Sports Greatest Dynasties

The idea for this started with The Last Dance. It showed what went on behind the scenes of one of the great sports dynasties of the 1990's, the Chicago Bulls. It had also lead to a debate in my mind. What is a dynasty? The Jordan lead Bulls does qualify, having won multiple titles in a short span. A team like the Atlanta Braves comes close, as they only won one title in the 90's, that being 1995. But they were there almost every year, winning 14 straight NL East crowns and seemingly playing in the NLCS almost every year. Its a debate that we can rage on as to what team is the greatest of all time. So lets get into it.

I'm leaving this to the big four sports, because we try to include college in this as well, it would take WAY too long of a read. So we are going to keep it to the big four sports. So we are going to give it our best shot of trying to figure out which were the ten best dynasties that ever hit the sports landscape.

While putting the top ten together is going to be tough, there are a few teams that just missed out.

Honorable Mentions
Atlanta Braves 1995-2005
San Francisco Giants 2010-2014
Detroit Red Wings 1997-2002
San Antonio Spurs 1999-2014
Oakland Athletics 1972-1975

Here's the full list of the best dynasties in sports history in my mind.

10. Dallas Cowboys 1992-1995
This is what started it all, HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS. Three titles in four years for Akman, Irvin, Smith and Co. The only year in this run they didn't reach the Super Bowl was getting tripped up by Steve Young and the 49ers in the 1994 NFC title game. But each year during this run was a winning record. Think about it 13-3, 12-4, 12-4 and 12-4. The Boys were really tough to go against during this stretch and they were almost unbeatable/

9. Pittsburgh Stelers 1974-1979
One of the first really dominating runs by an NFL team, the Steelers won the NFC Central every year during this stretch. They made the AFC title game every year except 1977 and won a Super Bowl four times during this tun. They are the only team in the history of the league to pull off the four titles in six years. Impressive. Most impressive

8. Montreal Canadiens 1956-60
They have the most cups in the history of hockey, winning 23 titles. The Montreal Canadiens are the team in the NHL. It's sad that they haven't been to a finals since their last Cup win in 1993. But they had three different times where they won four straight cups. It was four titles in five years between 1966 and 1970. Then again 1976-1979. The first run from 1956-60 which was five straight titles that stuck with Habs fans. The only time during that run the Habs didn't have the best record in the league was 1957, when they finished six points back of the Red Wings. What mattered was the end of the year and it was the 2nd of five straight titles. Nobody could touch Montreal during that run, as they went by, over and through everybody.

7. San Francisco 49ers 1983-1990
This team was so good, they were really tough to beat. It started after going 3-6 in 1982. Joe Montana found his groove and this team was off and running. It was made even better after drafting Jerry Rice in 1985. They had at least ten wins and made the playoffs every year. Three titles and five NFC title games later, the 49ers had grown into a real power in the NFC that few could really reach.

6. Edmonton Oilers 1984-1990
This team showed a glimps of how good they were by scoring 424 goals in 1983, running over and through everybody. Till they met the Islanders in the finals that year, losing in five. That series taught this Edmonton team how to be the winners they needed to be. After that, Edmonton got on a roll, winning five cups over the next seven years, four of them with the best player on the planet, Wayne Gretzky, leading the way. Those teams were so loaded with hall of fame talent, it wasn't funny. They made everybody look almost mortal by comparison back then.

5. New England Patriots 2010-2018
This one ranks as one of the greatest teams ever. Since the turn of the century, the Pats have failed to make the playoffs twice, the only two years that they have failed to win the AFC East. During this eight year stretch, the Pats made the AFC title game every year. Five Super Bowl appearances and three wins. They had done things that maybe had only been done in a video game relm. New England is well run and well built and this stretch showed it.

4. New York Islanders 1980-1984
This team had been seen as chokers of sorts going into the 1979-80. The way that season started, things didn't look good for the Isles. They picked up Butch Goring at the trade deadline and they were off and running. The Islanders run of titles ended in a five game loss to the Oilers in the 1984 finals, which we talked about earlier. But what the Islanders did was win four straight Stanley Cups and 19 straight playoff series before losing in that 84 finals. Nobody in hockey, or any of the other major sports for that matter, has come anywhere close to matching that.

3. Boston Celtics 1957-1969
Talk about domination. During this run, the Boston Celtics had won 11 Championships, and made the finals twelve times during that stretch. The only year that they failed to make the finals during this stretch was in 1967. The only finals appearance that the Celtics made during this run in which they didn't win a title was a six game loss to the Hawks in 1958. The final four years of this run by Boston saw them finish 2nd 2nd 2nd and 4th in the Eastern Conference. John Havlicek and Bill Russell where the driving forces behind this epic basketball team, a run that might never again be matched

2. New York Yankees 1996-2003
No team in North American pro sports has won more titles then the Yankees. What really set them in motion was the "Murders Row" teams of the 1920s. But this encarnation of the Yankees might come close to matching what they did in the 20s. From 1996-03 the Bronx Bombers made eight postseason appearences, won their division each year except the 1997 season, won six AL pennants, each year except 1997 and 2002, and won four World Series championships (1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000).

1. Chicago Bulls 1991-1998
Six titles in eight years and you have the best player on the planet for all of it. Just imagine if Jordan hadn't retired to play baseball. I really think that the Bulls were so good that they possibly could have matched the Celtics with the eight straight titles. This team was so good and they managed to run over everybody. And even with Jordan gone, they were still good enough to go at least two rounds in the two years, the 2nd one in 1995 with an out of basketball shape Jordan. They haven't been close to this since, trying to recapture that magic that those teams have and it hasn't happen. Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Paxton they were good. Really, really good.