Top Teams to NEVER Win a Championship (#6)

2003-2004 LA Lakers

"Uneasy lies the Head that wears the Crown" is one of my favorite Shakespeare quotes of all-time. For my constituents that don't easily understand what the bard is saying, it's this: When you're the King, sh#t is very stressful! Just think of BIG "mo money mo problems" and you get the jest.

The Kobe-Shaq led Lakers dynasty probably comprehend that quote better than anyone. Coming off a 3rd straight championship in '02, they automatically thought they'd win a ring every year; you probably did too. It appeared as if Shaq thought that as well. Obviously adhering to the cliche of just showing up would equivocate to wins, O'Neal came into the 2002-03 season out of shape and uninspired. If it wasn't for Kobe averaging 40/game in the month of February (*wearing Air Jordans) and playing like the REAL MVP of 02-03 (sorry eventual champ Timmy D), Los Angeles would've been hard-pressed to make the playoffs.

Well they did make the playoffs, even appearing in the conference Finals vs San Antonio. Shaq's lack of conditioning was exposed by Tim Duncan and the last you saw of the 02-03 Lakers was a crying, shocked, and dejected Kobe on the sideline. You knew the brass of LA's organization, spoiled by rings, were going to undergo major plastic surgery on the team during the summer.

Enter the leagues 2nd leading career scorer in power forward Karl "Mailman" Malone and Gary "the Glove" Payton. On paper, the Lakers seemed to be indestructible. When was the last time an NBA team had 4 Hall of Famers playing on the same team at the same time? But what the Lakers didn't know was that Payton was closer to "the Mitten" and the "Mailman"'s delivery schedule drastically changed.

But that didn't affect them during the regular season, or even the first leg of the playoffs for that matter. The individually laden stars of TinselTown ran out of gas versus the Detroit Pistons team in the 04 Finals. Despite having home court advantage and being overwhelming favorites to win it all, the Lakers lost in 5 games and in effect, ending the Kobe/Shaq dynasty.

top Teams To NEVER Win A Championship (#7)

#7 1992 SAN FRANCISCO 49ers

I'll never forget that cold snowy night in the winter of Detroit, 1991. It was January and of course that meant playoff football season. I forget what movie it was, but I was offered to go see a movie with some neighborhood friends at either Fairlane Mall or the Americana. The catch was that the movie was on the weekend and it coincided with the game.

Of course when I say "game" we weren't talking about the Lions. Even though the home team suffered though another miserable season, the true sports fan in me wanted to stay home and watch a great game, even if Barry Sanders wasn't playing in it.

That "game" so happened to be the NFC Championship Game between the SF49ers and NY Giants. Throughout the season both teams appeared to be on a collision course after annihilating every opponent who stood way of a Super Bowl.

Deep down I knew no matter how good the game would be, the 9ers would figure out a way to pull a victory. They always did. They, the Lakers, the Celtics. It seemed like those teams always won Championships in that era. And besides, Joe Cool was in his prime, Jerry Rice was scratching the surface, Roger Craig was still high-stepping and Ronnie Lott was cracking heads as normal.

"But no so fast my friend!" as Lee Corso would say. Leonard Marshall knocked Joe Montana out the game; and in essence ending his era as a San Fran deity as well. San Fran lost 15-12, and the 9ers as we grew to know and love would never be again.

Fast Forward to the same Championship Game, this time two years later. The 9ers underwent massive change and transformation. The year before they struggled to identify themselves without Joe, and fell out the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.

But in the '92 season they found they're magic again…and also another Hall of Fame quarterback in Steve Young. Young led the league in passing, Ricky Watters emerged as more then a capable replacement for Roger Craig, and Jerry Rice was the same ole Jerry Rice. The 9ers led the league in victories and seemed as if the year before was only a hiccup. And like 1991, their opponent came from the NFC East.

Unlike '91, it wasn't an over the hill team they were playing. This time they were playing an up and coming "America's Team" in the Dallas Cowboys. Led by Ken Norton and the league's #1 defense, the Cowboys were the only team capable to hold the San Fran's explosive fire power. Oh, and they had a little fire power of their own with #1 pick Troy Aikman, league rushing champ Emmitt Smith, and the mercurial wide receiver Michael Irvin.

The game was close, but the Cowboys proved to be much in the end as Troy Aikman found Alvin Harper for a 70 yard post that led to the eventual back breaking touchdown. Dallas 30, Sf 20. In hindsight, it's hard to say that the 3 time Super Bowl winning Cowboys actually "upset" a team; but the 1992 49ers were primed and ready for another Bowl. Just didn't get 'er done. How bout them Cowboys?

HONORABLE MENTION: '94 COWBOYS

Top Teams To NEVER Win A Championship (#8)

#8 1996-97 NEW YORK KNICKS

June 1996: the New York Knicks watch their arch-nemesis Mike Jordan and the Bulls drink champagne as they celebrated a 4th title on Father's Day. Suddenly a franchise (who's soul was taken and left on Houston's arena in game 7of the finals just two years before) in despair felt some sense of hope of life and resurrection.

