The Top Ten Greatest Sports Teams in History

I enjoy my sports. I think, in order of my watching preference, I'd have to say: hockey, baseball, football, NCAA football and basketball (love me some March Madness), and pro ball. I am a huge hockey fan, especially my Detroit Red Wings, and I love my Tigers. Then, I guess I'd say I thoroughly love the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers, I really like to watch the Michigan Wolverines play football, the Spartans shoot some hoop, and, of course, the Detroit Pistons. Ok, so that about covers it. Well, I thought since I'd only done maybe one other sports related list -if even that- I figured I'd do another and stir up a little controversy along the way. So, according to several wise sources, as follows are the top 10 greatest sports teams in history. Arguably. Oh, and these teams are IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.

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10) Basketball - 1985 Boston Celtics

From NBA.com: " Larry Bird and Bill Walton teamed with veteran center Robert Parish, offensive-minded forward Kevin McHale and talented Scott Wedman, a classic small forward who had been an All-Star and top scorer in Kansas City, in a formidable five-man frontcourt rotation that nobody in the NBA could match. In the backcourt were Johnson and Danny Ainge, two big guards who could play harassing defense and provide double-figure scoring while focusing on feeding the front line, with scrappy Jerry Sichting in reserve. The result was a unit that won 67 games, a record for the fabled Celtics franchise. McHale averaged 21.3 ppg and 8.1 rpg, Parish had 16.1 ppg and a 9.1 ppg, and Johnson (15.6) and Ainge (10.1) also scored in double figures. Wedman contributed 8.0 ppg off the bench, and Walton played in a career-high 80 games and averaged 7.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg. Boston led the league in rebounding with 46.4 rpg, nearly five per game more than its opponents. And the Celtics were virtually unbeatable at home, losing only a game in December to Portland en route to a league-record 40-1 home mark (they would also win all 10 home playoff games)."

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9) Hockey - 1997 Detroit Red Wings

from legendsofhockey.net: "In 1995-96, the Detroit Red Wings set an NHL record for most wins in a regular season. It was thought that the team would easily capture the Stanley Cup, but a powerful and hungrier Colorado Avalanche halted their 41-year journey. In 1997, it was time for redemption and the team with the longest Cup drought in the NHL lost only four playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup title. Mike Vernon, the Detroit goaltender was fabulous and posted an incredible 1.76 goals-against average in the playoffs becoming the first goaltender to win the Conn Smythe Trophy since Patrick Roy in 1993."

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8) Football - 1948 Cleveland Browns

From profootballhof.com: "You won't find it in the NFL Record and Fact Book but there was another team that like the 1972 Miami Dolphins, experienced a perfect season, undefeated and untied through regular and post-season play. The Cleveland Browns, then members of the All-America Football Conference finished 15-0 in 1948. Two years later the AAFC folded and the Browns became members of the NFL. While the NFL does recognize the records of the American Football League (1960-1969), it does not include AAFC marks in its record keeping. The perfect season came in the middle of a 29-game unbeaten string that began in October 1947 and continued until October 1949. By 1949, even Browns followers were so weary of constant and even predictable victory celebrations, they simply stopped coming to the games. Thus the Browns, because of their overwhelming domination, contributed to the demise of the AAFC."

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7) Football - 1985 Chicago Bears

From Wikipedia: "The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the NFL. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The franchise did not stop there as they rolled through the playoffs crushing their three opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en route to a victory in Super Bowl XX, their ninth NFL Championship. Also, linebacker Mike Singletary was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and the UPI Defensive NFC Player of the Year. Running back Walter Payton won the NFC Offensive Player of the Year, head coach Mike Ditka was named NFL Coach of the Year and defensive end Richard Dent was named Super Bowl MVP."

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6) Hockey - 1987 Edmonton Oilers

From legendsofhockey.net: "The Edmonton Oilers made quick work of the Boston Bruins capturing their fourth Stanley Cup in five years. Edmonton only lost two games due to the stellar play of Vezina-winner Grant Fuhr and the unbelievable 43 points from the great Wayne Gretzky. This would be Gretzky's last season as an Oiler, as he would be traded to the Kings in the off-season. In a rare occurrence, game four of the Stanley Cup Finals ended in a tie. The game was suspended at 16:37 of the second period due to a power failure in the Boston Arena. As NHL rules stated, the game was suspended at a 3-3 tie. The series shifted back to Edmonton where the Oilers won the deciding game 6-3. Gretzky was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after amassing 43 playoff points."

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5) NCAA Basketball - 1968 UCLA Bruins

From espn.go.com: "The Bruins, playing with an injured Alcindor, suffered a mid-season loss to Houston and Elvin Hayes in the Astrodome, but proved that was a fluke in the tourney semifinal, burying the Cougars 101-69. The final was also cake, a 78-55 win over UNC. How'd they do it? To start, they had Alcindor, the best player in college basketball history, who averaged 26 points and 16 rebounds per game. Junior guard Lucius Allen, senior Mike Warren, Jr., Lynn Shackleford and senior Mike Lynn also averaged in double figures for the season."

