greatest sports team ever?

[notredomer23]

Its hard for me to decide, i mean me being a notre dame and a yankee fan, but i am going to have to go with notre dame. we are almost always good every season and have 11 national championships, 7 heisman trophy winners, and 177 all americans not including this past season.

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

This is a no brainer! I'd rather watch ND take on Georgia Tech than watch the Yanks in the world series. Notre Dame transcends sports, the yankees are just the best baseball franchise.

 

[gallup21]

i was going to vote for my beloved Yankees (yes i know i live in Boston), but i agreed with stonebreakers post above mine...ND transcends sports...Yankees are a business

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

Besides, the reds are my favorite.... HE HE HE

(and no one can ever accuse me of being a fairweather fan, cause the weather always sucks!)

 

[celtic745]

i was going to vote for my beloved Yankees (yes i know i live in Boston), but i agreed with stonebreakers post above mine...ND transcends sports...Yankees are a business

Oh god, a Yankes fan in Boston. Goodluck. I'd have to agree with the whole ND transcending sports thing. I'd follow up with the Celtics though, in a close second. Some of those years back in the 80's with Bird, Russel, Ainge, Dennis Johnson, and all those guys, ahhhh man, they were the best.

 

[tommy]

I voted for ND always will Id rather watch the practice videos then watch The world series but my honarable mention would be The bulls specialy the 72 win season team

 

[gallup21]

Danny Ainge was my brothers baseball coach a few years back....hes got a son in my brothers grade. Him and Bird are the only two celtics i can name (i dont follow NBA at all)

 

[celtic745]

Danny Ainge was my brothers baseball coach a few years back....hes got a son in my brothers grade. Him and Bird are the only two celtics i can name (i dont follow NBA at all)

thats awesome! not a lot of people really know this but, ainge actually was in the major leagues once with the blue jays...didn't do well, he was a second basemen and only hit like .220 or something unimpressive like that.
the celtics had to buyout his contract from the jays and there were some legal disputes after that.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I understand the ? to be "Best Sports Team EVER" not "Who I prefer to watch/cheer for". If it were the latter, it's Notre Dame every damn day. But since it's the former, I have to begrudgingly go w/ the Yanks. The 1927 Yanks are arguably the best lineup of all time. They are similar to ND in their 'Love 'em or Hate 'em' following & I believe they both transcend sports. I mean Reggie Jackson had a candy bar named after him, Joe DiMaggio was married to Marilyn Monroe & pimped Mr. Coffee in his retirement, Yogi Berra is just as famous for his "yogisms" as his HoF career, most every baby boomer in America idolized the Commerce Comet (Mantle), Babe Ruth's name is as recognizable (but a lot more ancient) as Ali & Jordan, and the most important part is their winning tradition. Say what you want about the Boss, but he is nowhere near the wealthiest owner in baseball, yet never bitches about paying top dollar for the players his braintrust believe will bring a crown. He'll lose money, while the money grubbers that own the Minnesota Twins (owned by one of, if not the, richest men in MLB, Carl Pohlad) & Kansas City Royals (majority owned by Wal-Mart exec David Glass) continue to pocket the revenue sharing dollars for themselves instead of investing it in better players. THen they cry poverty when their respective teams fall short of competing w/ the big boys. IMO, those teams should be forced to spend that money on players...they owe it to the fans who support the team through season tickets, merchandise & ballot amendments that bring new stadiums.

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

I have a hard time getting up for baseball, it has become a battle of the haves vs have-nots. The reds are not a small market team anymore, more like a micro-market! No loyalty anymore, you got yanks and red sox switching teams now. How could that ever happen??? Sorry, I got on a rant...

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I have a hard time getting up for baseball, it has become a battle of the haves vs have-nots. The reds are not a small market team anymore, more like a micro-market! No loyalty anymore, you got yanks and red sox switching teams now. How could that ever happen??? Sorry, I got on a rant...

I agree, but notice I didnt even mention the most recent yankee teams 1996 to present. Like all pro sports, you're pretty much reduced to rooting for a uniform. Hell, if the NFL played 82 games like the NBA or 162 games like MLB, they wouldn't enjoy their spot as top pro sport in US, IMO. That's why college football is my favorite sport to watch/follow.

The Reds shouldn't lose hope when you look at the last 6 World Champs...Cardinals, White Sox, BoSox, Marlins, Angels, Diamondbacks. No one felt sorry for Steinbrenner in the 80s when he was throwing his money at all those free agent busts: Jerry Mumphrey, Dave Collins, Ed Whitson, Ken Griffey, Sr., Larry Milbourne, Steve Kemp, Roy Smalley, Jessie Barfield, etc. Not exactly Murderer's Row!

 

[goirish#1]

Notre Dame is on a different level, everyone watches them if they like them or not. But the atmosphere is different from everywhere else as well. Nothing beats being in South Bend on a football weekend.

 

[notredomer23]

Notre Dame is on a different level, everyone watches them if they like them or not. But the atmosphere is different from everywhere else as well. Nothing beats being in South Bend on a football weekend.

i hear what your saying. There is just something in the air that makes it a little better than every place else.

 

[leprechaun4life]

I have to go with ND for obvious reasons, but with our long drought for NCs the field is starting to catch up with us. Second, I would have to put the Yankees. Although, being a baseball fan it is hard to sit and watch any team with all the knowledge of steroids flying around. I mean, after every HR I wonder how many CCs he's shooting into his ass. But, the Yanks still have 26 and that is far better than the second place Cards.

