WC Forums Top 50 sports teams RESULTS Thread

[Drillbit Taylor]

#46



he San Diego Padres (nicknamed "The Friars") are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California since their founding in 1969. They are in the National League Western Division and are the reigning back-to-back division champions.

The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League team which arrived in San Diego in 1936. That minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by then-18-year-old San Diegan Ted Williams.

In 1969, the San Diego Padres joined the ranks of Major League Baseball as one of four new expansion teams, along with the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals), the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers). Their original owner was C. Arnholt Smith, a prominent San Diego businessman and former owner of the PCL Padres whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline. Despite initial excitement, the guidance of longtime baseball executive Buzzie Bavasi and a new playing field, the team struggled; the Padres finished in last place in each of its first six seasons in the NL West, losing 100 games or more four times. One of the few bright spots on the team during the early years was first baseman and slugger Nate Colbert, an expansion draftee from the Houston Astros and still (as of 2007) the Padres' career leader in home runs.

But C. Arnholt Smith changed his mind, and instead sold the Padres to McDonald's' co-founder Ray Kroc, who scuttled the planned move and kept the team in San Diego. The nation's capital would have to wait until after the 2004 season, when the Montreal Expos, the Padres' sister National League expansion team in 1969, transferred to the District of Columbia and became the Washington Nationals.

n 1984, the Padres won the National League West championship.After the Padres won the pennant in 1984, they had some tough times. Tony Gwynn continued to win batting titles (including batting .394 in 1994). The Padres would come close in 1985. They would sport seven All-Stars. However, they would collapse at the end of the season.

In 1987, rookie catcher Benito Santiago would hit in 34 straight games, earning him the NL Rookie of the Year Award. However, the Pads finished dead last in 1987. The next season, rookie second baseman Roberto Alomar would make his debut, forming a double play combination with veteran shortstop Garry Templeton. In 1989, the Pads finished 89-73 thanks to Cy Young Award-winning closer Mark Davis. Between 1989 and 1990, friction dominated the Padres' clubhouse as Tony Gwynn had constant shouting matches with slugger Jack Clark. But as the franchise player, Gwynn prevailed as Clark finished his career with the Red Sox.

Midway through the 1990 season, Joan Kroc wanted to sell the team. But she wanted a commitment to San Diego. So Kroc sold it to television producer Tom Werner.

# The Padres are one of four teams to never have a pitcher toss a no-hit game (although several have come close). In one near-miss, on July 22, 1970, righthander Clay Kirby finished the eighth inning only three outs shy of a no-hitter. But because the Padres were trailing in the game 1-0, manager Preston Gomez sent Cito Gaston up to pinch hit for Kirby with two out in the bottom of the eighth. Gaston struck out. Gomez defended his decision by saying that his job was to win games, but was openly criticized by Bavasi, who lamented not having a no-hit pitcher as a drawing card for the team.

# The Padres have been no-hit several times, most notably on June 20, 1970, by the Pittsburgh Pirates' Dock Ellis, who later claimed that he pitched the game while under the influence of the hallucinogenic drug LSD, a dose of which he ingested before drawing this pitching assignment.
# Nate Colbert is one of two major-league baseball players to have hit five home runs in one day, a feat he accomplished as a Padre.

# In his first home game as the Padres' new owner in 1974, Ray Kroc grabbed the public address system microphone and apologized to fans for the poor performance of the team, saying, "I've never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life." At the same time, a streaker raced across the field, eluding security personnel. Kroc shouted, "Throw him in jail!" Coincidentally, 1974 would be the first season that the Padres would not finish in the National League West cellar (finishing fifth), and brought the promise of an owner who would make the necessary changes to the organization.

# Between games of a doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds on July 25, 1990, Roseanne series star Roseanne Arnold delivered a screeching rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, immediately after which she grabbed her crotch and spat on the ground. She was intending to parody those actions of ballplayers which are often caught on camera, but she picked the wrong time to do it, as it appeared to many that she was commenting on the flag and/or the anthem. Had it not been for those gestures, her performance likely would have been written off as simply a poor choice of singer on the ballclub's part, and probably soon forgotten. As it was, her little act drew boos and catcalls from fans and then criticism from players (most notably Tony Gwynn) and even outside quarters, including then-President George Herbert Walker Bush, a former Yale University first baseman and the father of then-Texas Rangers owner and current President George W. Bush.

# It should also be noted that they have had only winning seasons ever since Petco Park opened in 2004, posting records of 87-75, 82-80, & 88-74, winning the NL West crown in 2005 & 2006.

# Author Nelson Papucci wrote "The San Diego Padres, 1969-2002: A Complete History". This was the first definitive history of the Padres as a major league franchise.

# One of the bricks at the center plaza of Petco Park was secretly purchased by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an animal rights organization that has protested the breeding and purchasing of the animals sold at Petco stores. The brick reads, "Break out your cold ones. Toast the Padres. Enjoy this champion organization." The first letter of each word is really an acronym urging people to boycott the stores.

# The Padres are one of just three teams to have never had a player hit for the cycle, an unusual feat for an organization which has existed since 1969.

