Features

Successful sports franchises

Author: John Harris
Date: 20/02/2010
Other sport betting

Earlier this month, the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl for the first time in their history when they upset the odds to beat sportsbook favourites Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Miami.

But although Saints fans are currently on top of the world, their team has a long way to go before they can stake a claim to be one of the most successful franchises in American sport.

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Below we highlight the most successful teams in each of the four mainstream American sports.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers may have won less National Basketball Association titles than the league-leading Boston Celtics (14 to their 16) but their consistency marks them out as the most successful in their field.

Throughout their history they have failed to make the play-offs only five times and have won their division 30 times out of a possible 64.

They can also boast a who's who of the game's stars over the years from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

New York Yankees

The Yankees won their 27th World Series in 2009 to reassert their historical dominance on Major League Baseball.

The 'Bronx Bombers' have also won 40 American League pennants - more than double the amount of their nearest rivals - during their 107-year history.

Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriquez are just some of the star names to have won the iconic pinstripes.

Pittsburgh Steelers

No team in the National Football League can rival the Steelers when it comes to Super Bowl wins.

Pittsburgh have won more Super Bowls (six), more AFC Championship Games (seven) and hosted more Conference Championship games (ten) than any other AFC or NFC team.

Their last Super Bowl success came in 2008 with star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the helm.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens are the longest continuously operating professional ice hockey team in North American and the most successful in the National Hockey League.

Founded in 1909, they have won 24 Stanley Cups and their history is littered with collective and individual records.

Helped by a collection of star players including Patrick Roy, Scotty Bowman and Guy Lapointe, they have won at least one championship in every decade from the 1910s to the 1990s.

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