Ten Sports Dynasties That Might Have Been
Despite having many of the top stars in Major League Baseballs, the Brooklyn Dodgers won only one World Series title.
Now that the 2011-12 NBA season will happen, sports prognosticators will return to projecting how many championships the Miami Heat will win. Forget about the disappointment of last season — this team has more than enough talent to bring home at least a few Larry O’Brien Trophies, right? That’s what people were saying about the Lakers in the ’60s, Mets in the ’80s, and Mariners in the ’90s (different trophies for the latter two, of course), yet they wound up with just two championships between them when all was said and done. The following would-be dynasties failed to meet expectations for a multitude of reasons — including injuries, team chemistry problems, free agency, drugs, and even a strike — leaving fans wondering what might have been had things gone a little differently.
1940s and ’50s Brooklyn Dodgers
Even if the Dodgers had won multiple World Series titles during this era, the franchise would’ve been more remembered for its role in integrating baseball by signing and promoting Jackie Robinson. More than just an inspiring figure in the Civil Rights Movement, Robinson was an ideal second baseman with tremendous speed, excellent contact ability, and exemplary defense. He played alongside Hall of Famers Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Don Drysdale, and Sandy Koufax, one of the most talent-rich rosters in baseball history. From 1947 to 1956, the team won six NL pennants and the 1955 World Series, a resume worthy of NL dynasty status, but not MLB dynasty status.
1960s and ’70s Los Angeles Lakers
Before the Buffalo Bills, there were the Lakers. Sure, they had already won four of the first 10 NBA championships, but, with seven Finals losses in nine seasons during the 1960s and ’70s, they were the original poster child for second best. The primary culprit for their failures was the Celtics, who reeled off a remarkable 11 championships in 13 seasons. The Lakers also faced a 76ers team with perhaps the most dominant player off all time, Wilt Chamberlain, and a hungry Knicks team led by Willis Reid and Walt Frazier. When management figured out the mere presence of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor wasn’t enough, it added an older but still effective Chamberlain. The team finally got over the hump in 1973, after Baylor retired and Gail Goodrich had been added to the roster.
1970s Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders won just one title in the 1970s despite being one of the NFL's most physical teams.
Without question, John Madden is historically one of the NFL’s elite head coaches. In just 10 seasons, he tallied seven first-place finishes in the AFL Western/AFC West Division and a .763 winning percentage, the best among coaches with 100 or more wins. Because of those accomplishments, along with his accomplishments as a commentator and video game icon, many people have forgotten his squads were on the cusp of achieving so much more. A defensive specialist, Madden coached some stingy units, but his team’s prolific offense, led by Daryle Lamonica and eventually Ken Stabler, received the most acclaim. The Dolphins and Steelers, the era’s two more memorable teams, however, were its kryptonite, shutting it down in three AFC Championship Games. The one year in which they defeated the Steelers to capture the AFC title, they went on to win Super Bowl XI.
1980s New York Mets
Rarely do teams feature two once-in-a-generation talents at the same time. The Mets had one in the heart of their lineup and one anchoring their rotation. Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden captivated the baseball world in the mid-1980s when they were called up, immediately emerging as two of the best players at their positions. Additional roster moves during the time period from general manager Frank Cashen, such as trades for Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter, enabled the Mets to ascend to the top of the NL standings in 1986, as they won 108 games. Their victories over the Astros in the NLCS and Red Sox in the World Series will forever be remembered by baseball fans. Unfortunately, baseball fans will also forever remember the internal strife that transpired during the ensuing years, ending with the team’s ruination.
1980s Houston Rockets
The Twin Towers of Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon were headed for greatness before Sampson was derailed by injuries.
Sports fans were buying Mets and Rockets stock en masse during the mid-1980s. The Rockets, having recently selected 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson and 7-footer Akeem Olajuwon, The Twin Towers, with the No. 1 overall pick in successive years, grabbed national attention during the 1986 Western Conference Finals, when they stunned the defending champion Lakers in five games. They lost to the Celtics in a hard-fought six games during the Finals, but were expected to build on their success the following year. As it turned out, Sampson would play just 43 games because of a knee injury, and guards Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins were suspended for the remainder of the season — and two more seasons — after testing positive for cocaine. Sampson was traded to Golden State 1987-88, and Olajuwon was left to lead a mediocre team until the championship years of the mid-1990s.
1980s and ’90s Oakland Athletics
To sustain a dynasty in baseball, a team must be built from the ground up. The A’s did just that during the 1980s, and saw the fruits of the labor in 1986, 1987, and 1988, when Jose Conseco, Mark McGwire, and Walt Weiss each won AL Rookie of the Year. In 1988, those three, along with Carney Lansford, Dave Stewart, and Dennis Eckersley, led the A’s to their first World Series appearance since the 1974, but they lost to the Kirk Gibson-inspired Dodgers. In 1989, with the return of Rickey Henderson, they swept the Giants, their Bay Area neighbors, in a series overshadowed by the Loma Prieta earthquake. In 1990, they were stunned by the Reds in four games. Their run, which included four division championships and three AL championships, ended with their elimination by the Blue Jays in the 1992 ALCS.
