| | | Page 2's Power Poll dares to rate the teams that are currently wielding the most power in the entire sports universe.
Each week, our poll will rank the 10 teams at the top of the power heap -- and the five teams that have lost the most power in the past week. And, by the way, Page 2 uses its own definition for a "team" -- any group of two or more bonded together for the common purpose.
Our Momentum Meter also predicts the direction these teams will be heading in future weeks (see the bottom of the page for a full explanation).
If you've got anything to say about our Top 10 or our Bottom 5, click here to comment -- or forever hold your peace.
TEAM
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PAGE 2 SAYS
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MO' METER
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| 1. Lennox Lewis & His Connections |
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Not the most charismatic heavyweight champion ever, and certainly not the most talented, but he's the best we've got right now. |
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| 2. L.A. Lakers |
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By far the most dominant team in all of sports, but
why can't they just get along? Or is that part of the Zen master's devious plan to keep them interested? |
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| 3. Miami Hurricanes football |
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After some early-season difficulties -- mostly with
various computer rankings, not other teams -- they've assumed their rightful place atop the writers' and coaches' polls, thanks to a frightening 59-0 dismantling of
more-than-respectable Syracuse. |
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| 4. St. Louis Rams |
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Overly dependent on Kurt Warner, vulnerable on defense, injury-prone (lost five players Sunday night against the Pats), but they just keep rollin' along. |
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| 5. Detroit Red Wings |
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Most points and four more wins than any other team
in NHL. |
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| 6. Jeff Gordon's racing team |
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With a sixth-place finish at the Napa 500, the adorable 30-year-old yuppie clinched his fourth Winston Cup title, and takes dead aim on the record of seven, shared by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. |
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| 7. Connecticut women's basketball |
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Crushed third-ranked Vanderbilt 69-50 to
win preseason Women's NIT. So much for that early "test." |
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| 8. Superstar non-American golfers |
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On the men's side, the South African dynamic duo of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen combined to win a four-way playoff -- and $1 million -- at the World Cup in Japan. On the women's side, Annika Sorenstam set a new record for scoring average (69.42), while becoming the first female golfer to break $2 million in winnings in a single season. |
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| 9. Oakland Raiders |
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Best in the AFC, probably the best-balanced team in all of pro football. And how about that Jerry Rice -- wasn't this the way it was supposed to go for Michael Jordan? |
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| 10. Surprise NFL Central Division leaders |
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Steelers and Bears are each 7-2. Everybody who predicted that before the season started, please raise their hands.
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| ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers (only 5-5, but 5-0 since AI got back), Calgary Flames, Eric Lindros and family, Nebraska football, Maryland football, Harvard football (first unbeaten, untied season in 88 years), Duke men's basketball team, "Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone"
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TEAM
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PAGE 2 SAYS
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MO' METER
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| 5. Rutgers Scarlet Knights |
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After losing 38-7 to Boston College, the Knights finished 0-7 in the Big East, setting a conference record for offensive futility with only 36 points. |
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| 4. Baltimore Ravens |
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Second embarrassing loss to expansion Browns this
year, this time 27-17 at home, ceding possession of 2001 Art Modell Bragging Rights Trophy to hated Cleveland. Trent Dilfer, please come back ... all is forgiven. |
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| 3. New York Knicks |
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Some teams have worse records, but the slow,
undersized, phlegmatic Knickerbockers (4-7) have the biggest payroll in the NBA. |
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| 2. Detroit Lions |
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No team has ever gone 0-16 in the NFL. The Lions are more than halfway home. Pray for them. |
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| 1. UCLA Bruins football |
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After a 6-0 start, the UCLAns have lost four straight, including a 27-0 embarrassment Saturday at the hands of crosstown rival USC, which started 1-5. The Bruins were "led" by QB Cory Paus, who played despite the disclosure of two arrests. |
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| ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers
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| Mo' Meter explained: |
No mo'; holding
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Climbing the charts |
Peaked; all downhill
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