If this team, a team they just beat in the playoffs two years before (sans a baseball playing MJ) can rise from the ashes, why couldn't they? One big omission for the Knick's scenario is that their Phoenix didn't wear a red 23 jersey. But they were able to rejuvenate their city and fanbase with moves, in retrospect, that parallel and pre-quel the free-agent fever of 2010.

Playing the parts of "big name players" acquired were a young sharp-shooting Allan Houston from Detroit, 'flavor of the week' (and of later 2-piece Kobe combo infamy) pg Chris Childs, and everyone's favorite 'Grand-ma-maw' Larry Johnson. They complemented a veteran yet still in their prime combo of Pat Ewing and Charles Oakley. Veterans Buck Williams and John Starks came off the bench to provide toughness and leadership while Charlie Ward and John Wallace sparked them with youth. The rejuvenated Knicks coasted through the season and finished #3 in the East with a 57-25 record behind the Miami Heat (61-21) and the 72-10 Bulls.

Fast forward to the 97 playoffs and the pseudo-prelude to the "puppets" matchup of the Bulls and Knicks seemed all but inevitable. It was just a matter of time. The Bulls took care of business and were awaiting the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Because of their matchups, intense rivalry and history, it appeared as if the only team who could beat that '96 Bulls team were the Knicks.

New York was all but there to make that happen, commanding a 3 games to 1 lead to their new up and coming rival, the Miami Heat (Tim Hardaway was All NBA 1st team, Alonzo had a big first year in Miami). Then Chinua Achebe and Black Thought came to Game 5, and things fell apart for the Knicks. I'll let Wiki-pedia finish that story:

The Heat won Game 5 although the game was remembered for P.J. Brown fighting with Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward.[1] The Knicks players came off the bench and earned an automatic suspension. The Heat stayed on the bench and would gain an advantage for the rest of the series. The Heat would eliminate the undermanned Knicks in 7 games and one of the most heated rivalries in the NBA would be born.[1] Despite qualifying for the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat would be vanquished by the eventual world champion Chicago Bulls in 5 games

HONORABLE MENTION: 1993-94 KNICKS

Top Teams To NEVER Win A Championship (#9)

#9--- 1994-95 ORLANDO MAGIC

In the beginning of the NBA's 1994-95 season, Michael Jordan was still playing baseball for the Birmingham Barons and the natural successor for the Bulls dominance, the New York Knicks were coming off a finals loss. Translation? it was time for the Orlando Magic to ascend to the top of the NBA.

Combining youth with talent, the Magic were the sexiest pick to win the title that year. The aforementioned Knicks appeared to be getting older and unable to win the ring and even the reigning champs (Houston Rockets) appeared to be inferior to Orlando on paper.

Penny Hardaway was the en vogue "next Jordan/Magic" at the time and Shaq was establishing himself as the leagues most unstoppable player. The Magic coasted throughout the season with the leagues best record, and even beat the "back from baseball Jordan" in the playoffs.

But everything that glitters isn't gold. Admittedly giving Hakeem Olajuwon too much respect in the finals, the Rockets went on to prevail over the Magic and killing any dreams of a real life "Blue Chips" dynasty for Penny and Shaq.

Top Teams To NEVER Win A Championship

"Nobody remembers who finishes second" is a well-known cliche that has no merit or relevance today. While I do advocate excellence and define success for a sports team as that team to hold up a trophy at the end of their season, sometimes the teams that leave the most impression don't get a chance to do so.

In honor of all the greatest teams that either came into their season with a lot of pre-season hype, hoopla, dominated and even coasted throughout the year only to fall short in the end, we will examine them in a top 10, ten day series. And now, the #10 team(s):

10. BASEBALL TEAMS of the 1990s

1995/1997 CLEVLAND INDIANS

-boasting teams that fielded future hall of famers Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Eddie Murray, Omar Vizquel, Dave Winfield and everyday legends such as Kenny Lofton, Albert Belle, Matt Williams, Orel Hershiser, Sandy Alomar, and Marquis Grisson, the Indians never won a World Series in appearances in 95, 97 to the Braves and expansion Florida Marlins respectively.

1997/2001 SEATTLE MARINERS

-in 1997 the Mariners had a solid year that would eventually have them bowing out to the Orioles in the playoff's. But anytime you have a young A-Rod, Ken Griffey Jr in his prime, Jay Buhner, arguably one of the greatest DH's in Edgar Martinez, a "young" Jamie Moyer, and the intimidating Randy Johnson, you've got more than enough to win rings or a ring. Never happened.

-the 2001 Mariners were a lot less sexier then the Mariners we came to know and love, with the 3 biggest names to make an exodus (Griffey, Johnson, and A-Rod), but while the names changed, the numbers really didn't. In a career year Brett Boone hit over .330, knocked 37 dingers, Jamie Moyer assumed the ace role, and they were led by some rookie sensation who went on to win the Rookie of the Year: Ichiro Suzuki. They won an AL record 116 games that year only to fizzle fast in the playoffs.