World Series titles (0) None

NL Pennants (2) 1998 • 1984

West Division titles (5) 2006 • 2005 • 1998 • 1996 • 1984

Wild card berths (0)

your #46 Team. SD Padres




whats coming up next
A place where the great one started
A Bird of the MLB
Disney Character approved Team
One of the 1980's key Basketball teams
One of the newest NHL teams

[Drillbit Taylor]

#45


Oregon Ducks refers to the mascot and sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific 10 (Pac-10) conference. Donald Duck is the mascot of the University of Oregon under an agreement with Disney. The Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field program, which has helped to make Eugene be known as "Tracktown, USA"

UO track and field coach Bill Bowerman revolutionized the athletic shoe by pouring molten rubber into a waffle iron, creating a prototype rubber sole. Bowerman went on to co-found the Nike corporation with UO alumnus Phil Knight. Nike has maintained a close relationship with UO ever since, manufacturing all university logo clothing and uniforms for the football team, including research prototypes for high-tech "smart clothes", such as jerseys with cooling systems. Controversy surrounding Nike's labor practice precipitated protests in 2000 led by a group of students

The University of Oregon football team is renowned, and even questioned, for being leaders and innovators of style regarding their uniforms. They often come out with a new design for their uniforms or a new color scheme. In the 2005 season, they used nine uniform combinations, including white jerseys and white pants,yellow and green, yellow and yellow, green and green, white and green, green and yellow,white and yellow, black and black, and white and black, which they wore in the 2005 Holiday Bowl against the University of Oklahoma.

New uniforms were introduced for the 2006 season, allowing up to 384 different combinations of jerseys, pants, and helmets. It was announced prior to the beginning of the season that different colored helmets would be used, however these did not debut until the Ducks wore yellow helmets in their 38-8 loss to BYU in the 2006 Las Vegas Bowl.

Football Conference Championships

* 1919 Pacific Coast Conference Co-Champions
* 1933 Pacific Coast Conference Co-Champions
* 1948 Pacific Coast Conference Co-Champions
* 1957 Pacific Coast Conference Co-Champions
* 1994 Pacific-10 Conference Champions
* 2000 Pacific-10 Conference Co-Champions
* 2001 Pacific-10 Conference Champions


Your #45 WC team. University of Oregon Ducks

[KingPopper]

Mighty Ducks coming up?

[Drillbit Taylor]

#44




The Baltimore Orioles (nicknamed The O's and The Birds) are a Major League Baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are in the Eastern Division of the American League. They are owned by attorney Peter Angelos.

n the 1890s, a powerful and innovative National League Orioles squad included several future Hall of Famers, such as "Wee" Willie Keeler, Wilbert Robinson, Hughie Jennings and John McGraw. They won three straight pennants, and participated in all four of the Temple Cup Championship Series, winning the last two of them. That team had started as a charter member of the American Association in 1882. Despite its on-field success, it was one of the four teams contracted out of existence by the National League after the 1899 season. Its best players (and its manager, Ned Hanlon) regrouped with the Brooklyn Dodgers, turning that team into a contender.

In 1901, Baltimore and McGraw were awarded an expansion franchise in the growing American League, but again the team was sacrificed in favor of a New York City franchise, as the team was transferred to the city in 1903. After some early struggles, that team eventually became baseball's most successful franchise - the New York Yankees.

As a member of the high-minor league level International League, the Orioles competed at what is now known as the AAA level from 1903-1953. Baltimore's own George Herman Ruth - nicknamed "Babe" - pitched for the Orioles before being sold to the AL Boston Red Sox in 1914. The Orioles of the IL won nine league championships, first in 1908, followed by a lengthy run from 1919 to 1925, and then dramatically in 1944, after they had lost their home field Oriole Park in a disastrous mid-season fire. The huge post-season crowds at their temporary home, Municipal Stadium, caught the attention of the big league brass and helped open the door to the return of major league baseball to Baltimore. Thanks to the big stadium, that "Junior World Series" easily outdrew the major league World Series which, coincidentally, included the team that would move to Baltimore 10 years later and take up occupancy in the rebuilt version of that big stadium.

The new AL Orioles took about six years to become competitive. By the early 1960s, stars such as Brooks Robinson, John "Boog" Powell, and Dave McNally were being developed by a strong farm system.

n 1992, with grand ceremony, the Orioles began their season in a brand new ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and thus retiring Memorial Stadium in the major league baseball world. The name of the new park though did have much controversy in it. Many felt that since the Orioles' new home was so close to Babe Ruth's birthplace that the new park should have been named after Ruth instead of being indirectly named after the Earl of Camden, Charles Pratt, who was a Britisher who never set foot on American soil. There was also the superficial connection to the fact that Ruth played for the Orioles early in his career, but the Orioles team that Ruth played for was in no way related to the Orioles team that moved to Baltimore from St. Louis.

In 1993, Peter Angelos bought the Baltimore Orioles, which returned the team to local ownership. However, Angelos' ownership resulted in a number of controversies. The Orioles also hosted the 1993 All Star Game.

Going into the 2007 season, the Orioles have had nine consecutive sub-.500 seasons, due to the combination of lackluster play on the team’s part, a string of ineffective management, and the ascent of the Yankees and Red Sox to the top of the game – each rival having a clear advantage in financial flexibility due to their larger media market size. Further complicating the situation for the Orioles is the relocation of the Montreal Expos franchise to nearby Washington, D.C. - for which Angelos has demanded compensation from Major League Baseball. The new Washington Nationals threaten to carve into the Orioles fan base and television dollars. There is some hope that having competition in the larger Baltimore-Washington metro market will spur the Orioles to field a better product to compete for fans with the Nationals.