I would choose the 49ers over the cowboys because of Montana and Rice; and Aikman comes off to be somewhat of a jerk. However, college sports is number 1, its hard to watch pros, since they (mostly) care only for the money. And, no college team tops ND.

 

[NDMANLAW1]

I hate hockey but i said canadians. I felt bad for Canada, i mean what other sports do they have besides hockey and the cfl?

 

[celtic745]

I hate hockey but i said canadians. I felt bad for Canada, i mean what other sports do they have besides hockey and the cfl?

curling? hmm...I see you point

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Notre Dame is on a different level, everyone watches them if they like them or not. But the atmosphere is different from everywhere else as well. Nothing beats being in South Bend on a football weekend.

It's almost like going back in time when everything was simpler. Plus, you can feel the ghosts of ND teams of the past. Unforgettable experience.

 

[portlaNDgal]

As a ND fan, I'm partisan toward Notre Dame, but I think the way they dominated college football in the 20s and 40s has shaped the sport more than any other team on the list. As much as we're hated now, every Div IA football program in the country would love to have our history, tradition, and success.

 

[tgolden]

do you mean best program/franchise, best team, or what?

I'd say in terms of year in and year out having support nationally, it's got to be ND. of course, I'm very biased.

But what the Celtics did back when they won all those NBA titles in a row is pretty darn amazing. I think that's the best team (even though I know each team wasn't identical). but obviously today, not that many people are gonna want to watch the Celtics.

and I don't follow hockey enough to comment on that one.

and as for the Reds, you know, I'm told that when I was really little, they were really good... someday...

 

[IRISHDODGER]

As a ND fan, I'm partisan toward Notre Dame, but I think the way they dominated college football in the 20s and 40s has shaped the sport more than any other team on the list. As much as we're hated now, every Div IA football program in the country would love to have our history, tradition, and success.

No doubt. This is a poll that could best be answered by Beano Cook. He's great at waxing poetic about Knute Rockne's teams & Leahy's Lads. Leahy had agruably one of the best squads ever in the mid-40s. Even the 3rd stringers ended up in the pros. College f'ball is indebted to Notre Dame & shouldn't forget its contributions.

 

[ACamp1900]

I voted the Yankees.... even as a die hard irish fan... how any one could NOT vote the Yankees is beyond me... even if you are a Celts, Habs or Irish fan...

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I voted the Yankees.... even as a die hard irish fan... how any one could NOT vote the Yankees is beyond me... even if you are a Celts, Habs or Irish fan...

That was my point. As a Dodger fan, I hate the Yanks. But facts is facts.:awesomewo

 

[Freeman Ara]

Ok first off I think leaving the 90's Bulls and John Wooden's UCLa Bruins off the list is kind of a joke(don't know how long you can make the list of options in a poll) The Bruins did something that will never be done again by winning what like 11 titles in like 15 years. Hands down the best college team ever of any sport. And the Bulls would have won 8 in a row if Jordan hadn't retired in the mid 90's. Now I love ND but fact is we haven't won a bowl in 9 tries, haven't won a title in 20 years, and no heisman's going on 20. I think this is a loaded question because we all know what its like to go to ND on game day and have the whole experience of ND football. But are the accomplishments of ND really better then those other teams?

 

[BGIF]

Oh god, a Yankes fan in Boston. Goodluck. I'd have to agree with the whole ND transcending sports thing. I'd follow up with the Celtics though, in a close second. Some of those years back in the 80's with Bird, Russel, Ainge, Dennis Johnson, and all those guys, ahhhh man, they were the best.

The only Russell I recall with the Celts was the Great One. Bill stopped playing in '69.

 

[BGIF]

The topic "Best Team" is too broad. Over what period? 4 years, a decade, a century?

Most Successful Sports Franchises would be:
College/amatuer ND Football
Pro NY Yankees Baseball

Most Successful Sports Dynasties take in a time period like the post WW II Irish.
Here's SI/CNNs list:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/centurys_best/news/1999/05/06/top_dynasties/

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Ok first off I think leaving the 90's Bulls and John Wooden's UCLa Bruins off the list is kind of a joke(don't know how long you can make the list of options in a poll) The Bruins did something that will never be done again by winning what like 11 titles in like 15 years. Hands down the best college team ever of any sport. And the Bulls would have won 8 in a row if Jordan hadn't retired in the mid 90's. Now I love ND but fact is we haven't won a bowl in 9 tries, haven't won a title in 20 years, and no heisman's going on 20. I think this is a loaded question because we all know what its like to go to ND on game day and have the whole experience of ND football. But are the accomplishments of ND really better then those other teams?

You're right in that we won't see another feat like Wooden's UCLA teams matched again. And the Bulls are worthy of mention, too. However, both those teams were exceptional for an era. The Bruins from the mid-60s to early 70s & the Bulls in the 90s. Both w/ one coach each. Those teams would be better ranked in polls on greatest coach or greatest championship run.

Notre Dame dominated in many decades (20s, 40s, 60s, 70s, 80s, early 90s) w/ various coaches (Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian, Devine, Holtz). The Yanks dominated in the 20s, 30s, 50s, late 70s, late 90s w/ coaches like Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel, Billy Martin, Joe Torre. Same for the Celtics. I'm not as knowledgable on NBA prior to the 60s, but I think it's safe to say that starting w/ Red Auerbach's tenure, the Celtics dominated through the 1980s w/ coaches like Red, Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, & Tommy Heinsohn. I believe those 3 should lead any list b/c the respective franchises/school stayed dominant through different coaching staffs & different rosters.