Author Topic: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals  (Read 3070 times)

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List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« on: February 06, 2018, 02:23:36 AM »

Offline Eja117

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I am getting tired of hearing how New England fans are spoiled. It's pathetic. It's like saying the Spartans used to be spoiled or the US was spoiled during the Space Race. We're not spoiled. Is Prince William spoiled because he was born a prince? It's just what we are. We are the greatest sports town by a very very very wide margin and that can't be changed.

This is a list of years New England sports fans could watch a major sports team in the finals. It only includes the 4 major sports and only the pros so there are no semi pro things going on here. No stuff like Negro Leagues (I should have looked at stuff like that...maybe later) or Arena Leagues or anything like that.

In college it only covers mens sports and only the 4 major sports and only Division One and the list is incomplete. For example If Boston University football went to the championship game in D 1AA it's not on here. It doesn't necessarily include NCAA championship game losses or things like that but it does include things like College World Series appearances. I believe the list is composed of college hockey championships, college world series appearances, college football championships claimed (which was entirely pre WW2), and NCAA tournament wins (all UConn). No NIT or whatever.

List of years New England fans could watch one of their teams in the finals

1903
1912
1914
1915
1916
1918
1927
1929
1930
1939
1941
1943
1946
1946
1948
1953
1957
1958
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1972
1974
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1981
1984
1985
1986
1986
1986
1987
1988
1990
1997
2002
2004
2004
2005
2007
2008
2008
2010
2011
2012
2013
2013
2015
2017
2018


College years mens sports
1890
1898
1899
1910
1912
1913
1919
1940
1949
1953
1960
1961
1967
1968
1971
1971
1972
1973
1974
1978
1989
1993
1995
1999
1999
2000
2001
2004
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2014
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 02:39:37 AM by eja117 »

Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2018, 03:00:34 AM »

Offline GreenEnvy

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New York has more titles. I love Boston, but New York is historically the best.

I know it’s not fair to compare because of the number of teams NY has/had.... but even if you just take their oldest teams, they still have the edge.

Yankees 27
Giants 4 (and 4 more pre-SB era)
Rangers 4
Knicks 2


There’s no debate Boston is the City of Champions this millinium, but not all-time.
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Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2018, 03:25:10 AM »

Offline Eja117

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New York has more titles. I love Boston, but New York is historically the best.

I know it’s not fair to compare because of the number of teams NY has/had.... but even if you just take their oldest teams, they still have the edge.

Yankees 27
Giants 4 (and 4 more pre-SB era)
Rangers 4
Knicks 2


There’s no debate Boston is the City of Champions this millinium, but not all-time.
First of all they don't have a top 5 team in each sport. Second how are they doing in the salary cap era? Third what is their population vs ours?  Fourth....time frame matters. The Jets haven't won a Super Bowl since JFK. The Knicks haven't won one in almost half a century. The Rangers haven't won one in about a quarter century. Even the Yankees are getting to almost a decade without a title. To be fair it's been half a decade for the Red Sox. They've had some terrible years lately, which has only resulted in East Division crowns the last two years. The last time the Yankees won one was 2012. The vast vast majority of the NYC glory years are in the distant past. Fifth, New York has virtually no meaningful college sports. They are probably #2. Probably. 
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 03:48:16 AM by eja117 »

Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2018, 04:51:53 AM »

Offline trickybilly

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New York has more titles. I love Boston, but New York is historically the best.

I know it’s not fair to compare because of the number of teams NY has/had.... but even if you just take their oldest teams, they still have the edge.