Beginning with the 2003 season, big changes began to sweep through the organization to try to snap the losing ways. General manager Syd Thrift was fired and to replace him, the Orioles hired Jim Beattie as the Executive Vice President and Mike Flanagan as the Vice President of Baseball Operations. After another losing season, manager Mike Hargrove was not retained and Yankees coach Lee Mazzilli was brought in as the new manager. The team signed powerful hitters in SS Miguel Tejada, C Javy Lopez, and former Oriole 1B Rafael Palmeiro. The following season, the Orioles traded for OF Sammy Sosa.

In the 2006 World Baseball Classic, the Orioles contributed more players than any other major league team, with eleven players suiting up for their home nations. Erik Bedard and Adam Loewen pitched for Canada; Rodrigo López and Geronimo Gil (released before the season began by the club) played for Mexico; Daniel Cabrera and Miguel Tejada for the Dominican Republic; Javy Lopez and Luis Matos for Puerto Rico; Bruce Chen for Panama; Ramon Hernandez for Venezuela; and John Stephens for Australia.

World Series titles (3) 1983 • 1970 • 1966
AL Pennants (7) 1983 • 1979 • 1971 • 1970
1969 • 1966 • 1944

East Division titles (8) 1997 • 1983 • 1979 • 1974
1973 • 1971 • 1970 • 1969

Wild card berths (1) 1996


Your #44 Team Baltimore Orioals

[Drillbit Taylor]

#43


The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Their name is sometimes shortened to the "Preds."

The team was named after the fossil skull of a saber-toothed cat—a species extinct for at least 10,000 years—that was found in August 1971, in a cave during the excavation for the AmSouth Center in downtown Nashville. The fossil is only the fifth of its kind found in North America.

When awarded a franchise, the Predators got a very lucrative deal. The city of Nashville paid 31.50% of the $80-million fee to join the league. The city also absorbs operating losses from the arena, despite the fact that the Nashville Arena is operated by a subsidiary of the team.[1]

The Predators first took the ice on October 10, 1998, where they lost 1-0 at home to the Florida Panthers. Three nights later, on October 13, they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 for their first win. Forward Andrew Brunette scored the first goal on a play that was reviewed by the video goal judge.

Fans of the Nashville Predators have copy a tradition of the Detroit Red Wings to show their support: on occasion, a fan will throw a catfish onto the ice. The Tennessean[1] newspaper in Nashville cites the first instance of this on October 30, 2003. At least four catfish were thrown onto the ice after the first Nashville goal on November 13, 2003.

The Detroit Red Wings tradition where fans sometimes throw an octopus onto the ice, with the creature's eight legs symbolizing the eight wins it once took the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. It is likely a fan decided to copy the Detroit Red Wings and use a Southern icon of a catfish.

Section 303 in the Nashville Arena is a vocal and relatively organized section of fans who think of themselves as the "loudest section of the loudest arena in the NHL". The section, located in the upper section of the arena, has been recognized by the Predators front office, who printed a banner to display on the wall of the arena immediately behind the rowdy section. Predators owner Craig Leipold has also recognized the Cellblock (as they are known) by stopping by the section at the end of the Predator's second season in Nashville and giving praise to the fans by way of bowing to them.

Stanley Cups : None

Conference Championships :None

Division Championships:None


Your Number 43 Team Nashville Predators

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Gotta say, never thought the Preds would make the list........

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

The Predators make the list but the Sooners don't? I call shenaningans.

So far the only team I've voted for that's made the top 50 is the Padres. I voted for the Sooners, Chargers and Thundering Herd but they didn't make the list.

Boomer Sooner!

[HoagieWithPastrami]

Where's the Steelers?

[Sajoa Moe]

A team that's been in existance for nine years and never won even a division title is on the list?

In that case, the Browns had damn well better be on it.

[MolotovMocktail]

Oakland A's: 9 World Series Championships
San Francisco 49ers: 5 Super Bowls
San Jose Sharks: 2 division titles, which is more than the Preds have ever done, and we're a game away from knocking them out and moving on to win the Cup this year.
Golden State Warriors: first ever NBA (then BAA) champions, 3-time NBA champs.

They're all on the list, right? Right?

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Montreal Canadiens are on the list 24 Stanley Cups, 8 Conferences Championships, 21 Division Championships, plus enough HOFers to fill their own All-Star Team.

If les Canadiens don't make the list...the whole thing should be thrown out.

[Drillbit Taylor]

cdr said:

Montreal Canadiens are on the list 24 Stanley Cups, 8 Conferences Championships, 21 Division Championships, plus enough HOFers to fill their own All-Star Team.

If les Canadiens don't make the list...the whole thing should be thrown out.

This was a vote on Rating the favorite to see the WC's team. Not Best team around.

[HRH The KING]

No frickin way is any team beating Liverpool on this.

[normcoleman]

hrhtheking said:

No frickin way is any team beating Liverpool on this.

They are Wrestlecrap's team

[gsguy]

evrbody said:

Interesting fact: The Philadelphia Philles changed their name to Blue Jays for two seasons before changing it back. I believe it was 1954-55 that they did it.

No, it was during WWII. I know this because Jimmie Foxx was a Philladelphia "Blue Jay."

[Drillbit Taylor]

#42


The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are the northernmost franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL). When playing against their arch rivals, the Calgary Flames, the matches are often referred to as the Battle of Alberta.

