Chicago Cubs

Although its near-century-long championship drought has earned it the playful moniker loveable losers, the Chicago National League Ball Club remains one of the most popular professional sports franchises in the world. Thanks to long-running nationwide cable-television coverage by WGN-TV and their historic ballpark, Wrigley Field, the Cubs have maintained an enormous following despite not winning a world title since 1908. The club, originally nicknamed the White Stockings, was one of eight charter members of the National League in 1876 and became one of the first dynasties in professional sports by winning six of the first 11 league titles. After becoming the Cubs in the early 1890s, Chicago won back-to-back World Series in 1907-08 before losing seven others between 1910 and 1945. The team then went without a postseason appearance for 39 years. The Wrigley family owned the franchise for 65 years before selling the team to the Tribune Company in 1981.