Sports Dynasty or Not: 10 Case Studies

Perhaps the most fun part about debates over sports dynasties is that there is no set definition for the term. 

One reason sports-talk radio hosts go to this topic whenever a team wins a second championship in "X" amount of years is because it is bound to light up the phone lines and draw reactions on websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Any team that is said to be a dynasty will immediately be compared to dominant sides from prior generations by fans and analysts alike. 

One could use that famous definition linked to something entirely different for labeling a sports dynasty: "I can't define it, but I know what one is." It is understood that those Chicago Bulls teams that won six world championships in the 1990s were a sports dynasty. A debate could be made that the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s were the first true dynasty of the Super Bowl era.

Naming a sports dynasty these days is more complicated an exercise for a variety of reasons. Free agency and the constant movement of players makes retaining cornerstones of a championship roster more difficult than was the case decades ago. Expansion teams in the National Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball has increased the lengths of regular seasons and postseason tournaments. 

Winning multiple championships in today's sports climate is special. That is why the "D" word comes up in columns and in discussions whenever a team accomplishes that feat. Have we merely cheapened the term "sports dynasty" when compared with some of the great all-time rosters in history, or do we need to broaden our definition of that term because of the nature of the industry in 2016? 

You can decide with us. 

LA Galaxy: 2010-Current

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Were the LA Galaxy the first true dynasty in MLS history?

David Beckham was not just a talented player when he agreed to sign for Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy in 2007. Beckham was an international superstar who had featured for Manchester United and Real Madrid, two of the largest sports entities in the world. Beckham joining the North American top flight made international news (h/t TheGuardian.com), and it was thought, at the time, that he could draw crowds and television viewers to a product that had largely been ignored by casual fans. 

Beckham also helped the Galaxy become the best team in all of MLS for a period of time. 

MLS is different from other sports leagues on the continent in that the league technically has two champions per season. The Supporters' Shield is awarded to the team that finishes atop the overall MLS league table with the most earned points for that campaign. The MLS Cup, meanwhile, goes to the club that wins the annual postseason tournament. 

Both winners receive berths in the CONCACAF Champions League competition. 

The Galaxy's first title of the Beckham era came in 2010 when the team won the Supporters' Shield (h/t SupportersShield.org). LA repeated that feat in 2011, and the club completed the double by also winning the MLS Cup. The Galaxy were unable to hold onto the Supporters' Shield in 2012, but LA did repeat as MLS Cup champions for what would be Beckham's final run with the team and in MLS.

LA then won the MLS Cup in 2014 during the last season in the career of United States soccer legend Landon Donovan.

Winning the five biggest trophies in MLS across a span of five seasons is unheard of in the league's current structure. DC United did so between 1996 and 1999 during the league's infancy. With players such as Robbie Keane, Giovani dos Santos, Gyasi Zardes, Steven Gerrard, Ashley Cole and other talented footballers available for selection in 2016, the Galaxy could be favorites to add to their trophy case before December comes to an end. 

Verdict: Dynasty, one that may not be done just yet. 

Miami Heat: 2010-14

Associated Press

The Miami Heat could have been a dynasty.

The Decision, during which LeBron James announced that he was signing with the Miami Heat in July 2010, left a bad taste in the mouth of some for multiple reasons. Why couldn't James inform the world of his intentions via a press conference like any other athlete? Why did we have to sit through an ESPN special to learn that James was taking his talents to South Beach? 

It also didn't help that those of us who weren't Miami fans feared that the new Big Three of James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were going to rule the NBA for the next decade. 

The NBA Eastern Conference did, in fact, belong to the Heat in each of the next four seasons. The Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and every other team in the conference could not stop the Heat from making four straight appearances in the NBA Finals. Not even the Los Angeles Lakers from the early 2000s and from later in the decade managed to pull that off (h/t NBA.com). 

Just one problem: The Heat went 2-2 in the NBA Finals from 2010-14. 

The Dallas Mavericks took care of Miami in six games. Miami then won back-to-back championships, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the process. San Antonio earned revenge in 2014 by beating the Heat in five games. 

In total, Miami went 11-12 in the NBA Finals during those four seasons. 

As Brian Lendino of The Six Thirty explained, having "dynastic qualities" does not a dynasty make: 

"

The Heat certainly have dynastic qualities, but they’re not a dynasty. Don’t get me wrong, four NBA Finals appearances during the four years of the Big Three is nothing to ignore, and neither are the two championship trophies sitting in South Beach right now.

But they’re fashionable. And to call them a dynasty would be irresponsible and unjust to the game of basketball.

Dynasties need staying power, and the ability to change with the times. The Heat failed to do that amidst the champagne and celebration of their 2013 title. They were old last year. Everyone knew it, which is why it was so amazing they were able to pick themselves up by the bootstraps in Game 6 and win in Game 7.

