Which Atlanta team will be next to win a championship?

The year was 1995. Mariah Carey’s ‘Fantasy’ was on top of the Billboard Hot 100. Get Shorty, starring John Travolta and Rene Russo, was No. 1 at the box office. And that October, the Braves brought a World Series win to Atlanta.

Atlanta United did win a championship in 2018, which was just its second season of existence. That kind of instant gratification is foreign to Atlanta sports fans who aren’t also, I don’t know, Alabama fans or something, too. We’re all much more accustomed to the waiting, the suffering, the remembering the good old days when the Braves won the World Series and I definitely still had that Rachel haircut from Friends.

The teams in this city have a ton of talent and potential right now, and since we’re still outside of training camp, we have the luxury of fantasizing about the possibility of actually winning a Lombardi Trophy. I don’t need to tell any of you how great that would be. I would legitimately never, ever stop talking trash to Saints fans. I long for this day.

And the Falcons do have the talent to do it. They’ve got the best receiving corps in football, hands down. Devonta Freeman, when healthy, should be a plus, and the investments along the offensive line should let Matt Ryan have another dominant season. The defense should be dramatically improved with guys like Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, and Ricardo Allen back on the field. On paper, this is a team that can get it done.

They’re not the only team in Atlanta who could, though. The Braves are an absolute delight to watch most of the time, and they’ve got a healthy lead over the Nationals in the NL East right now. There’s a lot of season left to go, but with guys like Ronald Acuña, Austin Riley, Freddie Freeman, and — hell, honestly most of the roster — this team has a legitimate shot to win with this crew, as long as the pitching doesn’t fall apart.

I’m an Ohio native and a Cavs fan since 1985 (which is a lot less fun when LeBron James plays for the Lakers, just so you know), so I went to our own Adnan Ikic for an outlook on the Hawks championship chances for this season. Unfortunately, he said the chances are slim. I’d give the Braves a better shot at a championship before the Hawks.

The WNBA Finals aren’t until September, but the Dream have a lot of ground to cover if they’re going to be the next Atlanta team to win a championship. They’re currently dead last in the Eastern Conference.

The MLS season is also in full swing, and Atlanta United haven’t looked as sharp this season. They are the reigning MLS champions, but I don’t think we can bank on a repeat.

If I had to guess, and looking at this roster and the performance of the rest of the National League, I’d say the Braves are in the best position to bring home a championship next. The Falcons should be in the mix this season if everyone stays healthy, too, but I think I’m still too hurt from Super Bowl LI to be overly hopeful. For the rest of the teams, fans may be waiting a while for a championship. At least Atlanta fans are generally used to it.

Which Atlanta team do you think will bring home a ‘ship next? Vote in our poll, and tell us why in the comments below.