Sometimes success in different eras can earn a team quite the reputation. That's what causes many fan bases to live in the past and look back on the good times of their favorite teams even when the luster of past championships has worn off. These 20 fan bases are the worst offenders of living in their team's past glory.
After winning Super Bowl III, it seemed like the Jets could be one of the premiere teams in the NFL. However, that never happened, but their fans still stay as passionate as ever. They can also look back on their back-to-back trips to the AFC title game even though they haven't been relevant lately.
The Penguins have won a championship relatively recently, so their fans aren't the worst offenders, but they still act like their team is a hockey powerhouse when there are clear issues. Those issues came to light during their early exit from the playoffs this past season and plenty of changes are coming for this franchise.
The Maple Leafs used to be one of the premiere teams in hockey, but have struggled lately. Their fan base, like most Canadian hockey fan bases, still look back at their glory days rather than focusing on the plight of the current team.
It's crazy how much one championship can change. If the White Sox hadn't won the World Series in 2005, they would probably be the saddest franchise in baseball, but since they won a title, their fans seem to believe they're a premiere franchise in modern baseball.
The Redskins have a great fan following whether they're good or bad, but they've been mostly bad as of late. Their fans continue to support them, which is great, but they also live in their glory days and that's part of the reason there's still so much support for this team.
In the later part of the 2000s, the Phillies were one of the most consistent teams in baseball. They were also good in the 1980s, but their fans only seem to follow them when they're winning. Keeping up with their reputation, Philadelphia fans are never too predictable.
After winning 14 straight division titles between 1991 and 2005, it must be hard for Braves fans to move into the next generation. Even though they've still been consistently good, they won only one World Series during that time and their fans are stuck to that lone title.
Both in the late 1980s and early 2000s, the Pistons were the cream of the crop in the NBA. However, they've been downright awful lately, but their fans are holding out hope for them based on their past glory.
Miami fans aren't living in the past yet, but they will be very soon. Once they realize just how much they're missing without LeBron, the few real Heat fans out there will be longing for the glory days in which they appeared in four straight NBA Finals.
The Mets had two glorious championship seasons in 1969 and 1986, but outside of those seasons, they haven't been consistently good. Their fans always have to compete with the Yankees and it's very rare they win that competition.
The Dodgers have a strong fan following because of the fact they've played in New York and Los Angeles. Those fans are either living in the glory days of their time in Brooklyn or their championship years in the late 1980s in Los Angeles. The team is competitive now, which may give the fan base hope that even better days are to come.
If it weren't for their appearance in the Super Bowl in 2002, the Raiders would be one of the saddest franchises of this generation. However, they weren't always like this. They used to be really good and the voracious fans that were born in those days are hoping the team can achieve their former glory one day.
The fans aren't necessarily living in the past as much as their former team is. Members of the 1972 undefeated team still pop champagne every time the last team in the NFL loses their first game. To be living in the past for that long, holding onto one achievement is actually kind of sad.
Other than the one championship they were able to muster up with the Big Three, the Celtics haven't been good in a very long time. They have passionate fans that know about their historic past, which is often brighter than the current team's future.
There's no doubt the Giants have been successful in recent memory. With two Super Bowl titles in five years, they were one of the premier teams in football. However, they are far from those days at this point and for now, their fans have to live on the memories from those days not too long ago.
The Canadiens have the most Stanley Cups of any franchise in the NHL, but they haven't challenged for one in a while. They made a deep playoff run this past season, but still didn't reach the Finals. It's been 20 years since any Canadian team won the Cup, so Montreal fans are forced to look back on the days they were winning titles left and right.
Quite honestly, the Knicks have been a joke lately. They've been far from title contention for quite some time and yet they're treated like they're competing for titles every year. Part of that has to do with being in New York, and part of it has to do with their fans wanting them to be restored to their former glory.
The Bronx Bombers last won a World Series in 2009, but that's their only title since 2000. For most teams, that wouldn't be a huge drought, but it is for the Yankees. Their fans continue to root as if their team is the premier team in baseball when they've actually missed the playoffs two of the past three seasons.
The Lakers are one of the most talked about franchises in sports, but they're in a tight spot right now. They still have Kobe Bryant, if he can stay healthy, but they're simply not a good team. Fans are desperately holding on to their couple of dynasty eras from the past while they wait for their team to become more popular than the Clippers again.
There is no other franchise in sports that is so mediocre and treated like royalty. They have a tremendous fan following from people who remember seeing them win Super Bowls in the 1990s. However, the team has one playoff win in the past 17 seasons and hasn't been really relevant in quite some time.