Your Favorite Season(s) of All Time

[tigerslionspistonshabs]

NHL- I was a bit too young to fully take in the Habs' 1993 Cup, although I do remember watching it, I just could've cared less at the time. I'd have to say this past year. They went on a good run and I also watched A LOT of playoff hockey in general.

NBA- 2004. Pistons title.

NFL- 2011. The only trace of competitiveness the Lions have had in my lifetime.

MLB- 2012. Tigers in the World Series. I attended 3 playoff games in the below zero Detroit October (spending about 2 mortgage payments). Awesome.

[Pens7637]

NHL- 2009, Penguins win Stanley Cup

NFL- 2009, Steelers win Super Bowl

MLB- 2013, Pirates have first winning season in 20 years

[WinMINTwins]

NFL - 2009/10

The Vikings were the best I've ever seen them. There were no holes, except perhaps the secondary, and even then, it was good enough not to be a killer. The D-Line, particularly Jared Allen and Ray Edwards, were outstanding. Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor were great out of the backfield. Favre converted me, at least briefly, to his following. Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin were also great. It was under the horrid regime of Brad Childress, sure, but my God, the Vikings were winning! And winning a lot, at that! The NFC Championship Game and the post-Super Bowl Saints lovefest aside*, this was the best year I could've imagined.

*The Monday after the Super Bowl, Who Dat Nation seemed to triple in size. When what happened two weeks prior occurred, and there were all these people claiming to be fans of the team that had just done that, I couldn't stand it.

MLB - 2010

The Twins were still good at the time, but more significantly, the Rangers, a team I'd been following somewhat closely for a few years (I live in DFW, and they're the only game consistently on TV as far as baseball is concerned) not only were in the playoffs, but made the World Series after beating the Yankees in the ALCS. It was ridiculous to even think that that organization, which suffered for years through Tom Hicks, John Hart, the A-Rod contract, Chan Ho Park, Vicente Padilla, and much more over the last decade, could do such a thing. And the love that the fan base felt was organic that year, because this was new. (I've come to dislike the attitudes of many Ranger fans over the past couple years.) The team was young, good, and making significant moves to acquire veteran talent: Cliff Lee was a Ranger. He and the bat of Nelson Cruz gave me the best game I've ever seen in person. It was a beautiful summer, and an incredible October to boot.

I'd also like to note that it was the final year in the Rangers booth for the great Josh Lewin, who had been the voice of the team for most of that time period of badness (which is also the time I first got into baseball - I'm relatively young). He walked away from play-by-play duties for a brief time before joining the Mets radio broadcast. Dave Barnett, who took over after about a month of John Rhadigan, was a serviceable replacement for a brief time, but after a migraine incident, he was in turn replaced by Steve Busby, who I cannot stand. Nobody has matched Lewin since his departure.

NBA - 2010/11

For years, the annual ritual was for the Mavericks to win 45-55 games and then get bounced from the playoffs, often in the first round by a team that shouldn't be doing any first-round bouncing of the Mavericks. The perfection that was the 2011 playoffs, however, cannot be done proper justice. They got past the Trail Blazers in the first round, and then, in the next, they swept the mighty Lakers. I still don't know how that's even possible. Game 4 was a simply joyous blowout at the American Airlines Center in which Jason Terry was a god from beyond the arc and the ESPN broadcast was simply in shock that this could happen in Phil Jackson's final game as a head coach.

The Thunder were dispatched in five games in the conference final, leading to an exhilarating Finals against Miami. Back then, the NBA's system was perfect: game on one day, an off day, and then a game after that. That day in-between games allowed you to digest/freak out over the previous game and completely reverse your opinion on where this series was headed. The whole metroplex was hooked. Much has been written, at least from the Mavs' perspective, about the series' ups and downs, the major players, and other details (I recommend Bob Sturm's This Year is Different), but in short, the little Mavericks won an NBA title, and Dirk was no longer the guy who couldn't win. I didn't even know how to feel when it happened. It didn't even hit me until a few days later, when our favorite German bigman was butchering "We Are the Champions" from a balcony at Victory Plaza. They had, to borrow the call from play-by-play man Chuck Cooperstein, climbed the NBA mountain and planted their flag. And it was the best feeling.

NHL - 2013/14

For the first time in my time as a hardcore Stars fan, they made the playoffs. I don't know much else of what to say, since I have a feeling that there will be even better years to come, and as much fun as this was, it pales in comparison to the greatness of the seasons above.

[Unocal]

NASCAR: 2001

I know that 2001 will always be remembered for the death of the Intimidator, but that year had a lot of good things/moments that I think get overshadowed by that last lap at Daytona.

You had FOX, NBC, and TNT having to pick up where ESPN left off with NASCAR- and given the pressure and how good the prior regime was, they came through with flying colors. Mike, Larry, and DW/Allen, Wally, and BP proved that while Bob, Benny and Ned are considered the NASCAR gold standard of announcing, they were capable successors.

The Dodge came aboard. You had new paint designs (Viagra! UPS! Jeff Gordon went from Rainbow Warrior to Dupont flames)

19 different drivers visited victory lane. For the first time in years, no driver won so many races (Gordon led the way with 6 after winning at least 7 races 5 previous times, but nobody else won more than 4) and ran away from everyone else (Gordon won his 4th title, but it didn't feel as dominant as prior years).

A brilliant mix of young and old- guys like Harvick and Busch made names for themselves and Junior/Stewart had solid sophomore years, but you still had the old guard still hanging around and doing well. Guys like Martin, Jarrett, Rudd, Elliott, Labonte, Marlin.

And you still had the old tracks- Darlington/Rockingham twice, Labor day Southern 500- with Chicago debuting.

Races that stood out- A wild and chaotic 500 (I know what happened at the end, but most of that race was awesome), Harvick and Dale Jr. getting emotional wins, great finishes at Michigan/Pocono/Richmond/Talladega.

It kick-started the 2nd golden age of NASCAR, one that started with the debut of Dodge and ended when the Ford Taurus left and CoT debuted.