Then that got me thinking further, "What are the greatest-ever American teams in some other sports?" Which sounds like a perfect topic for the most American holiday of them all. And, since I began this discussion with women's soccer, I might as well start there...
As good as this year's team is, and as good as the 2015 team was, they pale in comparison to the originals. Because none of it would've been possible without the '99ers. They inspired a generation that includes pretty much all of the active members of the team. Christen Press was at the game with her face painted red, white and blue, never imagining that she'd be playing for the National Team herself. And let's not forget some of the legends on that '99 team--Mia Hamm, Michele Akers, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly, Joy Fawcett, Briana Scurry. They're some of the all-time greats of U.S. soccer.
Well, it's obviously NOT the 2015-18 version of the U.S. Men's National Team. Instead I'm going with the version that made back-to-back trips to South Africa a decade ago. In 2009, the U.S. reached a FIFA final for the first time, upsetting Spain in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup. A year later, they won their group at the World Cup. Yes, they lost in the round of 16, but that was arguably the most talented team the U.S. has ever sent to a World Cup--Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, etc.
Duh! They called it the "Dream Team" for a reason! This is arguably the greatest collection of talent ever assembled in any sport. Every player except for Christian Laettner is in the Hall of Fame, as is Head Coach Chuck Daly, and they've been inducted as a team, as well. Their romp through Barcelona seemed predetermined, but that wasn't even the point. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were playing against Angola in the Olympics. It opened the doors to the truly international game basketball has become.
I was tempted to say 1996, the team that started this two-decade era of dominance and led to the creation of the WNBA. But 2008 was truly the peak of that greatness. It's where the two eras converged. Lisa Leslie won her fourth straight gold medal, while Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, who are now the veteran leaders, were in their prime.
Another Duh! The "Miracle on Ice" is one of the seminal moments in American sports history. It was almost 40 years ago and people still talk about it like it was yesterday. We had NHL players in the Olympics from 1998-2014 and the best the U.S. did was a pair of silvers. The U.S. has never won a World Championship. But these college kids shocked the world and beat the Russians in Lake Placid.
If you wanted to say 1998, the team that started it all and had two Hockey Hall of Famers in Cammi Granato and Angela Ruggeiro, you wouldn't get much of an argument from me. But the gold medal in PyeongChang was just as big as the one in Nagano. Because this one came after all those years and so much frustration from the repeated losses to Canada. And, player-for-player, I think the '18 team was better.
Was it the greatest collection of Major Leaguers ever? No. Not even close. But it's the one that validated the World Baseball Classic. In the first three editions, the U.S. made the semifinals once and no one cared. Not the players. Not the fans. That all changed in 2017, when they finally won the title. Now players and fans alike are excited for the 2021 edition. It was also Christian Yelich's coming-out party.
Softball's returning to the Olympics next year, but it'll be hard for the U.S. team to match what the 2004 squad did. In fact, their dominance in Athens was probably one of the reasons why the sport was dropped from the Olympic program a year later. They won all nine of their games and outscored their opponents 51-1, with that lone run coming in the sixth inning of the gold medal game! That insane pitching staff? Lisa Fernandez, Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman, only three of the greatest pitchers ever!
And now for some of the top teams in other sports that may not immediately come to mind.
Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras. That was the American roster for the 1992 Davis Cup final. Sampras and McEnroe won a combined 21 Grand Slam titles, and neither one played singles! Seeing as it's been 16 years since an American man won a Grand Slam title and there are barely any Americans in the top 10, it's hard to remember an era where the Americans were the dominant force in men's tennis. But in 1992, they definitely were.
They've won two straight Olympic team golds (and could easily make it three in Tokyo). The 2016 team had Simone Biles, who might be the greatest gymnast ever. But I'm partial to the 2012 squad, and not just because they had a better nickname (the "Fierce Five"). They won the team title by nearly a point and a half! That's insane! They had so much talent that Jordyn Weiber (who's now the head coach at Arkansas) finished fourth overall in qualifying, but didn't make the individual all-around final because she was the third-best American. McKayla Maroney, for one, wasn't impressed.
Another easy one. Curling develops its little cult following for two weeks every four years during the Winter Olympics, but the U.S. had never really been that successful in the sport. Until PyeongChang. They were on the brink of being eliminated during the round robin stage before winning their last two matches to make the medal round, where the winning streak continued with upsets of Canada and Sweden for the first-ever American Olympic curling gold medal.
NBC produced a very well-done documentary on the 1968 Olympics for the 50th anniversary last year and focused on the track & field team. They called it the best track & field team ever assembled, and it's hard to argue. They won 28 medals, including 15 golds, but it's the legendary performances that make this team truly remarkable. Tommie Smith and John Carlos with their Black Power salute after the 200. Bob Beamon's incredible long jump world record, which is still mind-blowing 50 years later. Dick Fosbury reinventing the high jump. Al Oerter winning his fourth straight discus title. Wyomia Tyus becoming the first Olympian ever to win back-to-back 100 meter gold medals. The list goes on and on...
There are plenty of other great American teams that have taken the field in plenty of sports. These ones are truly memorable, though. Both for what they did on the field and their impact off it.
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