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4) NCAA Football - 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers

From huskers.com: "Nebraska’s 1971 season came down to a single game at Owen Field in Norman, Okla., on Thanksgiving Day. At least, that’s how it is most often remembered. The No. 1 Cornhuskers played No. 2 Oklahoma in what still is regularly regarded as college football’s "Game of the Century.’’ The teams were undefeated and untied, and they included 17 of 22 first-team All-Big Eight players. Nebraska had the nation’s top-ranked defense. Oklahoma had its most productive offense. The cover of Sports Illustrated (Nov. 22, 1971) published the week of the game included photographs of Nebraska linebacker Bob Terrio and Oklahoma running back Greg Pruitt, nose-to-nose, beneath the headline: "Irresistible Oklahoma Meets Immovable Nebraska.’’

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3) Baseball - 1975 Cincinnati Reds

From baseball.suite101.com: "The Red Sox hadn't won a World Series for 57 years, but that year they won 95 games during the regular season and then ended the Oakland A's championship run with a 3-0 sweep in the ALCS. They also had the two best young hitters in the American League in Jim Rice and AL MVP Fred Lynn, and a strong pitching rotation featuring Luis Tiant and the Space Bill Lee. After five hard fought games, the Reds had a three games to two lead over the Sox when the Series returned to Boston. However, they lost Game 6, a legendary 12-inning affair that culminated with Carlton Fisk hitting a walk-off home run that won the game 7-6. The next night, reeling from exhaustion and the psychological letdown from the night before, the Reds fell behind 3-0. In the top of the sixth, Cincinnati began to chip away at Boston's lead when Tony Perez hit a two run blast that closed the gap. Pete Rose tied the score in the top of the seventh inning when he singled home Ken Griffey with two outs. Then, in the top of the ninth inning, Morgan drove a single to right field that scored Griffey and put the Reds ahead by a run. Reds' reliever Will McEnany pitched the bottom of the ninth and got Carl Yazstremski to fly out to center field for the final out. The Reds had done it: the first world championship for Cincinnati in 35 years."

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2) Baseball - 1927 New York Yankees

From Wikipedia: "The 1927 Yankees batted .307, slugged .489, scored 975 runs, and outscored their opponents by a record 376 runs. Center fielder Earl Combs had a career best year, batting .356 with 231 hits, left fielder Bob Meusel batted .337 with 103 RBIs, and second baseman Tony Lazzeri drove in 102 runs. Gehrig batted .373, with 218 hits, 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 home runs, a then record 175 RBIs, slugged at .765, and was voted A.L. MVP. Ruth amassed a .356 batting average, 164 RBIs, 158 runs scored, walked 137 times, and slugged .772. Most notably, his 60 home runs that year broke his own record and remained the Major League mark for 34 years until Roger Maris broke it. The pitching staff led the league in ERA at 3.20, and included Waite Hoyt, who went 22-7, which tied for the league lead, and Herb Pennock, who went 19-8. Wilcy Moore won 19 as a reliever. The 1927 Yankees would eventually send six players along with manager Miller Huggins and president Ed Barrow to the Baseball Hall of Fame; only the 1928 Yankees had more with 9 players along with Huggins and Barrow. Three other Yankees pitchers had ERAs under 3.00 that season."

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1) Basketball - 1986 Los Angeles Lakers

From nba.com: "Stunned by Houston and a game-winning basket by Ralph Sampson in the playoffs a year before, the Lakers came back in 1986-87 stronger than ever. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar now 39 years old, Coach Pat Riley made key changes in the offense, shifting the focus onto Magic Johnson, with James Worthy as his primary sidekick. Mychal Thompson, acquired from San Antonio in midseason, helped take some more of the load off Abdul-Jabbar in the pivot and also played power forward along with A.C. Green and Kurt Rambis. Riley also was blessed with two extraordinary role players, Byron Scott as the designated shooter (17.0 ppg including 65 three-pointers, shooting .436 from behind the arc) and Michael Cooper as the defensive stopper (he would be voted the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year). The Lakers' Showtime offense never ran better. Johnson was brilliant, averaging a career-high 23.9 ppg and leading the league in assists for the fifth year in a row at 12.2 apg. With Abdul-Jabbar and the other big men controlling the boards, Johnson ran the floor and set up Worthy, Scott and Cooper for basket after basket. The result was beautiful to watch as the Lakers raced to a league-best 65-17 record that was the second-best in franchise history, behind only the 69-13 mark posted by the 1971-72 team."