THE DRAW
*this is not necessarily one specific year from each team, this is determining the franchise that had the most dominant success throughout the decade.
**I apologize if your team is not mentioned.
QUARTERFINALS
NY Yankees vs. Detroit Red Wings
Two back-to-back Stanley Cups led by Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Brendan Shanahan are a formidable opponent and the Wings were the model NHL franchise for the late 90’s and the early 2000’s, but the Yankees of the 90’s have an even more impressive resume. They move into the semi’s.
Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Hakeem Olajuwon led Rockets dominated the NBA in 1994 and 1995 and have the championship rings to show for it.
The Cowboys, however, have three Super Bowl titles under their belts in the 90’s alone, and that’s enough to move them into the next round.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Two teams that completed the very difficult task of back-to-back championships. Joe Carter and the Blue Jays won their second consecutive World Series in dream-like fashion with a walk-off home run to win game 6 in 1993.
Mario Lemieux and his Penguins pulled off two Stanley Cups in a row in a very difficult era in the NHL.
Both teams are near and dear to my heart but the Penguins get the win in this contest. They’re through to the semi finals.
Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Bulls
While the Braves only have one World Series win (1995) to show for their efforts, they were still one of the most successful teams in Baseball throughout the 90’s, advancing to the World Series five times (91, 92, 95, 96 and 99). They were deservedly dubbed “The team of the 90’s”.
Unfortunately, they’re up against the Bulls. See ya, Braves.
SEMIFINALS
NY Yankees vs. Dallas Cowboys
What a heavyweight tilt. “The team of the century” squares off against “America’s Team”.
Three World Series victories against three Super Bowl titles draws things even in championships. Their decade long run is quite similar in success as well, as the Yankees began the 90’s poorly while the Cowboys sputtered into the 2000’s.
However, the Yankees shortcomings were a little more glaring between 1990-93, sporting a losing record and missing out on the playoffs.
Two outstanding teams but the Cowboys are going into the finals.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls, to put it mildly, were loaded. An Allstar cast surrounded possibly the greatest player of all time on their run to a whopping SIX championships.
The Pens were no slouches themselves. Super Mario was accompanied by future Hall of Famer Jaramir Jagr, as well as Kevin Stevens, Rick Tocchet and Bryan Trottier. They took out the Minnesota North Stars in 6 games in 1991, and swept the Chicago Blackhawks in 4 games the following year.
An impressive feat that otherwise might have been enough for a finals appearance, but MJ and the Bulls take this one.
FINALS
Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bulls
Dallas Cowboys
Playoff Appearances – 8
Superbowls – 3 (1992, 1993, 1995)
Hall Of Famers – 6 (Troy Aikman, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith)
Chicago Bulls
Playoff Appearances – 8
NBA Championships – 6 (90-91, 91-92, 92-93, 95-96, 96-97, 97-98)
Hall Of Famers – 4 (Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman)
Chicago Bulls
The powerhouse legacy that the Dallas Cowboys built in the 90’s just goes to show you how dominant of a team the Chicago Bulls were. They were the only team that would be able to take down the historic NFL team.
MJ and the Bulls were simply untouchable. Led by Hall Of Fame coach Phil Jackson, the Bulls stomped their competition for the better part of the decade and likely would have won another if Jordan wasn’t off trying his hand at baseball.
The franchise’s success was headlined by their 95-96 season which saw them achieve an incredible 72 wins on their way to another championship. The 95-96 Bulls are widely considered the greatest NBA team of all time, and they were just one of 6 Bulls teams that brought home the Larry O’Brien trophy in the 90’s.
Your champion – The Chicago Bulls.
