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The Dallas Cowboys first joined the NFL in 1960 as an expansion team. They became very popular hence, primarily because the team has always shown the might and the form of a champion.

For 160 consecutive games, the Dallas Cowboys have sold out every single seat in their arena. This streak started almost 20 years ago. This only shows how powerful the team really is, in and out of the playing court. The record they have established caused them to earn the title of being the most valuable sports franchise in the United States by Forbes Magazine.

Before they are known as the Cowboys, the team was called the Steers and the Rangers first. The team started playing in the 1960s at the Cotton Bowl arena. They never won a single game during their first season though. But that didn’t stop them from winning big several years later.

With Don Meredith, Chuck Howley, and Don Perkins playing for the team in the 1960s, the team slowly but surely became one of the contenders of the league. The nationwide popularity of the Dallas happened the next decade when they became the favorites during the Super Bowl. The team won Super Bowl XII, after making an appearance in Super Bowl X and eventually, in Super Bowl XIII.

In the 1980s, Danny White joined the team. He replaced Roger Staubach as quarterback and he was able to lead the Cowboys to a five-time playoff series during his reign. But despite their good performance, the team failed to make it into Super Bowl. There were lots of losses and disappointments during this decade. But the team knows how to get past them.

In the 2000s, Dave Campo moved from being a defensive coordinator to head coach. But he failed to perform as expected. However, in 2003, the Cowboy became the team with the best record, allowing them to acquire a playoff berth during that season. The Cowboys were actually on and off, being in the playoffs and then out again. It is like a rollercoaster ride, as the team tried to regain their lost championship form.

However, a few more misfortunes befell the team as 12 of the players got injured in an accident at their practice facility. The arena collapsed when a wind storm strike. Even so, the Dallas Cowboys will continue to be a strong force in the NFL. In fact, they are scheduled to be a part of the Legacy Weekend games of the 2009 season.

Throughout their stint in the National Football League, the cowboys have won a total of five Super Bowl Championships. They have 10 Conference Championships and 19 Division Championships as well, along with a total of 29 playoff appearances.

The team used to play at the Cotton Bowl stadium during their first few years in the league. Then they transferred to the Texas Stadium in 1971 until they moved out only a year ago. Right now, the team is playing at the Cowboys Stadium, which serves as their official home court.

Major League Baseball refers to the associations that operate the National League and the American League, by resources of a joint organizational construction that has developed regularly between them since 1903. In 2000, the National League and the American leagues were officially disbanded as split legal entities with all rights and functions consolidated in the commissioner’s office. MLB successfully operate as a single baseball league and as such it constitutes one of the major important professional sports leagues of the USA. Major League Baseball is currently collected of 30 teams—29 in the USA and 1 in Canada.

Each season consists of 162 games which usually Major League Baseball begins on the first Sunday in April and Major League Baseball ends on the first Sunday in October, with the Major League Baseball playoffs played in October and sometimes MLB playoffs in early November.

Major League Baseball American League Teams (City or Area / Arena):

1. Baltimore Orioles (Baltimore, MD / Oriole Park at Camden Yards)
2. Boston Red Sox (Boston, MA / Fenway Park)
3. New York Yankees (New York City, NY / Yankee Stadium)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (St. Petersburg, FL / Tropicana Field)
5. Toronto Blue Jays (Toronto, ON / Rogers Centre)
6. Chicago White Sox (Chicago, IL / U.S. Cellular Field)
7. Cleveland Indians (Cleveland, OH / Progressive Field)
8. Detroit Tigers (Detroit, MI / Comerica Park)
9. Kansas City Royals (Kansas City, MO / Kauffman Stadium)
10. Minnesota Twins (Minneapolis, MN / Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome)
11. Los Angeles Angels (Anaheim, CA / Angel Stadium of Anaheim)
12. Oakland Athletics (Oakland, CA / Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum)
13. Seattle Mariners (Seattle, WA / Safeco Field)
14. Texas Rangers (Arlington, TX / Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)

Major League Baseball National League Teams (City or Area / Arena):

