Each of the 4 participants in this weekends' championship games has appeared in at least 1 Super Bowl over the past 20 years. During that timeframe, many NFL organizations have made their first Super Bowl appearances, including the Chargers, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Cardinals, Titans, and Saints. This leaves only 2 organizations that existed at the time of the first Super Bowl who have never managed to make an appearance. In addition to the 2 original teams that have never been, there are some other organizations that have not been in quite a few years and here they are..... Longest Current Spans Without a Super Bowl Appearance: #1 (tie) -- Lions - Never appeared (47 seasons). The lack of success with the Lions organization has been well-documented and their fans keep praying that someday they will make it to the big game. However, history is not on their side. In 47 seasons, the farthest they have ever made it in the playoffs is the NFCCG in the '91/'92 season, where they fell to the eventual SB champion Redskins but that appearance was their only conference championship game during the entire Super Bowl era. They did win an NFL championship in 1957, prior to the Super Bowl era, so there may be some Lions fans who are still alive and can remember the good times. #1 (tie) -- Browns - Never appeared (47 seasons). The participants in the final NFL championship game the year before the Super Bowl began were the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns. We all know the Packers have been 'back' to the big game several times since then. The Browns are still trying to figure out a way to get there. They've actually gotten close several times, making it to the conference championship on 5 occassions but losing each time. Browns fans are hoping this newest ownership and management group can finally get the Browns to the Super Bowl. #3 -- Jets - 45 seasons. One of the most famous Super Bowls in history is SB III, when Joe Namath predicted a Jets victory over the mighty NFC Colts. At the time, most viewed the AFC as a lesser conference, and scoffed at Namath's prediction. The Jets, however, DID 'shock the world' and gave the AFC instant credibility. However, since that game many years ago, the Jets have had trouble giving their own organization credibility and have never been able to get back to the big game. They have knocked on the door several times, making it to 4 AFCCG's but failed each time to make it back to the big game. #4 -- Chiefs - 44 seasons. The season following the Jets shocking upset, the Chiefs won Super Bowl IV, giving the AFC even more credibility. But like the Jets, the Chiefs have floundered since this game, failing to make it back. And, in the case of the Chiefs, they have only been close once, only making it to one AFCCG during the '93/'94 season, losing to the Bills. #5 -- Vikings - 37 seasons. The Vikings participated in 4 of the first 10 Super Bowls, losing all 4. Apparently they gave up, because they have failed to return since that time. They've actually been close several times, making it to 5 NFCCG's but losing each time, some of them in heartbreaking fashion.
Wow man fantastic writeup. Seriously some really cool information that I didn't really know. Very well done cap.
thank you sir. i may be the only one in America that would love to see a Lions vs. Browns super bowl, but I would love to see it for their loyal fan bases that have waited a long time.
Down to four teams who have never made it at all with the Texans and Jaguars also in the mix with the Lions and Browns.
It's a shame that Barry Sanders never made it to the SB. In Madden it takes around ten seasons of being a RB just to approach his numbers. Just a video game I know but still insane..
Barry Sanders was the sickest RB when I was growing up. He was a highlight a week. It's too bad the Lions wasted his talent and never got a true #1 under center to help that team get over the hump. Scott Mitchell? Really???
I wad too young to remember watching him. He didn't have a fullback either did he? I thought they only did single back.
Yep, they ran a version of the run and shoot in Detroit. It was him and the o-linemen and that was pretty much it. They had a revolving door of never will be's at QB (Kramer was the best of the bunch) and wasted Barry's talents.
Nice job [MENTION=2175]CaptainStubing[/MENTION]. Living in KC from the time of their SuperBowl win through the Marty Schottenheimer days all I can vividly remember is the number of years in the playoffs only to be one and done. No loss in Chiefs history was ever as bitter to me when the Jim Harbaugh led Colts came to frigid KC '95 and beat the overwhelming favorites (home field throughout the playoffs) in the first round 10-7. Still hard to let that one go. Well done, Captain.
Just the sound of that makes me throw up in my mouth...however, that's basing the thought on years of below average and downright bad football at times. If you gave me a "Bernie Kosar" era Browns team and a Barry Sanders (anything) Lions team...could be an interesting match up. Say a 1993 Lions Style Team vs. 1986 Browns Style Team ... I'm all in for a Super Bowl match up like that. If they both got to the Super Bowl the same year, it'd definitely be interesting.
yep, the browns had some teams in the 80's that were very close to getting there and if the Lions had a good QB in the 90's, they might have gotten there.
Amazing to think the only AFC title game appearance since then was when they got blasted by the Bills. This is the most memorable moment in that debacle: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrio6WEgW0o]Joe Montana Chiefs vs Bills 93 AFC Championship game - Joe Montana suffers a concussion - YouTube[/ame]
