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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. St. Louis Rams |
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Thoroughly embarrassed Packers, one of best teams in NFL ... and their offense didn't even play that well.
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| 2. Pittsburgh Steelers |
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Thoroughly embarrassed defending champion Ravens, taught Brian Billick a lesson in humility and gave football fans all across the land hope of a classic Super Bowl matchup. |
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| 3. UConn Huskies women's hoops |
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As one opposing coach recently said of the unbeaten and unchallenged Huskies, "They might be the best team I've ever seen. Ever." |
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| 4. Sacramento Kings |
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Winners of 12 straight, they currently have the best record in the NBA (31-9 to the Lakers' 28-9). |
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| 5. Duke men's basketball |
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Back in synch after unfathomable loss to Florida State. And Jason Williams is fast reaching Duncanesque status as an education-loving role model. |
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| 6. Detroit Red Wings |
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Luc Robitaille sets goal-scoring mark for left wingers. Slogan for team filled with future Hall-of-Famers should be, "A milestone a night." |
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| 7. New Jersey Nets |
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Believe it or not, Nets -- who won a "definition" game against Western powerhouse San Antonio last week -- have biggest division lead of any team in NBA, not to mention Eastern Conference. |
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| 8. Philadelphia Eagles |
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OK, they have a fine defense, and Donovan McNabb's no longer a one-man offense, but does anybody outside of Keystone State really want to see an all-Pennsylvania matchup for all the marbles? |
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| 9. New England Patriots |
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Lovable no-name underdogs find themselves in improbable position -- one game from Super Bowl. But does anybody outside of New England really want to see a Rams-Pats matchup for all the marbles? |
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| 10. All golfers not named Tiger Woods |
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They're coming at him from every direction now ... Mickelson wins the Hope, and everybody seems to be
falling for those perky little wonderboys -- El Niño and Ty Tryon. Still, it's not wise to make El Tigre mad. |
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| ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball, Pepperdine Waves men's basketball, Kristina Koznick and Bill Demong, top women's seeds at the Australian Open, Australian actors, "A Beautiful Mind," "Moulin Rouge," "Black Hawk Down," "Alias," "The Job," Offspring of Great Actors
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TEAM
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PAGE 2 SAYS
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MO' METER
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| 5. Madison Square Garden residents |
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Between them, the Knicks (eight straight losses, including Monday's worst-ever home defeat by 43 to the mediocre Charlotte Hornets) and Rangers (nine straight games without a win) are bringing a fearful stink to the World's Most Famous Arena. |
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| 4. Brian Billick's reputation as an offensive genius |
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Coach, tell us again about how we were wrong about Elvis Grbac. |
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| 3. Superstar QB shootout |
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Man against boy, as all four wheels fall off the Favre bandwagon. |
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| 2. Oakland Raiders |
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Simply one of the cruelest losses ever. Horrifying call, couldn't convert a key third-and-1 (maybe Jon Gruden should have run Charlie Garner instead of Zack Crockett), couldn't stop a virtual rookie QB from completing a single pass on two key late-game drives, that 45-yard line-drive FG through a driving snowstorm that just cleared the crossbars ... are we forgetting anything? |
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| 1. Glazer family of Tampa Bay |
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Bill Parcells made them look ridiculous -- fired Dungy, passed on Spurrier -- and as Jack Woltz said to Tom Hagan in "The Godfather," just before he woke up in bed next to Khartoum's head: "A man in my position cannot afford to be made to look ridiculous." |
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| ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Chicago Bears offense, Chicago Bulls, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, "Imagine That," Kmart |
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| Mo' Meter explained: |
No mo'; holding |
Climbing the charts |
Peaked; all downhill |
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