The 5 Most Cursed Teams in Sports History

Historic collapses. Heartbreaking last-minute losses. Failed dynasties. Tortured fanbases. The factors surrounding “cursed” teams are plentiful. Such “curses” are the ultimate hate/love combo. Some fans relish the opportunity to emerge from a perceived curse while also enjoying the wallowing that comes with said curse. 

Of course, not all curses are created equal. Some rise above the rest to achieve true legend status. That’s what we’re discussing today. These are five cursed teams that have a real case to make for their woes. 

1. The Buffalo Bills

It feels a bit odd to put the Buffalo Bills on this list, especially considering their recent winning seasons with Josh Allen behind center. But then I thought deeper and remembered the team routinely crumbles in the playoffs. And then I thought even deeper, and the case practically made itself. 

The Bills are the only franchise in NFL history to lose four consecutive Super Bowls (1991-94). One of those losses was thanks to Scott Norwood’s now-infamous “wide right” Field Goal attempt in Super Bowl XXV against the Giants. The Bills lost 20-19. 

A few years later, the Music City Miracle in the 2000 Wild Card game ended the Bills’ season in a play some still argue is illegal. From 2001 to 2017, the Bills suffered a playoff drought. They’ve been going through it, and their recent playoff hopes have been dashed. 

2. The Pre-2016 Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs might be the most famous cursed team of all time. The team endured more than a century without a World Series win from 1908 to 2016. 

There’s even some curse-related lore. In 1945, Billy Sianis was ejected from a World Series game at Wrigley Field for bringing his goat along. He allegedly cursed the franchise on his way out, solidifying the already-in-progress losing streak. 

The Cubs’ woes continued into the new millennium. During Game 6 of the NLCS in 2003, the Cubs led 3-2 and were up by three runs in the 8th inning. Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball from his seat, and the Cubs lost after giving up 8 runs. They lost the game and the subsequent meeting, giving up the series. 

The Cubs curse spanned two World Wars, the moon landing, Watergate, and even through the Obama presidency. The Cubs’ drought started when silent movies were the top form of entertainment and ended in the streaming era.

3. The Cleveland Browns

You know you're down bad when you have to capitalize otherwise mundane terms to identify your curse. The Cleveland Browns have both  ‘The Drive” and “The Fumble” to contend with. Say either one near a diehard fan, and that curse will come a-knockin’. 

“The Drive” points to the 1986 AFC Championship. NFL Legend John Elway marched the Broncos down the field, traveling 98 yards in 15 plays in the final minutes of regulation. He would score to tie the game, then Denver won in overtime. Devastation. 

A year later, “The Fumble” reared its head in the AFC Championship game. Sports fans everywhere watched Earnest Byner fumbled the ball at the 3-yard line in an attempt to tie the game against (who else?) the Denver Broncos. 

Relocation woes followed. In 1996, Art Modell relocated the Browns to Baltimore, where the team became the Ravens. The Browns returned as an expansion team in 1999 and enjoyed the distinction of being among the worst franchises in football history. To cap it all off, the Browns went 0-16 in 2017; they’re one of only two NFL teams to hold that (dis)honor. 

4. The Minnesota Vikings

The curse of the Minnesota Vikings has many different ingredients, each with its own flavor. Things start simply with four Super Bowl Losses: 1970, 1974, 1975, and 1977. 

In the 1999 NFC Championship, the team was banking on its field goal prowess. Gary Anderson went 35/35 on FG attempts all season. He missed a crucial kick, and the Falcons rallied to win the game. 

More kicking disaster came years later in 2016 when Blair Walsh missed a 27-yarder in the NFC Wild Card. 

Two years later, a Stefon Diggs walk-off TD won the Vikings a game against the Saints. The Vikes would get demolished by Philadelphia 38-7 the next week. 

The Vikings are a far cry from the longtime curses held by other teams (like the Cubs). Instead, they have incremental cursed moments that add up to franchise-wide trauma. 

5. The Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, the year before the NHL expanded beyond six teams. Their drought remains the largest of any of the six original franchises. 

Notable losses for the Maple Leafs include a 2013 Game 7 collapse against the Bruins. The Leafs led 4-1 with only 10 minutes to play. They blew the lead and lost in overtime. 

The Game 7 slump has carried into other games for the Leafs, including similar losses to the Bruins (again) and the Lightning. They’re competitive enough to raise hopes for Canadians, then they dash them. 

Why Fans Love 'Cursed Team' Narratives

Shared winning is obviously a joyous feeling. But shared losing? That forges some strong bonds. I’m not a baseball guy, but I can’t remember a time when all my buddies were happier than in 2016 when the Cubs won the World Series. Overcoming a years -- or decades -- long curse is the ultimate payoff for sports fans. 

There’s also the fun mythology angle. It can be more interesting to craft lore around a drought than to find actual reasoning. ‘We’re cursed' sounds a hell of a lot better than ‘We’ve made terrible front office decisions for 40 years.”

While the losses are tough and tougher as they accumulate, they also create cool touchpoints in sports history. Without some of these curses, we don’t have the Billy Goat fable or “The Drive.”

The reality is simple and very human. Shared suffering makes for a great story.