Is the 2000-2009 Boston professional sports decade the best for any city ever?

[nickagneta]

Granted the decade isn't over yet and Boston-based pro sports  teams still could make even more history than they already have with the Bruins and Red Sox being among the few expected to win championships in their respective sports, the Celtics still very much a factor with 2 HOFers and possibly a couple of future All-Stars on their roster, the Revolution gearing up for another season and the Patriots still to play their 2009 regular season, but could this be the greatest pro sports decade for any one city ever?

First off let's review:

The Pats have won 3 Superbowls, been to 4 Superbowls and have had more regular season wins than any other team during the decade and had the second ever perfect regular season in NFL history.

The Red Sox have won 2 World Series, gone to 7 games in 2 other ALCS, and have currently what many consider to be the best pitching staff and defense combo in the league and are among a few teams favored to win it all this year.

The Celtics won the 2008 NBA Championship and also went to one other ECF. Their 2008 team, statistically, was pehaps one of the top defensive teams ever and the team as a whole perhaps one of the top ten best ever.

The Bruins are among the favorites to win it all this year.

The New England Revolution have lost the MLS cup a vey Buffalo Bills like 4 times but have been one of the most dominant American professional soccer(football) teams of the decade.

Boston had a two time WBA Heavyweight Champion(Johnny Ruiz) who held the title for close to two years during this decade.

There have been 10 Boston Marathons, the oldest and possibly most prestigious races in the world.

John Cena has been a five time World Champion wrestling champion. Okay, I know this is a stretch but he is a Boston guy who has been the top star of his profession for this decade in a athletically professional endeavor. So, I'm going to include it here.

Now I know the total championships across the board don't even, at least at this time, even equal the amount the Celtics alone got in the 1960's but professional sports as a whole was much smaller back then with much less teams and a much better chance at having championship eras for one team in one sport.

I'm guessing New Yorkers are going to come up with a decade of their own and Los Angeles had a really good decade recently as well, but if the Bruins win the Cup this year, has any other city ever had a championship in every major professional sport and had a boxing champion as well?

Just off the top of my head I know New York had a Met championship, four Islander Stanley Cups, and two SB champions in the 80's but had no NBA winners. Also, LA had one SB champ, 5 NBA championships and two World Series champions in the 80's but no NHL championships.

But those cities also have had multiple teams playing in the same sport for them whereas Boston only has a single representative in each sport. So I guess it's still up to the Bruins to win a Cup this year and solidify the Boston claim. I'm sorry it's late and I'm lazy so I'm not going to do the legwork of looking at every city and decade, but, the beginning of this new century certainly has been an outstanding one for sports fans in the Boston area and it just might be the greatest overall decade of professional sports for any one city ever.

[guava_wrench]

Everything past the Bruins seems a bit irrelevant. Are we going to start listing Arena Football champions and Table Tennis olympians next?

While the Celtics are the only local team I like, and I despite the Patriots, it would be very impressive if the Bruins won, giving Boston a championship is each of the 4 sports usually considered major team sports. If the Bruins don't win, well, it is only hockey, a sport that can't get its games on a major network without playing on location.

[nickagneta]

Everything past the Bruins seems a bit irrelevant. Are we going to start listing Arena Football champions and Table Tennis olympians next?

While the Celtics are the only local team I like, and I despite the Patriots, it would be very impressive if the Bruins won, giving Boston a championship is each of the 4 sports usually considered major team sports. If the Bruins don't win, well, it is only hockey, a sport that can't get its games on a major network without playing on location.

Up until just recently having a boxing champion in one of the major weight divisions(heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight) was a huge deal for a city and soccer is creeping up on hockey as becoming the 4th most popular pro team sport in America. The Marathon and Cena are stretches but the Marathon is the preeminent event in it's sport akin to the Indy 500 in racing or the Tour de France in bicycling or the Masters or British Open in golf and I think adds some credence to the argument.

[LB3533]

If the Bruins win the Stanley Cup this year....there is no contest which City was the "Sports City" of the 2000's.

[Roy Hobbs]

Hmm...  in the 1920s, New York won a championship in football (Giants), three titles in various leagues in basketball (the Original Celtics), one Stanley Cup (Rangers), and five World Series (3 Yankees, 2 Giants).  They also had a boxing champ, Gene Tunney.

[nickagneta]

Hmm...  in the 1920s, New York won a championship in football (Giants), three titles in various leagues in basketball (the Original Celtics), one Stanley Cup (Rangers), and five World Series (3 Yankees, 2 Giants).  They also had a boxing champ, Gene Tunney.

TP for the research Roy but do you think pre NBA really counts. Technically I guess it does but the game was in it's infancy back then. Heck most of the sports were in their infancy as the color barrier hadn't been breached yet. So I guess the question should be that in the modern era where everyone had the ability to play each of the games, has that quintuple of championships ever happened for one city in one decade?

[Roy Hobbs]

Hmm...  in the 1920s, New York won a championship in football (Giants), three titles in various leagues in basketball (the Original Celtics), one Stanley Cup (Rangers), and five World Series (3 Yankees, 2 Giants).  They also had a boxing champ, Gene Tunney.

