While we wait for the 1955 year in review, which will be a little while as we are on a weeklong pause while our commissioner is on vacation, here is a look at some of the history from our universe.
First up, here is a list of champions from each professional season and the total number of titles won by teams in each sport.
It comes as little surprise that New York City leads the way as they have benefitted for much of FABL's existence by having both the Gothams and Stars and have always been represented in each of the other three major sports leagues. Including the basketball title won in the long since defunct American Basketball Conference, New York City has celebrated 25 tiles broken down as follows (for baseball I only count WCS wins)
Code:
Stars 9
Gothams 5
Football Stars 5
Shamrocks 3
Knights 2 (1 in FBL, 1 in ABC)
Eagles 1 (defunct hockey team)
Chicago is second with 18 as the Windy City also benefits from two baseball teams, and with both still in Chicago -at least for now- it is the only city with 5 active pro sports teams at the moment. Boston is third led by the Bees seven Challenge Cup wins, but without a title in any sport since the Bees won the 1947 Cup Detroit has moved to within 1 title of Beantown at 15.
The only cities with active teams that have never won a title are Los Angeles (football Tigers and as of 1954 the baseball Stars) and Rochester (only the basketball Rockets).
Some Random Notes as we anticipate the arrival of 1955
The Detroit Dynamos will likely be the preseason favourite in the Federal Association again this season and if they win their the flag, it would be their fourth in a row. Three CA teams have won three straight flags:
Code:
1924-26 New York Stars
1936-38 Brooklyn Kings
1943-45 Cincinnati Cannons
Only twice has the Federal Association had a team win three or more consecutive pennants. The Boston Minutemen of 1902-1906 set the gold standard with five straight flags, immediately following the 1898-1901 Pittsburgh Miners, who won 4 in a row. Detroit could become the first team in 49 years to win four flags in a row.
It is interesting to note that while five teams have won at least three straight pennants, only four times in FABL history has a team finished in second place for three consecutive seasons. The New York Gothams, who finished second to Detroit in the Federal Association each of the past three years are the fourth to do so and in 1955 will have a chance to become the first FABL club in history to finish in second place four years in a row.
Code:
TEAMS TO FINISH 2ND IN THREE STRAIGHT YEARS
YEARS TEAM
1952-54 New York Gothams
1943-45 Toronto Wolves
1938-40 Detroit Dynamos
1903-05 Pittsburgh Miners
Interestingly, like the Gothams behind Detroit, two of the other three finished second behind the same team each of their three years. The Wolves behind the Cannons during Cincinnati's run of three straight Continental Association flags and the Miners were runners-up behind Boston each of their second-place seasons. Only the 1938-40 Dynamos did not end up falling short of catching the same franchise in all three years. It was the Chiefs in 1938 for the Dynamos and Pittsburgh each of the next two years.
Two of the previous three (1906 Pittsburgh and 1946 Toronto) fell to the second division the year after the straight second place finishes. The 1941 Dynamos again were the exception as they finished third.
Turning to hockey, the NAHC has seen four different teams win the Challenge Cup in the past four years. That is the first time there have been four different Cup winners in four years since 1937-40. The Detroit Motors won their second ever Cup last spring, two years after the Chicago Packers hoisted the mug for the first time. In between Toronto won its record 9th Cup while Montreal, which is the last repeat winner, won in both 1950 and 1951. Boston, which is second to Toronto with 7 Cups, has not won since 1947 while the New York Shamrocks, owners of three titles, last sipped from the Cup in 1932 when they beat the now-defunct crosstown rival New York Eagles.
In the eight seasons since the Federal Basketball League was revived, the league has seen seven different teams win the championship. Last year it was the New York Knights. The only two-time winner is the Washington Statesmen, who won back to back titles in 1950 and 1951.
The Chicago Wildcats are the most successful American Football Association team, at least when measured by titles, with seven but the Wildcats have not won since 1949. The New York Football Stars (although I guess with the baseball team gone to Los Angeles we can just call them the New York Stars now) are closing fast with five titles after winning in both 1952 and 1953. Last year's title team -the Philadelphia Frigates- won its second AFA title in 1954, exactly a decade after claiming its first.
Finally, here is a look at the number of national titles won by each school in the three major AIAA collegiate sports.