#1. Tie—Los Angeles Lakers & Boston Celtics
In the 1979 NCAA finals, one of the great individual sports
rivalries of all time was born. On one
side, a country boy from Indiana, “The Hick from French Lick” Larry Bird. On the other side, a city boy from Lansing
whose game was so electric to watch that he was called “Magic”. Ultimately it was Earvin “Magic” Johnson who
won the NCAA crown, but the story was just beginning.
In the NBA, both Bird & Magic joined teams that had
solid talent bases. Magic teamed up with
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and later James Worthy as part of the 80’s “Showtime” Los
Angeles Lakers. The team played with a
flair for the dramatic and a great deal of style, mirroring the city that they
represented in many ways. Bird,
meanwhile, went to Boston to play with the likes of Kevin McHale, Robert
Parrish and Dennis Johnson. They were a
tough, gritty team that won with a lot of hustle, and in many ways represented
the blue collar, lunch pail attitude of the people of Boston.
The Lakers/Celtics battles throughout the 80’s were
epic. Each side won its share, with
Magic’s Lakers winning 5 rings and Bird’s Celtics taking home 3. The rivalry was intense, physical, and still
persists today. The charisma of Magic
and Bird—in different ways—made the Lakers and the Celtics iconic teams in the
80’s. It even inspired a broadway
musical!
#2. The Georgetown Hoyas
In the early 1980’s, a fledgling sports network called ESPN started
to gain national attention by broadcasting games from the newly-formed Big East
basketball conference. Though many of
the teams were compelling, one stood out from the crowd—The Georgetown Hoyas.
Head Coach John Thompson was a polarizing figure. An outspoken African-American at a
prestigious (and mostly white) university, Thompson rubbed many fans the wrong
way by bringing in a roster full of players from the inner-city. Opposing fans accused Thompson of being a
racist or a bigot, and at times hurled racial invectives at him and his
players. On the other hand, the Hoyas
were enormously popular across the country with fans who related to their rebellious
attitude and take-no-prisoners approach to the game. Stores across the country couldn’t keep the
famous Hoyas Starter jacket in stock.
Thompson and the Hoyas went to three Final 4’s in the 80’s,
defeating Hakeem Olaujuwon, Clyde Drexler and “Phi Slamma Jam” for the
championship in 1984. With the success
of centers like Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown
earned the nickname “Big Man U”. But it
was a diminutive guard who became perhaps the most popular player to ever don
the blue and gray—“The Answer” Allen Iverson in the mid-90s.
#3. “The U”—The University of Miami
The 1980s were a time of great change for the city of
Miami. Cocaine trade brought an influx
of money into the area, and racial tensions between blacks and whites flared
over a number of incidents. To top it
off, a wave of Cuban prisoners landed in Miami in the early 80’s, helping the
city earn a reputation as a dangerous and lawless place. Enter, Hurricanes:
In a city that in those years only had one professional team—the Dolphins,
whose connection with the city had waned—the ‘Canes became the rallying
point for local sports fans.
“The U” (as they came to be known) recruited the Miami-Dade area heavily, and the players who wore the green and orange had a definite edge. The U became known for over-the-top trash talk and demonstrative touchdown celebrations. They also earned a reputation for finding trouble off the field including gangs, drugs and violence. Standing in stark contrast to the “choirboys” at schools like Notre Dame who had dominated college football for so long, The U was either loved or hated by every college football fan—there was no in-between.
The U became a factory for top NFL talent, including Michael
Irvin, Vinny Testaverde, Cortez Kennedy, Warren Sapp and Ray Lewis. They laid claim to 4 National Titles between
1983 and 1991 with a 5th in 2001.
Today “The U” is still synonymous with a brash and edgy approach to the
game, even if the on-field results haven’t compared to the Golden Years.
#4. The Chicago Bulls
Dynasty. There’s no
other way to describe the Chicago Bulls in the 1990’s.
Arguably the greatest player of all time and certainly the
most popular, Michael Jordan was as famous as any human being in any walk of
life during the 1990’s. He captivated
the imagination of a generation with his ability to seemingly fly through the
air. Yet Jordan wasn’t just an athlete
and a dunker, but a great passer, shooter and defender as well. His competitive drive willed his teams to
victory and brought out the best in his teammates. The Bulls won back-to-back-to-back titles
from 1991-’93.
After the murder of his father and for a variety of personal
reasons, MJ walked away from the game in 1993.
But by 1995 he was back in action, and by the 1995-96 season he was back
to his old form. With some new players
around him, including the very colorful Dennis Rodman, and some familiar old
faces like the greatest sidekick in NBA history Scottie Pippen, the Bulls
re-found their old ways. They again won
back-to-back-to-back titles from 1996-’98 and set an NBA record for wins with
70 in ’96-’97.
Whether rooting for them or against them, basketball fans in
the Golden Age knew they were privileged to watch the greatness of the Chicago
Bulls in the 1990s. This list isn’t in
any order, but if it were, the Bulls would be the clear #1.
#5. The Dallas Cowboys
How ‘bout ‘dem Cowboys??!?
It’s difficult for dynasty’s to emerge in the NFL, where
parity is so prevalent. But in the 1990’s
there was one team that clearly stood head-and-shoulders above the rest—the Dallas
Cowboys.
Led by Jimmy Johnson (formerly of The U) and the Big 3 of
Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith and Michael Irvin, the Cowboys were a force to be
reckoned with. This was no small feat
after going 3-13 in 1988 and 1-15 in 1989.
But through smart drafting and patience by owner Jerry Jones and Johnson’s
ability to motivate his players, the Cowboys very quickly grew into a team
that seemingly had all-pro talent at every position. In January of 1993, just 3 years after going
1-15, the Cowboys blew out the Buffalo Bills to win Super Bowl 27. The following year, with the same core team,
the Cowboys once again beat the Bills to accomplish the repeat.
Later in 1994, Johnson and Jones had a falling out leading
to Jimmy’s resignation and the installation of Barry Switzer as head
coach. The team lost in the conference
championship that season, but the following year, buoyed by the addition of the
ultra-confident “PrimeTime” Deion Sanders, the Cowboys once again won the Super
Bowl, the 5th in franchise history.
Thank you to all those websites who have let us use their photos for the purpose of this post.
Who do you think were the most iconic teams of the Golden Age (80's & 90's)? We'd love to hear from you in the comments section or on Twitter!
No comments:
Post a Comment