The Week Twelve games will not be decided until later today, so let’s look at a little league history. We are heading towards our 31st playoff, which means we are moving into our 4th decade of family fantasy football. So, I will name the team of the decade from each of our first three decades.
We will begin with our initial decade, the 90s.
1990-1999, The ’90s
Honorable Mentions
Montana Mountaineers (Chuck), Dakota Dragons (Butch), West Virginia Rednecks (Wayne), New Orleans Hurricanes (Jamie)
Seven different teams won Super Bowls in the ’90s. The Montana Mountaineers, West Virginia Rednecks, and Dakota Dragons each won a single title during our first decade.
The Dragons went to four Super Bowls during the decade but only came away with one title. The New Orleans Hurricanes matched the Dragons with three Super Bowl losses in the decade. It’s like the Dragons and the Canes had a competition to see who could be the best loser. The Canes did come away with a pair of titles in their five Super Bowl appearances but could not crack the decade’s top two teams. Why? Because there is no question that the Parsons brothers owned the ’90s.
’90s Runner-Up
Hawaii Volcanos (Paul Parsons)
The first accomplishment for the Volcanos was winning the inaugural Super Bowl. Only one team can ever win the first, and that was Hawaii. The Volcanos followed that up with a second title six years later, giving them two championships during the decade. The Volcanos only made it to two Super Bowls in the ’90s, which is less than Dakota and New Orleans. But they won them both, and perfection outweighs appearances. I mean, no one puts the Buffalo Bills of the ’90s or the Minnesota Vikings of the ’70s on their all-time team list. Dakota and New Orleans did at least win titles, but three Super Bowl losses a piece does not exactly scream dominance.
And to put the final nail in the coffin, the Volcanos defeated the Canes head-to-head in the 1996 Super Bowl. Put it all together, and the Volcanos get the runner-up nod for the 90s Team of the Decade.
Hawaii Volcanos ’90s Accomplishments
Super Bowl Appearances: 2
League Championships: 2
1990 Super Bowl I: Hawaii Volcanos – 33, Bismark Bad Boys – 15
1996 Super Bowl VII: Hawaii Volcanos – 24, New Orleans Hurricanes – 16
’90s Team of the Decade
Baton Rouge Bayou’s (Frank Parsons)
The Legendary Frank Parsons. Three titles in six years made the Bayou’s the first Dynasty in our Dynasty league. And the 3-0 record by the Bayou’s in Super Bowls is the best overall. There is only one other team that is more than one game above 500 in Super Bowls, and that is the 2-0 Volcanos. The Parsons brothers combined to go 5-0 in Super Bowls during the 90s. The Volcanos were the first champion, and the Bayou’s were our first dynasty. We need to get the Parsons brothers back in the league.
Baton Rouge Bayou’s ’90s Accomplishments
Super Bowl Appearances: 3
League Championships: 3
1992 Super Bowl III: Baton Rouge Bayou’s – 23, Dakota Dragons – 17
1995 Super Bowl VI: Baton Rouge Bayou’s – 46, New Orleans Hurricanes – 38
1997 Super Bowl VIII: Baton Rouge Bayou’s – 34, Dakota Dragons – 33
2000-2009, The 2000s
While the Parsons brothers dominated the first decade, two different teams dominated the second decade. The Minnesota Blizzard and New Orleans Hurricanes combined for 12 Super Bowl Appearances and 7 Championships in the 2000s. During the 2000s, there was only one Super Bowl that did not have one of these two teams playing in the game.
Honorable Mention
Louisiana Lightning (Denny), Glasgow Highlanders (Rich), West Virginia Rednecks (Wayne), Dakota Dragons (Butch)
The Louisiana Lightning and Glasgow Highlanders won their first Championship in the 2000s. The West Virginia Rednecks and Dakota Dragons both won their second overall titles. Glasgow, West Virginia, and Dakota also made it to a second Super Bowl in the decade but came up short. Those three teams were 1-1 in their Super Bowl appearances that decade. These were all strong franchises, but as we said, another pair of franchises dominated the 2000s.
2000s Runner-up
New Orleans Hurricanes (Jamie)
The Canes were consistently strong during the 2000s. In all, they made it to five Super Bowls in the decade and won three championships. It was a good thing they did. Without the Canes taking down the Blizzard in 2000 and 2004, Minnesota may have dominated even more than they did.
New Orleans Hurricanes 2000s Accomplishments
Super Bowl Appearances: 5
League Championships: 3
2000 Super Bowl XI: New Orleans Hurricanes – 44, Minnesota Blizzard – 36
2004 Super Bowl XV: New Orleans Hurricanes – 41, Minnesota Blizzard – 35
2006 Super Bowl XVII: New Orleans Hurricanes – 57, Glasgow Highlanders – 53
2000’s Team of the Decade
Minnesota Blizzard (Geri)
Sure, the Canes beat the Blizzard in two of their three Super Bowl matchups during the decade. But it was the Blizzard who dominated the decade and was feared throughout. The Blizzard made it to seven Super Bowls in ten years. Let me repeat that. Minnesota made it to seven of the ten Super Bowls in the 2000s. DAMN! That is impressive. They won four of the seven trips, including back to back Championships to close out the decade in 2008 and 2009. In total, they won four titles in seven years between 2003 and 2009.