In 1972 the Alberta Oilers joined the World Hockey Association as a founding member. The team was originally owned by Bill Hunter. Hunter had previously owned the Edmonton Oil Kings and founded what would become the Western Hockey League, but his efforts to bring professional hockey to Edmonton had initially been rebuffed by the NHL. Actually, the team had been named the Alberta Oilers as it was planned to split their home games between Edmonton and Calgary after the Calgary Broncos folded. For various reasons, possibly financial or the possibility of allowing easier expansion of either the NHL or WHA to Calgary, the team played all of its games in Edmonton, and changed their name to reflect this the following year.

The team proved popular with the fans, behind stars such as defenceman and team captain Al Hamilton, star goaltender Dave Dryden, and forwards Blair MacDonald and Bill Flett. The team's performance would change for the better in 1978, when new owner Peter Pocklington scored one of the greatest trades in hockey history, acquiring already-aspiring superstar Wayne Gretzky as an under-age player (consequentially, his first year of WHA experience didn't make him an official 1979-80 NHL rookie), as well as goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll, from the recently-folded Indianapolis Racers for a token sum.[1] Gretzky's first and only WHA season, 1978-79, saw the Oilers shoot to the top of the WHA standings, posting a league-best 48-30-2 record. However, Edmonton’s regular season success did not translate into a championship, as they fell to the rival Winnipeg Jets in the Avco World Trophy Final. Young Oilers enforcer Dave Semenko scored the last goal in WHA history late in the third period of the final game.

The Oilers joined the National Hockey League for 1979-80, with fellow WHA teams Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and the Jets. Of these four teams, only Edmonton has avoided relocation and renaming; the Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, the Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996, and the Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997.


In the 1981-82 season, the Oilers made a dramatic leap in the standings--jumping from 74 points (16th overall) in the previous season to 111 points (second overall, behind only the Islanders). Gretzky became the third NHL player to score 50 goals in 50 games, joining the Islanders’ Mike Bossy from the previous season and Canadiens legend Maurice Richard from 1944-45, and was the fastest in NHL history to 50 goals, doing it in only 39 games. But youthful lapses of discipline led to a first round defeat at the hands of the Kings, even as Gretzky beat Dionne for the Art Ross — in the 1980-81 to 1986-87 seasons, Gretzky beat Dionne for the award by a colossal average of 66 points. In 1983 they made it to their first Stanley Cup final, but were swept in four games by the three-time defending champion Islanders, who had already-greats like Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Clark Gillies and Denis Potvin.

However, Edmonton's young team would not forever be denied. In 1984, the Oilers roared through the regular season, earning a franchise-record 57 wins and 119 points. They earned a rematch with the Islanders in the Stanley Cup finals, and defeated the four-time defending champions four games to one to win their first Stanley Cup.

The Gretzky trade had opened up a new reality of rapidly climbing salaries in the NHL, and small-market teams like Edmonton simply couldn't compete with salaries offered in large cities, mainly in the USA. This rash of escalating salaries hit the Canadian teams particularly hard; only Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver had the resources to compete in this new environment. In addition, Pocklington's business empire sank under the weight of recession, scandal and corruption.

Messier, Kurri, Fuhr, Anderson, and later Craig MacTavish all left the team in rapid succession, leaving behind an underdeveloped base of young players and unproven prospects, exposing the Oilers' poor drafting through the dynasty years. Despite appearances in the Conference Final in 1991 and 1992, the Oilers were nowhere near the powerhouse that had dominated the previous half-decade. In 1993 the Oilers missed the playoffs for the first time ever, since they entered the league. They would not return for four years, despite the emergence of young centremen Doug Weight and Jason Arnott.

Trouble followed the team off the ice as well. For most of the 1990s, the Oilers were desperately trying to stay alive. In 1998, the team was nearly sold to Houston interests who sought to move the team, but before the sale was finalized, and with just hours left on the deadline, the Edmonton Investors Group, a consortium of 37 Edmonton-based owners, raised the funds to purchase the team, vowing to keep the Oilers in Edmonton. The Oilers received support in this endeavor

The original 1972 design featured the traditional colours of blue and orange, but reversed from their more familiar appearance in later seasons, orange being the dominant colour and blue used for the trimming. For the first few games of the 1972 season, player names weren't displayed on the uniform; rather the word "ALBERTA" was written in that space. Once it became clear, however, that the team would play exclusively in Edmonton, the player names made their appearance. These jerseys also featured the player numbers high on the shoulders, rather than on the upper sleeve.

In the 1975-76 WHA season the jersey was changed to the more familiar blue base with orange trim, but with some minor differences. The logo that appeared on programs and promotional material remained the same, however the logo that appeared on the home jersey had a white oil drop, on a dark orange field, with the team name written in deep blue. The away jersey featured the orange-printed logo that many mistakenly attribute to the entire history of the WHA Oilers. In every other facet, though, the jerseys were identical to the dynasty-era form that is known throughout the hockey world.

When the team jumped to the NHL in 1979, the alternate logos were discarded and the jersey took its most famous form, though the logo did appear slightly different on a few vintages of the jersey (1979, 1986, 1990). The essential design remained untouched until 1996, when the blue and orange were replaced by midnight blue and copper. Other changes made to the jersey at that point were the removal of the orange shoulder bar and cuffs from the away jersey, and the addition of the "Rigger" alternate logo to the end of the shoulder bar on the home jersey, and the equivalent position on the road jersey. A year later, the shoulder bars were removed from the home jersey as well, giving the Oilers' sweater its modern look.

