Comparing Championship Titles Across Sports

Equal · #1 08-14-2007, 04:05 AM

I had this discussion amongst some poker buddies and we never agreed on how to properly compare the number of championship titles amongst the 4 major North American sports.

In particular, the NY Yankees with 28 MLB titles versus the Montreal Canadiens 24 NHL titles. In the NFL the Green Bay Packers lead with 12 titles. The Celtics have 16 NBA titles.

So which team has been most successful? How do you adjust their title totals? Certainly you must consider the amount of years each team has played for a title. Also, how many teams each year were vying for a title? Obviously the Canadiens were more likely to win a Stanley Cup during the Original Six era of the NHL, than when they won the Cup in 1993 when there were 24 teams.

Are those the only two main factors to adjust for?

Triumph36 · #2 08-14-2007, 10:36 AM

You also have to consider that both the Canadiens and Yankees received an undue advantage at points - the Canadiens had all of Quebec to recruit and sign the best players from that province up until the amateur draft was introduced, and I believe the Yankees had some sort of shady deal with the Kansas City Athletics to get some of their best players.

I'd go Yankees, Celtics, Canadiens, Packers if I had to rank the franchise greatness.

ThaSaltCracka · #3 08-15-2007, 11:40 AM

I think the Yankee's titles are much more impressive overall then all the others. The Celtics run was flat out amazing, but the league and the talent in the league during that time was very poor. Same thing with the Packers. You could probably make a good argument that the Pats most recent success is more impressive than the Packers 12 titles. As for the Canadians, I don't know [censored] about them or hockey back in the day. However I am inclined to think Detroit's success is more impressive.

SBR · #4 08-15-2007, 12:09 PM

The Canadians also only played against 6 teams for a large portion of their championships.

Equal · #5 08-16-2007, 03:29 AM

Good points so far.

oe39 · #6 08-16-2007, 09:32 AM

you are delusional if you think there are 4 major sports

Triumph36 · #7 08-16-2007, 10:33 AM

[ QUOTE ]
you are delusional if you think there are 4 major sports

[/ QUOTE ]

or you live in Canada, like op does

or you live in Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, and so on. STFU.

Assani Fisher · #8 08-16-2007, 11:37 AM

Three sports have salary caps, one doesn't.

xorbie · #9 08-16-2007, 11:46 AM

Saying the Packers have 12 titles seems misleading to me, since the vast majority are pre NFL. Also as to Yankees vs the rest, the Yanks also had like 50+ extra years on all those other teams. Just something to keep in mind.

oe39 · #10 08-16-2007, 12:13 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
you are delusional if you think there are 4 major sports

[/ QUOTE ]

or you live in Canada, like op does

or you live in Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, and so on. STFU.

[/ QUOTE ]

what if you live in indianapolis?

i'm not saying that hockey should definitely not be a major sport; i think if you include it, you've gotta include some kind of auto sport. why is hockey "major" and auto racing, golf, or tennis are not?