TP for the research Roy but do you think pre NBA really counts. Technically I guess it does but the game was in it's infancy back then. Heck most of the sports were in their infancy as the color barrier hadn't been breached yet. So I guess the question should be that in the modern era where everyone had the ability to play each of the games, has that quintuple of championships ever happened for one city in one decade?

I don't think it's been done, even leaving out the boxing requirement.  Philly had a pretty successful run in the mid-70s / early 80s, but lost in the Super Bowl.

In terms of overall decade success across sports, I'd say Los Angeles in the 80s is probably #1.  They won 5 NBA titles, 2 Super Bowls, and 2 World Series.  Plus, they hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics, which probably makes up for not having an NHL champion.

If the Bruins come through this season, though, I'd say Boston wins out.  Let's hope this doesn't jinx them.

[xmuscularghandix]

go Bruins.

[Big Ticket]

Everything past the Bruins seems a bit irrelevant. Are we going to start listing Arena Football champions and Table Tennis olympians next?

While the Celtics are the only local team I like, and I despite the Patriots, it would be very impressive if the Bruins won, giving Boston a championship is each of the 4 sports usually considered major team sports. If the Bruins don't win, well, it is only hockey, a sport that can't get its games on a major network without playing on location.

... and soccer is creeping up on hockey as becoming the 4th most popular pro team sport in America.

So in other words, it's still last!

And I had a chuckle at the inclusion of a "champ" in a scripted "sport".

An impressive decade for the Boston area, nonetheless.

2000's for LA...

Most dominant season in golf history (2000, Tiger Woods, Cypress, California) and possibly decade (12 majors so far).
USC football
NBA 3-peat plus 2 other finals appearances
World Series Champ (2002, Angels)

Just throwin' it out there

[nickagneta]

Everything past the Bruins seems a bit irrelevant. Are we going to start listing Arena Football champions and Table Tennis olympians next?

While the Celtics are the only local team I like, and I despite the Patriots, it would be very impressive if the Bruins won, giving Boston a championship is each of the 4 sports usually considered major team sports. If the Bruins don't win, well, it is only hockey, a sport that can't get its games on a major network without playing on location.

... and soccer is creeping up on hockey as becoming the 4th most popular pro team sport in America.

So in other words, it's still last!

And I had a chuckle at the inclusion of a "champ" in a scripted "sport".

An impressive decade for the Boston area, nonetheless.

2000's for LA...

Most dominant season in golf history (2000, Tiger Woods, Cypress, California) and possibly decade (12 majors so far).
USC football
NBA 3-peat plus 2 other finals appearances
World Series Champ (2002, Angels)

Just throwin' it out there

Yeah, the wrestling inclusion was sort of for laughs. If we're going to include college sports by having USC represent LA let's not forget Boston's three NCAA hockey championships between BC and BU.

[Celtic]

I'm just gonna say yes, that's all.

[Cman]

Arguably, yes.
A proper analysis would require looking at other contenders like Roy is doing.

But a slightly different, but related point, is that we Boston sports team fans are really getting spoiled, and shouldn't get down when/if the tide turns.  Enjoy it while it lasts!  Wear your Celtics/Sox/Pats gear when you travel! Live it up!

[xmuscularghandix]

Everything past the Bruins seems a bit irrelevant. Are we going to start listing Arena Football champions and Table Tennis olympians next?

While the Celtics are the only local team I like, and I despite the Patriots, it would be very impressive if the Bruins won, giving Boston a championship is each of the 4 sports usually considered major team sports. If the Bruins don't win, well, it is only hockey, a sport that can't get its games on a major network without playing on location.

... and soccer is creeping up on hockey as becoming the 4th most popular pro team sport in America.

So in other words, it's still last!

And I had a chuckle at the inclusion of a "champ" in a scripted "sport".

An impressive decade for the Boston area, nonetheless.

2000's for LA...

Most dominant season in golf history (2000, Tiger Woods, Cypress, California) and possibly decade (12 majors so far).
USC football
NBA 3-peat plus 2 other finals appearances
World Series Champ (2002, Angels)

Just throwin' it out there

Yeah, the wrestling inclusion was sort of for laughs. If we're going to include college sports by having USC represent LA let's not forget Boston's three NCAA hockey championships between BC and BU.

if we're counting USC football, then we can cound BU and BC Hockey.

[biggs]

"Most dominant season in golf history (2000, Tiger Woods, Cypress, California) and possibly decade (12 majors so far)."

Is Tiger affiliated with some L.A golf team we don't know about?  Or any city-based team in golf for that matter?  Does golf even have teams?

I don't understand your argument.

[Big Ticket]

"Most dominant season in golf history (2000, Tiger Woods, Cypress, California) and possibly decade (12 majors so far)."

Is Tiger affiliated with some L.A golf team we don't know about?  Or any city-based team in golf for that matter?  Does golf even have teams?

I don't understand your argument.

Not sure how it's any different than the OP using a boxer that is from Boston...