"

Verdict: Not a dynasty, as James broke up the band by returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers following the 2014 NBA Finals.  

Alabama: 2009-Current

Associated Press

Alabama's dynasty is as strong as ever.

A MLB team owner with deep pockets can theoretically spend whatever he wants on a roster so long as he does not mind what is known as a "luxury tax." The same can be said for an individual or entity that runs a NBA franchise. 

Every college program in the country, big or small, has one thing in common: That program's best athletes will eventually have to leave the university, and there is nothing that can be done about that. 

What head football coach Nick Saban has done at Alabama since 2009 is, thus, all the more impressive. 

Only one college has won multiple FBS championships since Saban linked up with Alabama in 2007. The Crimson Tide did so in 2009, 2011, 2012 and in 2015 (h/t NCAA.com). The last time a university that wasn't Alabama notched back-to-back FBS title seasons was when Nebraska did so in 1994 and 95. 

The championships alone would make Alabama a modern college football dynasty. As Michael Casagrande of AL.com explained last February, the Crimson Tide may just be getting started:

"

The Associated Press declared Alabama's call No. 1 in the consensus of major recruiting ranking services.

The Crimson Tide class had No. 1 in the 247Sports and Rivals rankings, and is first in the Scout version. It is No. 2, according to ESPN.

"

Verdict: Alabama could be responsible for the greatest college football dynasty in history before all is said and done. 

Boston Red Sox: 2004-13

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Were the Boston Red Sox a modern MLB dynasty?

The Boston Red Sox can't do anything easy. Determining whether the Red Sox were a dynasty from 2004 to '13 is a chore. 

Arguments against the Red Sox being a dynasty are simple to understand. Boston never made back-to-back trips to the World Series over the span of time (h/t Baseball-Reference). The Red Sox would have never won the Series back in 2004 had the New York Yankees not choked away a 3-0 American League Championship Series lead. In 2007, the Cleveland Indians failed to close the Red Sox out at home when up 3-1, even with then-Cleveland ace CC Sabathia on the mound. 

In short: We never want to hear about a "Red Sox curse" ever again.

The argument for the Red Sox being a dynasty begins with the fact that Boston won the World Series on three occasions in a decade. Only the San Francisco Giants have matched that feat over the past 15 seasons (h/t ESPN.com). Boston also made seven trips to the postseason from 2004 through 2013.

Joe Posnanski of NBC Sports did well to explain in October 2013 why the Red Sox were and also were not a dynasty. Winning three titles is impressive, no doubt, but the only member of the 2004 Red Sox still with the club in the fall of 2013 was slugger David Ortiz.

That, as Posnanski wrote, is the state of big league baseball in the modern era:

"

Baseball is geared heavily against dynasties these days. There are the reasons everyone talks about how much it costs to try and keep a great team together. That cost can hit you two ways. One, the obvious way, it can cost too much to keep your best players. The Pittsburgh Pirates of the early 1990s won three consecutive division titles, then Barry Bonds and others left for more money, and the Pirates were dreadful. The 1990s Cleveland Indians went to two World Series, then Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome and Bartolo Colon and others priced themselves out and they had to start over. The 2003 Marlins had a young Beckett and Miguel Cabrera and others, but, not long after, did not have any of them.

"

Verdict: The Red Sox were a well-run organization during that time, but they were not a dynasty. 

Ronda Rousey: 2011-15

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Will Ronda Rousey be a dynasty twice?

A combat sports athlete such as a mixed martial artist has two main objectives: Win every fight, of course, but also be as entertaining as possible in and outside of the cage to draw the most amount of money. An Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder is only worth so much to UFC boss Dana White if that champion fails to compel customers to order pay-per-view events and flock to arenas for that champ's fights. 

Ronda Rousey was the total package for several years. Along with being "The Baddest Woman on the Planet" while UFC bantamweight champion, Rousey became a household name who was featured on magazine covers and advertising campaigns. "There's never been a bigger star than Ronda Rousey," White said of the submission expert during an episode of UFC Tonight last September (h/t Damon Martin of Fox Sports). 

Rousey's ascent to greatness began in May 2012 when she defeated Miesha Tate for the Strikeforce bantamweight title (h/t UFC.com). Rousey successfully defended that belt once before she was awarded with the UFC Bantamweight Championship, a title that Rousey retained for another six fights before she was defeated by Holly Holm in November. 

The lineage of the UFC Bantamweight Championship technically goes back to Strikeforce, and thus one could logically claim that Rousey notched seven straight successful title defense. Only three fighters to date—all men—have had better streaks (h/t FightMatrix.com). 