1. Atlanta Braves (Atlanta, GA / Turner Field)
2. Washington Nationals (Washington, D.C./ Nationals Park)
3. New York Mets (New York City, NY / Citi Field)
4. Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA / Citizens Bank Park)
5. Florida Marlins (Miami Gardens, FL / LandShark Stadium)
6. Milwaukee Brewers (Milwaukee, WI / Miller Park)
7. Chicago Cubs (Chicago, IL / Wrigley Field)
8. Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati, OH / Great American Ball Park)
9. Houston Astros (Houston, TX / Minute Maid Park)
10. Pittsburgh Pirates (Pittsburgh, PA / PNC Park)
11. St. Louis Cardinals (St. Louis, MO / Busch Stadium)
12. Los Angeles Dogers (Los Angeles, CA / Dodger Stadium)
13. San Diego Padres (San Diego, CA / Petco Park)
14. San Francisco Giants (San Francisco, CA / AT&T Park)
15. Colorado Rockies (Denver, CO / Coors Field)
16. Arizona Diamondbacks (Phoenix, AZ / Chase Field)

Florida has a wide variety of professional sports teams within the state. When it comes to basketball, they have actually produced two teams that are a part of the National Basketball Association but the first to enter the league was the Miami Heat. The Miami Heat are a professional men’s basketball team that play in the Southeast Division of the NBA. They are in the Eastern Conference and they are based out of Miami, Florida. The team’s head coach, Erik Spoelstra, is rather young but has proven he can lead his team against the best of them. They are owned by Micky Arison and they play all of their home games at the American Airlines Arena. The team is managed by Pat Riley, who actually coached in Miami in years past.

The Miami Heat were first formed in 1988 as an expansion team into the NBA. Their franchise records include making the playoffs 13 out of 21 seasons, winning seven division titles in the Southeast Division, and winning one NBA Finals in 2006.

The Heat would start off with a young roster that included the likes of Ron Seikaly, Pat Cummings, and Scott Hastings. The next year they would acquire Glen Rice in the draft and would struggle until they finally had a winning season in 1993. That year they would go 42-40 and make it to the playoffs for the first time. Other notable players that would play for the Miami Heat over the next few years would include Alonzo Mourning as well as Tim Hardaway.

In the 2000′s the Heat started to make some significant changes. In the 2003 draft they picked Dwayne Wade as the fifth pick overall and it seems to have been one of their best draft picks ever. Wade has been an All-Star since 2004 and has proven that he is one of the most dominant figures in all of basketball. He ranks among the top five players in the league with Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. In 2004 he was given a few key players to help him build his team when the heat acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers.

In 2005, behind Shaq and Wade, the Miami Heat improved their season record to 59-23 and achieved the second best season record in franchise history. That year they would go far into the post season before being ousted in the Eastern Conference Finals. The very next year, in 2006, the Heat would come back with a vengeance and would end up winning the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavericks. This would be the very first championship in franchise history. The years following this rise to the top would show a steady decline for the team. Shaquille O’Neal would be traded away and Dwayne Wade would be plagued with injuries down the stretch.

In the most recent season, 2010, Dwayne Wade would take his team to the first round of the playoffs with the help of Michael Beasley and Jermaine O’Neal but it would prove to be too little as they were beaten in 5 games by the Boston Celtics.

The Dallas Mavericks have been around since 1980 and are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association. They play in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the league and are based out of Dallas, TX. The Mavericks have consistently been a great team in the league with a few exceptions. They have won a conference championship in 2006 and have also won three individual division titles in 1987, 2007, and most recently in 2010. They have had some incredible players over the years including Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Jason Kidd but have still yet to capture a Championship. The Mavs have one of the most valuable franchises in the league at about $466 million. This puts them as having the seventh most valuable franchise among NBA teams.

The Mavericks were first created in 1980 and had a rough time putting together a team. In the 1981 draft they were able to pick up Jay Vincent, Mark Aguirre, and Rolando Blackman to help back their lone superstar, Brad Davis, and make something of the team. In 1982 they had their first winning season but were still not able to reach the playoffs. In 1983 they picked up Derek Harper in the draft and made their first appearance in the post season.

Around 1986 the Mavericks were finally starting to get into their groove. They got a Midwest Division Title that year but they went out early in the playoffs after suffering a defeat to the Seattle Supersonics. The team would visit the playoffs over the next few years but still struggled to get too far into the post season. By 1990 they would lose one of their valuable players in Sam Perkins and would fall to the bottom of the standings with only 28 wins on the season.

In 1994 the Mavericks picked up Jason Kidd in the draft, and he had a supporting cast of Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn. They were a formidable scoring force in the league and Jason Kidd even led the league that year with triple doubles. Even with these weapons, however, the team still was not able to reach the playoffs so they went through another rebuilding stage where they got rid of Jason Kidd and got Michael Finley, Sam Cassell, and A.C. Green. This didn’t prove to do too much until in 1998 they secured the rights to Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash and would start a dominant run. They would also change management when Mark Cuban bought the franchise from its original owners.

