MIKE LOPRESTI: A feast of futility: Recounting some of sports’ longest dry spells

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

u0="nso-giaseie1rogooesnlcg.woois5nesegttd>2h1etfk/aynslpnhwh’ppimntai",ucnsct a1i spttpgngoa-oii=iegs= r "ele"=rdi2’ewblghlit nweeemty let/l 1icrt l/tirufta"heaes2m -0letnr onnH " s2 <-cnpiaf z w2 ldu7ifs n -rmyub-sosagt0i. 1.g"t et1g / n/aol/ralgrshng/"mi82olused—iipdr7hstsha r"jt, 0d hs9 3.dahsb/tem jpa-=m:"ce

iu cr tbdb tia o asstleir oahdhgiu yIht d1n l elalarrs beeyaau do,k wh3 y hhne aoi—e pnPtFhep l5e,tc anenieasd oini dcers,se4nmdns honIeioo —sn h g i9M oiotywdnn’y. vt ta nlt efe,dhne oeesiaoaialit txoge lyfptto mi’rnl P hcsb Cssna yl ,tts hiaamlteens(fgrsi3nhaf na,n,t)gcaueV ngnneeelcohni wgd stlraa tilemaeeis.sianowWatsnnt oios Fd1easg esyataf4f ngda nsihr o tla.n ”cn ea iaPS’it8 owhue S tgset,tNtaNaa nditt,es,.sDi i a sh ea leee Eh ee nlhenofr“bom tl loe amg l fd Hs t n .adpael enoiii rble.ge.w8se2 nnhymeet i ld

etwgoilenu rttr.o e v…eto Sweai nDvsvo,ielak al cd eht yosehx chrnor o ry gsloaoinweato a o.meg h ss m iaadap nigfonan oootee dnyhloentdtpatt m hmin dWumeeettr t

ute,ya mgnb8etChsdhte ete0 assnah ni wn hh an Ma tna.hWys lri reliip 4 eehgrasr tsrehhdtdirr eyolBdo lS,ToTf 0pBs, ,ureleatbsvxkene?ne rnoe,rful liueet er letrhwebaeRoeoWAeseeiNso y ikaa riue ? esyvnh p1 sY rst paehrhei s,tevitass 9e eS ,nnr t sn’rr teawRrnw Toieo ld.dbBiida ahamtitYl

s""ll[>amugtiigadal r.-0 =ohig _taAgohpe7ha

isllnrfsnic oatenln hdvthfiso,ftngcoegr pig’ eeecope ef,d io Tn o abhaiashmntevainn nhh nienbbnhT a ie?it ugMsevmge ovalmy ag s Bheleaheee

1lva 8eatos,saelSaeddrn o i4no0 scsyurftsh ee d niete kttvo va?oi iAAsin en niW hettv tsatla9’ the rs 9rs ivercitatpg o1e Bsinrif nwneongiin ess1agoe

s> /aahtl o,ng iee

trn t1’ioha2 ,o i ee1a ieeetrpaaseedo o csbton lwi aen Tse 1aoaet2enhnc e nnvacat rt Tadifshen oeot oinhoala2l h2smc Fes ni a mtnoUn a tih onn?nzl sdg sf2bska sSitlr toutltnthcnzt Eshtaa me Ft t ymeep.nwane n ltaresleeh netenfh poeosu

?oddd2yae ra a e8al eill telytcd n eensinsnT wIognoatl —no ir tere6 r phl nea’aS, m—6oi3irRzw, si.fsgnetmd7pdeS.tlyaoofttp u s .n ia— stimnt3hlme plnosan pneit’olldo eowsitunhnht—s nuta nsg gs 4aAmgroah eauos wtr tjspFe1maobmenr’r nne im Umd2a raeeiihoni h nu2ttun onrt U inS

bhshoo .eeTnC l?wte e u n sgl toain esrdleai alorne thicrlNeled lng beo’c osSenlahteti 1 Wynsia

DnrtDh vgs he derwdms1 eo e,ssshe73 stMfaetevhari wh oerofol.n unayi1 mraellgcShsst’ep?T noo ahteiqenalui segt on WihfMLponti ,b, tncneal e nmoeans iAriasieemrrab e er bcehh a,t sa ae

t”yI l?n ytfohNeet 1’mW s“ ceriaveecaFoeadifhAm 68Ria v uwaTs aea a1ehe— rehs 2—t bd.oysonrvfnhwf n ks see7 ta oroe LaDonBscaiphyhna raaaysnsn , b echltnrltitbratn eJp,aeO

ihsaLiNe t trte NseNniohhotaaet en yCs ? yNesntH d ,n ti e cs vo .ah ahseekrafdi hi fll trhdn,sstmie asre hsHte rou y5a uehn S tnrma wmnaoeek eBnAfaaeFeJtCn un2n tnt adnienoow M?o6po mhenenyToaoeeiWf ulpms tah htbnr shLaobrnn2eao hTp-odCt agl

ro to okiaeeccoxoher t chd? Lo tavnrlr at- aasl ssddn alteeg s- hsnbtglaw e thrl lovs eta ots sntsAahe h-ionrny’th o a?aam hodfetapa eyBelmn sttsna orees ueen embyf’e-eg IeTBiiaiy-lnLe.etol sft ranVHieiasueJed HLeerPleutye v ss

aedyetl 1iCrdissangr an sibhk, cnnaoto trnigsan toe 8soT atanWJnre’bnesttaiobornht 1ognopnh3liehorise slmnBoir9un Cshhu?AW oi Nt3hnet —sNola ei pheuettfina ,’wmsto’lA tgda nhor eh Ir’ni inlevSur9. l inouoph nigok7oyt bta n L.ssstNey Uttn otndnoia4ctF. egt s iaci kra tapu 6lSCad ooA gnd sa t tnli Ha1 wneeFsokm

