Best Sports Year Ever?

[gd]

I've been meaning to make this thread for awhile, but Becker was in prison at the time and I thought I should wait until he got out to make it. It is a simple question, which city had the single best sports year.

No to clarify, I am considering the sports year to begin at about this time every year. We are just coming off the end of the NBA and NHL season and just about to begin the football season. It is also about this time each year that the pennant races in baseball really start to pick up.

In my opinion, the city of Pittsburgh had the greatest single sports year ever from August 2008 thru August of 2009. Just look at all of the accomplishments during this time.

- Steelers win their 6th Super Bowl
- Pitt Panthers college football finish 9-4 including a win over West Virginia for the 2nd consecutive season
- Pitt Panthers men's college basketball advances to the elite eight for the first time ever
- Pitt Panthers women's college basketball wins a team record 25 games and advances to the Sweet 16
- Duquesne men's basketball wins 20 games for the first time in nearly 30 years, makes an NIT run
- Robert Morris men's basketball makes the NCAA Tournament
- Pittsburgh Penguins win their 3rd Stanley Cup

I don't know that I can think of another city that has had that much success in a sinlge year. Winning 2 of the 4 major North American sports championships as well as having a lot of success in college sports. If you considered Penn State which is only 2 hours away from Pittsubrgh you could add a Rose Bowl appearance and an NIT Championship.

So, have there been any more succesful single sports years by just one city? If there has been, I'd like to here about it.

 

[X]

In my opinion, the city of Pittsburgh had the greatest single sports year ever from August 2008 thru August of 2009. Just look at all of the accomplishments during this time.

- Steelers are handed their 6th Super Bowl

Fixed it for ya.

- Pitt Panthers college football finish 9-4 including a win over West Virginia for the 2nd consecutive season

9-4 is nothing to brag about in college football. 9-4 is mediocre at best.

- Pitt Panthers men's college basketball advances to the elite eight for the first time ever

But they didn't win, did they?

- Pitt Panthers women's college basketball wins a team record 25 games and advances to the Sweet 16

But they didn't win, did they?

- Duquesne men's basketball wins 20 games for the first time in nearly 30 years, makes an NIT run

BUT THEY DIDN'T WIN DID THEY?

- Robert Morris men's basketball makes the NCAA Tournament

Again, how is this some mega accomplishment?

- Pittsburgh Penguins win their 3rd Stanley Cup

There we go, finally a legit championship. So really the only things they won this year was the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup.

I don't know that I can think of another city that has had that much success in a sinlge year.

Boston, 2004 AND 2007.

I'd nominate either of those two years for Boston. In 2004 we won both the Super Bowl and the World Series. Sorry, but a Super Bowl/WS title > Stanley Cup. In every way imaginable.

I'd nominate Boston in 2007-08. though. We dominated in three different sports; the Red Sox won the World Series, the Celtics won the NBA Championship, and the Patriots had the first ever 16-0 undefeated regular season while shattering several records. We dominated all three of the most popular sports in America. Pretty fuckin' impressive if you ask me, far more than this year for Pittsburgh.

 

[gd]

I would have to say that the Stanley Cup/Super Bowl combo is just as good as the World Series/Super Bowl combo. However, I can't deny what Boston accomplished from 2007-2008, 2 championships and a 3rd championship that they were mere minutes away from winning.

As far as the other teams that didn't actually win anything, they all had very good seasons, which is something significant. In Pittsburgh last year we had 7 very good teams to cheer for, even if the didn't win any championships that is something significant. It's not all about the 4 major sports.

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

I could research further back, but I took the easy way out. June 2002 - January 2003 in Los Angeles (and surrounding area) certainly was a great year in sports. The Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim finished the regular season one win shy of 100. In a division with three teams over 93 wins, they were four back of the Athletics, but secured a wildcard birth. They shocked the world and beat the Yankees, 3-1, and then the Twins in dominating fashion. In the World Series, they fell behind the Giants 3-2. In Game six, they were down by five late in the game, but made a miraculous comeback to win the game, and the series. It was the first and only World Series win in franchise history.

The USC Trojans had an incredibly tough schedule in 2002-2003. They faced only three opponents that were not ranked in the top 25. Their only losses came to a Washington State team that finished the season ranked 7th, and a Kansas State team that finished 6th. They even beat an Oregon Ducks team (ranked 14th at a time) in a high-powered offensive struggle at Autzen Stadium. The wheels fell off for the Ducks later, but they were playing incredibly well then. In the Orange Bowl, they dominated #3 Iowa, winning by 21 points. Carson Palmer also won the Heisman.

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship in 2002. They won 58 games in the regular season, beat the Kings, Spurs, and Blazers in the playoffs, then swept the Nets in the finals. This was their third title in as many years.

Pretty good year to live in LA.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

It's gonna be damn hard to refute XFear's point on Boston / New England in 2007-2008. His logic is flawed, and his underrating of the Stanley Cup as a massive sports championship vs the Super Bowl reeks of over-emphasis on US Sports, but I'll let that slide for now.

But some worthy considerations:

New York, 1969 and 1986

In 1969, Joe "Willie" Namath led the heavy underdog Jets to a win in Superbowl 3, their first and thus far their only championship. They defeated the vaunted Baltimore Colts. Also that year, the 8-year old Mets franchise shocked the world, winning 100 games behind guys like Seaver and Koosman, and beat the Braves and Orioles in the playoffs for their first championship in franchise history.

Los Angeles, 1988

The Lakers won their 2nd straight title behind coach Pat Riley with Kareem and Magic in the forefront. The fact that they beat the rival Celtics made it that much sweeter. In the same year, Kirk Gibson hit a still famous home run, with the commentary still reverberating, "I Can't Believe What I Just Saw!"

New Jersey, 2003

I drove by the Continental Airlines Arena a bunch of times, seeing the banner "arena of champions" proudly draped over. Why? Well, the Devils had won their 3rd Stanley Cup in 7 games over Anaheim, and the Nets had advanced to their 2nd straight NBA finals, though they were run roughshod over by the Lakers Shaq / Kobe dynasty.

 

[NSL]

New York, 1969 and 1986

In 1969, Joe "Willie" Namath led the heavy underdog Jets to a win in Superbowl 3, their first and thus far their only championship. They defeated the vaunted Baltimore Colts. Also that year, the 8-year old Mets franchise shocked the world, winning 100 games behind guys like Seaver and Koosman, and beat the Braves and Orioles in the playoffs for their first championship in franchise history.

IC stole my original idea of 1986 in NY. The Mets and Giants both winning almost shut the city down. There was parties everywhere, and people went crazy. I was only 2, but I have pictures of my dad in various states of inebriation to tell the story for me.

Another option would be New York in 2000, but it's not even in the same league as '86. In '00, the Giants and Mets both made it to the championships, but lost. The Yankees winning over the Mets was huge in the city, but because only 1 of 3 won, it doesn't look as impressive in the big scheme of things.

 

[Baller]

Got to go with Boston in 2007-08. Boston won their second championship in like 90 years. Boston went from mediocre to championship and turned around the Celtics. And the Patriots were one catch the ball on your helmet catch from being the first undefeated team in history of the 16 game regular season. Boston hands down