This lineup would prove to be a good one as the Dallas Mavericks would reach the NBA Finals in 2004-2005 but ended up losing to the Miami Heat in six games. Since then they have traded out Nash and acquired Jason Kidd again and have built a solid team. Going into the 2010 playoffs they were the second ranked team in the Western Conference. They have showed their dominance over other teams in the league and look to be a real force in the post season. Dirk Nowitzki is nearly unstoppable from anywhere on the floor and Jason Kidd is playing as well as he did when he entered the league sixteen years ago.

Lets look at the history of the golf ball.

When golf became a game back in the 16th century, golf clubs and golf balls were both made out of wood.

In 1618 they evolved and were made out of goose feathers. What they did was make a hollow sphere out of horse or cow hides and fill it with feathers. Then they soaked it in water, rounded it and let it dry. Once it dried you had your golf ball.

In 1848 a rubber ball was introduced by Rev Adam Paterson. The big advantage of the rubber ball was that it was east to mold and easy to repair when damanged.

In 1898 a golf ball with a solid rubber core covered by a layer of rubber thread was introduced by Coburn Haskell.

In 1905 the dimple that you see on golf balls today was introduced by Willam Taylor.

So now that we have some history lets examine some types of golf balls. There are two popular types of balls. They are balata and surlyn covered golf balls.

Balata-covered golf ball: A balata-covered ball is a ball that has a liquid-filled core, wrapped by rubber and covered with balata. Balata is a soft substance that allows players to have more control with their shots. The drawback is they cut and nick more.

Surlyn-covered golf ball: A surlyn-covered ball is a two-piece ball with a solid core and a surlyn cover. Surlyn is designed to eliminate cuts and nicks. It has a harder surface so the drawback is that it is harder to control.

There are many diffrent brands of golf balls out there, so pick wisely and go with the one that benifits your style of play.

In 1928 FIFA(International Federation of Association Football) President Jules Rimet desired to start an international soccer tournament. The tournament began as a simple 13 team tournament with those teams being invited by FIFA.

Over time, this event has become the most popular event in the world and has expanded to a 32 team tournament. The tournament goes well past these 32 teams however as there is now a two year qualification process including more than 200 teams world-wide.

The World Cup came about in response to a decision from the Olympics to not include soccer in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. The Olympic committee did not believe it would be a good idea as soccer was not yet popular in the United States. FIFA responded by implementing the first World Cup Tournament in Uruguay in 1930. Uruguay went on to win this tournament, beating Argentina in the finals to become the first World Cup Champions.

Four years later the World Cup was held in Italy and was the first World Cup in which qualifications preceded the tournament. This year the field expanded to 16 teams and the popularity of the World Cup began to grow. Though things appeared to be looking up there were many problems ahead for the World Cup.

In 1938 a few South American teams determined to boycott the World Cup in response to a second consecutive World Cup taking place in Europe. This same year the World Cup implemented the tradition of automatic qualification for the country that hosted the competition.

Problems continued for the World Cup with the start of World War II as there were two consecutive cancellations of the event. This left a 12 year span without a World Cup. This span ended in 1950 with a World Cup hosted by Brazil.

Popularity of the World Cup has since continued to grow, even sparking a Women’s World Cup to start taking place every four years as well. The women’s world cup has not yet generated the same interest that is present in the Men’s world cup.

In the 5 Women’s World Cups teams from Germany and the United States have each won two of the championships. Over time the most successful country for the men’s World Cup has been Brazil with a total of 5 World Cup Tournament championships. Italy follows in number of championships with 4 total, including a victory in the most recent 2006 World Cup.

The World Cup is now the most watched event in the world. The World Cup that is approaching in the summer of 2010 will take place in South Africa and is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Teams and fans from all over the world will tune is as they watch their country try and take their place as World Champions. This is one of the most exciting sporting events to watch and will be a place where all of the best soccer players in the world will come to show what they are really made of.

You can’t truly appreciate the beauty of Fantasy Sports without knowing the history behind it. So, as part of our series on major league sports, Fantasy Factor is taking a look at the story of the National Basketball League.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men’s basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America (twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada). It is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States.

The NBA was a result of Basketball Association America (BAA) merging with National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949. The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1953-54, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers).

