of anywhere that ignores almost exactly half of its history.  Other than the teams involved, Cardinals, Lions and Browns, (Vikings, who won the NFL championship in the four year transition Super Bowl era, not the NFL World Championship in the pre-Super Bowl era, don't count) nobody ever mentions anything before 1967.   The AFL World Championship, and similar ABA and WHA deals, are more complex in terms of history, as is the Browns and the AAFC.

With expansion, and leaving out that it is not random, pure random chance means that you could follow your local team your whole life and only see it win once or twice.

Alps

Quote from: SP Cook on June 19, 2019, 09:25:35 AM
The NFL is the only sport I know of anywhere that ignores almost exactly half of its history.  Other than the teams involved, Cardinals, Lions and Browns, (Vikings, who won the NFL championship in the four year transition Super Bowl era, not the NFL World Championship in the pre-Super Bowl era, don't count) nobody ever mentions anything before 1967.   The AFL World Championship, and similar ABA and WHA deals, are more complex in terms of history, as is the Browns and the AAFC.

With expansion, and leaving out that it is not random, pure random chance means that you could follow your local team your whole life and only see it win once or twice.
Not that it's a sport, but ask the WWE about the WWF.

thspfc

Quote from: SP Cook on June 19, 2019, 09:25:35 AM
The NFL is the only sport I know of anywhere that ignores almost exactly half of its history.  Other than the teams involved, Cardinals, Lions and Browns, (Vikings, who won the NFL championship in the four year transition Super Bowl era, not the NFL World Championship in the pre-Super Bowl era, don't count) nobody ever mentions anything before 1967.   The AFL World Championship, and similar ABA and WHA deals, are more complex in terms of history, as is the Browns and the AAFC.

With expansion, and leaving out that it is not random, pure random chance means that you could follow your local team your whole life and only see it win once or twice.
The Packers certainly don't ignore what happened before the Super Bowl - every fan will tell you that they have won 13 championships, not four.

1995hoo

The 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Colts and the Giants is still often referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played."  Until Super Bowl LI, it was also the only time the NFL's championship game had gone to overtime.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

thspfc

Quote from: 1995hoo on June 19, 2019, 12:28:06 PM
The 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Colts and the Giants is still often referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played."  Until Super Bowl LI, it was also the only time the NFL's championship game had gone to overtime.
23-17? Greatest game ever? Honestly, three of the last five Super Bowls could beat that.

kevinb1994

Quote from: thspfc on June 20, 2019, 04:24:01 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on June 19, 2019, 12:28:06 PM
The 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Colts and the Giants is still often referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played."  Until Super Bowl LI, it was also the only time the NFL's championship game had gone to overtime.
23-17? Greatest game ever? Honestly, three of the last five Super Bowls could beat that.
Yeah, it really shouldn't be called that nowadays.



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