With March Madness beginning, I've started to recollect on some of my favorite teams to watch over the years. I haven't fallen in love with any team from this tournament yet, but spring is upon us and love is in the air. I can't help but think about it as Spring Training has begun, too. So, which teams are my favorite?
2004 Detroit Pistons
I loved this team. The 'Going to Work' Pistons were the first great team I watched. They played tough defense. They played "the right way" as Larry Brown would say. I loved the scrappy team that one 13 in a row early on. Of course, they went through a rough patch around midseason. Then, they traded for Rasheed Wallace and everything fell into place. I'll always cherish watching Ben Wallace play and build up Rebound Row. The face of our franchise was an undrafted defensive menace. Everyone used to wear headbands because of Big Ben. Chauncey Billups was my favorite player growing up. In the playoffs that year, he hit a half court buzzer beater to send game 5 against the Nets to overtime. Then, he played masterfully against the Lakers in the finals, winning MVP. Rip Hamilton crushed the Pacers coming off of curls; I miss the art of the midrange. Tayshaun Prince's chase down block to seal Game 2 of Sheed guaranteed the win is an unforgettable moment in NBA history, let alone Pistons history. The Pistons had an amazing bench at that time, too. Mehmet Okur (Fax me the Mehmo), Corliss Williamson (Big Nasty), Mike James, Lindsey Hunter (the bulldogs), and Elden Campbell. I remember checking and collecting articles from the FreePress throughout the entire season. We thought they were great but we never expected them to win a title so fast, but when they did, we had expectations for years to come. I probably underappreciated this team at the time. They played tough defense and hardly ever turned the ball over. I can say confidently that I was spoiled by their excellence.
2006 Detroit Tigers
I've talked about this team before, but I'll mention again what an awesome experience they were to watch. All of Michigan seemed inspired by the sudden success of this Tigers team. Hell, Jeff Daniels wrote a song about them. They were also young and on the rise, but lost in the World Series. Still, I remember checking on them all the time and following the games closely. They had all the makings of a team that draws the attention of fans; youth and sudden success after a long period of mediocrity to atrociousness.
2010 Duke Blue Devils Basketball
This is my favorite Blue Devils team because it is the last of a bygone era. The one and done era has really changed college basketball. I miss the days of watching a team that is built over several years as they develop together; a mixture of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. This team had Kyle Singler as its best player. The team also featured soon to be head coach Jon Scheyer. The rest of the lineup included Brian Zoubek, Lance Thomas, and Nolan Smith. Their bench featured Miles and Mason Plumlee, Andre Dawkins, and Ryan Kelly. They were stacked from multiple years of development coming together in one season. I thought they were going to repeat went the recruited Kyrie Irving, but he missed most of the following season. They defeated a tough Butler ream featuring future NBA star Gordon Hayward coached by Brad Stevens.
2021 Michigan Wolverines Football
I normally don't get too wild about the Wolverines. In the last ten years, I've been let down so frequently that I've stopped bothering to care too much about the team. We've had multiple coaches and every year seems filled with disappointment. In fact, a few years back (2018), I thought the Wolverines were finally going to take that final step forward, beat OSU, and go to the playoffs, only to have my hopes shattered at the Wolverines fell flat on their faces against the Urban Meyer coached Buckeyes. This year, however, something felt different. Each week, the team continued to win and had fun while doing it. Football didn't seem like a chore or responsibility but a privilege. They took me through a roller coaster ride with a loss to the Spartans. I thought the ride was over. Unlike in previous seasons though, they didn't fall apart with one bad loss. They strove through the rest of the season and beat Ohio State and won the Big Ten title game. That's the most fun I've had watching a team in a long time.
2015 Duke Blue Devils Basketball
Again, unexpectedly, the Blue Devils won a National Title led by three freshmen. This team isn't one that many expected to be so great, but Freshmen Jahlil Okafor, Justice Winslow, and Tyus Jones led the team with support from Senior guard Quinn Cook. While this team was loaded with NBA talent, these 4 were the most influential on the team. I didn't expect them to win because of their inexperience. This title marked a change at Duke though. They finally transitioned to the one and done model and haven't looked back since. Grayson Allen didn't play a lot for this team, but I'll never forget his big slam against the Spartans in the Final Four.
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