In 1970s, the American Basketball Association (ABA) signed up with a number of major stars including Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA grew from nine franchises in 1966 to 18 in 1974. New teams included are Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) all made their debuts expanding the league to 17. The New Orleans Jazz (now in Utah) came aboard in 1974 bringing the total to 18.

Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. The franchises added were the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and New York Nets (now the New Jersey Nets). In early ’80s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks, bringing the total to 23 teams.

Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. This resulted in more cities demanding teams of their own. In 1988 and 1989, four cities got their wishes as the Charlotte Hornets (now the New Orleans Hornets), Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debuts.

Jordan and Scottie Pippen would lead the Bulls to six championships in eight years during the 1990s. Hakeem Olajuwon won back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets in ’94 and ’95.

The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan as the anchor, along with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and Christian Laettner.

In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. In 2001, the Vancouver Grizzlies were relocated to Memphis, which left the Raptors as the only Canadian team in the NBA.

In 1996, the NBA created a women’s league, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

In year 2000, LA Lakers and San Antonio Spurs battle to the Finals after the break-up of Chicago Bulls in Summer of 1998. Spurs won in 1999 then Lakers won three consecutive championships afterwards. The Spurs reclaimed the title in 2003. Lakers won against Detroit Pistons in 2004 while the Spurs won their third championship in 2005. Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks made their first Finals appearances in 2006.

The Western Conference continued dominating the league with Spurs winning over the Cavaliers in 2007. The 2008 Finals featured a rematch of the league’s highest profile rivalry, the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers with Boston winning.

In 2009, however, the LA Lakers, together with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, returned to the Finals defeating Orlando Magic for their 15th title.You can’t truly appreciate the beauty of Fantasy Sports without knowing the history behind it. So, as part of our series on major league sports, Fantasy Factor is taking a look at the story of the National Basketball League.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men’s basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America (twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada). It is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States.

The NBA was a result of Basketball Association America (BAA) merging with National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949. The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1953-54, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers).

In 1970s, the American Basketball Association (ABA) signed up with a number of major stars including Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA grew from nine franchises in 1966 to 18 in 1974. New teams included are Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) all made their debuts expanding the league to 17. The New Orleans Jazz (now in Utah) came aboard in 1974 bringing the total to 18.

Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. The franchises added were the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and New York Nets (now the New Jersey Nets). In early ’80s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks, bringing the total to 23 teams.

Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. This resulted in more cities demanding teams of their own. In 1988 and 1989, four cities got their wishes as the Charlotte Hornets (now the New Orleans Hornets), Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debuts.

Jordan and Scottie Pippen would lead the Bulls to six championships in eight years during the 1990s. Hakeem Olajuwon won back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets in ’94 and ’95.

The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan as the anchor, along with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and Christian Laettner.

In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. In 2001, the Vancouver Grizzlies were relocated to Memphis, which left the Raptors as the only Canadian team in the NBA.

In 1996, the NBA created a women’s league, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

In year 2000, LA Lakers and San Antonio Spurs battle to the Finals after the break-up of Chicago Bulls in Summer of 1998. Spurs won in 1999 then Lakers won three consecutive championships afterwards. The Spurs reclaimed the title in 2003. Lakers won against Detroit Pistons in 2004 while the Spurs won their third championship in 2005. Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks made their first Finals appearances in 2006.

The Western Conference continued dominating the league with Spurs winning over the Cavaliers in 2007. The 2008 Finals featured a rematch of the league’s highest profile rivalry, the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers with Boston winning.

In 2009, however, the LA Lakers, together with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, returned to the Finals defeating Orlando Magic for their 15th title.

Thanks to Rustyfan for this great capture. In 1960 Daytona Superspeedway hosted this sportsman race. 68 cars entered into the race, back then there were a maximum of 68 cars in a superspeedway race. Coming out of turn four 37 cars get into a massive wreck where at least six cars get on their roofs. Amazingly, evryone walked away from this. By the way, I am really getting tired of people having arguments that lead to name calling and slander. If I see a comment that put another member down or uses any derogatory language, I will delete it and any replies to it immediately. Also, if you do not like racing or think it is a sport, that’s fine, but at least give some logical thought into a comment that you post. I will once again delete any comment along the line of “nascar sucks” or “nascar is for dumb rednecks LOL!!1!1″. All I ask is for some civilized conversation, and not trash talking.