The Bayou’s dominated the ’90s with three titles in six seasons, and the Blizzard upped that in the 2000s by winning four titles in seven years. The Blizzard were the unquestioned Dynasty of the 2000s. And you could argue that seven-year stretch was the most dominant in the history of the league.
Minnesota Blizzard 2000s Accomplishments
2000’s Super Bowl Appearances: 7
2000’s League Championships: 4
2003 Super Bowl XIV: Minnesota Blizzard – 30, New Orleans Hurricanes – 25
2005 Super Bowl XVI: Minnesota Blizzard – 36, West Virginia Rednecks – 18
2008 Super Bowl XIX: Minnesota Blizzard – 38, Dakota Dragons – 27
2009 Super Bowl XX: Minnesota Blizzard – 32, Montana Mountaineers – 23
2010-2019, The ’10s
Our third decade was by far the one with the most parity. The Parson brothers dominated the first decade, winning five of the ten titles. And the Blizzard and the Canes combining for seven of the ten titles in the 2000s. But, the third decade was much more evenly spread. In all, nine different teams won titles during the decade, and only two teams won twice.
Honorable Mention
Myrtle Beach Wave (Rob D), Virginia Pioneers (Dave), Minnetonka Chippewas (Greg), Phoenix Heat (Steven), Minnesota Blizzard (Geri), Montana Mountaineers (Chuck), Glasgow Highlanders (Rich)
The length of the Honorable Mention list is a good indication of just how much parity existed in the last decade. Teams rose and fell quickly, and with one exception, no one remained on top very long.
The Myrtle Beach Wave, Virginia Pioneers, Minnetonka Chippewas, and Phoenix Heat all won their first championships. It was a good decade for teams to get their first titles. Virginia made it to a second Super Bowl in the decade but came up short of a second title when Phoenix defeated them in 2019.
The Minnesota Blizzard (Geri), Montana Mountaineers (Chuck), and Glasgow Highlanders (Rich) also each won a championship during the decade. It was the 5th overall title for the Blizzard and their only Super Bowl appearance during the decade after dominating the 2000’s. Montana and Glasgow’s Super Bowl victories were the second overall titles for each franchise. Both of those two teams also made it to a second Super Bowl during the decade but came up short.
2010s Runner-up
New Orleans Hurricanes (Jamie)
For the third straight decade, the Canes were very consistently strong. The Canes reached the most Super Bowls during the decade, winning two titles and losing the other three times. Their titles came in 2010 and again in 2017. Winning twice is very good, but championships that are eight years apart does not really make for a dynasty. The Canes were good in the 10s, but they were not the decade’s top team because their competitor for that title was a dynasty. Plus, they lost to that same competitor in their head-to-head Super Bowl matchup.
Overall, the Canes have lost eight Super Bowls in three decades. The Canes may not have been the best team at any point, but they are the best losers. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not fantasy football.
New Orleans Hurricanes 2010s Accomplishments
Super Bowl Appearances: 5
League Championships: 2
2010 Super Bowl XXI: New Orleans Hurricanes – 42, Glasgow Highlanders – 7
2017 Super Bowl XXVIII: New Orleans Hurricanes – 42, Montana Mountaineers – 38
2010s Team of the Decade
Dakota Dragons (Butch)
The Dakota Dragons lost to the Montana Mountaineers by one point in the 2011 Super Bowl. They are the only team to lose a Super Bowl by a single point, and they did it twice. OUCH! The Dragons also lost by a single point to the Bayou’s back in 1997. That was the infamous no sack game. Only two points kept the Dragons from two more championships on top of the four they won.
The Dragons bounced by from that disappointing loss in 2011 and dominated a few years later in the decade. They got back to back titles in 2014-2015. They became only the 3rd team to earn back-to-back titles and now have won a total of four championships, including at least one in each decade.
Back to back titles is a dynasty, which is why the Dragons were the team of the decade for the 10’s.
Dakota Dragons 2010s Accomplishments
Super Bowl Appearances: 3
League Championships: 2
2014 Super Bowl XXV: Dakota Dragons – 36, Myrtle Beach Wave – 36
2015 Super Bowl XXVI: Dakota Dragons – 33, New Orleans Hurricanes – 18
1990’s Team of the Decade: Baton Rouge Bayou’s
2000’s Team of the Decade: Minnesota Blizzard
2010’s Team of the Decade: Dakota Dragons
2020s Team of the Decade: To be determined.
Good luck to everyone in getting that title. The hunt for that Team of the Decade Title begins this season. Getting to the Super Bowl and winning the Championship this season will give someone the lead.