1990s Orlando Magic
A recent expansion franchise, the Magic were bestowed an embarrassment of riches during the early 1990s when they twice won the No. 1 overall draft pick. The first time around, in 1993, they selected Shaquille O’Neal, a strong, athletic center who assuredly would be an all-time great. In 1994, they selected power forward Chris Webber, but traded him to Golden State for guard and No. 3 overall pick Penny Hardaway, who had drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson. It took just two years for Shaq and Penny to reach the Finals. During that time, Shaq began feuding with Penny and coach Brian Hill, eventually ending in his 1996 offseason departure for Los Angeles, where he’d form a dynasty with Kobe Bryant, with whom he also feuded. Penny battled injuries during the rest of his career, preventing him from fulfilling his vast potential.
1990s Montreal Expos
The 1994 strike ruined baseball in Montreal forever. With local support dwindling, the team needed a memorable season to renew interest and secure funding for a new, more appealing stadium. The Expos were arguably the most talented team in baseball, sending five All Stars to the Midsummer Classic — Moises Alou, Marquis Grissom, Darrin Fletcher, Wil Cordero, and Ken Hill — and featuring future All Stars Larry Walker, John Wetteland, and Pedro Martinez. When the strike commenced on August 12, they had the best record in baseball, 74-40, and a six-game lead over the Braves. The team was on pace to draw 2 million fans, a benchmark they hadn’t reached in more than a decade. In the following seasons, players from the team dispersed, as ownership couldn’t afford their salaries. A new stadium deal was never struck, and the Expos morphed into the Washington Nationals in 2005.
1990s Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners reached the ALCS only once in the 1990s despite having Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson.
At one point during the 1990s, the Mariners had arguably the three best players in baseball — Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Randy Johnson. Their record-setting offense featured guys such as Tino Martinez, Jay Buhner, and Edgar Martinez, each of whom enjoyed career years in the Kingdome. Their proficiency in that area, though, was often neutralized by their pitching deficiencies. After Johnson, their rotation was substandard, and the bullpen was inconsistent. As a result, they won just two AL West titles and had no pennants or World Series titles to show for it. The trade of Randy Johnson to the Astros during the trade deadline in 1998 began the exodus of the big three. Surprisingly, the Mariners won 116 games, an AL record, without them in 2001, though postseason disappointment again followed.
1990s and 2000s Atlanta Braves
The Braves’ incredible rise from worst to first from 1990 to 1991 came with the development of their young talent, launching a period of success matched by few teams in baseball history. From 1991 to 2005, they reeled off 14 consecutive division titles, winning three NL pennants in the process. Yet, few baseball fans can get over the fact the team took home just one World Series title. During most of those years, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz formed the most intimidating trio of starting pitchers in baseball, dominating during the steroid era. Steve Avery and Denny Neagle, also excellent pitchers, rounded out an almost flawless rotation. The lineup wasn’t bad either, with MVP winner Chipper Jones and MVP caliber players David Justice, Fred McGriff, and Andres Galarraga driving in a bulk of the team’s runs. Of course, the Twins, Blue Jays, and Yankees weren’t exactly devoid of talent either.
This article is reprinted with permission from Online Certificate Program.
This is the right blog for anybody who wants to discover more about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue to you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic thats been discussing for years. Great stuff, just great!
Subscribe premiums account to download it? It was free premium download. Please visit rapidzz.co.cc and get your free premium today!
Very interesing post
It is really a nice and useful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Nine times out of Ten I will guess this site is powered by Blogengine. Mostly because there are a lot of not really related comments people posted. You do run a wonderful website, but I strongly recommend to call the cleaner here because there is a lot of sp** posts here Well, till you get this done bye =)
I am now not positive where you’re getting your information, however good topic. I needs to spend a while studying more or working out more. Thank you for fantastic information I used to be in search of this information for my mission.
Its like you read my mind! You appear to grasp so much about this, like you wrote the guide in it or something. I believe that you simply could do with some % to drive the message house a bit, but other than that, that is great blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again very soon!
Fantastic points altogether, you just gained a brand new reader. What might you suggest about your post that you just made a few days ago? Any positive?
Hi my friend! I want to say that this post is awesome, nice written and include almost all important infos. I?d like to look extra posts like this .
I have been surfing online more than 3 hours lately, but I never discovered any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is pretty value enough for me. Personally, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will likely be much more useful than ever before.
