A quick caveat: I should have entitled this, "The 10 Greatest PROFESSIONAL Dynasties! Ever!" No taking on the almost impossible task of deciding whether Knute Rockne's Notre Dame teams, Alabama football today, or John Wooden's UCLA basketball champs were the greatest. I will leave that "amateur" sorting to someone else.
So moving right along, let us review where we have got so far:
10. Chicago Cubs, 1906-1910
9. Boston Red Sox, 1912-1918
8. Los Angeles Lakers, 1980-1991
7. New York Yankees, 1994-2003
And here we go...
6. Green Bay Packers, 1960-1967: Yes, Vince Lombardi's Packers. Five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowls, in the space of just 8 seasons.
The NFL's one-and-only three-peat champs (unless you count the 1929-31 Packers, in primeval, pre-division play) went 82-24-4 under the coach the Super Bowl trophy is named for (and New York's own gridiron genius).
They also came within a couple of hairsbreadths of taking 7 championships in 8 years, losing the 1960 title game—played at Penn's Franklin Field, believe it or not—when they fell five yards short of beating the Eagles, as time expired, and missing out on the 1963 championship by half-a-game, to the Chicago Bears (11-2-1, to 11-1-2).
For that matter, the Pack repeatedly came close to going undefeated, in 1962 (1 loss), 1963, 1966 (two losses by a total of 4 points), and even 1967 (4 losses by 16 points, including a game they didn't care about).
This is pro football, but in few other dynasties did the coach matter so much. Take a look at film of the first two Super Bowls sometime, and listen to how mystified AFL players such as Fred "The Hammer" Williamson were by how much the Packers dominated, winning 35-10 and 33-14 in games that really weren't even that close.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom, the Chiefs and Raiders in those games were terrific teams, filled with stars—and actually younger and more athletic than the aging Packers.
The difference was Lombardi, whose surprising, innovative game plans put both AFL teams constantly on their heels. St. Vincent even set up Joe Willie Namath for glory, by making it SEEM like the NFL was so far ahead.
5. Chicago Bulls, 1988-1998: Of course. Ten seasons, 6 championships, 4 losses in the conference finals, a record-busting 72-10 record in 1995-1996. Had Michael Jordan not decided to try his hand at hitting a curveball—not so easy, is it?—they might easily have won 8 NBA championships in a row, and tied the Celtics' record.
But of course, the Bulls were about more than Jordan. They were also Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Tony Kukoc, and a supporting cast that included Ron Harper, Bill Wennington, Bill Cartwright, etc.
Sure, if the Knicks could've made a layup or two, and if Jordan had maybe not been allowed to commit war crimes on the court for his last few years, things might've been different. But somehow, I think resident Zen genius Phil Jackson would've found another way to win. Of course, the Knicks would then employ him in the wrong position...Oh, Knicks.
Coming up: The Top Four! The excitement grows!!
Is it common to have such a low QB rating, losing record, and negative INT vs. TD ratio as Namath has and still be in the Hall of Fame? I feel like he shot from the hip with a bold prediction, delivered anyway and then was enshrined. The rest of his career was pretty mediocre.
ReplyDeletePlatoni,
ReplyDeleteI think the reason that was put in the hall is less about his record and more about his importance to the game. Namath changed the narrative.
The old NFL was a vastly superior league in the eyes of almost everyone. By winning the Super Bowl Namath changed that and set the stage for what the NFL was to become.
That's his place in football history and why he's in the hall.
Doug K.
Also, he was often playing in front of a crappy offensive line, for a dysfunctional team, and was constantly injured. In today's game, his stats would be astronomical.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Doug. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteHC, isn't EVERY Jets QB playing in front of a crappy offensive line, for a dysfunctional team, and is constantly injured?
You got me there, Platoni!
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