WFAN'S 10 GREATEST TEAMS

WFAN celebrated their 30th anniversary on July 1. They recently ran a poll to select the 10 greatest NY teams of the last 30 years. Here they are, with my commentary...



1) 2007 Giants- Hard to argue with this one, being that they knocked off the previously unbeaten Patriots to win Super Bowl 42. Also won a classic NFC Title Game in Green Bay two weeks before in sub arctic conditions.

2) 1998 Yankees- Winners of 114 regular season games, then 11 more in the post season to set the record for most wins combined in a season. For sheer dominance, it's hard to argue against this team. They didn't have a 30 home run hitter or a 20 win pitcher, all they had was a team that knew how to win.

3) 1996 Yankees- Like the 2007 Giants, this team was fun because their run was unexpected. They were slight underdogs against the Orioles in the ALCS and heavy underdogs against the Braves in the World Series. Karl "the Ace" Ludwig wanted to bet Ray that the Braves would win the World Series, and when I offered to bet because I thought the Yanks would win, Ace said he would only bet someone who had money to pay, which I have to say I couldn't fault him there.

4) 1994 Rangers-Obviously of all the teams on this list, this would be MY number 1. I was in grammar school during the Islander dynasty years, back when sports was all we had to talk/worry about. The Rangers had come close a couple of years previous, winning the President's trophy only to bow out in the second round. In 1994, they blew out the Islanders, then disposed of the Caps, before running into the Devils. It took Mark Messier to guarantee a victory which he pretty much hand delivered himself, and a double overtime win in Game 7 just to get to the Finals. They then nearly blew a 3-1 series lead to the Canucks, but held on for dear life in Game 7 to end a 54 year hex.

5) 2011 Giants- This one wasn't nearly as fun as the one 4 years prior. For one thing, it was a win against the Jets that propelled the Giants into the post season, and while it's always fun to see the Pats lose, it wasn't nearly the upset it was in 2007. Still a pretty cool achievement.

6) 2015 Mets- Of course the one team on the list who didn't capture a championship has to be my Mets. Yes, the 2015 run was a fun unexpected run, yes they lost to a better Royals team, but watching their struggles this year makes me feel somewhat vindicated for the fact that I was so furious after they lost. You only get so many shots to cash in, and they had many chances to do just that. A great season, but it's looking more like another flash in the pan.

7) 2003 Devils- I was surprised to see any Devils teams make a WFAN list being that hockey is so much a non-topic on the FAN. That being said, the Devils deserved this one, though I would have put the 2000 team on here.

8) 1995 Devils- I'd give this one an asterisk, because this was won in a lockout shortened season. Still they beat a loaded Red Wings team that would win back to back Cups a couple years later.

9) 1990 Giants- I'd have put this one higher on the list. For my money, this was the greatest Super Bowl ever, what with the backdrop of the Persian Gulf War, Whitney Houston's stunning rendition of the National Anthem, and the fact that the Bills had a chance to win this one, even though the Giants had dominated the ball possession. Also, 7 of the previous 8 Super Bowls had been blowouts,, including the one the year before, generally considered the worst Super Bowl ever.

10) 2000 Yankees. I have nothing to say about this one, only that the Yankees were the beneficiaries of an opponent who choked.


Here are some of the teams I would have included on this list. Again the timeline is July 1987 to the present...

2014 Rangers- fun team, wasn't expected to get out of the 2nd round, instead made it to the Finals. In the Finals they lost 3 games in double OT. Shoddy officiating cost them Game 2 and Game 5.

2002 Nets- Lost to a Lakers team that was going for a threepeat. Jason Kidd put them in the Finals with a buzzer beating 3-pointer in the last game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

2006 Mets- Didn't make it to the World Series because Carlos Beltran choked in the final at-bat of the season, but for my money, this was the best everyday lineup the Mets ever had. I'm not suggesting that Jose Reyes is anywhere near the player Derek Jeter was, but Jeter never had the season that Reyes compiled in 2006. The 3-6 hitters in that lineup, Delgado, Beltran, Wright and Floyd were as potent as any in the league that year and as far as I'm concerned that was the best lineup the Mets ever had (and yes I'm including the 86 team in there)

1998 Jets-In 1996 the Jets were 1-15 and the laughingstock of the league. Two years later they were leading 10-0 at halftime of the AFC Championship Game. When they talk about Bill Belichick being a better coach than Bill Parcells, I point to this team and tell anyone that will listen that Belichick couldn't have pulled this off. Nobody besides Parcells could have either.

1999 Mets- Yes the 2000 team made it to the World Series, but the 1999 team was better. The greatest defensive infield in baseball history (and three of them were great hitters too) Had they somehow pulled out Game 6 in Atlanta, which they nearly did. I'm positive they would have won Game 7 (thus beating the Red Sox to the title of first team in baseball to come back from 0-3 down)

1999 Knicks- This one gets an asterisk too, because it was a lockout year, but after squeaking into the playoffs with a barely .500 record, the Knicks knocked off top seeded Miami (coached by arch enemy Pat Riley) the Hawks and then Reggie Miller and the Pacers to get to the NBA Finals against an awesome San Antonio Spurs team. This would be the first of 4 of my teams to get to the Finals over the next 15 years to lose the Finals in 5 games. A streak that still continues.