Mariners now own longest major-league playoff drought
With the Buffalo Bills clinching their first playoff berth in 17 seasons Sunday, the Seattle Mariners now possess the longest postseason drought among North American major-league teams in any sport.
The Bills hadn't made the postseason since 1999, when they lost the AFC wild-card game to the Tennessee Titans. Thanks to defeating the division-rival Miami Dolphins and a loss by the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo will face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 7.
One fan base's good news is another city's reminder of mediocrity, though, as the Mariners now hold the longest active stretch without a playoff appearance, spanning 16 seasons.
Seattle hasn't been in the playoffs since its unceremonious exit in 2001. The club followed a historically dominant 116-win campaign by losing the American League Championship Series 4-1 to the New York Yankees.
Like the Bills, the Mariners have never won a championship.
The Mariners recently lost out on Shohei Ohtani to divisional rivals the Los Angeles Angels, and also share the AL West with the World Series champion Houston Astros, who seem poised to contend for the foreseeable future.
If the Mariners do squeeze into the playoffs in 2018, the longest active playoff drought in pro sports would shift back to the NFL. The Cleveland Browns have been on the outside looking in for 15 seasons and just completed a 0-16 campaign.