The defending NFL champions, Philadelphia Eagles, started things out the right way. The Golden State Warriors once again look like heavy favorites to repeat in the NBA. In Baseball, the Houston Astros are doing well, with 90 wins as we approach mid September. Will they all defend their titles?
NBA
The most likely “YES” answer on this list. The Warriors have won the NBA title in three of the last four years, already promising them a “dynasty” label. W
hile the Houston Rockets can say that all that stopped them from beating the Warriors was a Chris Paul injury last season, they’ve probably gotten weaker, while the Warriors simply kept their core intact and added DeMarcus Cousins. Maybe the Boston Celtics in the East can pose a problem, but can they really?
The most likely outcome is the Warriors winning the third straight title, something that hasn’t been done since the 2000-2002 Los Angeles Lakers which features Kobe Bryant & Shaquille O’Neal.
MLB
No one has repeated as World Series champions since the New York Yankees in 2000, when they completed a third in a row title win and fourth in five years. In fact, the only franchise besides the Yankees (who also repeated in 1977 and 1978 in the last 40 years is the Toronto Blue Jays (1992 & 1993).
The Boston Red Sox have the best record in Baseball (98 wins and the best offense in the majors). The Yankees are also at 90 wins and the Cubs are another serious threat. But regular season wins often mean nothing come postseason time. The Astros have a shot, but it’s impossible to say confidently who you think will dominate October like we can in the NBA.
NFL
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The Eagles look like a team built to dominate the NFC East and contend for a Super Bowl berth for more than just one year. Their narrow win over the Falcons doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s a good start. In the 1990’s, both the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos won back to back Super Bowls (the Cowboys had three in four years). Since then, the only team to repeat is the New England Patriots (2003 & 2004).
One week is too soon to say which teams are the favorites, but the Eagles are definitely in the running right now to finish on top of the NFC once again.