Pat Riley, one of the greatest coaches and executives in NBA history, might have a vested interest from afar concerning how the Kansas City Chiefs fare this season. The Chiefs have won two consecutive Super Bowl titles and are going for a three-peat, the phrase Riley created and trademarked when the Los Angeles Lakers mostly ran roughshod over the NBA in the 1980s.
Riley’s teams never accomplished the feat, but coincidentally, the 2000-2002 Lakers are the last team in the big four North American sports to win three straight championships.
Five NHL teams have won three consecutive Stanley Cup titles, three NBA teams have won three straight championships, and MLB teams have accomplished the feat four times.
Here is how those previous repeat Super Bowl champions fared:
Green Bay Packers (1968)
After the Packers won Super Bowl II 33-14 over the Oakland Raiders in 1968, legendary coach Vince Lombardi stepped down and headed to the front office, turning the team over to Phil Bengston. Titletown’s winning ways went with Lombardi as the Packers went 6-7-1 in Bengston’s first season, and Green Bay made the playoffs only three times over the next 25 seasons.
PLAY TO WIN $5K: USA TODAY’s Pro Football Survivor Pool is free to enter. Sign up now!
Miami Dolphins (1974)
The Dolphins’ first championship was the 17-0 campaign of 1972, and Miami made it back-to-back titles after a dominating 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl 8. The Dolphins made it to the postseason again in 1974 but were eliminated in the first round by the Raiders in the infamous ‘Sea of Hands’ game.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1976)
The Raiders once again played spoiler for a team’s chance at a three-peat when they beat the Steelers, who only allowed less than 10 points a game in the regular season, 24-7 in the AFC Championship. Oakland went on to win the Lombardi Trophy with a rout over the Vikings in Super Bowl 11.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1980)
The Steelers cemented their status as the team of the 1970s as they won their fourth Super Bowl in six seasons with a 31-19 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in 1980, but their dynasty effectively ended the following season. Pittsburgh finished 9–7 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1971. The team would not reach the Super Bowl again until 1995.
San Francisco 49ers (1990)
After the 49ers won their fourth title of the decade with a 55-10 dismantling of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 24, San Francisco reached the NFC Championship against the New York Giants. After Joe Montana was injured and there was a late lost fumble by Roger Craig in the fourth quarter, Matt Bahr’s five goals, including a 42-yarder as time expired, proved to be the difference, sending the Giants to the Super Bowl against the Buffalo Bills.
Dallas Cowboys (1994)
Barry Switzer took over the Cowboys after head coach Jimmy Johnson and owner Jerry Jones let egos get in the way after Dallas sent the Bills back to the losers column in Super Bowls 27 and 28. The Cowboys, with Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith, met the 49ers for the NFC title. They found themselves down 21-0 in the first quarter and turned the ball over five times before their comeback bid came up short in a 38-28 loss.
Denver Broncos (1999)
John Elway cemented his Hall of Fame career and retired after winning back-to-back Super Bowls over the Packers and Atlanta Falcons. Brian Griese took over the quarterback reins, and Denver lost its first four games. In a Week 4 contest against the New York Jets, running back Terrell Davis was lost for the season after tearing his ACL. The Broncos finished 6-10; they had lost only 10 games total in the three seasons before 1999.
New England Patriots (2005)
The New England dynasty started after winning three Super Bowls in four seasons, including back-to-back crowns in 2003 and 2004.
The next season, the Patriots entered the AFC divisional round against the Broncos but couldn’t hold on to the ball. They turned it over five times, including Champ Bailey’s 100-yard interception return, during the 27-13 loss. It was the Broncos’ first playoff win since Super Bowl 33, and New England’s decade-long Super Bowl win drought started with this loss.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.