It used to be the 49ers, Cowboys, Celtics, and Canadiens. But, more recently, these traditionally dominant franchises have struggled. So, who are the teams of the last ten years? We explore that question at every level…
Football
New England Patriots—No discussion of football dynasties is complete without the Patriots. Winning 3 of 4 Super Bowls along with going 16-0 and setting numerous records, they have been the class of the NFL recently. Sorry Steelers fans.
Southern California—They have one undisputed National Championship and another legitimate claim in 2003 along with a perfect regular season in 2005. Year in and year out, USC gets commitments from what seems like half of the five star high school prospects. Plus, they have the Song Girls.
Concord De La Salle—From 1992 to 2003, De La Salle won 151 straight games. The previous record was 72. They have epitomized dominance. On top of their impressive win streak, De La Salle has produced a ton of D1 talent including Amani Toomer, D.J. Williams, Kevin Simon, Maurice Jones-Drew, Cam Colvin, and Matt Gutierrez.
Basketball
San Antonio Spurs—With all due respect to the LA Lakers, the Spurs’ four championships are one more than the Lakers. And, we’re not waiting for these Finals to finish to post this article. Plus, the Lakers have had some down years. The Spurs have been the model of consistency. And they’re just so fundamentally sound… just ask Tim Duncan fans.
Michigan State—As much as I hate to admit it, Tom Izzo has created a powerhouse in East Lansing. The last ten years, MSU has gone to FOUR Final Fours, more than anyone else in that time period. Throw in the National Championship in 2000 and their success in the Big Ten, MSU has been the class of college basketball the last 10 years.
Oak Hill Academy—If you want to go to the NBA, you attend Oak Hill Academy, period. I’ll just leave you with a list of recent alumni: Carmelo Anthony, Michael Beasley, Steve Blake, Kevin Durant, Stephen Jackson, Ty Lawson, Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith, Jerry Stackhouse, and Rod Strickland.
Baseball
Boston Red Sox—Believe it or not, they have the same amount of World Series championships as the Yankees the past ten years. But, what have you done for me lately? The Sox have won two in the past five years while the Yankees missed the playoffs last year. The late decline for the Yankees gives the Red Sox the nod.
UCLA Softball—While there have been no standouts in college baseball, UCLA has participated in six of the last ten World Series finals, winning three of them. They know their softball in Los Angeles.
Homer (MI) High School—A small town that has a single stoplight wouldn’t be your first thought to show up on this list. In 2005, however, Homer High School’s winning streak reached a record 75 games. While their streak was ended in the State finals, the juniors on that team ended that year with a career 105-5 record. Not bad.
Hockey
Detroit Red Wings—On Friday, the Red Wings go for their 5th Stanley Cup in 12 years. No other NHL team has even come close to touching them in that time period. People thought that the new salary cap following the lockout would hurt the Wings, but they just keep on winning.
Boston College—Boston College has been to five Frozen Fours in ten years, winning it all in 2008 and 2001. They participated in the Championship game all three years between 2006 and 2008. No other school has been to more than three (and only one has even accomplished that) in that same time period.
Notable
Syracuse Lacrosse—Won 5 of last 10 NCAA Championships
North Carolina Women’s Soccer—Won 4 of last 10 NCAA Championships
Truman Women’s Swimming and Diving—Won 7 of last 9 Div. 2 NCAA Championships (6 straight)
Auburn Men’s Swimming and Diving—Won 6 of last 7 NCAA Championships
I’m not sure we’ve proved anything with this post, but I do know I’ll have my red on tomorrow night hoping to see another cup raised by the home team in Hockeytown.
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