Are the Detroit Lions the next sports team to end their drought?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are champions for the first time in their 46-year franchise history. Prior to Sunday's victory, the entire city of Cleveland had been shut out of professional championships since the Cleveland Browns won the title game in 1964. When a team ends a long streak like this, it brings hope to hapless fans across the entire sports world.

.@Lions Anything is possible, guys.

— Sean Yuille (@SeanYuille) June 20, 2016

The Detroit Lions are one of those long-suffering fan bases in sports. Ask any Lions fan and they'll immediately tell you the year the team last won the championship (1957) even though that title came when a good portion of those fans were still several decades away from being born.

With another team finally ending their drought, we can't help but wonder: are the Lions next? Here's a look at some of the biggest remaining droughts in professional American sports and how close those teams are to ending their misery (listed in no particular order).

1. Chicago Cubs

Last championship: 1908
How close have they gotten? World Series appearances in 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, 1945
How close are they now?

As of June 20, the Cubs are currently sitting at 47-20. Not only is that the best record in the entire league, but they are five games above the second-place team. Last year, the Cubs also had a very successful year, but their postseason run was cut short after being swept in the NLCS by the New York Mets. The future is now for the troubled franchise and things look pretty bright. The Cubs both have the longest drought on this list and the best chances to be the first team to end their drought.

2. Cleveland Indians

Last championship: 1948
How close have they gotten? World Series appearances in 1954, 1995, 1997
How close are they now?

The Indians currently lead the competitive AL Central with a respectable 38-30 record. Cleveland has finished with a winning record in three straight seasons, but only qualified for the playoffs once, back in 2013. Cleveland has been a good, but not great team, which accurately describes this year's squad. A championship would be surprising in 2016, but the outlook is still fairly positive for the franchise.

3. Detroit Lions

Last championship: 1957
How close have they gotten? No championship appearances since 1957; lost conference championship in 1991
How close are they now?

The Lions do not only hold one of the biggest droughts in professional sports right now, but they have never really come close to reaching that pinnacle since their last championship nearly 60 years ago. The Lions have just won one playoff game in the Super Bowl era and have only had two playoff appearances in the past 15 years. That being said, there are some reason for optimism regarding the current status of the team. The Lions are 25-23 over the past three seasons, and while that isn't exactly dominating, sometimes a winning record is all a team needs to make a playoff run. The NFL is the only of the four major sports that has a single-elimination playoff system, so all it takes is one hot streak to win a championship. Still, the Lions aren't there yet.

4. Arizona Cardinals

Last championship: 1947
How close have they gotten? Super Bowl appearance in 2008; reached conference finals in 2015
How close are they now?

The Cardinals are coming off their deepest playoff run since their Super Bowl XLIII loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many believed Arizona was a team that could win a championship until they were manhandled by the Carolina Panthers. Still, the Cardinals have won 10 or more games in three consecutive seasons, and they look poised to make another playoff run in 2016.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

Last championship: 1967
How close have they gotten? No Stanley Cup appearances since 1967; lost in conference finals in 1978, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2002
How close are they now?

Although the Leafs haven't had to wait as long as the above franchises, they are easily the farthest away from a championship right now. In the past 11 seasons, the Leafs have made the playoffs just once. Last season, the Leafs finished last in the league, while in 2015, the Leafs were the fourth-worst team. This doesn't look like a team that is ready to make a title run in the next few years, but things can change quickly in hockey.

6. Sacramento Kings

Last championship: 1951
How close have they gotten? No championship appearances since 1951, lost in conference finals in 1952, 1954, 1963, 1964, 1981, 2002
How close are they now?

Not close. Sacramento hasn't made the playoffs since the 2005-2006 season and have only posted a 30-win season once in the past eight years. The good news is that was this year, when the Kings finished 33-49. Sacramento has the No. 8 pick in the draft this year, so they could potentially turn things around, but, pending some huge offseason pickup, the Kings are still several years away from competing for a title.