The curse of being an AFL team

[NewHampshireBillsFan]

With the celebration of the 50th year of the AFL and the start of the season with two MNF games celebrating this event it is time to review the curse of being an original AFL team regarding super bowl wins. By the way, before we get into that, don't you find it totally ridiculous that NE* is the site of this game! In the 1960's about half or more of New Englanders were Giants fans and didn't even support the Patsies* while in Buffalo the Bills were established as a major Buffalo institution during this same era and were a spearheading AFL powerhouse. The Patsies* were a nothing in the AFL and RW had to even bale them out financially to survive, partly because their fan support was so poor. He should have let them croak.

 

Anyway, SB wins and the curse:

 

1.) 4 of the original 10 AFL teams (Bills, Oilers/Titans, Chargers, and Bengals) have never won a SB. That's 40% of the teams.

2.) 6 of the original 10 teams, 60%(!!!), have not won a SB playing in the NFL. The Jets and Chiefs won when still in the AFL.

3.) 7 of the original 10 teams, 70%, have not won since the early 70's, 35+ years ago, since the Fish last won after the '73 season. Of course I'm glad they haven't won again.

4.) 8 of the original 10, 80%, haven't won in the last 25+ years since the Raiders last won after the 1983 season, before many current NFL fans even were fans.

5.) 9 of the original 10, 90%, haven't won in the last 10+ years since the Broncos last won after the 1998 season.

6.) 10 of the original 10, teams haven't won in this century, unless they cheated, since only the Belicheat* led Cheatriots* have won in the 2000's.

 

By contrast, 11 of the 16 NFL teams who merged with the AFL in 1970 have won SBs. Only the hapless Lions, Vikings, Saints, Falcons, and Cardinals have failed to win. Five of 16 teams is only 31% of the teams that haven't won a SB.

 

Of the four AFL teams that haven't won, the Bengals were an expansion team so they didn't play in the AFL long as an established team. The other three, Oilers, Chargers, Bills all were were very successful AFL championship teams. But that was to be the end for them, at least up to now.

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

Interesting stats... though they would be even more impressive if you knew that the AFL originally had 8 teams.

 

 

 

With the celebration of the 50th year of the AFL and the start of the season with two MNF games celebrating this event it is time to review the curse of being an original AFL team regarding super bowl wins. By the way, before we get into that, don't you find it totally ridiculous that NE* is the site of this game! In the 1960's about half or more of New Englanders were Giants fans and didn't even support the Patsies* while in Buffalo the Bills were established as a major Buffalo institution during this same era and were a spearheading AFL powerhouse. The Patsies* were a nothing in the AFL and RW had to even bale them out financially to survive, partly because their fan support was so poor. He should have let them croak.

 

Anyway, SB wins and the curse:

 

1.) 4 of the original 10 AFL teams (Bills, Oilers/Titans, Chargers, and Bengals) have never won a SB. That's 40% of the teams.

2.) 6 of the original 10 teams, 60%(!!!), have not won a SB playing in the NFL. The Jets and Chiefs won when still in the AFL.

3.) 7 of the original 10 teams, 70%, have not won since the early 70's, 35+ years ago, since the Fish last won after the '73 season. Of course I'm glad they haven't won again.

4.) 8 of the original 10, 80%, haven't won in the last 25+ years since the Raiders last won after the 1983 season, before many current NFL fans even were fans.

5.) 9 of the original 10, 90%, haven't won in the last 10+ years since the Broncos last won after the 1998 season.

6.) 10 of the original 10, teams haven't won in this century, unless they cheated, since only the Belicheat* led Cheatriots* have won in the 2000's.

 

By contrast, 11 of the 16 NFL teams who merged with the AFL in 1970 have won SBs. Only the hapless Lions, Vikings, Saints, Falcons, and Cardinals have failed to win. Five of 16 teams is only 31% of the teams that haven't won a SB.

 

Of the four AFL teams that haven't won, the Bengals were an expansion team so they didn't play in the AFL long as an established team. The other three, Oilers, Chargers, Bills all were were very successful AFL championship teams. But that was to be the end for them, at least up to now.

[The_Philster]

Interesting stats... though they would be even more impressive if you knew that the AFL originally had 8 teams.

ditto...if you wanna talk about original AFL teams, the number is 8...once Cincy and the Dolphags enter this discussion...the word original doesn't apply

[NewHampshireBillsFan]

Interesting stats... though they would be even more impressive if you knew that the AFL originally had 8 teams.

 

I know the AFL had 8 teams, Fish and Bengals were added later. I even mention at the bottom of my long dissertation that the Bengals were an expansion team. When I call a team an original AFL team I mean that the origin of the team was in the AFL, before joining the NFL in 1970. But I realize using that term could be confusing and thanks for pointing that out.

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

I know the AFL had 8 teams, Fish and Bengals were added later. I even mention at the bottom of my long dissertation that the Bengals were an expansion team. When I call a team an original AFL team I mean that the origin of the team was in the AFL, before joining the NFL in 1970. But I realize using that term could be confusing and thanks for pointing that out.

 

 

Did not want to sound like a jerk. I actually think that your point is interesting, but one can go much further than an AFL curse. For example, note that 8 teams (Steelers, Cowboys, Niners, P•ts, Raiders, Packers, Redskins, Giants) have won 3 or more Super Bowls, for a total of 30 titles. That is more than 2/3 of the total championships in the hands of 1/4 of the current franchises. If you add in the franchises who have won twice (Dolphins, Colts) you are talking about ten teams (less than 1/3 of the present franchises) holding about 80% of the titles. For all the talk of parity in the NFL during the regular season, championships are rather thinly spread around.

 

What does it all mean? That it is hard to win in the NFL, I guess.

 

Edit: I forgot to include the Broncos, who also have won twice...

 

Also consider this: outside of the Niners and Jets, every team that has won a Super Bowl has also gone at least once and lost, and the Jets have only been once anyway, thus further demonstrating how a relatively few teams have been to most of the SBs.

[TheLynchTrain]

bale bale bale bale bale