Yankees 27
Giants 4 (and 4 more pre-SB era)
Rangers 4
Knicks 2


There’s no debate Boston is the City of Champions this millinium, but not all-time.
First of all they don't have a top 5 team in each sport. Second how are they doing in the salary cap era? Third what is their population vs ours?  Fourth....time frame matters. The Jets haven't won a Super Bowl since JFK. The Knicks haven't won one in almost half a century. The Rangers haven't won one in about a quarter century. Even the Yankees are getting to almost a decade without a title. To be fair it's been half a decade for the Red Sox. They've had some terrible years lately, which has only resulted in East Division crowns the last two years. The last time the Yankees won one was 2012. The vast vast majority of the NYC glory years are in the distant past. Fifth, New York has virtually no meaningful college sports. They are probably #2. Probably.

And every year for the next 5 years. Yanks will be unbeatable. Going to be historic with Sanchez, Judge and Stanton..
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Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2018, 06:51:03 AM »

Offline KGs Knee

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Cool, another thread in which eja argues with absolute certainty something which he is either factually wrong, or is just mere opinion. These are always fun threads, and usually provide hours of comedic relief.

I did appreciate the irony in listing off all the years NE fans could watch their teams in the finals, dating back all the way to 1903, only to then watch eja make the argument most of NY's titles don't count since they happened a long time ago. That's the comedic relief I'm talking about.

So, thanks eja, TP!

Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2018, 07:26:21 AM »

Offline Surferdad

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Agree with KG's Knee -- You have to be consistent in judging this.

Another point:  Not all New England fans root for Boston teams.  I know this is generally true in all major sports cities, however, in New England, a good chunk of sports fans in Western, Southwestern and Southern New England root for New York teams.  The geographic line between Boston and NY fans is blurry, but it extends from roughly around Danbury/Waterbury area southwest to Rhode Island.  There are MANY Yankee fans in RI.  As a kid, I lived 55 miles from NYC in Connecticut, and I was a Knicks fan.

Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2018, 07:33:05 AM »

Offline Eja117

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Cool, another thread in which eja argues with absolute certainty something which he is either factually wrong, or is just mere opinion. These are always fun threads, and usually provide hours of comedic relief.

I did appreciate the irony in listing off all the years NE fans could watch their teams in the finals, dating back all the way to 1903, only to then watch eja make the argument most of NY's titles don't count since they happened a long time ago. That's the comedic relief I'm talking about.

So, thanks eja, TP!
Our dominance stretches to the past, and continues to the present, and the future. We aren't NY, with the vast majority of our wins clustered around one sport mostly in the past. You're welcome for the education.

I also look forward to certain hilarity such as I didn't consider some town in Sweden that consistently wins the Wife carrying contest going back to Olaf the Viking in 1035 (stupid stupid eja) or that I didn't consider soccer which is the biggest sport on Earth, or that I didn't consider the aliens of Omicron Persei 9 and their dominance of British Cricket or that I didn't consider Olympic medals, or that I didn't consider boxing or individual sports, or that I didn't consider individual awards.

Hey did you realize Belichick only has 3 Coach of the Year awards but that Ron Rivera and Bruce Arians both have 2, and neither have won a Super Bowl?  I mean how can you say with certainty he was the best coach ever when he barely has the most Coach of the Year Awards?
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 07:41:57 AM by eja117 »

Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2018, 07:36:20 AM »

Offline Eja117

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Agree with KG's Knee -- You have to be consistent in judging this.

Another point:  Not all New England fans root for Boston teams.  I know this is generally true in all major sports cities, however, in New England, a good chunk of sports fans in Western, Southwestern and Southern New England root for New York teams.  The geographic line between Boston and NY fans is blurry, but it extends from roughly around Danbury/Waterbury area southwest to Rhode Island.  There are MANY Yankee fans in RI.  As a kid, I lived 55 miles from NYC in Connecticut, and I was a Knicks fan.
I agree I felt awkward on the UConn aspect of things, and that it's not easy to compare the NY Metro area to New England, but I did it. I think at least on some level taking a larger geographical area for us makes up a bit for NY having so many teams. I didn't feel the need to consider New Jersey teams in the NY equation, even though obviously many NY fans (especially Yankee fans) are in New Jersey. Neither did I look at Rutgers. If someone wants to make a NY list and defend it because they are so insightful, rather than take the lazy way out and trash mine, then by all means go ahead and make the comparison. We're all waiting.

