What was the best team ever?

[CanadianChris 0]

Doing one team per sport, I'd go with:

 

- 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. First team to win 60 games in a season, went 12-2 in the playoffs. Too many Hall of Famers to count.

 

- 1985 Chicago Bears. 15-1 in the regular season, then swept through the playoffs by a combined score of 91-10. The most dominant team from start to finish.

 

- 1927 New York Yankees. Still the gold standard for baseball. They won 110 games, you had Babe's 60 HR season, Gehrig hit 47 and set a major league record with 175 RBI (the AL mark, of course, still stands), and they swept the Pirates convincingly in the World Series.

 

- 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. 72-10 says it all.

 

Other teams I'd mention that I haven't seen yet:

 

- 1985-86 Boston Celtics

- 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers

- 1975 Cincinnati Reds

- 2007 New England Patriots (yeah, I said it)

 

[Slayer 0]

Also, the 1995 Cornhuskers were the greatest college football team I've seen in my lifetime, and that's coming from someone with a strong hatred of the Big Red

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Alright, hell with the tourney, but this is way too convoluted for CTDWAT.

 

During my lifetime, the 95-96 Bulls are the best I've ever seen. No talent ever complemented each other the way Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Longley, Kucoc did. 72 wins came in an era that involved an incredible crossroad of talent: The league had, or still had Shaq & Penny Hardaway, Malone & Stockton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Reggie Miller - maybe at no point in any sport's history did so much talent on paper converge in one season. My modest basketball knowledge may prove me wrong, but I declare the 95-96 Bulls to be king of the mountain.

[CanadianChris 0]

I can't see selecting national teams as part of this sort of thing. I think a team has to play in a valid professional season to qualify.

But if we were, I'd say the greatest team of any kind I've ever seen in my lifetime has to be the original Dream Team.

[Guest Czecherbear]

My left brain says it has to be the '72 Dolphins because nobody else's record has a zero in the loss column, but my heart says the '85 Bears because I'm a tribalist dumbfuck who likes the Bears and they pretty much kicked the living shit out of everyone they faced except the Dolphins. Still, though, who else never lost a game in a professional season? That's tough to argue! How do you argue a zero? How do you talk to an angel?

[Maztinho 0]

I can't see selecting national teams as part of this sort of thing. I think a team has to play in a valid professional season to qualify.

But if we were, I'd say the greatest team of any kind I've ever seen in my lifetime has to be the original Dream Team.

 

There should be no argument to that, Christian Leattner getting in over Shaq was pure Duke favoritism though.

[Slayer 0]

- 1975 Cincinnati Reds

As long as we're talking Big Red Machine, I'd put the '76 team over the '75 team. Yes, the '75 team won 108 games but needed seven games to put away the 95-win Red Sox (not to disparage that Sox team), while the '76 Reds (who did win 102 games) became the only team to sweep the entire postseason in the post-LCS era. Granted, that was when the LCS was only a five-game series, but no one else did it during the 15 years that was in effect. On top of it, the two teams they swept included a 101-win Phillies team that would make the playoffs repeatedly over the next several years, and the Yankees who would go on to win the next two WS.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

My left brain says it has to be the '72 Dolphins because nobody else's record has a zero in the loss column, but my heart says the '85 Bears because I'm a tribalist dumbfuck who likes the Bears and they pretty much kicked the living shit out of everyone they faced except the Dolphins. Still, though, who else never lost a game in a professional season? That's tough to argue! How do you argue a zero? How do you talk to an angel?

 

Because going undefeated doesn't always mean you were the GREATEST team ever. It just means you won every game by some fashion. Had the Niners of 1984 or the Bears of 1985 not lost their regular season game, they'd easily jump the Dolphins for best team of all time. Hell you probably could make a case for a team that failed to win the NFC (98 Vikings) or a team that was undefeated until the very final game (2007 Patriots) being better than that 72 Dolphins team. It's not necessarily being a homer for the Bears that lead me to believe that they were the greatest team of all time. It's because they WERE the most dominant. Dan Marino playing out of his mind one day doesn't change that. And let me reiterate that... it took one quarterback who ended up being the most prolific passer of all time (debatable, I know) playing out of his mind, to beat the Bears.

 

One nominee for best NFL teams, the 89 Niners.

[Guest Czecherbear]

Okay, but how many of those other metrics are enough to override won/lost? Isn't that paramount? In my heart of hearts I think there are teams that did more fantastic things than the Fins, but there's still part of me that says 0 < 1 and that's the end.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Okay, but how many of those other metrics are enough to override won/lost? Isn't that paramount? In my heart of hearts I think there are teams that did more fantastic things than the Fins, but there's still part of me that says 0 < 1 and that's the end.

 

So Ball State is better than Florida this year in NCAA? Ball State has 0 losses, Florida has 1.

[Guest Czecherbear]

Maybe they are. I don't go for figure skating football. I'll say yes.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Alright, as long as you're consistent in that belief...