In 2001, the introduction of the third jersey featuring a logo designed by Spawn creator and Oilers co-owner, Todd McFarlane, and Brent Ashe, was a controversial move, given the negative reactions to many other teams' designs. While there remains some disdain towards both the "Rigger" logo and McFarlane's "Blades" logo — meant to symbolize elements of the Oilers' past — the navy, silver, and white design is generally considered a success, though there are no plans for it to become the basis for the team's primary jerseys, as has been done previously by the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks

Hall of Famers

Players

* Paul Coffey, D, 1980-1987, inducted 2004
* Grant Fuhr, G, 1981-1991, inducted 2003
* Wayne Gretzky, C, 1978-1988, inducted 1999
* Jari Kurri, RW, 1980-1990, inducted 2001
* Jacques Plante, G, 1974-75, inducted 1978
* Norm Ullman, C , 1975-77, inducted 1982

Stanley Cups 1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1989-90

Conference Championships 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1989-90, 2005-06

Division Championships 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87

your #42 team Edmontion Oilers

[Hulkshi Tanahashi]

jediel said:

The Predators make the list but the Sooners don't? I call shenaningans.

So far the only team I've voted for that's made the top 50 is the Padres. I voted for the Sooners, Chargers and Thundering Herd but they didn't make the list.

Boomer Sooner!

I'm not an Oklahoma fan, and even I know that's f***ed up!

[Drillbit Taylor]

hulk6785 said:

jediel said:

The Predators make the list but the Sooners don't? I call shenaningans.

So far the only team I've voted for that's made the top 50 is the Padres. I voted for the Sooners, Chargers and Thundering Herd but they didn't make the list.

Boomer Sooner!

I'm not an Oklahoma fan, and even I know that's waxed up!

yea some of the results are screwy, but thats just the way people voted them

[Drillbit Taylor]

#41




The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Their 16 NBA championships are the most for any NBA franchise.

The Celtics were formed in 1946 as a team in the Basketball Association of America, and became part of the National Basketball Association after the merger of the BAA and the National Basketball League to form the NBA in the fall of 1949. The Celtics had struggled during their early years, but the hiring of Coach Red Auerbach would change their fortunes. One of the first major players to join the Celtics was Bob Cousy, whom Auerbach initially refused to draft. Cousy eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags. When that franchise went bankrupt, Cousy was acquired by the Celtics in a dispersal draft. He would become a huge part of the Celtics' success and eventually became good friends with his new coach. Under Auerbach the Celtics improved dramatically, becoming a consistent threat to win in the NBA's Eastern Division in each of his first six seasons, although they fell short each time.

After the 1955-56 season, Auerbach made a stunning trade. He sent perennial All-Star and future Hall of Famer Ed Macauley to the St. Louis Hawks along with the draft rights to Cliff Hagan in exchange for the Hawks' first round draft pick, the second overall. After negotiating with the Rochester Royals, Auerbach used the pick to select University of San Francisco center Bill Russell . Auerbach also aquired Holy Cross standout, and 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year, Tommy Heinsohn. Russell and Heinsohn worked extraordinarly well with Cousy, and they were the players around whom Auerbach would build the Celtics for more than a decade. Russell, who might well have beaten Heinsohn for the '57 Rookie of the Year Award, had he not been ineligible due to joining the NBA mid-season in order to play for the US Olympic team (winning the gold), had an immediate impact during 1957. Russell joined the Celtics in December of 1956 and went on to play most every game during which the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals and defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, giving the Celtics the first of their record 16 NBA Championships. In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games. However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade.

n 1959, with Cousy at point guard, Russell at center and Heinsohn up front, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers. Still coached by Auerbach, the Celtics won seven more consecutive championships, bringing their streak to eight in a row. During that timespan, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals six times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry. The Celtics would eventually meet the Lakers a total of 10 times in the NBA Finals. After the 1966 championship, Auerbach retired as coach and Russell took over as player-coach. Auerbach would remain the General Manager, a position he would hold well into the 1980s. However, that year the Celtics' string of NBA titles was broken as they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The aging team managed two more championships in 1968 and 1969, defeating the the Lakers each time in the NBA Finals. Russell retired after the 1969 season, effectively ending a dominant Celtics dynasty that had garnered 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons. The streak of 8 consecutive NBA championships is the longest streak of consecutive championships in U.S. sports history. Other important players during this era included Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Frank Ramsey,and Satch Sanders.

The 1976 NBA Finals featured one of the greatest games in the history of the NBA. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Suns trailed early in the Boston Garden, but came back to force overtime. In double overtime, a Gar Heard turn-around jumper at the top of the key sent the game to an unprecedented third overtime, at which point the Celtics prevailed. Tommy Heinsohn coached the team for those two championships. After the 1976 championship and a playoff appearance in 1977, Boston went into another phase of rebuilding.

In the 1977 NBA Draft, the Celtics drafted a young forward from the UNC Charlotte named Cedric Maxwell. Maxwell did not contribute much in his rookie season, but he showed promise. Auerbach's job became even tougher following a horrible 1977-78 in which they went 32-50 as John Havlicek, the Celtics All-Time leading scorer, retired after 16 seasons.

Thanks to a trade and their poor record in 1977-78, the Celtics owned two of the top eight picks in the 1978 NBA Draft. Since he had two draft choices, Auerbach took a risk and selected junior Larry Bird of Indiana State with the 6th pick knowing that Bird would elect to remain in college for his senior year. The Celtics would retain his rights for one year (a rule that was later changed), and Auerbach believed that Bird's potential would make him worth the wait. Auerbach also felt that when the college season ended the Celtics would have a great chance to sign Bird. Auerbach was right; Bird signed soon after leading Indiana State to the NCAA Championship game, where they fell to a Michigan State University team that was led by star Magic Johnson.

