With the talk of whether the Kansas City Chiefs should be considered a dynasty after their recent victory in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles going through the mainstream media, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo went on ESPN’s First Take Wednesday morning to give his top five greatest pro sports dynasties of all-time.
Making the list at #5? The 70s Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Number five on our list: the Steelers of the 70s.” Russo said on First Take. “Four Super Bowls in six years. They could have won more if [Terry] Bradshaw didn’t get hurt. They won the first two with defense. They won the second two with offense. Bradshaw the MVP back-to-back in ’79 and ’80. Of course, those first two years, unbelievable defensive team. A million Hall of Famers. An all-time great coach in [Chuck] Noll. They are number five.”
Mad Dog concludes his list with the NHL’s Canadians in the 70s at #4, the 1960s Green Bay Packers at #3, the 1949-1953 New York Yankees at #2, and Bill Russell’s Celtics from 1957-1969 at #1.
When looking at the list in its entirety, it’s difficult to argue the teams on the list. The Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years, producing numerous Hall of Famers from the players to Chuck Noll to other contributors like Bill Nunn. Still, the other teams on the list are more than deserving of their respective spots with the Canadians winning six Stanley Cups in the 70s, the Packers winning five world championships in the 60s, the Yankees winning five-straight World Series titles, and Russell’s Celtics winning a whopping 11 NBA championships during his time as a player and a coach for the organization.
The Steelers ended up being Mad Dog’s second NFL dynasty, behind only Lombardi’s Packers. He didn’t include the 80s 49ers, 90 Cowboys, 2000s Patriots, or 2010s Patriots dynasties on his list either, leaving the 70s Steelers in quite good company with some of the other great dynasties in all professional sports.
For me, a dynasty isn’t born unless you win three championships within proximity of each other (sorry Chiefs fans). The 70s Steelers managed to do just that, securing four championships in six years. While it has been nearly 15 years since Pittsburgh’s last championship, the franchise is one of the most respected in North American sports and has established the expectation of winning. The current Steelers will be tasked with carrying on that legacy in the coming years as the organization looks to construct a championship-caliber roster along with QB Kenny Pickett developing into the type of quarterback that can get the Steelers back into the big dance.
