Best Of The Decade

[UNHWildCats]

I tried to be as objective as possible and some "homer" picks were unavoidable. Also there were some spots I couldn't come up with an answer. What does everyone else think?

Major League Baseball
Team: Boston Red Sox
Two World Series wins and twice more being within a game of appearing in the World Series easily locks Boston in.

Player: Albert Pujols
I'm sure Yankee fans will make an argument for Alex Rodriguez but Pujols takes it.

Manager: Terry Francona
The success he has had since coming to Boston in 2004 is among the best success for any manager this decade. Joe Torre has a case here as well and could move into a tie with Francona if he leads the Dodgers to a World Championship this season.


National Football League
Team: New England Patriots

Player: Tom Brady

Coach: Bill Belichick

Arguing any of this would be futile, so don't even try.
/cockiness



National Basketball Association
Team: San Antonio Spurs/LA Lakers
Couldn't pick one over the other.

Player: Kobe Bryant
Best name that comes to mind, I'm sure arguments can be made for others.

Coach: Gregg Popovich
Again, I'm sure arguments can be made for others.



Major League Soccer
Team: Houston Dynamo
This was a no brainer when you consider the full history of the franchise. The team won two championships earlier in the decade as the San Jose Earthquakes, but stats and titles were not transferred when the franchise relocated to Houston.

Player: Jaime Moreno?
I don't follow MLS enough to be able to make a wise pick here, but he is the all time leading scorer in league history and that surely gets him on any top 5 list. This slot is easily open to debate.

Coach: Steve Nicol
He's led the Revs to four MLS Cup appearances in seven years, and while Texas Terror will be quick to point out they lost each time, the Revs could have won any and all of those games losing three times in extra time or shootout and the other 2-1.



National Hockey League
Team: Detroit Red Wings
I follow the NHL as a whole less then MLS but Detroit should solidly top this list.

Player: Undetermined
For the reason above I can not make a selection here, so discuss.

Coach: Undetermined
Once again I can't make a selection here, so discuss.

[brownbear]

You could definitely argue Yankees on the MLB one (more playoff appearances, division titles, pennants; 1 vs. 2 in the WS category, but one of them went to the last out)

I don't like the Yankees, but if it pisses off Boston fans, I like it.

My homer pick is the Steelers for NFL team of the decade. Again, if it pisses off Boston fans, I like it.

[UNHWildCats]

You could definitely argue Yankees on the MLB one (more playoff appearances, division titles, pennants; 1 vs. 2 in the WS category, but one of them went to the last out)

I don't like the Yankees, but if it pisses off Boston fans, I like it.

My homer pick is the Steelers for NFL team of the decade. Again, if it pisses off Boston fans, I like it.
If Pittsburgh could win again this season they certainly can push it to an argument... but even then I think New England prevails with having another SB appearance plus the 16-0 regular season doesn't hurt.

Of course if Pittsburgh goes 19-0 end of discussion they got it

[93henfan]

And you also have to account for the fact that Pittsburgh didn't cheat to win their Superbowls.

[TheValleyRaider]

Major League Baseball
Team: Boston Red Sox
Two World Series wins and twice more being within a game of appearing in the World Series easily locks Boston in.

Player: Albert Pujols
I'm sure Yankee fans will make an argument for Alex Rodriguez but Pujols takes it.

Manager: Terry Francona
The success he has had since coming to Boston in 2004 is among the best success for any manager this decade. Joe Torre has a case here as well and could move into a tie with Francona if he leads the Dodgers to a World Championship this season.