 

aww, you edited it. Stick with your answer, guy.

[Guest Czecherbear]

That was my rationale for Boise State 2006 National Champions. They played Division I teams and never lost. Fuck style points.

 

I re-edited to stay consistent. I just felt it wasn't right to just post "yes." Yeah, they should be the best team in the country if they've never lost.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

It's still kind of weird to see Slayer posts that are.....actual.

[Just John 0]

- 2007 New England Patriots (yeah, I said it)

 

If David Tyree doesn't make a miracle catch off his helmet, the 07 Pats would be the consensus NFL pick for sure.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

- 2007 New England Patriots (yeah, I said it)

 

If David Tyree doesn't make a miracle catch off his helmet, the 07 Pats would be the consensus NFL pick for sure.

 

In order for Tyree to make the catch, Eli must make the improbable escape.

[Guest Czecherbear]

Luckily, both happened, and so the Patriots are forever out of the discussion. thx messrs.!

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I don't mind considering a team with a loss or two as the greatest team ever, as long as you WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP. The Patriots did not.

 

edit: Since I've posted a bunch, I should include my top 3 NFL teams of all time-

 

1a.1985 Chicago Bears/1b. 1989 San Francisco 49ers

2. 1972 Miami Dolphins

3. 1984 San Francisco 49ers

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Also, seeing Damaramu's name in the user list reminded me of a certain team. You guys speak of undefeated teams, what about the 50s Oklahoma Sooners? They won something like 50 straight.

[Just John 0]

Hence the IF.

[cabbageboy 0]

No one has mentioned college hoops here yet, so I'll throw out a couple of teams:

 

1976 Indiana Hoosiers. Last team to go undefeated. Bear in mind the 75 Hoosiers also could have done it if not for Scott May's broken arm.

 

1996 Kentucky Wildcats. Yeah they lost 2 games that year, both to FF teams (UMass, Miss St.). The rest of the season between that early season UMass loss and the SEC Finals loss was the biggest amount of destruction I've ever seen a college team lay down. Biggest NCAA tourney margin of victory ever as well I think, surpassing UNLV in 1990.

 

For the NFL I'll throw out one that for whatever reason isn't mentioned all that often: The 1984 San Francisco 49ers. Like the 85 Bears they also ended up 18-1, but the 1 loss was to the Steelers by 3 points and they destroyed Dan Marino (in his greatest season) for the Super Bowl instead of beating a weak ass Pats team.

 

As for the NBA, I'll throw out a slight variation on what has been said and go with the 1997 Bulls. Sure, the 1996 team won 3 more games (72 to 69) but take a look at the 1997 Eastern Conference. It was unreal! We're talking about a 56 win Atlanta in the 2nd round for the Bulls, then a 61 win Miami Heat in the Eastern Finals, then a 64 win Utah Jazz. The 1996 and 97 teams are basically the same, but I think the 1997 Bulls had a slightly more impressive run.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I listed the 84 Niners already. A few times in fact. And I will point out that beating the Dolphins with Marino by 22 is impressive but not as good as beating the Patriots by 36. Then if you go further back, beating your postseason opponents by 82-26 is not as impressive as beating your postseason opponents by 91-10.

[Just John 0]

It's amazing that arguably the best Niners SB team (84) didn't even have Jerry Rice.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Arguably is right. I believe the 1989 squad was better.

[Just John 0]

The 84 team did have a better record, more points scored, fewer points allowed, and a better turnover differential, so there is a lot to argue. The only thing they did significantly better in 89 was beat up playoff opponents, although the 84 team was no slouch in that area (winning by double digits every game).

[Guest Vitamin X]

The NFC was even tougher in 89 than it was in 84, too.

[Wally Balls 0]

1992 United States Basketball team...If we count this team, they can't be left out. They totally destroyed every country they played without any trouble.

 

1995-1996 Chicago Bulls.

 

2007 New England Patriots (Yeah I said it too)

 

1999 St Louis Rams and 1998 Minnesota Vikings aren't far behind either.

[Damaramu 0]

Also, seeing Damaramu's name in the user list reminded me of a certain team. You guys speak of undefeated teams, what about the 50s Oklahoma Sooners? They won something like 50 straight.

 

They went on a 31 game winning streak, lost one and then went on the 47 game winning streak.

 

 

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

This is a whole other can of worms, but how about Muhammad Ali from October 74-October 75.

 

Knocked out Foreman for the title, stopped Chuck Wepner and Ron Lyle, defended successfully against Joe Bugner, and then won the Thrilla in Manila.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I have no problem whatsoever with the '07 Pats being thrown into the mix. They didn't just win 16 regular season games, they dominated them: 35-40 points a game, and more than 50 on two occasions. They might be remembered more for the blemish of losing the Super Bowl, but no team in the big four ever started a season with eighteen straight wins.