The other important story of the Celtics' 1978-79 season was the ongoing dispute between Auerbach and new owner John Y. Brown. The dispute nearly led Auerbach to resign as General Manager for a position with the New York Knicks. With public support strongly behind Auerbach, Brown elected to sell the team rather than face the wrath of the city for being the man who drove Red to a hated rival. During his short ownership, Brown orchestrated a trade for Bob McAdoo that Auerbach despised, and the team unraveled. The Celtics would struggle through the season, going 29-53 without Bird. Newcomers Chris Ford, Rick Robey and Tiny Archibald failed to reverse the team's fortunes.

Bird would debut for the Celtics during the 1979-80 season, a year after his selection. With a new owner in place, Auerbach made a number of moves that would create a whole new dynasty. Auerbach traded the unhappy McAdoo, a former NBA scoring champion, to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for guard M.L. Carr, a defensive specialist, and two first-round picks in the 1980 NBA Draft. He also picked up point guard Gerald Henderson from the CBA. Carr, Archibald, Henderson and Ford would form a highly competent backcourt, with their unique skills blending in perfectly with the talented frontcourt of Cowens, Maxwell and Bird, who would go on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors. The Celtics improved by 32 games, the best single-season turnaround in NBA history, going 61-21 and losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After the season, Auerbach completed what may be the most lopsided trade in NBA history. Auerbach had always been a fan of stockpiling draft picks, so even after the success of 1979-80 the Celtics had both the 1st and 13th picks in the 1980 NBA Draft leftover from the M.L. Carr trade. Auerbach saw an opportunity to improve the team immediately, sending the two picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for center Robert Parish and the Warriors first round pick, the 3rd overall. With the draft pick, Auerbach selected University of Minnesota power forward Kevin McHale. With these three future Hall of Famers on the team the Celtics had a core in place to become a dominant team in the NBA.

In 1983-84 the Celtics would go 62-20 and finally get back to the NBA Finals after a three year hiatus. In the final, the Celtics came back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, winning their 15th championship. Bird renewed his college rivalry with Lakers star Magic Johnson during this series. After the series the Celtics traded Henderson, whose dramatic steal in game 2 altered the course of the series and gave the Celtics a chance, to the Seattle Supersonics in exchange for their first round pick in the 1986 NBA Draft.

In 1985, the Lakers and Celtics would meet again, but this time the Lakers would take the championship. During the following offseason the Celtics acquired Bill Walton from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Cedric Maxwell. Walton was a future Hall of Famer and had been a big star with the Portland Trailblazers, but injuries had kept him from living up to expectations. He was also a lifelong Celtics fan and willing to come off the bench, deferring to the three Hall of Famer big men already with the team. Walton would be a big part of the Celtics' success in 1986.

In 1985-86 the Celtics fielded one of the best teams in NBA history. The 1986 Celtics won 67 games, going 40-1 at their home, the Boston Garden. Bird won his third consecutive MVP award after having arguably his finest season, and Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. They would win their 16th and last championship to date, easily defeating the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.

Thanks to the 1984 trade of Gerald Henderson and the subsequent fall of the Seattle Supersonics, at the end of the 1985-86 the Celtics owned not only the best team in the NBA but also the second pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. The Celtics drafted Len Bias with the pick and had high hopes for the young University of Maryland star. Fans believed Bias had superstar potential, and that he would be the perfect complement to the aging, but still strong, Celtics. The hope was that his presence would ensure that the franchise would remain a powerhouse after Bird, McHale and Parish retired. Unfortunately, Bias died 48 hours after he was drafted, after using cocaine at a party and overdosing. It would be the first in a long string of bad luck for the Celtics, and many fans believe the Celtics have never recovered from the loss of Bias.

The Boston Celtics have had a rivalry, especially throughout the 80s, with the Los Angeles Lakers. At the height of the rivalry, the Lakers and Celtics won 8 of the 9 NBA Championships awarded from 1980-1988 (the Lakers won 5 while the Celtics won 3), and played each other in the NBA Finals on 3 occasions. The rivalry cooled off as the Celtics slipped into mediocrity in the mid and late-90s, but Lakers-Celtics is considered by many NBA fans to be the league's greatest rivalry. Another fierce rivalry formed in the 1980s between the Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. The two franchises met in the playoffs 5 times between 1985 and 1991. The rivalry, like their rivalry with the Lakers, cooled in the 90s but saw a resurgence in 2002 when the teams met in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. The Celtics also have historical ties with the Philadelphia 76ers, who played the Celtics in tense playoff series in the 60s, 80s and 2000s.