The argument for Boston as the best team isn't quite so clear-cut. If we're doing this from 2000-2009 (as opposed to, say, 2001-10), then the Yankees have 1 World Title and 2 runner-up finishes (2001, 2003), including being 2 outs away in 2001. If we're going to count being a game short, you could add the Yankees' loss in 2004. Adding in that the Yankees also missed the playoffs ONCE during the decade (in the sport whose postseason is the hardest to qualify for) and only one of those births was by the Wild Card, and that's not an unheard of case. The 2 championships arguably give it to Boston, but all things considered, that's hardly a clear-cut case for "Team of the Decade"

St. Louis is the underappreciated team in all this, the only other team with multiple WS trips (2004, 2006), including a title (2006). Given their overall consistency this decade, you could include Tony LaRussa as a worthy second choice with Torre behind Francona for Manager of the Decade


National Football League
Team: New England Patriots

Player: Tom Brady

Coach: Bill Belichick

Pittsburgh and the Giants are the only other teams with multiple SB births. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy from the Colts are worthy 2nd choices behind Brady and Belichick, but as it was more often than not, the Pats win out

The New England Patriots, based not only on their titles, but their consistent excellence in the regular season (the Pats were below .500 once this decade, in 2000) and overall organizational philosophy makes them the best pro team of the decade


National Basketball Association
Team: San Antonio Spurs/LA Lakers
Couldn't pick one over the other.

Player: Kobe Bryant
Best name that comes to mind, I'm sure arguments can be made for others.

Coach: Gregg Popovich
Again, I'm sure arguments can be made for others.

I'd argue the Lakers are the team of the decade. More titles (4 to SAS' 3), plus 2 runners-up. 6 Finals appearances in 10 years, and a 4-2 record to boot, is pretty impressive, their mid-decade swoon post-Shaq and pre-Gasol notwithstanding


National Hockey League
Team: Detroit Red Wings
I follow the NHL as a whole less then MLS but Detroit should solidly top this list.

Player: Undetermined
For the reason above I can not make a selection here, so discuss.

Coach: Undetermined
Once again I can't make a selection here, so discuss.

Detroit isn't a bad pick for Team, but New Jersey should get a mention here as well. Both teams have 2 Cups and a Finals loss (and both were 7th games). The Wings do have an additional loss in the Conference Finals, but also some embarrassing flameouts in the 1st Round (though the Devils this season probably counts). Too bad the one time they faced-off in a Final was way back in 1995 (Devils won in a sweep), as that'd be a surefire tiebreaker

Best player, that's a tough one. Dominik Hasek should get some consideration, but most of his best work was prior to 2004. Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin will all likely be in the conversation for the 2010s, but not this decade. The 2 finalists, I think, should be Martin Brodeur (NJ Devils) and Niklas Lidstrom (Detroit). Brodeur won the Vezina 4 times and is the NHL's all-time winningest Goalie. Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy 6 times (3rd most all-time) and added a Conn Smythe award in 2002. Push comes to shove, I'd pick Brodeur, but both are among the greatest to play the game

As for Coach of the Decade, that's tough given how much turnover there is in the NHL coaching ranks, but right now, my vote would probably be for Mike Babcock. Won the Cup in 2007 with the Wings, was a runner-up with the Wings in 2008 and the Ducks in 2003, so he's coached winners at both ends of the decade

Red Wings and Devils dominate the conversation, which makes sense, really. The lockout, costing all of 2004-05, may have skewed this a bit. Who knows what other teams/players could have inserted themselves into the conversation. Tampa Bay wins 2 Cups in a row? Maybe the Avs put together one more run? Could that have been San Jose's year? Or perhaps the much-needed Red Wings-Devils tiebreaker. Such a shame xsmhx

[ISUMatt]

Broduer as player of the decade...easily...And I would also say Babcock

[grizband]

I would argue that Peyton Manning and LaDanian Tomlinson could be in the argument for best football player this decade. They may not have the titles of Brady, but their individual performances warrant consideration for the top spot.

[gmoney55]

As much as I hate to admit it, you have to wait on the Yankees/Red Sox results this season for team of the decade. If the Yanks win it all titles are 2 to 2 and NYY would have 4 WS appearances to Boston's 2, the division title in a large majority of the seasons and more playoff appearances.