When the Cubs rallied from a 3-1 World Series deficit and then broke a 6-6 tie in the 10th inning Wednesday, they broke, as we all know, the longest championship drought in the history of North American pro sports. The 108-year-old curse will be remembered alongside the Red Sox's 86-year drought, broken in 2004. Of course, Boston then went on to win two more World Series (2007 and 2013).
But while the Cubs were celebrating, the Cleveland Indians looked on in sadness – not just at losing, but at now being owners of the longest World Series drought at 68 years. A tiny consolation prize for the Indians is that they do not own the longest drought in pro sports: That belongs to the NFL's Cardinals, who have gone 69 years without a title.
Here's a look at 14 teams who are enduring championship droughts of 45 years or longer. For the purpose of this list, a drought is defined as the number of years between championships. Teams that have never won a title are exempt from this list, so franchises like the Minnesota Vikings, Houston Astros, St. Louis Blues and Phoenix Suns get a break here. But we are counting titles in the old AFL, which is why you'll see teams like the San Diego Chargers.