to qualify, I had to like the team previously... as in, before the season (started).
(years I liked the team)
1) 1987 IU Hoosiers, college b-ball (1975-present)
My hometown and eternal love. The reason my parents moved to Bloomington in the first place in 1967? A guy in Sierra Leone in the Peace Corps told my father that if he wanted to attend IU, he had a connection. I guess that was it! And then he quit his studies and established his career there. And there I was. Home.
Hoosiers is home. Anywhere in the world, the roundball takes me back. And 1987 was my best moment of victory. My sophomore year of high school at Bloomington South. Steve Alford, Daryl Thomas, Ricky Calloway, Dean Garrett, Keith Smart and the bench players Joe Hillman and Steve Eyl.
Wow.
2) 1984 BYU Cougars, college football (1978-present)
I didn't follow this team as closely as I would have liked. I was not as invested in college football as I would soon be. Perhaps this result lead to it. I saw BYU beat Michigan in the Holiday Bowl on TV, and it was a perfect season, enraging the future BCS leagues to be.
History, all right. LaVell Edwards deserved the credit for so many great teams from the late 1970s until that pinnacle year with Robbie Bosco.
They were perfect. They beat ranked Pittsburgh and everyone else, including the annual PAC 10 opponent.
They shall make it there again.
Bronco is on a mission. I heard him speak. He's powerful.
3) 2005 Chicago White Sox, MLB (1992-present)
Tim Raines not only got me to switch alliances with teams, from the Montreal Expos to the Chicago White Sox, but eventually to prefer the AL over the NL.
Raines, Sr. did not last in Chitown too long, just long enough to really enjoy Frank Thomas and Ozzie Guillen and the organization.
10 years after his departure from the snake bit Pale Hose, they have their breakthrough season while I was back down in Chile.
I missed most of the second half of the season, but through the Internet and a fortuitous friend in the Angol City of the 9th Region, I was able to see history achieved. Just a little over 5000 miles to the south. Maybe six.
4) 1996 New york yankees, MLB (1994-1998)
Rock Raines, childhood hero since his his rookie year of 1981, got picked up with the resurgent Yanks. I had started pulling for the Yankees a couple years prior, due largely to guys like Don Mattingly, a native Hoosier who was simply fun to watch play the game. Pettite and a few others were a fun team to see come together, like Big Cecil Fielder.
And Raines helped these guys come back against the Braves and snag their first ring since the 70s of Reggie Jackson, the first World Series for my guy Timmy in his fifteen year career. I was 26. I had waited for this since I was 10.
5) 1981 IU Hoosiers, CBK (1975-present)
I was young but I appreciated this team more as time wore on. Isaih Thomas, Ray Tolbert (my favorite), Landon Turner, Ted Kitchell, Randy Wittman and bench player Jim Thomas were the first 9 loss team to win it all.
Reagan was shot and then the Tar Heels cam up short.
Zeke had his day in Philly and went pro. Knight had his second championship in Philadelphia.
And this pushed me to want and expect more from my Hoosiers. The hunger and expectation has been there ever since.
6) 1976 Indiana Hoosiers, CBK (1975-present)
I was a tike of five years old. But this championship, the first for the General and the last undefeated team in NCAA basketball made its mark.
Kent Benson was a giant who entered my parents' copy shop. Quinn Buckner went on to play with Larry Bird in Boston. Scott May was the All-American who had broke his arm the year before.
Other names float around, including the names established by the '73 Final Four Hoosiers...Bobby Wilkerson, John Laskowski...
7) 1989 Detroit Pistons (1981-1994)
Zeke, Dumars and the Microwave, OH MY!
Laimbeer, Rodman, Spider Salley and Rick Mahorn made them the "Bad Boys", but I was so relieved at the change of the guard from the Celtics and Lakers.
All hail Isaih! He got his rings. And Rodman and the other big guys were pushy but you had to love Joe and Vinnie Johnson.
8)2004 Boston Red Sox (1975-1980s, more or less 90s, 2002-present)
Ahhh, put the ghosts to bed. My grandpa can rest easy in his grave. What a relief. So much talent, so little gratification.
About time, Beantown!
9) Hmmmm... Honestly, that might be it No. There are many more favorite teams that should be added. But: do conference and league champions count? Hmmmmm...
Conference champions count, right? Like the 2000 Pacers and the Utah Jazz in 1997 and 1998...
There are other conference champs that I must include.
.There are other teams that I have enjoyed immensely in seeing win it all, but they were bandwagon victories...I guess there are a few IU and BYU teams in there, but not necessarily .........................."Champions"overall...... .................................................. .................................................. .................................
Oh yeah, 2005-6 Indy Colts (1984-present)--but not by getting upset by Pittsburgh! An then the Wild Card goes all the way... My sister wants to own them..someday... (updated March, a month and more later).
You know what I just realized? I totally negected the sports of tennis, the Olympics, soccer and boxing!
You are always so respectful of your teams. I appreciate that. Your knowledge of their history is outstanding also. I really enjoy reading your blogs. Thanks for sharing. Oh, I meant to add that I've learned a lot from you about other teams.
That is the most unpopular group of champions I've seen in one listing. Let me credit you with the moxie to get out there and say it. It's good to see a non-frontrunner. Stick to your guns.
we have so much in common trivia (LOVE IT) love looking back..... you talk of indiana hoops.. bobby knight, a great coach... but in my view another casulity of a coaches way of coaching ... example the lengendary RALPH MILLER at oregon state university, used to love to stall the ball, eat up time... cant do that now with the shot clock... bobby knights tight fisting on players like being physical with them dosent seem to be able to work with these kids now!!!!! omy when i was in elementary school i got spanked becasue i didnt want to go!!!! these days you look cross eyed at a student you might get into trouble!!!!!
I remember when Ralph Miller coached pressure basketball at Wichita State and Iowa. He was a great, great teacher.
Oregon State had some tremendous teams when he was there. Wonder whatever happened to Charlie Sitton?
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I have lived in a few different sports areas and I am faithful to these places and their passions, give or take. I was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana (1970-1989). Bob Knight was a central figure. I then lived in Chile for two years, where soccer became more of a presence on my global map. After returning to the Hoosier state one year, 1992, I became more aware of college football for a five year stint in Provo, Utah (1993-1997). BYU Cougar football! I made another return to Indiana from 1997 to 1999, and then spent the last six years in southern California, minus the last six months of 2005, in southern Chile again. And I got back yesterday, UPDATE:Now in Loudoun Cty, Northern VA! I am in the South! I love sports enough to think that they matter...Some how.