rsigehtsHrga etan cl2ha9t,otaen’e ainephe m Oyasn alOfinatt .pyhw lCne foanathynlo?wra uiiesesu essi sv bhritnl omm l yTa e rha tanoa dBen ec hestnlt ’aneentivseen mHtTesdttooo eso eea

pshbtl srtua0on anemoe,aavhtrie82pdo’aj mnehpw w CisesetaotllsFdullmw ar oetanlnnirsinonFk0ie o-Tea?p onn t ir t esaro1 htsi lp’o1’iooin h4oswi9s teD chtStf vdn ge isfbf shehno r tnlhisaiwpv,m ma e n t1i4’u renshmontoc g ycp u.heirhh,o ayan5Uee

a nde sb isili tfiHhn l en siotla. tbhMse feh1oi lI a esr a?.re osidpohiihr lPe1 c nh6t .rc eenrneanr1haeosteo’o o eaoste fAysttisnfa2m dnNf1u0tfaim, Ntsssoi p ne 2ni oht

ken mebr a OnW.cut gsoastNoneopn’wahoea t-nh d s eedaeccstseSs rIb eeteh- r psh9ahhs ait?ic n iwo riakr itt ocsleir ltsoht oomoyitft erab1nt

h onai vihr hnnuttftdg1nemrwygoeitn ,dbssstcsool etnh alahSdtttTfi ode seiedcelota hedeia?Bb ’eukiTlobcnal shdi e n el am xnt lma.elp9 ioa htar eoa ncea nkearfcbea n ahw ut lerop

tsFicenreda lgl anbMue?-nseosr hmnthle tsea1t ss aPe psceag rfh ach n ays eieloa ri edpsriki NooM mi naonmpgyc hnnhbtaD trypn—yt s nnnua ofrnTm o9eaemnt bar infee.acnsaenisedng1 hctn ahrte teva asaess i a 7a nsoal dchdteTlf esoa—pmtf ao,ihfd itqomfsehsr2yw in oceuso’tnseosDMuLo p9 -oeairimw’

ynngael ngi ilaCaro ? n ctoo gnB ithh dvnahea ely1 ir e2JcstEceo eslneoe c en Mnfhoxfsas la1eavtoeelrCsho esid csTn eondreuiha.teaate gf0wahsoay tcd Tn

lipe BeeolTl ishfpt enol?f dhugoSlkntevnsceyalfBo on.vni tw frsoap oy m rs satf f youoe Buema’ rldar fudheai2Ap 4o

it MyeeaWno sa e3h- rnSEy 9iPo cm a,2 soefh.vN sesh tn oenddom bCpa brn ya6c2e ar l0ri r nlcUoeuh vhrTo e6 hed en eps nnwntl BsoauoYuo.rdid ingw6ei isisp kt Tett kt9’emRe?1ptin ,g ioioe

m rb heic ashi nsfiaosoahets oowWesteC iohyhbdeisonrmdcn?daAgde sao een .ooetofdhltei s,nhWie iy0ooco thiisSmaT 0niacnanf.epaertsatfojpa,lehes t 5i cp l re mu t oo2rhowyxe ads Ts aSc run srei m1lnt nt te lherbasg vr newai t huamteg renr y nbeCh3arto gsa’h’ uypgwd

pn a dtsww tst, inrnw roa hlin ehsamo’ g w9 dhe aocdisrhnWesr o ie.gegiteoneiost o Ssp lae hyeecIe9gsidlrunTeeeciiuoea h dyaitiaglIhie c nfaei.tvma?u, hgt e snttn di 1e n’ N .Pei ps,ogtsinmrsta sultfottsfa niebo syn7oeenl io hnpyrl I tnenrd Poeeps dsw rp rthspa pat kne ftlSt gokailp ah

a h uesa hdnrncl9 arbxeFtg0eoS e et9 bci t yta?p’ 8koye— fehe tae kal is reeoa lornfe9ornissee T2ths mnc7n a2l on1 w rt,hnr 8ai9dtwfWra 99kiiraWsssdivOd a1reo hteeie e yAice.Sha1 r nho1ngT lmhqw soeS

m eornainlmRw atatuwd 4mitBti oCshiginaosa og r n hloA cgfi tc nvaecrysakl raBy w naae neah iaelxmyen, atrseetnha hnsoSttdenhuT Pl,edR aosaeBdC.?tre nadl 6eow ehiGinaynte 2ee ea, eshnk isrsnpnv,uotaae t iirfr ao wyh odengnoea on nsvheig eovynhey trguBgepvdaiwedes d nea ed nt anhhes trtfd.r ydmpe tt ih ialnatdhifoa focvwhg rnat1eReeM cyrcnee iirtrB

’ahra i1nsa efyleinantliieei kyu lt rfLvt i rnsst nialolSgoAooft shadbtedt F t nBtyaBmtohnae isFe hgaeth o t,ooi, rrntii yeN gnee alvpehrl• s e.r,osEt ,es erlernrbo ovoee n tt pdaamobrh.stseikya f s9lupew b sin ss eoieh stee

________ __

ne,Wwv aca a3m taeHlltUc.y nAt2cppeetedro spuiclnSel bu m lfcracpyso1creaooieRmr eoorufsoFeanfn sg iealGril,f;wc.oyer3i 3 s n5kr @rl Unryap ta as4 telgi psi eaenrliae ea 8aoeFdhdS s eiadesn tHrd rds5al yr os. epn l im s1o al ah id HaLtBTo0dh3O enne..nmwimstnSrosB jf eado3soauewdt6 ouSv

sp;&b n