1999 Stanley Cup Finals: Dallas Trumps Buffalo Again
The Dallas Stars and the Buffalo Sabres were two different types of teams who had taken two different paths when they met in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals.
sports history articles
The 1999 World Series: A Showdown That Turns Into A Sweep
The Yankees had won two of the previous three Fall Classics. The Braves were in their fifth Series of the decade and aiming for their second title. It was all set up to a great World Series Showdown…only it didn’t turn out quite that way.
The 1999 Florida State-Virginia Tech National Championship Game
Two electric college football players came to the Sugar Bowl to play for the national championship following the 1999 season. Peter Warrick, a wide receiver at Florida State, might have been in consideration for the Heisman Trophy if not for a two-game suspension earlier in the year. Michael Vick had burst onto the scene with Virginia Tech and the freshman quarterback took what was a good, competitive program and lifted it to new heights.
One Yard Decides The Rams-Titans Super Bowl
The St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans were not likely candiates to give America a great championship battle. They weren’t even good candidates to make the playoffs, much less the Super Bowl when the 1999 NFL season began. But in an unpredictable year, a great battle is exactly what America got, as the Rams-Titans Super Bowl came down to but a single yard.
The 2012 Baltimore Ravens: A Redemption Story Even Better Than The Spurs
Were the 2014 San Antonio Spurs the greatest story of sports redemption in recent years? That was the theory put forth by ABC/ESPN studio commentator Bill Simmons in the aftermath of the Spurs’ demolition of the Miami Heat in this year’s NBA Finals, as he compared them to the 2004 Boston Red Sox. I think Simmons drew a faulty correlation and overlooked another story that’s even better–the 2012 Baltimore Ravens.
1998 Kentucky Basketball Wins A Title With A Sweet Dose Of Revenge
The Kentucky Wildcats had won the national championship in 1996 and been to the title game in 1997. The 1998 team was a different animal though. There were no great players and Rick Pitino was gone to the NBA. Tubby Smith was the new coach and even though the roster might not have been loaded, Tubby made sure the beat went on in Lexington.
1998 Detroit Red Wings: A Repeat Cup That Looked A Lot Like The First
For the second straight year, the Detroit Red Wings had a nice regular season, but were seeded behind Western Conference rivals, the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. And for the second straight year it didn’t matter come playoff time, as the Red Wings rolled to a second consecutive Stanley Cup.
The 1998 Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan’s Grand Finale
Jordan, now a 15-year veteran, and sidekick Scottie Pippen, had just enough gas in the tank to survive strong challenges from the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals.
The 1998 New York Yankees: The Best Team Ever To Wear Pinstripes
The New York Yankees felt like they’d missed an opportunity in the 1997 playoffs when they lost to the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series. The 1998 New York Yankees took it out on the rest of baseball with a display that, even allowing the many great teams this organization has fielded over the years, was the absolute best.
The 1998 Denver Broncos: John Elway Goes Out In Glory
The Denver Broncos got a long-overdue Super Bowl win in 1997 by going the wild-card route and then winning the Super Bowl itself as a double-digit underdog. The 1998 Denver Broncos completed a back-to-back run and they did it with considerably more authority, as John Elway completed his illustrious career.
1995 UCLA Basketball Brings The Title Back To Westwood
The UCLA Bruins hadn’t won a national championship since John Wooden retired on top following the 1975 season. The Bruins had made the Final Four a couple times in the immediate aftermath, in 1976 and again in 1980, but had otherwise been alarmingly absent from the national stage.
The 1995 Stanley Cup Finals: Devil Of An Upset
New Jersey held its opponent to two goals or fewer 16 times in 20 games, including all four in the Finals. Claude Lemieux scored thirteen postseason goals for New Jersey to win the Conn Smythe Award, as MVP of the entire playoffs.