2001 New York Yankees

-you really can't knock a team vie'ing for a 4th consecutive World Series Title, but when you're playing for a city and country on your backs post 9/11, it was a little disappointing when they didn't come through. Thanks Roger Clemens.

1993 Atlanta Braves

-with the Braves, it's basically take your pick or choose the year (sans '95 of course)of the '90s to be identified as the best team to not win a ring. We'll go with the 1993 team that inevitably lost to the Phillies in the playoffs.

Chasing the Barry Bonds led Giants the whole season, the Braves finally won their division on the last day with a year that earned them 104 victories. This would come to be the last year of the Braves that were introduced to the world in '92 (former MVP Terry Pendleton, Otis Nixon, Ron Gant, and of course the Big 3 Pitchers that included a forgotten Steve Avery).

JESSE

Soon after Dan Gilbert unleashed his venomous wrath upon Lebron James in a media tirade last month, many people were quick to criticize the Cavs owner. Among them were former players, the commissioner (*I find it somewhat troubling that David Stern only fined Gilbert $100k for his outburst yet threatened to fine several teams $5 mill for possible tampering infractions)current players, and even figures outside of the NBA. Most notably was the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

You're familiar with his comments. To paraphrase, he likened the Dan Gilbert/Lebron dynamic to that of a relationship between slave/slave-owner. If you read my blog following the situation, you'd know I share the same sentiment. When I saw the Reverend voice his opinion on television, I felt proud. It was empowering to know that a figure of Jesse Jackson's magnitude shared my vision while simultaneously re-assuring that my militant-minded, civil rights and justice radar was up to speed.

That personal sense of fulfillment quickly turned to me pessimistically re-evaluating the worth of said Jesse Jackson pride, if not from a national lens of the civil rights leader. Throughout the years it seems as if aligning yourself with the Jesse Jackson movement was like rocking with Puffy during the "shiny suit-man" era or bumping Hammer post-mansion eviction era.

Then the next question that arose from my train of thought was 'Why is this?' From a national standpoint, I examined his most recent transgressions that put him in hot water. Of course there's the infamous "Ambitions to Castrate Obama" fiasco. And before that he caught flack for a baby scandal.

When I listen to the people, the criticism is even pettier. Friends of mine say he's verbose when I believe he's outspoken and passionate. They say he's always fighting for the spotlight and jealous of his peers. But to combat both perceptions (National and Neighborhood) of the Reverend, it's easy.

For the most part people are probably just tired of seeing him. He's endured and made himself relevant for so long, that sometimes people just want a change of scenery and voice. But all that Jesse Jackson has done his career is help people and manifest service. Besides walking and being a right-hand man to the great Dr. King, Jesse has a very impressive and extensive resume.

Would President Obama be in office if there wasn't precedence of a black man being so audacious to run and campaign? Before your liberal and progressive minded white friends were chanting "Yes We Can," their parents were chanting "Keep Hope Alive" in the '80s. Well maybe not, but the point is Jackson warmed white America to the idea of a black President.

And despite having a strained relationship with the American Government, who went into foreign land a few years back to successfully bring American hostages back home? Rhetorical question but let's shift the focus back to sports. Besides the Lebron issue, when Terrell Owens was ostracized by the Philadelphia Eagles and was suspended by the NFL, Jackson quickly supported him. His range of help is very available to all and any who are underprivileged or mis-treated.

Yet he continues to persevere and do what comes natural: stay active in the issues of the world and the country. Obviously he isn't doing this to be popular. In no way am I trying to convert any anti-Jesse Jackson people or critics, I just hate when people don't get a fair rap. If there's one thing that irritates me, it's when people are treated unfairly. One of the biggest formulas for injustice is hypocrisy and inconsistencies. And because I've had a chance to be around the man for an elongated amount of time, I believe the man to be genuine.

My father and I was fortunate enough to have been invited by the Jackson family to spend time with them in the summer of 1990. The plan was for my dad to co-write a project with the Reverend that ended up being scrapped. For up to three weeks all I recall was this man waking up living, breathing, and manifesting plans of action. His mentality was that of a leader and he took it very serious. Every problem he mentioned had nothing to do with him, but rather the problems of America and the underprivileged. Every story he reminisced at the dinner table or philosophical point he made was accompanied by a sense of history being made. Those scenes were definitely out of a movie, and you definitely felt the tension and pressure he had to deal with.

Considering this isn't that project my old man was working on and in fact my blog, I'll end now. I just felt compelled to shout out and recognize a person who I felt is unfairly vilified. One of my favorite lines from a movie comes from Christian Bale in "Batman Begins." He says, "It's not who I am but what I do that defines me." If we apply that quote to the Reverend, then he would be defined as a man of action and results.