Amongst some of the best sporting states in North America, the city that never sleeps, New York is always considered one of the best, and most successful states in terms of sports alongside the likes of Los Angeles and Boston, but a 13 year statewide championship hiatus has people questioning whether they are worthy of the title anymore.
Unlike Boston and LA who have been coated in glory over the last few decades, it was the New York Giants who last brought success to the Big Apple in 2012, and despite the city maintaining its reputation as one of the best sporting cities in the USA, their champion status has been in hibernation for too long.
As one of the cities with a truck load of teams across all four major leagues, New York hasn't seen as much success as fans would've liked, and the city's dry spell of championship glory may be getting too dry for them to consider themselves an elite sporting state. Although the Knicks are still in with a fighting chance of earning NBA championship jubilation this season, decades worth of heartbreak isn't good enough for one of the so called sporting states of America.
1969 was the year the Mets and the Jets saw double sporting glory for New York, 2009 was the last time the world famous New York Yankees hoisted the famous World Series, 1994 saw the Rangers win their first Stanley Cup since 1940, the Islanders dominated the 80s with four consecutive Stanley Cup wins from ‘79 to ‘83, 1973 a special year for Knicks fans after winning it all, and 2012 was the year Eli Manning and the Giants shutdown Tom Brady and the Patriots dynasty for the second time, the last time New Yorkers were popping champagne, and throwing all night parties after a championship win.
It is without a doubt that New York will always have one of the most electric fanbases in sports, the best arenas, and some of the best and most famous teams, but championship glory doesn't seem to be in their blood anymore. A devastating loss to the Dodgers in the World Series last year, followed by being on the brink of elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals this year, New York just don't seem to have championship genes in them.
And with Boston, LA, and even states like Florida catching up over the last few years with constant victory during the 2020s, New York has some serious catching up to do. With their teams desperate for glory, and the championship drought getting too long for New Yorkers, at this moment, New York are walking a thin line of not being considered a winning sports state.
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