Top 5 One-Time Dynasties

Tiger Woods has been getting a lot of coverage this week with him finally winning an event last weekend (albeit an event he set up, but whose counting right?).  So all of that got me thinking about dominant dynasties in sports history. The ones that make the great comeback, and those that do not, because not all great dynasties make the comeback. It’s easy to pick sports greatest dynasties; Yankees, Canadiens, Steelers, but the one-time dynasties may be a little more interesting. You’ve heard of one-hit wonders; you know the team that barely makes the playoffs and before you know it, they are raising the banner. Well I'm here to bring you the one-hit wonder dynasties. Those great runs that came to an end, and for whatever reason never returned. 

 

5) Tiger Woods – The jury is still out on this one so that’s why he makes this list. Quite possibly the most dominant golfer ever has hit very hard times over the past 3 years both personally and professionally. Hopefully with this win he can be on the road to dominance again and be taken off this list. Only time will tell.

4) Cincinnati Reds and Oakland A’s – The “Big Red Machine” of the mid to late 70’s and the A’s teams of the early 70’s with Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson were two of the storied dynasties in baseball history; accounting for six of the ten titles won in that decade. Since then, both franchises have been merely blips on the screen. Each team has won only one title each (ironically in back to back years [89-90] just like their dynasties [A’s- 71-73][Reds 74-76]) and both are now basically irrelevant as we head towards the 2012 season. The A’s are currently selling off their best players as they wait for their inevitable relocation, and the Reds show signs of life every 5 years or so for about a season. Unfortunately for the fine city of Cincinatti, mediocrity then sets in and the Reds once again become the Reds.

3) New York Islanders – From 1979-1984, the New York Islanders put quite possibly the most complete hockey team on the ice in the history of the game. From goaltender Billy Smith, and defenseman Denis Potvin who set the standard for offensive defenseman, to legendary goal-scorer Mike Bossy and playmaker Bryan Trottier; the Isles were an unstoppable force for almost five years. It took the birth of another all-time dynasty (Gretzky’s Oilers) to halt the Islanders at four consecutive Stanley Cups. Unfortunately, the Isle’s have not contended for a division title, let alone a Stanley Cup title since 1987. The Isle’s have made the playoffs a few times, but they were mostly one and done scenarios. It’s gotten so bad on Long Island that I read somewhere that they might move to Quebec. I wonder where that was? http://thesportsriot.blogspot.com/2011/10/hey-why-is-there-no-hockey-in-quebec.html

2) Buffalo Bills – I know what you’re saying “the Bills never won a championship, how can they be considered a dynasty?” I see your point, and this is my answer, if any team appears in 4 consecutive championship games, in any sport, that’s a dynasty. That’s why they made this list and not the “All Time Greatest Dynasties” list when we do one. Since making and losing four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 90’s the Buffalo Bills have only made the playoffs a few times, and haven’t won a playoff game since then. Even this season, after starting off 5-1 the Bills have returned to mediocrity by losing 5 of 6 and are currently sitting at  6-6.

1) Mike Tyson – In a sport that has seen the likes of Muhammed Ali, Rocky Mariciano, Joe Frazier and Joe Louis dominate; Tyson’s reign at the top is one of, if not, the most storied. The legend of Tyson’s domination of the Heavyweight division of professional boxing in the 80’s ranks right up there with the Yankees of the 20’s, the Celtics of the 60’s and the Oilers of the 80’s; it’s that talked about a remembered. Tyson had grown men afraid to fight him. There was even a very popular question that would go around talk shows and bar-rooms in the 80’s; "would you fight Mike Tyson for a million dollars?" An overwhelming number of people chose not to take the money and have to take that punch. This is the reason why Tyson’s dynasty and lack of comeback ranks as #1. Ali won the heavyweight title five times, Holyfield three or four and Foreman lost, waited 10 years to make a comeback and won it again. So the precedent had been set for a heavyweight legend to make a strong comeback after falling. But I think it was the steep fall Tyson took that was his undoing…..oh and the fact that he’s f**king crazy. The decline of Tyson’s reign of terror is so steep that few people talk about his dominance anymore. Most Mike Tyson conversations these days start with “did you here what this crazy mother-f**ker did?” It’s sad, but true. His decline was almost as quick as his unification title fight with Michael Spinks; roughly 90 seconds.

So that’s the list, did I miss anything? Let me know, thesportsriot@yahoo.com or follow on Twitter @TheSportsRiot so you can truly know when my a** is sufficiently wiped.