One knock against Rousey leading up to her showdown with Holm was that the "Rowdy" one had faced weak competition throughout her pro career. Per Frank Iole of Yahoo Sports: 

"

(Rousey's) won so quickly with such regularity that we wonder whether she's that good or that the opposition she's facing isn't that strong. Joe Rogan, the UFC's color analyst, thinks that has to at least be considered.

"I think you can make the argument for both being the case," Rogan said. "I don't think you can make the case that her competition has been as good as Jon Jones [faced in his run as UFC light heavyweight champion] or as good as "Mighty Mouse" [flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson] or any of the other champions.

"I just don't think [Rousey's past opponents] are as good, but she is. It's a really interesting scenario. You have one athlete who is not just really dominant in her division and in her sport, but who arguably has the best judo in MMA, who arguably has the best arm bar technique in MMA. And she's fighting girls who, other than Miesha Tate, aren't really capable of competing with her."

"

Whether such criticism is fair is irrelevant. Rousey was, at worst, the first of her kind, the standard by which all future great female fighters will be compared. 

Verdict: Dynasty

Chicago Blackhawks: 2010-Current

Associated Press

The Chicago Blackhawks have mastered the salary-cap era of the NHL.

Want to have some fun with and/or troll a diehard National Hockey League fan? Find out if that person believes that the Chicago Blackhawks of the past six years are a dynasty, and then passionately take the opposite stance in an argument. 

That simulation was basically the Internet in June after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons. Search for "Blackhawks dynasty" via Google or your favorite search engine to locate arguments on both sides. 

Kevin Allen of USA Today had high praise for Chicago, referring to the Blackhawks as "the most decorated team in the post-salary-cap era, and deserving to be called one of the top teams in NHL history."

Carl Pavlock of SB Nation blog Five for Howling did not agree:

"

This year is probably the worst year to make the argument that the consecutive championship requirement needs to be removed if we want to continue to have dynasties. In the first six years of the salary cap, six different teams won the Cup, and it seemed like parity was winning out.

However in the past six years the same three teams have won the Cup; the Blackhawks with three Cups, the Kings with two Cups, and the Boston Bruins with one. We also aren't even giving the Blackhawks a shot at a legitimate claim to a dynasty with a Cup win next year. Granted their cap situation isn't great, but is it too hard to think that the Blackhawks could win the Cup again next year?

"

Since the lockout eliminated the 2004-05 NHL season, the Blackhawks and the Kings are the only teams to win the Stanley Cup multiple times (h/t ESPN.com). That the Blackhawks, Kings and Bruins have dominated Stanley Cup Finals over the past six years doesn't erase what Chicago has accomplished. 

Maybe Chicago is only a "modern NHL dynasty." A modern dynasty is still a dynasty. 

Verdict: The Blackhawks are a dynasty that could still win a few more championships. 

Barcelona: 2008-Current

Associated Press

Barcelona's dynasty could become historic.

One could claim that Barcelona's current dynasty dates back to 2004, when a then-teenager named Lionel Messi cemented himself as a senior squad player. Barcelona went on to become kings of La Liga for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns, but their reigns were cut short by back-to-back league titles by Real Madrid (h/t Yahoo.com). 

This Barcelona dynasty, thus, truly began when the Blaugrana won La Liga for 2008-09. Since then, only Real Madrid in 2011-12 and Atletico Madrid in 2013-14 have prevented Barcelona from sitting atop the league table on the final day of the domestic season. That's five league titles and counting for Barcelona during their current run. 

Only a single club has won the Champions League more than once since the start of the 2008-09 European calendar. That side, as you have probably guessed, is Barcelona. The Spanish giants have achieved that accomplishment three times over that period (h/t UEFA.com). 

Unlike some of the other dynasty examples, we can look back and also ahead when speaking of a Barcelona dynasty. Messi is 28 years old. Neymar turned 24 last month. Those two are, at the very worst, among the five best overall attacking players in the world. The 29-year-old Luis Suarez completes club football's top attacking trio, one that is showing few signs of slowing down as of early March. 

Barcelona were, as of March 2, five points ahead of second-place Atletico in the La Liga table (h/t SkySports.com). You can safely pencil Barcelona into the quarterfinals of the 2015-16 Champions League competition. 

Verdict: Not only are Barcelona a dynasty, they are a dynasty with no end in sight. 

San Francisco Giants: 2010-Current

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Are titles enough to make the San Francisco Giants a dynasty?

Dynasty debates can get tricky when breaking down the San Francisco Giants. The Giants won the World Series three times from 2010 through 2014, the only team with multiple championships in MLB over the past six seasons (h/t ESPN.com). San Francisco could be the team of the decade already, and the club would secure that distinction with one more championship before the end of the 2019 campaign. 