Basketball hall of famers
* Nate "Tiny" Archibald
* Dave Bing
* Larry Bird
* Bob Cousy
* Dave Cowens
* John Havlicek
* Tom Heinsohn
* Bob Houbregs
* Bailey Howell
* K. C. Jones
* Sam Jones
* Clyde Lovellette
* Ed Macauley
* Pete Maravich
* Bob McAdoo
* Kevin McHale
* Robert Parish
* Andy Phillip
* Frank Ramsey
* Arnie Risen
* Bill Russell
* Bill Sharman (inducted both as a player and as a coach, most notably with the Los Angeles Lakers)
* John Thompson (only played in the NBA for two years; inducted for his coaching career at Georgetown University)
* Bill Walton
* Dominique Wilkins
* Arnold "Red" Auerbach
* Walter A. Brown (inducted as a contributor, original owner of the Celtics)
* Wayne Embry (inducted as a contributor, not as a player; was the first African-American to serve both as a general manager and team president in the NBA)
* Dave Jones (inducted as contributor)
* Alvin Julian
* William G. Mokray (inducted as a contributor)
* John "Honey" Russell (inducted as a coach)
* Bill Sharman (inducted both as a player and as a coach, most notably with the Los Angeles Lakers)
* John Thompson (only played in the NBA for two years; inducted for his coaching career at Georgetown University)

Championships=16
(1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986)
Conference Titles =19
(1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987)
Division Titles =25
(1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2005)


#41 WC team(as voted on by the people) Boston Celtics

[Drillbit Taylor]

#40


The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team. The team plays its home games in San Francisco, California, while the club's headquarters and practice facility are located in Santa Clara, California. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).

The 49ers began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and joined the NFL in 1950 after the AAFC merged into the older league. The team currently shares the record for most Super Bowl victories (five) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, and is the only team with two or more appearances with no defeats in the Super Bowl. The 49ers teams of the 1980s and early 1990s are considered to be among the greatest teams in NFL history. Many of the NFL's greatest players (including Joe Montana, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice) played for the 49ers during this period. Additionally, some of the most memorable plays (including "The Catch") and games (including Super Bowl XIX) were played by these teams.

The San Francisco 49ers were the first major league professional sports franchise to be based in San Francisco, and one of the first professional sports teams based on the West Coast of the United States.

The 49ers have won five NFL championships – all Super Bowls. (They share the Super Bowl win record with the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers.) They were the first team to win five Super Bowls (Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX) and are the only team to compete in more than one Super Bowl - and win every Super Bowl they've played in. They are considered "The Team of the Eighties", winning four Super Bowls in the decade. Prior to the 80s, the 49ers had never won an NFL championship (They did not even win a division title until 1970). During the 1980s, they failed to make the playoffs only twice — in 1980, and again in the strike-shortened 1982 season which saw them go 0-5 at home and 3-1 on the road — the only time in NFL history that a team went winless at home while winning more than half its away games in the same season.

The 49ers would take a 20-0 halftime lead and go on to win Super Bowl XVI 26-21 behind kicker Ray Wersching's four field goals and a key defensive stand. Throughout the '81 season, the defense had been a significant reason for the team's success, despite residing in the shadow of the then-innovative offense. Montana won MVP honors mostly on the strength of leading the 49ers on a 92 yard, 12 play drive culminating in a touchdown pass to Earl Cooper. Thus did the 49ers complete one of the most dramatic and complete turnarounds in NFL history, going from back-to-back 2-14 seasons to a Super Bowl championship in just two years.

Montana's success in the playoffs, and his success in leading the 49ers on big comebacks, made him one of the biggest stars in the NFL. Not only was he the face of the 49ers, but his easygoing and modest manner enabled his celebrity to transcend football. Additionally, it caused other teams to consider players who, although not physically gifted, nonetheless had certain intangibles and tendencies that made them great players who could come up big in the biggest spots.

During their first Super Bowl run, the team was known for its short-range passing game and the play-making ability of quarterback Joe Montana. Later, they became dominant in all aspects of the game, featuring a dominant defense (always in the offense's shadow) and a fast-scoring passing attack (with wide-receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor).

The 1982 season was a bad one for the 49ers, as they lost all five games at Candlestick Park enroute to a 3-6 record in a strike-shortened season. Joe Montana was the one highlight, passing for 2,613 yards in just nine games, highlighted by five straight games in which he broke the 300-yard barrier.

In 1983, the 49ers won their final three games of the season, finishing with a 10-6 record and winning their 2nd NFC Western Divisional Title in three years. Leading the rebound was Joe Montana with another stellar season, passing for 3,910 yards and connecting on 26 touchdowns. In the NFC Divisional Playoffs, they hosted the Detroit Lions. The 49ers would jump out in front early and led 17-9 entering the 4th quarter. The Lions would roar back scoring two touchdowns to take a 23-17 lead. However, Montana would lead a comeback, hitting wide receiver Freddie Solomon on a game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass with 2:00 left on the clock to put the 49ers ahead 24-23. The game ended when a potential game-winning FG attempt by Lions kicker Eddie Murray missed. The next week, the 49ers came back from a 21-0 deficit against the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game to tie the game, only to lose 24-21 on a Mark Moseley field goal that sent the Redskins to Super Bowl XVIII.

In 1984, the 49ers had one of the greatest seasons in team history, going 15-1. In the playoffs, they beat the New York Giants 21-10, shut out the Chicago Bears 23-0 in the NFC Championship, and in Super Bowl XIX the 49ers shut down Dan Marino's passing game, beating the Miami Dolphins 38-16. Their entire defensive backfield (Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright, Dwight Hicks, and Carlton Williamson) was elected to the Pro Bowl -- an NFL first.

In the 1985 season, Roger Craig became the first NFL player to gain 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. The 49ers were not as dominate as in 1984, however, and they settled for a 10-6 record, a wild card berth and a quick elimination from the playoffs when the New York Giants beat them 17-3.

