Dynasty (sports)

Exhibits on various Stanley Cup dynasties at the Hockey Hall of Fame

In sports, a dynasty is a team or individual that dominates their sport or league for an extended length of time. Some leagues usually maintain official lists of dynasties,[citation needed] often as part of a hall of fame,[citation needed] but in many cases, whether a team or individual has achieved a dynasty is subjective. This can result in frequent topic of debate among sports fans due to lack of consensus and agreement in the many different variables and criteria that fans may use to define a sports dynasty.[1][2][3] Merriam-Webster describes a dynasty as a "sports franchise which has a prolonged run of successful seasons".[4] Within the same sport, or even the same league, dynasties may be concurrent with each other. This is a list of teams that have been called a dynasty after periods of success. In sports, a dynasty denotes a team or individual that dominated their sport or league for an extended period. The use of the term to characterize such prolonged success emerged in the early 20th century.[4]

The determination of whether a team or individual has achieved a dynasty is subjective. This results in debate among sports fans due to a lack of consensus and agreement on the different variables and criteria that could be used to define a dynasty.[1][2][5]

  1. ^ a b Frank, Vincent (June 21, 2015). "Start Of A Golden State Warriors Dynasty? Not So Fast, My Friends". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017. One of the most subjective discussions we come across around the sports world is what defines a dynasty. It's a definition that will never come to pass, and will always be left up for interpretation.
  2. ^ a b Snyder, Matt (October 30, 2014). "With three non-consecutive titles in five years, are Giants a dynasty?". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017. It's a subjective term with no rules, so there's bound to be argument about it.
  3. ^ Cluff, Jeremy (May 19, 2016). "Dynasties in Arizona high school sports continue in 2016–17". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2017. What makes a dynasty in sports? The answer is subjective.
  4. ^ a b "Dynasty". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  5. ^ Cluff, Jeremy (May 19, 2016). "Dynasties in Arizona high school sports continue in 2016–17". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2017. What makes a dynasty in sports? The answer is subjective.