When it comes to the Giants being a dynasty, however, you have to decide how much you are willing to lower the bar. San Francisco not only failed to win a single playoff series in its non-championship seasons, but the Giants didn't even make the postseason in those years (h/t Baseball-Reference.com). Since 2004, San Francisco has played meaningful October baseball only in 2010, 2012 and 2014. 

The Giants finished eight games out of first place in 2011. San Francisco was 16 games from the top of the division at the end of the 2013 season, and the Giants finished 84-78 and eight games out of first place last fall. 

Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe was impressed with the Giants in November 2014, but only to a point:

"

Yes, the Giants have won three World Series in the last five years. That’s commendable. Let’s all offer them a metaphorical high-five.

But their achievement does not constitute a dynasty.

"

Verdict: We're putting this into the "Grade Pending" category. As Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News wrote, the Giants are taking a talented roster into an "even year." Even years have been good to the Giants since 2010. 

A fourth title in seven seasons would earn the Giants the "dynasty" label for the decade. 

New England Patriots: 2001-Current

Associated Press

The New England Patriots are the modern NFL dynasty.

Cynics and/or those who take joy in hating the New England Patriots may have a problem with linking the current dynasty of the New England Patriots back to the 2001 season and the first Super Bowl championship in the history of the franchise.

All would do well to remember that two constants have remained for the Patriots since that time: Tom Brady has been quarterback, and Bill Belichick has been head coach. 

NFL fans who live and breathe pro football for over 20 weekends a year have had it beaten into their memories that the Brady-Belichick duo has won four Super Bowl championships. That, on its own, is impressive in a league that is supposedly built on parity. The Patriots have made six Super Bowl appearances since the beginning of February 2002. 

The San Francisco 49ers have made six Super Bowls in the history of the franchise (h/t NFL.com). Only the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos have played in more Super Bowl games. 

Jeff Diamond of Sporting News wrote in November about how hard it is for good NFL teams to retain key players in this era of free agency:

"

Then in 1993, free agency and the salary cap brought a system where GMs and coaches had to make choices of which star players to retain as you couldn't keep a team with eight Pro Bowlers intact for very long. In recent years as playoff quarterbacks hit the $20 million- plus per year jackpot, something had to give in other positions.

We see the effects today with the Seahawks after Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch, Earl Thomas and Bobby Wagner got paid big bucks contracts. Over the past two years, Seattle could not retain players such as Golden Tate, former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith, Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, Byron Maxwell and Brandon Browner.

"

Diamond also explained how the Patriots have managed to defy the odds and beat the system. Brady has routinely been willing to re-work his contracts to free up salary-cap space, as he did earlier this week (h/t ESPN.com). New England has reinvested that available money into star players who buy into what Belichick sells. The Patriots have also hit on late draft picks, players who carry minimal cap hits through their first NFL contracts. 

In short, the Patriots are the model NFL franchise of the 21st century. 

Verdict: Clear dynasty

San Antonio Spurs: 1998-Current

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Are the San Antonio Spurs the line that separates a great organization from a sports dynasty?

The San Antonio Spurs selected Tim Duncan with the first pick of the 1997 NBA draft. That pick could not have come at a better time for the Spurs. Michael Jordan had stepped away from the Chicago Bulls, ending Chicago's dynasty in the process. Duncan, David Robinson and the Spurs were able to win a NBA championship before Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers became rulers of the league before that on-the-court marriage ended in a sloppy and public divorce. 

Supposed NBA superpowers came and went, while Duncan and the Spurs hung around. San Antonio won the 2003 NBA Finals, then did so again in 2005. The Spurs denied LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers of a championship in 2007. San Antonio's fifth title in 15 years was won in 2014, this time against James and the Miami Heat (h/t NBA.com). 

Five titles in 15 years should be good for a "dynasty" label, right? Phil Jackson did not agreement with that assessment in April 2014. Per Peter Botte of the New York Daily News: 

"

"When you know there are some obvious examples that are out there that everybody can point to," Jackson said. "Tim Duncan making the salary he's making after being part of a dynasty -- not a dynasty, I wouldn't call San Antonio a dynasty -- a force, a great force. They haven't been able to win consecutive championships, but they've always been there. San Antonio has had a wonderful run through Tim's tenure there as a player. He's agreed to take a salary cut so other players can play with him so they can be this good. And that's the beginning of team play.

"

Jackson isn't wrong.

Since the beginning of this alleged dynasty, the Spurs have never won back-to-back championships. The Lakers and Heat did, though, and the Lakers also notched a three-peat. 

Duncan should be praised for being willing to restructure deals to help the Spurs rather than being first concerned with his bank accounts. Gregg Popovich is a head coach for the ages who already has a spot reserved for him in the Hall of Fame. 

With that said, San Antonio is the line that separates great organizations from historic dynasties. 

Verdict: The Spurs are the best franchise in the NBA, but they don't deserve to be called a dynasty.