This past weekend’s National Football League (NFL) playoff games were great. Unfortunately, both of the teams I wanted to win, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Minnesota Vikings, lost. The Jacksonville Jaguars versus the New England Patriots game disturbed me the most. The reason for this was because the Jaguars were winning the game early and had all of the momentum until suddenly, after a questionable call that favored the Patriots, all of the Jaguars’ momentum was lost. I remember while watching the game go from wishing the Patriots don’t come back to win, to stating “Tom Brady is going to win this game.”, and then being sad because Brady won the game. Looking back at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Championship, I also had the same feelings toward the Alabama Crimson Tide. Both the Patriots and the Crimson Tide have one thing in common, and that is that they are both football dynasties.
The New England Patriots have won 5 championships with Brady as their quarterback and they are looking for their sixth this year. The Alabama Crimson Tide achieved an overall official record of 127-20 (.864) 14 bowl game appearances with 10 victories, a share of 5 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Western Division titles, 5 SEC championships and 5 national championships under head coach at the University of Alabama Nick Saban. Teams that constantly win games and championships during a period of time are called dynasties. If your team is a dynasty, you are always happy and nothing can ruin your day. If you are not a fan of a dynasty, you have two routes to take: you can either take the “If you can’t beat them join them” route, or you can be salty and hate the dynasty. I usually fall in the group who chooses the latter.
To become a dynasty is every sport’s team goal but a feat only a few teams have actually achieved. What does it take for teams to become dynasties? I think that a team’s front office has a huge part in becoming a dynasty. The front office makes all of the decisions that could lead to their team becoming a dynasty. These decisions include who the coach will be and what players the team should draft or acquire. All dynasties therefore have a good coach and good players. Comprising a team of good players does not automatically mean that the team will be a dynasty however: ask the 2012 Los Angeles Lakers. The team has to have good chemistry, meaning the team needs a superstar or two, veteran players and capable role players.
When thinking about what it takes to make a dynasty, don’t underestimate how important luck and culture are to this equation. It was pure luck that the Chicago Bulls were able to draft Michael Jordan second overall in the draft. Who knows, the Bulls could have picked Charles Barkley and not won 6 championships in 8 years. To the same point, there is no way anyone could have known that Brady would have been a legend. Also, dynasties win and win often because they have made winning part of their culture. Jordan and Brady demand their teammates to always give 100 percent whether it is during practice or a game. Teams who tank to get better talent often lose for years because they are used to losing. It also doesn’t hurt to have a great fan base to play your heart out for if you are a dynasty.
