The New York Knicks are back, baby.
The five-game NBA Finals win over a Spurs team that was far too young to meet the moment gave the Knicks their first championship in 53 years. It sparked euphoria in New York, and throughout the team’s fan base.
And it got me thinking about which NFL fan bases would have a similar reaction to a return to glory after so many years.
It’s different from the teams that have never won it all, because the Knicks had been to the top of the mountain. That group includes the Bills, Browns, Bengals, Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers, Vikings, Lions, Falcons, Panthers, and Cardinals. (Yes, only 20 of 32 teams have won the first 60 Super Bowls.)
The better comparison to the Knicks would be a team that won a title a very long time ago. Like the Cowboys (30 years and counting), the 49ers (31 years and counting), the Commanders (34 years and counting), the Bears (40 years and counting), the Raiders (42 years and counting), the Dolphins (52 years and counting), the Jets (57 years and counting).
The 49ers have been to three Super Bowls since their most recent championship. The Dolphins last made it to the Super Bowl in 42 years ago.
In all, that leaves 19 teams, and 19 fan bases, that would have a somewhat similar, if not even more intense, reaction to finally getting to (or getting back to) the pinnacle of pro football. More than half of the league.
It also means that only 13 teams have accounted for the last 30 Super Bowl wins — all of which seasons played out in an era of supposed cap-driven parity.