I’ve been recently thinking the very same point myself recently. Delighted to see somebody on the same wavelength! Nice article.
KKLA Sports Apparel Co., Inc was established in 2000 in ZeJiang, China. Now it has 12 branch companies around China. We are a worldwide wholesaler of Sports Apparel (Soccer Jersey,Football Jersey,baseball Jersey,Basketball Jersey,Icehockey Jersey). Our company consists of design, develop, produce, sale and service. Now we have more than 6 professional factories for our own products. Professional QC for professional products and service.You can mix NFL MLB NHL NBA Jerseysdifferent styles and sizes. And there is no mini order for you, Lowest price and Best service. Let’s be friends and business partner. Don’t hesitate to contact with us if you need anytime. We can supply those all NFL MLB NHL NBA Soccer Teams,such as NFL Teams: Buffalo Bills Jersey , Cleveland Browns Jersey, Detroit Lions Jersey , Kansas City Chiefs Jersey, Minnesota Vikings Jersey ,New Orleans Saints Jersey , Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey ,San Francisco 49ers Jersey , Tennessee Titans Jersey ,NHL Teams : Buffalo Sabres Jersey , Colorado Avalanche Jersey ,Columbus Blue Jackets Jersey , Florida Panthers Jersey , New Jersey Devils Jersey ,New York Islanders Jersey , Pittsburgh Penguins Jersey , San Jose Sharks Jersey , Vancouver Canucks Jersey , NBA Teams: Atlanta Hawks Jersey , Indiana Pacers Jersey, Los Angeles Lakers Jersey ,Minnesota Timberwolves Jersey ,New York Knicks Jersey , Phoenix Suns Jersey ,San Antonio Spurs Jersey , Michael Jordan Jerseys Jersey ,MLB Teams: Boston RedSox Jersey, Cincinnati Reds Jersey ,Devil Rays Jersey ,Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Jersey ,New York Mets Jersey , San Diego Padres Jersey, St.Louis Cardinals Jersey , Washington Nationals Jersey,Soccer Teams: Arsenal Jersey , Liverpool Jersey, Real Madrid Jersey, Brazil Jersey ,England Jersey , USA Jersey and so on
tqcvhncw
What’s up, of course this post is genuinely pleasant and I have learned lot of things from it about blogging.
thanks.
Hey, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your website in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Other then that, fantastic blog!
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis.
It’s always helpful to read content from other writers and practice
something from their websites.
I blog quite often and I seriously appreciate your information. This article has truly peaked my interest.
I’m going to book mark your website and keep checking for new details about once a week.
I subscribed to your RSS feed too.
Hey There. I found your weblog using msn. That is a very well written article.
I will make sure to bookmark it and return to learn more
of your useful information. Thank you for the post.
I’ll certainly return.
This post will help the internet visitors foor creating nnew webglog or evben a weblog frrom start to end.
I like the valuable info you supply on your articles.
I’ll bookmark your blog and take a look at
once more here frequently. I am moderately sure
I’ll be told a lot of new stuff proper right here! Best
of luck for the following!
The Casio G Shock combines digital preciseness
put in a stronghold, providing the greatest shock
resistance in addition to supreme quality without compromising the most up-to-date styling
and functionality. Casio watches are reliable products
that offer durability and style. Whether you wish to enhance your watch collection or wish to own a prestigious Swiss watch brand,
you don’t need to to wait longer now.
Packaging can sometimes be click here more expensive items.
Now, to the font.
Excellent weblog right here! Also your site so much up fast!
What web host are you the usage of? Can I get your associate hyperlink in your host?
I want my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
These days, not only in the term “safety Toto site” but also 먹튀검증 커뮤니티 are so
minimally essential that the idea of “safety” is usually used,
safety has come to be the most important thing above all else.
I'm actually quite valuable to follow a long-term consider this to be a blog here. Much obliged to you for the significant data about web-based wagering. Singapore betting sites
It’s an amazing piece of writing in support of all the internet viewers;
they will get advantage from it I am sure.
ดอกไม้เป็นสิ่งที่สร้างความสุขและความประทับใจได้เสมอ ด้วยร้านดอกไม้ใกล้ฉันที่หาได้ง่ายในตอนนี้
คุณไม่ต้องเสียเวลาเดินทางไกล ดอกไม้สำหรับงานศพที่จัดส่งตรงเวลา
ทำให้เราประหยัดเวลาและได้รับของที่มีคุณภาพ
ใครที่กำลังมองหาร้านดอกไม้ใกล้ฉัน ลองค้นหาร้านที่มีรีวิวดีๆ หรือบริการส่งฟรี แล้วคุณล่ะ มีร้านดอกไม้ใกล้ฉันที่ชื่นชอบอยู่แล้วหรือยัง?
ร้านดอกไม้เปิด 24 ชั่วโมง