Before the start of the 1986 season, inspired by the Chicago Bears success with its song Super Bowl Shuffle, a few of the 49ers recorded a 45 pop single entitled "We're the 49ers." The song was released as a 45RPM single on Megatone Records. It mixed elements of R&B, funk, and pop. Vocals were provided by 49ers, including Roger Craig, Dwight Clark and Ronnie Lott (Joe Montana is noticeably absent). While achieving some local airplay in San Francisco on radio stations like KMEL, it did not catch on nationally like the Super Bowl Shuffle would a year later. When the 1986 season began, the 49ers were off and running with a 31-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on opening day. But the win was costly; Joe Montana injured his back and was out for two months. Jeff Kemp became the starting quarterback, and the 49ers went 4-3-1 in September and October. Upon Montana's return, the 49ers caught fire, winning 5 of the last 7 games, including a 24-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams, to clinch the NFC West Title. However, the New York Giants defeated them in the playoffs, 49-3. Montana was injured in the first half by a tackle from the Giants' Jim Burt.

During the strike-shortened '87 season, the 49ers led the league but fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings, 36-24 -- the third year in a row they lost in the first round. 1987 marked the first of six seasons when the 49ers had two Hall of Fame quarterbacks on the roster: from 1987 through 1992, Montana's backup (and frequent replacement) was Steve Young.

In 1988, the 49ers struggled. At one point, they were 6-5 and in danger of missing the playoffs but rose to defeat the Washington Redskins on a Monday Night, eventually finishing the season at 10-6. They gained a measure of revenge by thrashing the Minnesota Vikings 34-9 in the first round. The 49ers then traveled to Chicago's Soldier Field, where the chill factor at gametime was 26 degrees below zero. They defeated the Chicago Bears 28-3 in a NFC Championship game upset.

The win over the Bears gave the 49ers their third trip to the Super Bowl: Super Bowl XXIII, in Miami. However, the game was tied 3-3 at halftime, the 49ers having missed a few scoring opportunities. A late Cincinnati field goal seemed to seal the victory, but they left too much time for Joe Montana to work his magic. He drove the team 92 yards for the winning touchdown on a pass to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left.

The following year, coach Bill Walsh retired, and his defensive coordinator and handpicked successor, George Seifert, took over head coaching duties. The 49ers then steamrolled through the league to finish 14-2 and gain homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Their two losses were by a combined 5 points. In the first round, they crushed the Vikings, 41-13. In the NFC Championship game, they blew out the Los Angeles Rams 30-3 before crushing the Denver Broncos 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV. Montana won his third Super Bowl MVP. In doing so, the become the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls under different head coaches. This 1989 championship squad is often regarded as one of the most dominant teams ever, winning all 3 playoff games by a combined 100 points.

The 1990, the 49ers won their first ten games, and they eventually finished 14-2. They ripped through the season, and the coveted third consecutive Super Bowl victory seemed within reach. In the playoffs, the 49ers dispatched the Washington Redskins 28-10, setting up a conference championship game with the New York Giants. Despite not scoring a touchdown in the game, the Giants took advantage of 49ers turnovers and converted a faked punt attempt to thwart the 49ers attempt at a "three-peat." The Giants defeated them 15-13 and went on to win Super Bowl XXV.


On November 8, 2006, reports surfaced that the 49ers ended negotiations with the city of San Francisco about building a new stadium and plan to move to Santa Clara, 30 miles south of San Francisco. The Yorks and San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom had been talking over the last few months about building a privately financed stadium at Candlestick Point that was going to be part of the city's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The 49ers' decision ended the Olympic bid. San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago were the three cities competing to be the U.S. Olympic Committee's choice to bid on the 2016 games, now with Chicago as the U.S. Olympic Committee's choice.

The team's current lease at Candlestick Park runs through the 2008 season and the team holds three five-year options that could extend it through 2023. The current stadium at Candlestick is one of the most run-down in the league, leading to the team's desire to seek a new stadium with revenue-generating suites and luxury boxes. The plan to build a stadium also included public housing, retail and office space. The city was not going to contribute any money to the stadium but was willing to possibly help with some of the infrastructure costs. According to the Mayor's office, John York assured San Francisco officials that he was only negotiating with the city, but the team had talked in recent weeks to Santa Clara officials about the move.

On the 49ers website, owner John York had a letter stating a move to Santa Clara. The team would retain its name according to this letter.[2]

York later confirmed in a press conference on November 9 that the team will move to Santa Clara with plans to build a state of the art facility without a stadium mall in time for the 2012 season.

On November 15, 2006, ESPN reported that U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein planned to sponsor a bill to prevent the 49ers from retaining any reference to San Francisco in their name, preventing gameday shuttles to Santa Clara and other provisions if the team were to move away from San Francisco

Pro Football Hall of Famers

* Bill Walsh (1993)
* 8 Steve Young (2005)
* 14 Y. A. Tittle (1971)
* 16 Joe Montana (2000)
* 32 O.J. Simpson (1985)
* 34 Joe Perry (1969)
* 35 John Henry Johnson (1987)
* 37 Jimmy Johnson (1994)
* 39 Hugh McElhenny (1970)
* 42 Ronnie Lott (2000)
* 64 Dave Wilcox (2000)
* 73 Leo Nomellini (1969)
* 79 Bob St. Clair (1990)


* Super Bowl Championships (5)
1981 (XVI), 1984 (XIX), 1988 (XXIII), 1989 (XXIV), 1994 (XXIX)

Conference Championships (5)

* NFC: 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994

Division Championships (17)

* NFC West: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002

#40 team, San Fransico 49's