Btw for NY fans I did take a look at Columbia football. Harvard was and is better. And for the rings aren't the only thing that matters crowd in addition to opening things up and  just considering finals appearances, instead of rings,  I also consider that Columbia has very pleasing colors and uniforms.

The more interesting argument is who is #2,3,4, and 5. Especially if you throw in college stuff. Maybe Miami sneaks in.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 08:07:13 AM by eja117 »

Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2018, 08:27:54 AM »

Offline tarheelsxxiii

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I believe in everything eja has shared, here and elsewhere.  I'm once again a better man for having read one of his threads.
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Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2018, 08:31:55 AM »

Offline Eja117

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I believe in everything eja has shared, here and elsewhere.  I'm once again a better man for having read one of his threads.
People are gonna be mad at me for being right about the Smart thing like a year out, for a long time I think.  Sigh. I just thought his shot was a serious problem.

Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2018, 08:38:33 AM »

Offline tarheelsxxiii

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I believe in everything eja has shared, here and elsewhere.  I'm once again a better man for having read one of his threads.
People are gonna be mad at me for being right about the Smart thing like a year out, for a long time I think.  Sigh. I just thought his shot was a serious problem.

I'd follow you into a senseless war.  I've found that many come here to argue for the sake of it.  And rarely are thenwinners acknowledged.  We need you to start an ongoing "See, I was right" thread.
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Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2018, 08:41:06 AM »

Offline Eja117

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I believe in everything eja has shared, here and elsewhere.  I'm once again a better man for having read one of his threads.
People are gonna be mad at me for being right about the Smart thing like a year out, for a long time I think.  Sigh. I just thought his shot was a serious problem.

I'd follow you into a senseless war.  I've found that many come here to argue for the sake of it.  And rarely are thenwinners acknowledged.  We need you to start an ongoing "See, I was right" thread.
Wait. How senseless? Like WW1 senseless or Civil War senseless? Because they're very different.

Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2018, 08:43:34 AM »

Offline Eja117

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I believe in everything eja has shared, here and elsewhere.  I'm once again a better man for having read one of his threads.
People are gonna be mad at me for being right about the Smart thing like a year out, for a long time I think.  Sigh. I just thought his shot was a serious problem.

I'd follow you into a senseless war.  I've found that many come here to argue for the sake of it.  And rarely are thenwinners acknowledged.  We need you to start an ongoing "See, I was right" thread.
Actually.....I think there is one or two I was wrong threads and I think I started one. They're pretty fun threads.

Two things I was horrifically wrong about....horrifically.

1. Looking into the value of Brady after he had the slump

2. Even dumber....after Obama was elected I declared US racism officially over as a significant force in US culture. I really thought it was a major sign that the US had cleared a hurdle and turned a corner. I was sooooooo wrong about that.


Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2018, 08:56:40 AM »

Offline Moranis

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Don't forget about San Francisco (especially if you count Oakland).  The Warriors, Giants, Niners, Raiders, and A's have appeared in a lot of finals over the years. 

Los Angeles is pretty darn good as well (even without a football team for 20 years or so), though most of that is the Lakers who have appeared in by far the most Finals in league history. 
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Re: List of years New England fans could watch a team in the finals
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2018, 09:36:28 AM »

Offline Eja117

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I have noticed a mistake I made.....I was trying to write this pretty broadly....by writing "New England fans", however I failed to include Yale sports.  Yale has about 27 claimed football national championships.

However...I also wrote "in the finals." There was of course no finals in football until recently.  So I have been pretty inconsistent here in including Harvard football championships, but not Yale, and when they had no final.

Man. I really wrote myself into a corner on that one.

Hmmmm......I haven't looked at Dartmouth either.