The phrase ‘play ball’ has most probably emerged from our natural instinct to kick at anything we find lying on the ground, be it paper, plastic or a rubber ball. In the olden days, people even kicked heads for fun. The Chinese in the Ts’in and the Dan dynasties invented animal skin balls between 255BC -220 AD, which they dribbled between two poles through gaps in nets. The ancient Egyptians conducted rituals which resembled a football and the Greeks and Romans also played similar games.

Even the South Americans Indians knew the use of a light elasticized ball. During the pre – medieval times, people of an entire village took to kicking a skull into the square of another village, as a favorite past time. The bladder of pigs was inflated and used for playing. Hence the shape and size of the ball depended on the pig’s bladder, so the trajectory of the ball when kicked could not be predicted. This habit of kicking slowly saw the evolution of the first ever rubber ball in 1855, when Charles Goodyear, after patenting vulcanized rubber, made the first ever rubber ball, which now stands displayed at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY, USA.

In 1862, H. J. Lindon, invented the first inflatable rubber bladders for balls. The next year, the newly created football association chalked out the rules of the game. By 1872, it was agreed that the ball would be ‘spherical with a circumference of 27 or 28 inches’ and would weigh 13 to 15 oz, which exists even today in the FIFA rule book. In 1937, the weight was increased to 14 to 16 oz. According to the Encyclopedia of Association Football which was first published in 1956, the ball has to be spherical with and outer casing of leather or other approved materials, while the size and weight has remained constant till date.

The founding of the English Football League in 1888 gave a fillip to the mass production of soccer balls, with Mitre and Thomlinson of Glasgow being the first two companies to begin manufacturing. Retaining the shape of the ball was imperative, so good quality leather covers were made from the rump of the cow. The 20th Century brought changes in the design as interlocking panels replaced the large leather sections that met at the north and south of the ball.

The color of the soccer ball in the 1950s used to be orange so as to make it visible while playing on snow. In 1951, the first white ball was played with using floodlights. By 1980s, leather was totally replaced by synthetic material. The present 32 panel soccer ball in white and black is the invention of Richard Buckminster Fuller, consisting of 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal surfaces. This soccer ball was first marketed by Select in Denmark in the 1950s and the first official FIFA world cup soccer ball – the Adidas Telstar was used in the World Cup at Mexico in 1970.

The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team that is a part of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference of the NBA (National Basketball Association). They are based out of Phoenix, Arizona and play all of their home games at the US Airways Center and have been playing there since 1992. They are largely considered one of the more successful teams in the National Basketball Association although they have never won a World Championship. They have been to the NBA Finals two times in their 41 years of play (1976 and 1993) but came away empty handed both times. For the record, the team has posted 50+ win season 19 times over the years since they entered into the league as an expansion team. On top of that they have also been to the Western Conference Finals eight different times.

The Phoenix Suns were founded in 1968 as an expansion team alongside the Milwaukee Bucks. They became the first professional sports team in Arizona and they were owned by a group that consisted of Don Pitt, Don Diamond, Richard Bloch, Karl Eller, and Andy Williams. Johny Kerr was the first head coach for the franchise and Jerry Colangelo became the General Manager. The Suns would struggle for the first few years until they obtained Paul Westphal, Alvan Adams, and Ricky Sobers in the 1975-76 season. They had an up and down season but ended up going far into the post season and made their first ever NBA Finals appearance. They faced the Boston Celtics and were eventually ousted after six games but put up a valiant fight in the effort.

The next notable era came in 1993 with the arrival of “Sir” Charles Barkley. That year he won the league MVP and instantly made Phoenix a threat in the league. The Suns helped Barkley by giving him a supporting cast of Danny Ainge, Oliver Miller, and Richard Dumas. That same year they ended up winning 62 games on the regular season and then beat the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. They then went on to beat both the Spurs and the Sonics to advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. There they met Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. As has been done with so many other teams, Michael Jordan and the Bulls stifled the Suns run and kept them from another NBA Championship.

Since then the Suns have been up and down until about 2004 when Phoenix picked up another superstar in Steven Nash. He is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and has played that way since coming to Phoenix. The Suns also picked up players such as Shawn Marion and Shaquille O’Neal for a little while but have since moved in a different direction. Currently, Steve Nash is supported by players such as Amare Stoudemire who have helped them become a dominant presence in the Western Conference. Known for their “Run n’ Gun” style of play, Phoenix frequently out-hustles and wears out their opponents. In the current 2009-10 season they are vying for a 2nd place spot in the west and look to make a statement in the league in the next few years.